VoiceXML Review - Letter from the Editor

Volume 1, Issue 1 - January 2001

Dear Readers,

Welcome to the premier issue of the VoiceXML Review, the official online magazine of the VoiceXML Forum! The primary aim of this periodical is to help proliferate VoiceXML-related information within and beyond the VoiceXML community. We will accomplish this by publishing new feature articles and a series of regular columns monthly, along with more frequent updates consisting of relevant news and event briefings. In addition, by providing searchable archives of all issues, we anticipate the VoiceXML Review will grow into an extensive on-line VoiceXML knowledge base.

The focus of this month's issue is to establish the basics. While it's likely we all agree that VoiceXML is one of those "hot" topics these days, it is a good idea at the beginning of this new year to get beyond the hype, and take a moment to develop a solid understanding of just what is VoiceXML, where did it come from, how do I get started, and how can I get more involved.

This month, Ken Rehor starts us out with an article entitled What is VoiceXML? If you are new to VoiceXML, this article serves as an excellent primer. For those of you who have already been authoring VoiceXML applications with one of the software developer kits, platforms, and/or on-line developer "web studios" available from various vendors, this article goes beyond the syntactical elements of the language and describes the typical reference architecture in which the VoiceXML interpreter resides.

It is possible that you are already involved in VoiceXML technology, but have not had the opportunity to develop an understanding of the language's origins, the VoiceXML Forum, the Forum's working relationship with W3C, or how to get involved. Gerald Karam's article, Open Dialog: Activities of the VoiceXML Forum and W3C, captures all of this and more in a nutshell. This article is a must read for all who are interested in keeping pulse on the language's past, present and future evolution path, and the organizations responsible for this ongoing activity.

We are also pleased to announce our two regular columns. The First Words column provides novice VoiceXML developers with foundational knowledge on the language and its various constructs. This month Rob Marchand takes us on a journey through the VoiceXML rendition of the venerable "Hello World" example, and beyond.

The Speak and Listen column presents you with the opportunity to send in your own VoiceXML-related questions and have them answered by an expert. This month Jeff Kunins ably deals with a variety of questions ranging from "is VoiceXML ready for prime time?" to the more technical issues, such as security considerations and dynamic grammars.

Finally, while the VoiceXML Review is freely available to all, I would highly encourage you to become a registered subscriber. To help our readers keep abreast of the latest VoiceXML developments, registered subscribers will receive monthly e-mail notifications announcing the publication of new issues, including brief abstracts on the feature articles and columns.

Wishing you a happy and prosperous new year.

Sincerely,

Jonathan Engelsma
Editor-in-Chief, VoiceXML Review

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