According to Access, the resulting multimodal browser will be one of the first to support X+V 1.1, an industry-leading multimodal markup language that unites XHTML and VoiceXML into an application that uses XML Events, a W3C proposed recommendation that acts as an interoperable glue.
Under the terms of the multiyear contract, Access will OEM IBM's embedded ViaVoice technology. Similarly, IBM will OEM Access' NetFront browser technology. The first operating system targeted for the joint solution is Windows Mobile 2003. Access and IBM intend to provide solutions for other platforms in the future.
Adding voice recognition to the mobile Internet can create a powerful and versatile end-user experience. For example, with XHTML+Voice you can request Internet search information from a travel site, enter the parameters for your flight, book your flight and hotel, and even rental car simply by speaking -- which can be a far easier solution than manually typing your information, especially on handheld computers or mobile phones.
"The evolution of sophisticated mobile technologies has elevated our customers' expectations of what a handheld device can do, and we need to respond to that," said Eugene Cox, Director, Product Management, IBM Pervasive Computing. "Adding voice recognition to the mobile Internet can provide customers with an easier hands-free way to browse and interact with the Internet."
"This technology is truly giving rise to the advent of hands-free mobile Internet interactivity," said Toru Arakawa, president and chief executive officer of Access Co. Ltd. "We are excited to have partnered with a technology leader like IBM for this initiative, and we are confident that IBM has made the right choice."
Access also announced that it has joined the VoiceXML Forum to help promote and develop future Voice XML technologies in the embedded and mobile market. The VoiceXML Forum is an industry organization founded in 1999 by AT&T, IBM, Lucent and Motorola, and chartered with establishing and promoting the Voice Extensible Markup Language (VoiceXML). Since its inception the VoiceXML Forum has successfully driven market acceptance of VoiceXML through a wide array of speech-enabled applications. Currently the Forum has over 380 member companies.
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