Accessible voice services and systems:
Technical trends

(Text from Slides)

Jim Tobias

tobias@inclusive.com

732.441.0831 v/tty

Introduction

n Main trends

u Messaging growth and centrality

u Expanding range of products and features

u PC-and-software replacing user CPE

u Convergence and unified messaging

u IP telephony

n All have access implications

Data from MMTA industry survey on CT

(http://img.cmpnet.com/telecomlibrary/content/mmta2000.pdf)

Messaging growth and centrality - 1

n Explosive growth

u 48% of vendors have been active 1 year or less

u 38% growth in user organization expenditures

u financial services IVR use grew 67% in 1998; customer satisfaction with calls dropped from 87% to 80% - TARP 10/99

n Residential (mostly IVR and AA)

u access to home services: ordering, delivery, banking, schools, government, etc.

u “improved contact with ... customers” is second highest rated reason for user organizations

Messaging growth and centrality - 2

n Employment

u 33% of user organizations have voice mail now; 87% expect to within 2 years

u “increased worker productivity” is top rated reason for user organizations

u some jobs have high messaging content

§ call centers (sales & support) – 3% of US workforce by 2004

§ professions

§ any large organization

Accessibility implications

n Impact on social integration, commercial opportunities

n Critical employability issue

Expanding range of products and features

n Product ecology is exploding

n Maturity è refinement?

n Interoperability with embedded applications

n Standards

u adherence to standards is greatest concern of vendors

u end users rate its importance 95%

Accessibility implications

n Profusion means there is usually at least one solution out there

n BUT information task becomes unmanageable

u purchasing decisions are complex

u vendors unaware of access value of their own products

u end users and system administrators also unaware

n Few standards address accessibility

PC-and –software replacing user CPE

n From simple POTS dialer utilities to proprietary phone simulators

u TAPI and voice modems, other tools

u integration with contact management software

PC phones

Accessibility implications

n Messaging access depends on computer access

u workplace computer access must be provided anyway

n Reduced need for specialized CPE and related equipment

n TTY modems (desktop and network)

Convergence and unified messaging

n At user’s end

u PC applications can show a single mailbox, with cross-media notification and presentation

u user can switch media or arrange for transcription

n At provider’s end

u one server for all media

u identification of user’s media preference

Demo of CallXpress

Unified server architecture

Accessibility implications

IP telephony

n Rapid growth: 9% of user organizations have it now; 64% expect to within 2 years

n Capable of simultaneous voice, video, shared application, and text

u can change features during session

n Messaging apps available for client or server (JFax, eVoice, etc.)

IP telephony clients

IP telephony architectures

IP telephony access implications

Business trends

n Growth in software and services 38%; hardware 28%; consultants/integrators 13%

u improved administration

u role of toolkits?

u Application Service Providers (ASPs)

n 56% use vendor-supplied training

Accessibility implications

n More access features

u  but if they are not built in, they will be harder to add

u user and administrator awareness becomes crucial

n Regulatory status of ASPs