Apparently Speech Server 2007 will be delayed by at least another six months. This is so it can be combined with Microsoft Communications Server. I found out about this on GotSpeech.NET.
My immediate reaction to this is one of disappointment. I had hoped to be using Speech Server 2007 by January. As it now stands, we'll be working with Speech Server 2004 for a while yet.
My long term reaction to this is that it could well be a smart move on the part of Microsoft. The world of telecommunications is changing rapidly. I've been reading for some time about how teenagers in Asia and Europe are far more inclined to "text" on their cell-phones than talk on them, and I think it's only a matter of time before this trend becomes equally pervasive here in the US. Merging Speech Server with Windows Communication Server should allow developers to take advantage of the extra capability of a text-enabled cell phone.
You can already see the first inklings of this convergence. Watch one of the talent contest TV shows. At the bottom of the screen they'll say that you can send a text message to an address to vote for a contestant. So how about systems that allow you either to call or to engage in a text conversation? Verizon is already doing this with the minutes-used reports that they offer subscribers. You can either call or send a text message, and in a minute or two you receive a minutes-used report sent to your phone. I predict that a lot of IVR systems will begin to offer this sort of functionality in the near future. Want your credit card balance? Movie times? Make a reservation?
Of course, Microsoft may be thinking too far ahead. This is the trap that they fell into with Speech Server 2004, which was oriented toward voice-enabled applications. IE: PDAs with speech-enabled interfaces. The idea was good but the need never materialized. I don't think so, though. I think this time they'll get it right on.
My immediate reaction to this is one of disappointment. I had hoped to be using Speech Server 2007 by January. As it now stands, we'll be working with Speech Server 2004 for a while yet.
My long term reaction to this is that it could well be a smart move on the part of Microsoft. The world of telecommunications is changing rapidly. I've been reading for some time about how teenagers in Asia and Europe are far more inclined to "text" on their cell-phones than talk on them, and I think it's only a matter of time before this trend becomes equally pervasive here in the US. Merging Speech Server with Windows Communication Server should allow developers to take advantage of the extra capability of a text-enabled cell phone.
You can already see the first inklings of this convergence. Watch one of the talent contest TV shows. At the bottom of the screen they'll say that you can send a text message to an address to vote for a contestant. So how about systems that allow you either to call or to engage in a text conversation? Verizon is already doing this with the minutes-used reports that they offer subscribers. You can either call or send a text message, and in a minute or two you receive a minutes-used report sent to your phone. I predict that a lot of IVR systems will begin to offer this sort of functionality in the near future. Want your credit card balance? Movie times? Make a reservation?
Of course, Microsoft may be thinking too far ahead. This is the trap that they fell into with Speech Server 2004, which was oriented toward voice-enabled applications. IE: PDAs with speech-enabled interfaces. The idea was good but the need never materialized. I don't think so, though. I think this time they'll get it right on.
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