Forecast for a multimodal future: users demand more device options and seamless interaction.

This fall, speech technology is beginning to fulfill its promise. After years of expectation, faster chip speeds and more sophisticated algorithms mean voice recognition is performing better than ever. New speech-enabled applications are hitting the market, as businesses and consumers realize

Voice technology is a key component of pervasive computing--ubiquitous and mobile systems and technologies, such as handheld, wireless and embedded devices, that interact seamlessly in everyday life. At a time when computing power sits in places not normally associated with computers, a new way is needed to give input and get output.

Combining voice with touchscreens, keypads and the stylus into multimodal interaction--the natural evolution of voice is enabled pervasive systems, which allows communication and access to digital data anytime, anywhere, across any device. Industry analyst firm META Group forecasts that pervasive computing devices will outnumber traditional PCs by 2003, as users demand more device options.

Multimodality allows the use of different kinds of input and output during the same interaction. For example, callers to an airline's automated call center can speak their request--"What is my flight information?"--and have the answer returned as text on a handheld. Such applications will afford efficiencies to both businesses and consumers.

The seamless interaction of voice applications and Web content, any time and over any device, also stands to increase wireless adoption rates because it enables access to applications not avail able before. To reach the next level and reap this legion of benefits, the industry must have a common way to write these applications. Having an agreed-upon process will also ensure that devices work with one another, regardless of platform.

Multimodality presents unique benefits for end-users, service providers and enterprises. For service providers, such applications will lead to increased usage and profits from subscriptions, as well as enable them to enter nontraditional markets and expand the reach of their services across the value chain through increased user efficiency. In the enterprise, it will provide employees, field and sales forces, and business partners with easy and convenient access to enterprise applications.

Web developers will be able to add voice interaction to graphical Web content for multimodal deployment. Complex voice dialogs can be built by designers trained in speech interfaces, then be reused by Web application developers for traditional Web design. This means that access to enterprise applications, such as databases, inventory and ERP systems, whether at a desk, in a car, or in airport lounges, via various types of devices, will be available.

Voice technology and multimodal interactions will play a fundamental role as the world evolves toward increasing mobile accessibility. Enterprise voice portals will be the call centers of the future, and having readily accessible information available from phones and devices, in addition to PCs, makes sense for enterprises. While competitive and economic pressures increase the value of immediate access to information, ROI is king.

A mobile workforce empowered with anytime, any place access will be more efficient and more productive, positively impacting the company's bottom line. In fact, according to META Group, 65% of enterprises will deploy applications for mobile devices by 2005. In this age of convergence and mobile devices, the freedom to use multimodal interactions sets the stage for truly pervasive computing.

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A growing market

The market for speech technologies is expected to quadruple in the next four years, according to a study by The Kelsey Group, Princeton, NJ. The firm estimates that revenues for automated speech recognition, text-to-speech, natural language understanding, embedded speech and attendant infrastructure hardware and software will grow from $501 million in 2001 to more than $2 billion in 2006.

That growth, the firm says, will trigger a multiplier effect, driving voice-activated and enhanced telephony services revenues to $27 billion by 2006. Among the new deployments: embedding automated speech in handsets, PDAs and cars.

Soares is program director, product management, at IBM Pervasive Computing, White Plains, N.Y.