Dynamic Voice User Interface Using VoiceXML and Active Server Pages

Abstract

Many companies, large and small, have websites and e-Commerce plays an important role in a business. A dynamic voice using the same business logic and backend database without changes to the architecture of the existing web application could provide a solution for the over-stretched call centers and also can provide alternatives for customers with access to a phone but without direct access to Internet. The aim of the paper is to demonstrate how to design and implement a dynamic voice interface and incorporate it into the architecture of an existing web application. There are two servers involved in the process. First a VoiceXML server accepts the user request and converts it as a request to the web server of the existing website. Then the web server processes the request and generates a dynamic response in VXML format using the existing system database. Finally the voice server converts the VXML codes in audio format and plays back to the user. The newly added voice interface allows the user to access similar functionalities to those provided by the existing web application using a normal phone without a computer or Internet access. In order to demonstrate the entire process, an e-Commerce storefront is chosen from one of the Microsoft ASP .NET sample applications and a dynamic voice interface is developed under the same system architecture to provide similar functionalities to those provided by the existing website.