IBM Makes New Embedded Speech Tools Available on alphaWorks

SOMERS , N.Y. - IBM announced the technology preview of an Embedded Voice Toolkit - an Eclipse-based tool designed to speed development of speech applications on devices such a smartphones, handhelds and automobiles. The toolkit preview provides extensions to IBM's range of tools, such as IBM's WebSphere Studio Device Developer, and aims to reduce the complexity of embedded speech application development - potentially opening up the building of embedded speech applications to a wider pool of developers. IBM also announced the general availability of its Multimodal Tools 4.1.2 as well as upgrades to WebSphere Voice Server.

The Embedded Voice Toolkit allows developers to more easily build speech applications for devices using a GUI rather than "command-line" coding. The toolkit fits into the WebSphere Studio Integrated Development Environment and provides the same look and feel as other tools across IBM.

The set of Eclipse-based plug-ins within the Toolkit, can be used to generate, test, and manage grammars and custom pronunciations.

The Embedded Voice Toolkit provides several key components: An integrated development environment, powered by Eclipse, that extends WebSphere Studio Device Developer to embedded speech applications; wizards that help developers create re-useable dialogue components; an SRCL-based (Speech Recognition Control Language) grammar editor and compiler, with pre-built templates for often-used grammars - words and phrases that a user can say in a speech application; and an automatic builder to speed generation of new grammars.

Developers can download the toolkit at http://www.alphaworks.ibm.com/tech/embeddedvoicetk