IBM Releases Multimodal Toolkit for WebSphere Studio

SOMERS, NY - IBM announced the general availability of a toolkit for creating multimodal applications. Together, IBM's Multimodal Toolkit for WebSphere Studio and WebSphere Everyplace Multimodal Environment for Embedix allow developers to write and deploy multimodal applications on the Linux-based Sharp Zaurus 5600. Based on the XHTML+Voice (X+V) specification, the Multimodal Toolkit for WebSphere Studio is designed for creating multimodal user interfaces. It also allows developers to convert voice only and Web only applications into multimodal applications. The X+V specification comprises XHTML and VoiceXML, and was jointly submitted to the W3C by IBM, Motorola and Opera. Using the Multimodal Toolkit for WebSphere Studio, which includes an Integrated Development Environment (IDE) built on the Eclipse framework, developers can use existing skills instead of learning a completely new language. The toolkit includes: a multimodal editor in which developers can write both XHTML and VoiceXML in the same seamless application using X+V; reusable blocks of X+V code; and a simulator, based on Opera 7 for Windows, to test the applications. In conjunction with the toolkit, the WebSphere Everyplace Multimodal Environment for Embedix, based on Opera technology, allows developers to use IBM's Embedded ViaVoice advanced speech recognition (ASR) and text-to-speech (TTS) engines together on one device. Embedix is a version of Linux tailored for set-top boxes, personal digital assistants and other small devices. The resulting interface enables users to obtain and manage information as the situation dictates -- whether spoken or visual -- anytime, anyplace. Together with the Multimodal Toolkit for WebSphere Studio, a developer can deliver GUI and speech recognition in a single application. "As computing continues to extend from PCs onto devices, we're expecting more from our devices," said Eugene Cox, director of mobile solutions, IBM Pervasive Computing. "X+V is based on standards that voice and web developers are already familiar with so that enterprises can leverage invested skills to extend existing applications. Standards form the backbone of IBM's multimodal strategy and are critical in ensuring that these heterogeneous devices and communication modes work together."