Speech Application Language Tags
Encyclopedia
Speech Application Language Tags (SALT) is an XML
based markup language
that is used in HTML
and XHTML
pages to add voice recognition
capabilities to web based applications
.
s). The Speech Application Language Tags extend existing mark-up languages such as HTML
, XHTML
, and XML
. Multimodal access will enable users to interact with an application in a variety of ways: they will be able to input data using speech, a keyboard, keypad, mouse and/or stylus, and produce data as synthesized speech, audio, plain text, motion video, and/or graphics.
and was supported by the SALT Forum. The SALT Forum was founded on October 15, 2001 by Microsoft
, along with Cisco Systems
, Comverse, Intel, Philips Consumer Electronics
, and ScanSoft. The SALT 1.0 specification was submitted to the W3C (World Wide Web Consortium
) for review in August 2002. However, the W3C continued developing its VoiceXML 2.0 standard, which reached the final "Recommendation" stage in March 2004.
By 2006, Microsoft realized Speech Server had to support the W3C VoiceXML standard to remain competitive. Microsoft joined the VoiceXML Forum as a Promoter in April of that year.. Speech Server 2007 supports VoiceXML 2.0 and 2.1 in addition to SALT. In 2007, Microsoft purchased Tellme, one of the largest VoiceXML service providers.
By that point nearly every other SALT Forum company had committed to VoiceXML. The last press release posted to the SALT Forum website was in 2003, while the VoiceXML Forum is quite active. "SALT [Speech Application Language Tags] is a direct competitor but has not reached the level of maturity of VoiceXML in the standards process," said Bill Meisel, principal at TMA Associates, a speech technology research firm.
2004 product supports SALT, while Microsoft Speech Server 2007 supports SALT in addition to VoiceXML 2.0 and 2.1. There is also a speech add-in for Internet Explorer
that interprets SALT tags on web pages, available as part of the Microsoft Speech Application SDK
.
XML
Extensible Markup Language is a set of rules for encoding documents in machine-readable form. It is defined in the XML 1.0 Specification produced by the W3C, and several other related specifications, all gratis open standards....
based markup language
Markup language
A markup language is a modern system for annotating a text in a way that is syntactically distinguishable from that text. The idea and terminology evolved from the "marking up" of manuscripts, i.e. the revision instructions by editors, traditionally written with a blue pencil on authors' manuscripts...
that is used in HTML
HTML
HyperText Markup Language is the predominant markup language for web pages. HTML elements are the basic building-blocks of webpages....
and XHTML
XHTML
XHTML is a family of XML markup languages that mirror or extend versions of the widely-used Hypertext Markup Language , the language in which web pages are written....
pages to add voice recognition
Speech recognition
Speech recognition converts spoken words to text. The term "voice recognition" is sometimes used to refer to recognition systems that must be trained to a particular speaker—as is the case for most desktop recognition software...
capabilities to web based applications
Web application
A web application is an application that is accessed over a network such as the Internet or an intranet. The term may also mean a computer software application that is coded in a browser-supported language and reliant on a common web browser to render the application executable.Web applications are...
.
Description
Speech Application Language Tags enables multimodal and telephony-enabled access to information, applications, and Web services from PCs, telephones, tablet PCs, and wireless personal digital assistants (PDAPDA
A PDA is most commonly a Personal digital assistant, also known as a Personal data assistant, a mobile electronic device.PDA may also refer to:In science, medicine and technology:...
s). The Speech Application Language Tags extend existing mark-up languages such as HTML
HTML
HyperText Markup Language is the predominant markup language for web pages. HTML elements are the basic building-blocks of webpages....
, XHTML
XHTML
XHTML is a family of XML markup languages that mirror or extend versions of the widely-used Hypertext Markup Language , the language in which web pages are written....
, and XML
XML
Extensible Markup Language is a set of rules for encoding documents in machine-readable form. It is defined in the XML 1.0 Specification produced by the W3C, and several other related specifications, all gratis open standards....
. Multimodal access will enable users to interact with an application in a variety of ways: they will be able to input data using speech, a keyboard, keypad, mouse and/or stylus, and produce data as synthesized speech, audio, plain text, motion video, and/or graphics.
History
SALT was developed as a competitor to VoiceXMLVoiceXML
VoiceXML is the W3C's standard XML format for specifying interactive voice dialogues between a human and a computer. It allows voice applications to be developed and deployed in an analogous way to HTML for visual applications. Just as HTML documents are interpreted by a visual web browser,...
and was supported by the SALT Forum. The SALT Forum was founded on October 15, 2001 by Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
, along with Cisco Systems
Cisco Systems
Cisco Systems, Inc. is an American multinational corporation headquartered in San Jose, California, United States, that designs and sells consumer electronics, networking, voice, and communications technology and services. Cisco has more than 70,000 employees and annual revenue of US$...
, Comverse, Intel, Philips Consumer Electronics
Philips Consumer Electronics
Philips Consumer Lifestyle is a part of Philips ; which is one of the largest electronics companies in the world. In 2005, its sales were € 30.4 billion and it employed 161,500 people in more than 60 countries. Other Philips divisions are: Philips Lighting, Philips Healthcare, Philips Domestic...
, and ScanSoft. The SALT 1.0 specification was submitted to the W3C (World Wide Web Consortium
World Wide Web Consortium
The World Wide Web Consortium is the main international standards organization for the World Wide Web .Founded and headed by Tim Berners-Lee, the consortium is made up of member organizations which maintain full-time staff for the purpose of working together in the development of standards for the...
) for review in August 2002. However, the W3C continued developing its VoiceXML 2.0 standard, which reached the final "Recommendation" stage in March 2004.
By 2006, Microsoft realized Speech Server had to support the W3C VoiceXML standard to remain competitive. Microsoft joined the VoiceXML Forum as a Promoter in April of that year.. Speech Server 2007 supports VoiceXML 2.0 and 2.1 in addition to SALT. In 2007, Microsoft purchased Tellme, one of the largest VoiceXML service providers.
By that point nearly every other SALT Forum company had committed to VoiceXML. The last press release posted to the SALT Forum website was in 2003, while the VoiceXML Forum is quite active. "SALT [Speech Application Language Tags] is a direct competitor but has not reached the level of maturity of VoiceXML in the standards process," said Bill Meisel, principal at TMA Associates, a speech technology research firm.
Usage
The Microsoft Speech ServerMicrosoft Speech Server
The Microsoft Speech Server is a product from Microsoft designed to allow the authoring and deployment of IVR applications incorporating Speech Recognition, Speech Synthesis and DTMF....
2004 product supports SALT, while Microsoft Speech Server 2007 supports SALT in addition to VoiceXML 2.0 and 2.1. There is also a speech add-in for Internet Explorer
Internet Explorer
Windows Internet Explorer is a series of graphical web browsers developed by Microsoft and included as part of the Microsoft Windows line of operating systems, starting in 1995. It was first released as part of the add-on package Plus! for Windows 95 that year...
that interprets SALT tags on web pages, available as part of the Microsoft Speech Application SDK
SASDK
The SASDK is Microsoft's Speech Application SDK. It is used to create telephony applications as well as multimodal web applications. It complies with the SALT XML standard, unlike Microsoft's earlier endeavors. The SASDK is used to create Web-based applications only...
.