Announcing Flash-based VoiceXML Platform

We, at TringMe, are very excited to announce the first of its kind offering - a Flash-enabled VoiceXML solution. Although VoiceXML isn’t really new, there wasn’t an easy way for web or Flash developers to harness the power of VoiceXML. Both the technologies were used by different set of developers and given that there wasn’t an easier way to combine the two technologies, we haven’t seen applications which could use the power of both together.

As we know, Flash & AJAX have changed the way Web (2.0) has evolved. There is an entire new breed of interactive applications making web much more than just a set of pages. Similarly emerging VoiceXML & CCXML gave the interactivity to the voice world; unfortunately the later remained an isolated technology for the masses due to various reasons.

One of the key reasons for the popularity of Flash, RIA, AJAX has been the built-in support of the technology in the browsers. However, voice did not get that attention; mainly because a lot of infrastructure is required to build voice application, because of the complexity involved in building interactive voice applications and the need for optimum performance and carrier grade reliability. Even with the innovation on both voice and RIA fronts, something is required to bridge the gap and make voice accessible from RIA in a simple manner effectively.

With TringMe, we have tried to bridge this gap. With extension of our platform, TringMe opens up VoiceXML accessibility to millions of flash and web developers to easily, yet, tightly integrate voice and telephony without having to know the intricate details of call-signalling, routing, billing etc.

Developers now get virtually the same out-of-the-box experience since using the TringMe platform. They do not require anything else besides Flash and Web technologies to create rich voice and telephony applications. Whether it’s speech recognition, DTMF or Text-to-speech, TringMe’s solution provides it all so that the application can be really rich is providing the best possible user-interaction. Given the presence of flash all around, the simplicity of ‘distributing’ such widgets without any additional software download or installation makes this solution even more attractive.

Alongwith Flash, the VoiceXML capability is also accessible from Instant Messengers, TringMe MobileVoIP, Phones. In other words, one can use a phone, IM, Browser or any such means to interact with VoiceXML and TringMe platform.

We are working with key VoiceXML technology vendors to provide a fully integrated solution. Currently, we have launched this solution in private beta and is available for evaluation. We will be happy to enable it from our portal to select interested developers.

TringMe Developer resources, API documentation and sample code is available at http://tringme.com/developers.html

TringMe breaks In-flight VoIP barrier over Aircell’s Wi-Fi service

Aircell’s in-flight service was launched yesterday. As many noted, VoIP will not be enabled on this service . Well, in traditional sense, VoIP isn’t enabled.

But that doesn’t mean you cannot do VoIP :). All you need to do is use TringMe’s flash-based widgets and flash-based phone. As captured by Andy Abramson, he made a call using TringMe’s flash widget using Phweet. Joanna comments on her blog that:

“It turns out there is a way to crack the VoIP calling restriction in the air. VoIP guru, Andy Abramson of VoIP Watch just had to speak to me on the phone (even though I had just seen him before taking off in San Fran). Since calling over Sightspeed or Skype didn’t work we tried a Flash based solution through Phweet (you use your Twitter account to sign in). Andy sent me an invite to talk and there he was. We had a 5 minute phone convo for free (beat that MagicJack!). He sounded great and there was no choppiness on his end“.

So, unless Aircell blocks TringMe, stay voice connected to the while you are flying in cloud.

It’s tringing high ..literally !!