VoiceXML Web Services for eGov

1
VoiceXML Web Services for e-Gov

• Brand Niemann
• Office of Environmental Information
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
• Presentation to the
• VoiceXML Planet Conference and Exposition
• September 26-27, 2002, Boston, MA

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Overview
3
Overview

• The story (and lessons) behind these pilots
• Tellme offered to help the XML.Gov Working Group
  to use VoiceXML in doing e-Gov (Summer 2001).
• EPA had an emergency response Web/XML database
  that needed universal access and Tellme helped
  create a VoiceXML interface (Fall 2001-Pilot 1).
• The EPA VoiceXML interface received a special
  award for innovation and became a poster child
  for using XML Web Services and VoiceXML in e-Gov
  (Spring 2002).
• XML.Gov was challenged to see how far we can
  leverage these technologies in e-Gov.
• E.g., re-invent government directory listings,
  link and chain commercial and government XML Web
  Services together, etc.

4
Overview

• The story (and lessons) behind these pilots
  (continued)
• Re-purposed the Federal Blue Pages Directory
  into an XML Web Service and VoiceXML application
  (Spring 2002-Pilot 2).
• Became aware of the Qsent database and XML Web
  Service at the e-Gov 2002 Conference and asked
  them to co-present at a Voice Applications
  Conference (Summer 2002).
• EPA became aware of the possibility of using the
  Qsent database to verify and notify the one
  million facilities it regulates and collect data
  from them using VoiceXML!
• Real Soft and Qsent partnered after the Voice
  Applications Conference to provide a VoiceXML
  interface (Fall 2002-Pilot 3).
• The Federal CIO Council decided to start an XML
  Web Services pilot incubator activity to help the
  e-Gov initiatives (Fall 2002).

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http//xml.house.gov/Members/mbr107.xmlhttp//xml
.house.gov/Members/USHouseMembers.xsdhttp//xml.h
ouse.gov/Members/members.xslt
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Pilot 3. Qsent, Inc. and Real Soft, Inc.
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Pilot 3. Qsent, Inc. and Real Soft, Inc.

• Customer dials 411
• Can you give me the phone for Jerry Bernaus?
• VXML Platform intelligently redirects the call to
  Voice Server.
• VXML Server plays the operator and gets
  relevant information.
• Information is relayed to Qsent iQ411 Servers
  over the internet.
• Qsent iQ411 Servers respond to the request in
  real-time returning all the relevant information.
• Information is presented to the customer via
  voice
• The address is ..Demo

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Pilot 1. EPA Web Sitehttp//www.epa.gov/ceppo/lep
clist.htm
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Pilot 1. XML Web Service http//130.11.53.73/lepc
/FMPro?-dbLEPC.FP5-format-fmp_xmlzip_lepczip
_code22181-find
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Pilot 1. VoiceXML File http//130.11.53.73/brand.
vxml
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Pilot 1. VoiceXML Development Toolshttp//studio.
tellme.com/
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Pilot 1. EPA VoiceXML Application

• Welcome to the E. P. A. Local Emergency Planning
  Committee finder.
• Please speak or touch-tone your 5 digit Zipcode.
• 84040
• Here are results for the Zipcode 84040.
• The L. E. P. C. nearest to you is listed in the
  E. P. A. database as follows. Davis County. At
  Davis County Sheriffs Department located in the
  city of Farmington.
• Thank You for calling, goodbye.

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Pilot 2. Government Blue Pages

Current
http//bp.fed.gov/ (offline)
Print
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Pilot 2. Government Blue Pages Pilot

Reinvented as an XML Web Service and VoiceXML
Application
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Pilot 2. Government Blue Pages Pilot

Reinvented as an XML Web Service and VoiceXML
Application
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Pilot 2. Government Blue Pages Pilot

Reinvented as an XML Web Service and VoiceXML
Application
Search Form
XML Output
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Pilot 2. Government Blue Pages Pilot
Reinvented as an XML Web Service and VoiceXML
Application
Search Form
Web Output
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Pilot 2. Federal Government Content Network
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Pilot 3. Commercial Directory Listings

• Qsent Features
• Over 145 million residential, business and
  government listings (99). Every record verified
  through phone installation and account activation
  with credit history.
• 250,000 to 500,000 updates daily
• Four searches methods
• U.S. Residential search for an individual
• U.S. Business and Government search for
  business or government agencies
• Reverse Lookup search by telephone number
• U.S. All search all directories at once
• Geographic searches
• City Surround expand search incrementally from
  city center (lowest ZIP)
• Neighborhood Search search by neighborhoods
  using ZIP4

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Pilot 3. Commercial Directory Listings

MapPoint
Qsents iQ411 Applications Interactive,
Integrated, Batch

• iQ411 Interactive is a web-based directory
  information service that provides real-time,
  daily updated, definitively accurate data for
  residential, business and government listings for
  the U.S. and Puerto Rico.
• iQ411 Integrated provides real-time system
  integration using the industry-standard XML API
  to send and receive XML messages and data.
• iQ411 Batch provides off-line processing via
  automated FTP services for accurate appending and
  validation of phone numbers and address
  information.

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Pilot 3. Commercial Directory Listings
Verify EPA Facility Location Data and Perform
Emergency Notification and Data Collection with
VoiceXML
Simulated Contamination From Umatilla Army Depot
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Contact and Press Information

• Contact
• Brand L. Niemann, Ph.D.
• Office of Environmental Information (MC 2822T)
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
• 202-566-1657
• niemann.brand_at_epa.gov
• http//www.sdi.gov
• Press
• http//www.fcw.com/fcw/articles/2002/0318/cov-tech
  2-03-18-02.asp
• http//xml.gov/documents/completed/VoiceXMLaward.h
  tm
• http//www.gcn.com/21_7/news/18303-1.html
• http//www.fcw.com/fcw/articles/2002/0617/cov-web-
  06-17-02.asp