Sun Microsystems Inc has announced the availability of the 1.0 specification of the Java Speech API, which it claims is a vendor-neutral and cross-platform interface to extend the Java platform to allow for speech recognition and speech synthesis in applets and applications written in Java. The API specifies a single interface for development and deployment of speech technology applications on the desktop, in small portable devices and for telephony servers, according to Sun. The company says it was developed through an open-standards process and in conjunction with leading platform, speech and Java technology vendors. The API is designed to enable developers to create applications for desktop productivity, application management, speech-enabled interfaces for users with disabilities, web page enhancement, dictation and proof-reading, and telephony call center applications. It can also be used with the PersonalJava and EmbeddedJava platforms to enable speech application development for portable and small computing devices. A number of companies have signed on as development partners for the API, including Dragon Systems Inc, IBM Corp, Philips Electronics NV, Texas Instruments Inc, Lernout & Hauspie Speech Products NV and Nuance Communications Inc. Implementations based upon the API are already available from IBM and L&H, with other vendors expected to announce implementations in the near future.
