Building VoiceXML Applications

Summary

The most visible part of a thin client solution is the microbrowser. It defines the presentation layer, which includes the markup language used, image types, offline capabilities, and device support. Many different microbrowser solutions are on the market, all with different features. Some are only appropriate for a particular platform, such as PocketIE and Palm Web Browser, while others are targeted at a wide range of platforms. Within the corporate firewall, a wireless application server provides the core features that are required to develop and deploy wireless Internet applications. It improves developer productivity by supplying features aimed at mobile development. The server can also provide integration with other enterprise systems such as ERP, CRM, or relational databases. Finally, there are development tools that provide advanced features for wireless application development: Drag-and-drop programming, multichannel support, built-in emulators, and server integration are beneficial when creating enterprise applications. All of these components are required during the development and deployment of a complete wireless Internet solution.

The next chapter explains how voice applications can be created using VoiceXML.