open source telecommunications: enabling anyone to build a bad telephony application

Open Source Telecommunications:

Enabling Anyone to Build a Bad Telephony Application

Jeff DworkinSegment Marketing Manager

[email protected]

Human Factors in Voice Interface Design

Jeff DworkinSegment Marketing Manager

[email protected]

• © Copyright 2010 Dialogic Corporation. All rights reserved.SLIDE 3

Privately-held corporation– Headquartered in Montreal, Quebec with over 700

employees, including ~37% in R&D functions– 14 major offices and 27 additional sales locations

globally

Industry leader in communications enabling technology solutions

Dialogic is the most recognized name in the converged communications enabling industry and remains the market segment leader

– Deployed in over 80% of Fortune 2,000 companies and in the vast majority of service provider networks in over 80 countries

Founded in 1984

Numerous Industry Firsts in Mobile Video and VoIP

79 Unique Registered Patents and over 60 Pending Patents

Over 70 Million Ports Shipped

Company Highlights

Deep Domain Experti

se

Industry Standard Solutions

Thought Leadershi

p

Dialogic at a Glance

Mission: To Enable Secure Multimedia Communications Through Any Network To And From Any Endpoint In The World

Leading Enabling Technology Solutions


Extends Mobile VAS Segment Leadership

Video Algorithmic and Analytics Leadership

Extends Technology Enabling MSS Leadership− Fax Segment MSS Leadership

Converged Communications Technology Enabling Market Segment Share Leadership− Dialogic “pioneer” history, relationships and patent portfolio− Enterprise Gateway

Established SS7 / Signaling Part of Business

Established HMP as core to Dialogic customer value proposition

Deeper Service Provider Segment Products / Customers− Service Provider gateway and IP media server

Extends Technology Enabling MSS Leadership

Multimedia/Video VAS enabling leadership

2006 2007 2008

“VIDEO IS THE NEW VOICE”™

Dialogic Evolution

“VIDEO IS THE NEW VOICE”™2009 2010

Extend into Web communication innovators TDM to IP Transition Leadership

HD Voice Enabling Video IP Streaming Value Added Services


What is Human Factors?

Ergonomics – an applied science concerned with designing and arranging things people use, such that they interact most efficiently and safely.

Ergonomics is the physical part

Human Factors encompasses the physical as well as the mental and emotional.

The Man/Machine Interface


PEOPLE JUST

DON’T LISTEN!

Persistence, Memory and Time

Persistence, Memory and Time

Telephony InterfacesVs.

Visual Interfaces


Persistence

In a visual display, data remains on the display until replaced by new data.

This allows users to:– Return to a task after interruption– Review – by scanning back and forth – among several possible menu

choices– Eliminate or minimize the effects of time by scrolling freely between

the past and the present– Maintain context – even when confronted with multiple tasks


Memory

The serial presentation of auditory information places heavy demands on working memory

More impactful on novice users More impactful on older users


Time

Time is the enemy of the spoken user interface-Bruce Balentine/David P. Morgan, How To Build a Speech Recognition Application

– Defeating this enemy requires repeating critical information until it “sticks”

– Yet it takes time to say things– “Hold on – I’m writing this down”– Cultural/Social issues can cause communication breakdown

• Issues of Prosody/Timing• What’s your phone Number?

– Is it 973-555-1212 or is it 9735-5-1212?

Machine Output


Machine Spoken Output

Prompts – indicate it is time for user input.Feedback – presents the application state that results from user

input, allowing the user to compare original intent with final results.

Instructions – give information to the user about operating the user interface or understanding the task.

Help – offer context sensitive corrective action. Often adopts a separate mode or state aimed at coaching.

Application Data – the content or information that the user seeks or intends to modify.


Silence, the Silent Killer

People will wait without feedback for six to eight seconds.– Anything longer than that and callers will think something wrong– Causes frustration– Causes people to hang up

If a processing delay or a wait in queue lasts more than six seconds, give the caller feedback– Music, Information, Advertising– If using tones, explain the tone or callers may think the tone is an

indication that they have been disconnected

PromptsAsking the User to

Do SomethingMachine Output


Action-Goal vs Goal-Action

Action-Goal– Press one for sales…

Goal-Action– For sales, press one…

Goal-Action reflects the way people think, using Action-Goal can cause confusion.

What you are saying:Press One for Sales…Press Two for Marketing…Press Three for Support.

What is heard:Press One (not heard because the user is not paying attention yet) for Sales, press two…for Marketing…press three, for support…???


Please, Now and Thank-You

“Social Graces” just add to the length of the communication– For sales, please press one now…– For sales, press one…

Many phone-based interfaces are tedious because they unnecessarily put the word “please” in front of every action statement on a menu (e.g., “For more information, please press 4.” (Scumacher)


Anthropomorphism

Definition: The attribution of human characteristics to non-human beings

This is not the same as the system having a “personality” Experts disagree on the use of anthropomorphism

In my opinion: Avoid anthropomorphism The more “like” a person people believes the system to be more

they want to communicate with it like it is a person, but it is not a person, it is a machine

If you must personify, let the personality be a narrator or guide, not the machine


Compression

The speed or tempo at which recordings are played– Should be between 135 words/min and 170 words/min– Software can be used to compress (or speed-up) playback while

maintaining the pitch of the voice– Faster may seem better, but it can cause error due to retention issues

and response mistakes…especially in older adults (Sharit, 2003) Faster tempo can cause Perceived Enunciation Errors or

Mondegreens– Bad Moon Rising by Creedence Clearwater Revival– There’s a bathroom on the right

• There’s a bad moon on the rise– Mairzy doats and dozy doats and liddle lamzy divey

• Mares eat oats and does eat oats and little lambs eat ivy– For information and directions, press 5…

• ???

I see the bad moon arising.I see trouble on the way.I see earthquakes and lightnin'.I see bad times today.

(CHORUS:)Don't go around tonight,Well, it's bound to take your life,


Short /Long Prompts vs Short/Long Recordings

– Prevents repeating irrelevant prompts during error correction.– With “Long Recordings” you can end up with this:

• “Thank you for calling XYZ, please enter your PIN”• “That was not a correct entry”• “Thank you for calling XYZ, please enter your PIN”

With dial-through, dial-ahead and/or barge in, why is this relevant?

– With “Short Recordings” the interaction is better• “Thank you for calling XYZ”… “Please enter your PIN”• “That was not a correct entry”• “Please enter your PIN”


Feedback

Presents the application state that results from user input, allowing the user to compare original intent with final results

Echoing user input for confirmation– You entered “ABC”, if this is correct, press 1, if you need to try again, press 2– You said “ABC”, is this correct?

Do not echo menu choices– For technical support press 1…“Technical Support Menu”Can be tedious for experienced users, the feedback can be implied in the follow

up prompt“For new product installation support, press 1, for trouble shooting an existing

implementation, press 2”


Instructions vs. Help

Instructions– Give information to the user about operating the user interface or

understanding the task.– Often terse and to the point.– Given as part of the operation of the system

• “At any time during this call, press the # key to go back one menu” Help

– Offer context sensitive corrective action. – Often adopts a separate mode or state aimed at coaching.– Perhaps use a different voice for Help.– Not trying to operate the system but learn about the system.

• “This system allows you to retrieve you account information without having to speak to an agent. You will need your Account Number and the Last Four Digits of Your Social Security Number to access your account information.”

Lists, Menus and User Input


Hierarchy vs Skip and Scan

Hierarchy– For Sales, press 1…For Support,

press 2.– There are four matches…For Jan

Smith, press 1…For John Smith, press 2…For Ken Smith press 3.

– “Lakeview Terrace”, press 9…”Burn after Reading” ,press 10…”Igor”, press 11.

Skip and Scan– Sales. To select this option,

press 1. For the next option, press 9. For the previous option, press 7.

– Jan Smith. To select this option, press 1. For the next option, press 9. For the previous option, press 7.

– “Lakeview Terrace” To select this option, press 1. For the next option, press 9. For the previous option, press 7.


Number of Choices Per Menu

The primacy and recency effects– Designers should also consider the primacy and recency effect that

enables users to remember the first and last options most frequently. The recency effect makes the last few items presented in a list the easiest to recall. However, a short disturbance or interference can make it difficult to remember the last few items (Baddeley, 1999).

Most people can only remember 5 choice– Some can remember more, some less– More complex instructions are harder to remember– Older users have more difficulty remembering– 5 items +2, depending on user base and complexity, is a good rule of

thumb Dynamic Menus only present the options that available to the user

based on their permissions


Delimiters: To # or not to #

What is that thing (#) called– Pound, Number Sign, Hash, Octothorpe, Square?

Telling them where it is– The # Key is located at the lower right corner of your keypad.

Enter your 4 Digit PIN followed by the # sign?– Why required the # if you know length of the expected input?

Enter your 4 Digit PIN– What to do if they enter # anyway?


Press vs Enter

Use Press when a single digit entry is required– Implies that no Delimiter (#) is Needed– “For Sales, Press 1...”

Use Enter when a multi-digit entry is required– Doesn’t matter if it is a fixed-length entry or a variable-length entry– “Enter your 4-digit PIN Now”– “Enter you PIN, followed by the # key”


Consistent use of keys

[0] should always be for exiting out to human being if one is available.– Don’t hide the existence of human being

Other Key can be used consistently throughout an application– There is no standard for this but it is a design choice

• [9] = Always return to the Main Menu• [7] = Jump back One Menu


Other User Inputs

Directional Metaphors Mnemonics Alphabetic Input

– Two Button – Key then Position– Two Button – Key then Location– Count along the key

DTMF vs

Speech Recognition


DTMF or ASR: Different or Better

DTMF: STRENGTHS– Familiarity– Ubiquity– Speed– Privacy– Efficiency– Availability– Cost

DTMF: WEAKNESSES– Auditory Only– Taxes Working Memory– Limited Input Device– Variability in Equipment

ASR: STRENGTHS– Hands Free in a Mobile World– Flexible– Adaptable– Good for Data Intensive Input

• Automated Attendant• Lists

ASR: WEAKNESSES– Cost– Difficult to Recover From Errors– Error Amplification– Regional Issues– Legally Ambiguous


ASR Menus

Don’t mimic DTMF menus– “To Pay with Visa, press 1 or say one”– “To Pay with Visa, press or say 1”– “To Pay with Visa, say Visa”

How about– “What Credit Card Would You Like to Use to Pay for That”

Error Correction in Speech Recognition


The Infinite Loop of Misunderstanding – Part One

User : “Call Mom at Home”App : Did you say “Call Mom at Home”?User : “Yes”App : Response Not Understood. Please repeatUser : “Call Mom at Home”App : Did you say “Call Mom at Home”?User : “Yes”App : Response Not Understood. Please repeat


The Infinite Loop of Misunderstanding – Part Two

App: Did you say “Call Mom at Home?”User: “Yes”App : Did you say “Yes” or “No”?User : “Yes”App : Did you say “Yes” or “No”?User : “Yes”App : Did you say “Yes” or “No”?


Breaking the Loop

App: Did you say ‘”Call Mom at Home?”User: “Yes”App : Was that a Yes?

Case OneUser: “Yes”

First and second utterances match. So the answer is yes.

Case TwoUser: “No”

First and second utterances DO NOT match. So the answer is NO.


Grunt Detection – When All Else Fails

App: Thank you for calling ABC Company, what would you like to do?

User: “UNGSLDFKJ”App: This system can provide NEWS…User: <no response>App: Weather…User: <no response>App : Sports…User: “UNGSLDFKJ”App: Today’s sporting news…


Implied Yes/No

User: “Call Mom at Home”App: Calling Mom at HomeUser: <no response>

PLACE THE CALL

User: “Call Mom at Home”App: Calling Mom at HomeUser: “Yes.”

PLACE THE CALL

User: “Call Mom at Home”App: Calling Mom at HomeUser: “Hold it!”

DO NOT PLACE THE CALL AND VERIFY


Wrap Up

Telephony User Interfaces are significantly different from visual interfaces

Understanding and Designing to these differences will play a significant role in the success or failure of the system

When implementing ASR, how you handle what the system DOESN’T is often more important than handling what the system DOES understand.

Understand your users Understand their goals Build the system they want to use, not the one you want build


References

How to Build a Speech Recognition Application– Balentine & Morgan, 2001

It’s Better to be a Good Machine than a Bad Person– Balentine, 2007

Increasing the Usability of Interactive Voice Response Systems: Research and Guidelines for Phone-Based Systems– Scumacher, Hardzinski & Schwarz, 1995

Skip and Scan: Cleaning up Telephone Interfaces– Resnick & Virzi, 1992

Effects of Age, Speech Rate, and Environmental Support in Using Telephone Voice Menu Systems– Sharit, Czaja, Nair, Lee, 2003

Company Confidential • © Copyright 2010 Dialogic Corporation. All rights reserved.SLIDE 40

Dialogic, Dialogic Pro, Brooktrout, Diva, Diva ISDN, Making Innovation Thrive, Video is the New Voice, Diastar, Cantata, TruFax, SwitchKit, SnowShore, Eicon, Eicon Networks, NMS Communications, NMS (stylized), Eiconcard, SIPcontrol, TrustedVideo, Exnet, EXS, Connecting to Growth, Fusion, Vision, PacketMedia, NaturalAccess, NaturalCallControl, NaturalConference, NaturalFax and Shiva, among others as well as related logos, are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Dialogic Corporation or its subsidiaries (“Dialogic”). The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein are the trademarks of their respective owners. Dialogic encourages all users of its products to procure all necessary intellectual property licenses required to implement their concepts or applications, which licenses may vary from country to country. Dialogic may make changes to specifications, product descriptions, and plans at any time, without notice.

This document discusses one or more open source products, systems and/or releases. Dialogic is not responsible for your decision to use open source in connection with Dialogic products (including without limitation those referred to herein), nor is Dialogic responsible for any present or future effects such usage might have, including without limitation effects on your products, your business, or your intellectual property rights.

USE CASE(S)Any use case(s) shown and/or described herein represent one or more examples of the various ways, scenarios or environments in which Dialogic products can be used. Such use case(s) are non-limiting and do not represent recommendations of Dialogic as to whether or how to use Dialogic products.

06/10

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open source telecommunications: enabling anyone to build a bad telephony application

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