VoiceObjects announced the availability of its VoiceObjects Desktop for Eclipse and VoiceObjects Developer Edition. Using these solutions, developers can create over-the-phone, multi-channel applications with personalization features to customize the experience for each user.

VoiceObjects is used by telecommunication companies and enterprise customers for improving the customer experience and delivering higher-value interactions. VoiceObjects 7 suite of products includes: VoiceObjects Server for deployment and management of personalized self-service applications over voice, video, text and Web self-service channels; VoiceObjects Desktop for creating, testing, deploying and monitoring applications; and VoiceObjects Analyzer, a Web-based service used for caller behavior, system and application analysis.

"Businesses are replacing their traditional IVR systems with newer standards-based Web-centric platforms that liberate them from expensive, proprietary development environments," said Daniel Hong, Lead Analyst of Customer Interaction Technologies at Datamonitor. "VoiceObjects Desktop for Eclipse provides a platform, in support of the Java development environment, that will reduce costs and simplify development and management for businesses deploying personalized self-service phone applications in a VoiceXML environment."

The release of VoiceObjects Desktop for Eclipse and VoiceObjects Developer Edition further demonstrates the company's innovation in exceeding over-the-phone customer service standards by delivering solutions that enable organizations to obtain 1:1 personalization. Built using open standards, VoiceObjects enhances VoiceXML capabilities in delivering applications that meet consumer demand and increase overall satisfaction.

Desktop for Eclipse is an Eclipse-based development environment that provides a graphical-use interface for the design, development, deployment, testing and administration of voice, video, text and Web-based applications. The solution supports two operational modes: a network mode that allows for team collaboration, and a standalone mode that allows developers and consultants to perform offline development and testing.

"VoiceObjects' new Desktop for Eclipse makes our development of effective voice applications easier and more efficient," said Tom Gray, Chief Technology Officer at SpeechStorm. "We like the collaborative development benefits gained in the network mode and the freedom to develop offline in the standalone mode. And because it's based on Eclipse, we can simply add service creation to our standard development environment, making our developers more productive, which translates into time and cost savings."

Also included in VoiceObjects Desktop for Eclipse is Storyboard Manager, a software component that eases new design and legacy migration from proprietary IVR systems to the VoiceXML-based platforms and the VoiceObjects Server. This new feature reduces the time for routine application development tasks by more than 50 percent.

VoiceObjects Developer Edition is a downloadable application to develop over-the-phone voice, video, text or Web-based applications. The new solution incorporates a runtime version of VoiceObjects Server, including the entire library of over 100 media platform drivers to support a variety of IVR and USSD platforms.

"With the introduction of the VoiceObjects Desktop for Eclipse and VoiceObjects Developer Edition, we're providing an easier way to design self-service phone portals that customize every user experience to achieve a deep level of one-to-one personalization, allowing organizations to better serve customers by accessing content relevant to their needs," said Michael Codini, chief technical officer, VoiceObjects.