Andy sent me a note about Blue Note’s recent expansion of their API, and I’m glad he did. From their release :
The new APIs (application program interfaces) for BlueNote’s SessionSuite SOA Edition, which allows developers to embed voice within SOA applications running on IP networks, make it possible to add outbound notification and interactive response to business applications.
The ON-SF (Outbound Notification Solution Framework), based on Simple Object Access Protocol standards, makes it possible to add to business applications “proactive outbound notification,” according to Mark Ericson, director of product strategy for BlueNote.
For example, with consumer applications in the financial services industry, the ON-SF allows users to add account activity notification or stock alerts. In healthcare, prescription renewal notifications can be added, and, in transportation applications, flight delay or cancellation notifications can be added to existing business applications.
Of course, I’m a complete fan of companies like BlueNote and their competitor LignUp. Communications enhanced business processes are the real promise of VoIP for the Enterprise, and tools and APIs like this make it happen. My favorite part of the press release (I have a favorite part of a press release? My God, that’s a sad statement. I’m so uncool.) was their excellent reasoning around the dominance of web services architectures for voice mashups:
“We deliver the same capabilities as a voice platform would have—interaction over a phone with back end applications. But we took a more Web services approach. The only new skill the developer needs is to learn our simple API. Voice XML takes specialized skills and knowledge to build applications. It has its place, but where someone wants to add some phone reach to an application, we have a much easier approach,” said Ericson.
NKU’s Ferguson agreed. “We’re using sophomores to do the development work. We spent more time thinking through how we’re gong to apply it. The investment you have to make is the application of the technology and putting it in a situation where it can be successful and add value,” he said.
Let me check this out : O’Reilly thinks that there are between 3 and 4 million Java developers. According to InternetNews, php powers 26% of all websites. I’m a Ruby Developer, and there aren’t millions of them… I think. But maybe there is. The point is, this a great example of why voice mashups raise innovation into a whole new level.