Re: petition to ask the committee to include speaker authentication in Version 3

Judith,

Thanks for your suggestions for linking a new version of VoiceXML to 
BioAPI, the standard for biometrics.
I will bring this suggestion to the Voice Browser Working Group as they 
define the requirements for the the
the follow on to VoiceXML 2.0

Regards,

-Jim

jmarkowitz wrote:

>Dear Committee Members
>
>I understand from Jim Larsen that you plan to begin work on VoiceXML
>Version 3 in the near future. I also understand that you want to
>incorporate new features and functions into that versions of VoiceXML. 
>
>I strongly urge the committee to select speaker authentication as one of
>those new functions. This brief proposal explains why and suggests a
>method for incorporating speaker authentication that is fast yet brings
>to bear some of the best thought on building secure, well-designed
>applications. 
>
>Background
>Interest in and use of speaker authentication has been growing rapidly.
>Private industry is adopting the technology for things like password
>reset and government is interested in using it to facilitate telephone
>access to sensitive information and for Homeland Security projects. This
>year will be a banner year for government work because funding for
>Homeland Security projects will begin to flow to contractors. Biometrics
>-- including voice -are important components of a number of those
>projects.  
>
>The biometric industry has responded by creating a number of standards.
>The standard that is of greatest relevance and utility for VoiceXML is
>BioAPI. BioAPI is a high-level, generic API for biometrics. Among the
>objectives of creating BioAPI were to enhance interoperability of
>products and systems and to promote multi-biometric (multi-modal)
>deployments. Multi-biometric applications take many forms, including
>those that support the use of different biometrics for different facets
>of a larger security system. For example, a bank might use face or
>fingerprint recognition to access account information at an ATM but
>employ speaker authentication to access the same information by
>telephone. 
>
>BioAPI is an international standard. It was originally developed by a
>consortium organized by IBM, Compaq, Novell, and leading biometric
>vendors. One of the earliest implementations included
>speaker-verification products. I have attached a copy of BioAPI 1.1 for
>your consideration. 
>
>In 2002, the BioAPI specification was approved (with some modifications)
>by ANSI under the name INCITS 358-2002. ISO, of which ANSI is a member,
>"internationalized" it and, by the end of 2003, the ISO working
>committee had completed its final draft (ISO/IEC Final Committee Draft
>19784).
>
>Proposal
>I urge the committee to review the attached document and to move to
>incorporate speaker authentication into VoiceXML Version 3 by creating a
>link to BioAPI. Linking VoiceXML to BioAPI would bring a number of
>important benefits to the committee, the speech-processing industry, and
>VoiceXML. They include:
>
>. Dramatically shorten and simplify the standardization process for 
>  incorporating speaker authentication into VoiceXML - allowing 
>  the committee to focus on other new features
>. Ensure that issues related to building voice-biometric systems have 
>  been addressed by individuals who understand both biometrics and    
>  security
>. Facilitate the design of standards-based, multi-biometric deployments 
>. Satisfy standards requirements in RFPs for biometrics
>. Bring the speech-processing industry into alignment with the rest of
>the 
>  biometrics industry.
>
>Since I learned about the plan to work on VoiceXML Version 3 last fall,
>I've asked several speaker-verification vendors and integrators to
>review BioAPI 1.1 to determine whether there would be anything in it
>that would be problematic for their products and technologies. They have
>all reported they found nothing of concern in the specification. 
>
>I would be happy to answer any questions that the committee might have
>and to put the committee into contact with Cathy Tilton, of the Chair of
>BioAPI Consortium. Ms. Tilton has expressed support for the idea of
>linking the specifications. 
>
>Thank you for your consideration of this proposal.
>
>Sincerely,
>
>Judith Markowitz, Ph.D., president
>J. Markowitz, Consultants
>5801 North Sheridan Road, Suite 19A
>Chicago, IL 60660
>Tel: 773-769-9243
>Fax: 773-769-9253
>Email: Judith@JMarkowitz.com
>
>
>
>  
>

Received on Thursday, 29 January 2004 12:12:05 UTC