IVR Provider Voxeo Buys Motorola's VoiceXML Browser Technology

Voxeo (News - Alert), an Orlando-based provider of unlocked communications platforms including interactive voice response, or “IVR” technology, has acquired Motorola’s (News - Alert) OEM VoiceXML browser business, making it now possible to license out the browser to companies seeking to add VoiceXML capabilities into their products.

 

Officials with Voxeo said this agreement, which is effective immediately, transfers both Motorola’s VoiceXML (News - Alert) browser and IP license rights to the company – which provides them with full and exclusive rights to Motorola’s VoxGateway offering.

 

According to Jonathan Taylor, Voxeo’s CEO, VoxGateway is a key product that already has over a half-dozen large OEM licensors and more than a thousand end-enterprise customers.

 

"The browser's extensive deployment history and flexible integration capabilities make it the ideal foundation on which any company can deliver enhanced VoiceXML solutions," Taylor said.

 

According to the company, the agreement also includes cross-licensing of related Voxeo and Motorola patents and Voxeo has already licensed the browser back to Motorola for their own use.

 

Back in 2004, Voxeo and Motorola entered into a partnership that allowed Voxeo to take over development of the company’s basic VoxGateway product, so the company has been involved in engineering while Motorola handled licensing and support up until now.

 

Dan York (News - Alert), Director of Conversations at Voxeo told TMCnet that a primary benefit of VoiceXML is that users are not locked into a proprietary technology of a specific company.

 

“You can run your VoiceXML application on a provider's platform, but, if you wish to move your application over to another provider, you have the capability to do so. You have control and choice,” York said.

 

York also noted that this latest announcement comes at a time when VoiceXML has become the industry standard for developing voice applications – allowing companies to rapidly add VoiceXML functionality to their products and services.