VoiceXML Forum to Offer Developer Certification Program

he VoiceXML Forum announced it has engaged Prometric, a part of The Thomson Corp., to develop and deliver the Forum's VoiceXML Developer Certification Program.

VoiceXML Forum members will oversee the program, and the Forum plans to launch the test program publicly by October. The program's goals are to set the core competency baseline for VoiceXML development skills; certify developers with baseline VoiceXML development skills; increase the number of skilled VoiceXML developers; and to advance the adoption of VoiceXML as the standard in the speech/telephony industry.

"The VoiceXML Forum's Developer Certification Program is yet another indicator of the rapid adoption and maturity of VoiceXML within the industry," said Jonathan Engelsma, chair of the VoiceXML Forum's Education Committee. "By capitalizing on Prometric's extensive experience in testing and assessment services, and the VoiceXML expertise found within the Forum's membership, we are establishing an industry competency baseline for VoiceXML developers, designed to further promote and refine the technical skills of the VoiceXML community at large."

The planned developer certification test will measure a developer's knowledge of the W3C Speech Interface Framework languages required to develop speech applications, including VoiceXML 2.0, Speech Synthesis Markup Language (SSML), Speech Recognition Grammar Specification (SSML), and Semantic Interpretation Language. It will also test how programmers may use these languages effectively to create world-class VoiceXML applications.

"The VoiceXML developer certification program will help increase the number of qualified speech application developers as well as help hiring managers evaluate the credentials of speech application developers," said Tim Moynihan, director of marketing, Intel Network Building Block Division. "This is yet another benefit the VoiceXML Forum and open-standards offer to the speech and communications market."

To develop the program and create the tests, Prometric will be conducting two multi-day workshops this summer for VoiceXML experts to attend and contribute requirements and questions. VoiceXML Forum Sponsor and Promoter Members will nominate their own expert developers to participate in these workshops.

"The collaboration between VoiceXML Forum and Prometric to develop and deliver their certification program meets the industry's need for valid and reliable testing and learning - further driving the skill levels of the program participants," said Michele Rhoades, vice president of Global Sales for Prometric. "This kind of knowledge credibility is what Prometric technologies were designed for."