Talking To Rails presented by Ben Langfeld at MagRails 2011

1. Talking to Rails
Ben Langfeld
Adhearsion Core Team
Mojo Lingo
@benlangfeld
blangfeld@adhearsion.com

2. Why voice?

3. Why voice?
•Many more people have access to a telephone than
have access to the internet

4. Why voice?
•Many more people have access to a telephone than
have access to the internet
•Many people still prefer voice-based interactions

5. Why voice?
•Many more people have access to a telephone than
have access to the internet
•Many people still prefer voice-based interactions
•Voice enables a multitude of interesting use-cases
which text and images cannot

6. Why voice?
•Many more people have access to a telephone than
have access to the internet
•Many people still prefer voice-based interactions
•Voice enables a multitude of interesting use-cases
which text and images cannot
•Because having a computer make a phone ring is
still cool

7. But wait...
telephony is HARD right??
Photo by Joseph A. Carr from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:JT_Switchboard_770x540.jpg

8. Code Sample (comfort zone)

9. Code Sample (comfort zone)

10. Code Sample (comfort zone)

12. A voice application development
framework

13. A voice application development
framework
Independent from, but compatible
with, Rails

14. A voice application development
framework
Independent from, but compatible
with, Rails
Voice applications the Ruby Way

16. Features
Not just compiled down to some kind of crazy configuration, but we have full access
to both the ruby environment and the call at all times
Call setup/teardown events, DTMF events, conference join/leave, active speaker, etc
Third largest mobile carrier in the world

17. Features
•Easy-to-use DSL
Not just compiled down to some kind of crazy configuration, but we have full access
to both the ruby environment and the call at all times
Call setup/teardown events, DTMF events, conference join/leave, active speaker, etc
Third largest mobile carrier in the world

18. Features
•Easy-to-use DSL
•Idiomatic Ruby code
Not just compiled down to some kind of crazy configuration, but we have full access
to both the ruby environment and the call at all times
Call setup/teardown events, DTMF events, conference join/leave, active speaker, etc
Third largest mobile carrier in the world

19. Features
•Easy-to-use DSL
•Idiomatic Ruby code
Not just compiled down to some kind of crazy configuration, but we have full access
to both the ruby environment and the call at all times
•Powerful Eventing System Call setup/teardown events, DTMF events, conference join/leave, active speaker, etc
Third largest mobile carrier in the world

20. Features
•Easy-to-use DSL
•Idiomatic Ruby code
Not just compiled down to some kind of crazy configuration, but we have full access
to both the ruby environment and the call at all times
•Powerful Eventing System Call setup/teardown events, DTMF events, conference join/leave, active speaker, etc
•Plugins to solve common problems
Third largest mobile carrier in the world

21. Features
•Easy-to-use DSL
•Idiomatic Ruby code
Not just compiled down to some kind of crazy configuration, but we have full access
to both the ruby environment and the call at all times
•Powerful Eventing System Call setup/teardown events, DTMF events, conference join/leave, active speaker, etc
•Plugins to solve common problems
•A very helpful community
Third largest mobile carrier in the world

22. Features
•Easy-to-use DSL
•Idiomatic Ruby code
Not just compiled down to some kind of crazy configuration, but we have full access
to both the ruby environment and the call at all times
•Powerful Eventing System Call setup/teardown events, DTMF events, conference join/leave, active speaker, etc
•Plugins to solve common problems
•A very helpful community
•Sponsorship from and
Third largest mobile carrier in the world

23. Advanced Voice Features

24. Advanced Voice Features
High-level constructs
(Menus, Queues,
Conferences)

25. Advanced Voice Features
High-level constructs
(Menus, Queues, DTMF gathering &
Conferences) voice recognition

26. Advanced Voice Features
High-level constructs
(Menus, Queues, DTMF gathering &
Conferences) voice recognition
Text-to-Speech

27. Advanced Voice Features
High-level constructs
(Menus, Queues, DTMF gathering &
Conferences) voice recognition
Text-to-Speech
Answering
Machine Detection

28. Advanced Voice Features
High-level constructs
(Menus, Queues, DTMF gathering &
Conferences) voice recognition
Text-to-Speech
Answering
Machine Detection
Call Progress

29. Adhearsion Applied

30. Adhearsion Applied
Call centre workflow
optimisation and
integration

31. Adhearsion Applied
Call centre workflow
optimisation and Sales force automation
integration

32. Adhearsion Applied
Call centre workflow
optimisation and Sales force automation
integration
Conferencing
applications

33. Adhearsion Applied
Call centre workflow
optimisation and Sales force automation
integration
Translation
services
Conferencing
applications

34. Adhearsion Applied
Call centre workflow
optimisation and Sales force automation
integration
Translation
services
Conferencing
applications Robo-calling

35. Adhearsion Applied
Call centre workflow
optimisation and Sales force automation
integration
Polling Translation
services
Conferencing
applications Robo-calling

36. Adhearsion Applied
Call centre workflow
optimisation and Sales force automation
integration
Polling Translation
IVR services
Conferencing
applications Robo-calling

37. Adhearsion Platforms
2008
2010
2011

38. Adhearsion Platforms
2008
2010
2011

39. Adhearsion Platforms
2008
2010
2011

40. Adhearsion Platforms
2008
2010
2011

41. Adhearsion Architecture Tropo Pros:
* Easy to set up
* Awesome TTS/ASR
* SMS & International
Cons:
Asterisk Pros: * No manager events
* Run on your server * No built-in recordings
* Widely Deployed
* Eventing System Note: AGItate first written 1
year ago
Cons:
* Tricky to set up/
Requires hardware
* No TTS/ASR

42. Adhearsion Architecture Tropo Pros:
* Easy to set up
* Awesome TTS/ASR
* SMS & International
Cons:
Asterisk Pros: * No manager events
* Run on your server * No built-in recordings
* Widely Deployed
* Eventing System Note: AGItate first written 1
year ago
Cons:
* Tricky to set up/
Requires hardware
* No TTS/ASR

43. Adhearsion Architecture Tropo Pros:
* Easy to set up
* Awesome TTS/ASR
* SMS & International
Cons:
Asterisk Pros: * No manager events
* Run on your server * No built-in recordings
* Widely Deployed
* Eventing System Note: AGItate first written 1
year ago
Cons:
* Tricky to set up/
Requires hardware
* No TTS/ASR

44. Adhearsion Architecture Tropo Pros:
* Easy to set up
* Awesome TTS/ASR
* SMS & International
Cons:
Asterisk Pros: * No manager events
* Run on your server * No built-in recordings
* Widely Deployed
* Eventing System Note: AGItate first written 1
year ago
Cons:
* Tricky to set up/
Requires hardware
* No TTS/ASR

45. Adhearsion Architecture Tropo Pros:
* Easy to set up
* Awesome TTS/ASR
* SMS & International
Cons:
Asterisk Pros: * No manager events
* Run on your server * No built-in recordings
* Widely Deployed
* Eventing System Note: AGItate first written 1
year ago
Cons:
* Tricky to set up/
Requires hardware
* No TTS/ASR

46. Adhearsion Architecture Tropo Pros:
* Easy to set up
* Awesome TTS/ASR
* SMS & International
Cons:
Asterisk Pros: * No manager events
* Run on your server * No built-in recordings
* Widely Deployed
* Eventing System Note: AGItate first written 1
year ago
Cons:
* Tricky to set up/
Requires hardware
* No TTS/ASR
SQL

47. Adhearsion Architecture Tropo Pros:
* Easy to set up
* Awesome TTS/ASR
* SMS & International
Cons:
Asterisk Pros: * No manager events
* Run on your server * No built-in recordings
* Widely Deployed
* Eventing System Note: AGItate first written 1
year ago
Cons:
* Tricky to set up/
Requires hardware
* No TTS/ASR
SQL LDAP

48. Adhearsion Architecture Tropo Pros:
* Easy to set up
* Awesome TTS/ASR
* SMS & International
Cons:
Asterisk Pros: * No manager events
* Run on your server * No built-in recordings
* Widely Deployed
* Eventing System Note: AGItate first written 1
year ago
Cons:
* Tricky to set up/
Requires hardware
* No TTS/ASR
SQL LDAP XMPP/Jabber

49. Adhearsion Architecture Tropo Pros:
* Easy to set up
* Awesome TTS/ASR
* SMS & International
Cons:
Asterisk Pros: * No manager events
* Run on your server * No built-in recordings
* Widely Deployed
* Eventing System Note: AGItate first written 1
year ago
Cons:
* Tricky to set up/
Requires hardware
* No TTS/ASR
XMPP/Jabber Web
SQL LDAP REST/JSON/XML

50. Why Adhearsion?

51. Why Adhearsion?
•Easy code reuse

52. Why Adhearsion?
•Easy code reuse
•A natural DSL which is easy to write to

53. Why Adhearsion?
•Easy code reuse
•A natural DSL which is easy to write to
•Rich inter-call operation within the process

54. Why Adhearsion?
•Easy code reuse
•A natural DSL which is easy to write to
•Rich inter-call operation within the process
•Brings modern development practices to telephony

55. Why Adhearsion?
•Easy code reuse
•A natural DSL which is easy to write to
•Rich inter-call operation within the process
•Brings modern development practices to telephony
•No need for complex state-machines and constant
load on your Rails app from an HTTP-based API

56. Why Adhearsion?
•Easy code reuse
•A natural DSL which is easy to write to
•Rich inter-call operation within the process
•Brings modern development practices to telephony
•No need for complex state-machines and constant
load on your Rails app from an HTTP-based API
•Runs on Asterisk, so can integrate with an existing
PBX

57. Why Adhearsion?
•Easy code reuse
•A natural DSL which is easy to write to
•Rich inter-call operation within the process
•Brings modern development practices to telephony
•No need for complex state-machines and constant
load on your Rails app from an HTTP-based API
•Runs on Asterisk, so can integrate with an existing
PBX
•Adhearsion democratises telephony development

58. A (contrived) example problem

59. A (contrived) example problem
•Everyone loves a spontaneous conference call

60. A (contrived) example problem
•Everyone loves a spontaneous conference call
•Getting people in is tricky

61. A (contrived) example problem
•Everyone loves a spontaneous conference call
•Getting people in is tricky
•Not everyone likes the phone ringing

62. A (contrived) example problem
•Everyone loves a spontaneous conference call
•Getting people in is tricky
•Not everyone likes the phone ringing
•Not everyone is available

63. A solution

64. A solution
•Simple rails app for managing contacts

65. A solution
•Simple rails app for managing contacts
•Select contacts to call

66. A solution
•Simple rails app for managing contacts
•Select contacts to call
•System asks contacts via Jabber if they are available

67. A solution
•Simple rails app for managing contacts
•Select contacts to call
•System asks contacts via Jabber if they are available
•Will read apologies via Jabber into the conference

68. Code Demo

72. Adhearsion 2.0

73. Adhearsion 2.0
• The next major evolution of Adhearsion

74. Adhearsion 2.0
• The next major evolution of Adhearsion
• Many improvements including:

75. Adhearsion 2.0
• The next major evolution of Adhearsion
• Many improvements including:
• Truly cross-platform (Asterisk, Tropo & Rayo)

76. Adhearsion 2.0
• The next major evolution of Adhearsion
• Many improvements including:
• Truly cross-platform (Asterisk, Tropo & Rayo)
• Core architecture overhaul

77. Adhearsion 2.0
• The next major evolution of Adhearsion
• Many improvements including:
• Truly cross-platform (Asterisk, Tropo & Rayo)
• Core architecture overhaul
• A reduction in internal complexity and line-count

78. Adhearsion 2.0
• The next major evolution of Adhearsion
• Many improvements including:
• Truly cross-platform (Asterisk, Tropo & Rayo)
• Core architecture overhaul
• A reduction in internal complexity and line-count
• Scope reduction

79. Adhearsion 2.0
• The next major evolution of Adhearsion
• Many improvements including:
• Truly cross-platform (Asterisk, Tropo & Rayo)
• Core architecture overhaul
• A reduction in internal complexity and line-count
• Scope reduction
• Overhaul of the plugin system

80. Adhearsion 2.0
• The next major evolution of Adhearsion
• Many improvements including:
• Truly cross-platform (Asterisk, Tropo & Rayo)
• Core architecture overhaul
• A reduction in internal complexity and line-count
• Scope reduction
• Overhaul of the plugin system
• Modular application constructs (voicemail, queueing, etc) as plugins

81. Adhearsion really far out

82. Adhearsion really far out
•Adhearsion 1.x - Asterisk applications

83. Adhearsion really far out
•Adhearsion 1.x - Asterisk applications
•Adhearsion 2.x - Voice applications

84. Adhearsion really far out
•Adhearsion 1.x - Asterisk applications
•Adhearsion 2.x - Voice applications
•Adhearsion 3.x - Real-time communications

85. Questions?
adhearsion.com
@Adhearsion
http://spkr8.com/t/8602