Here's a very interesting article on
VoiceSites. It discusses how IBM India Research Laboratory are testing VoiceSites as an alternative to the internet for India's rural population. The aim is to introduce the spoken web to rural India.
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Conceptually, the spoken web is a network of VoiceSites, just as the Internet is a network of websites. A VoiceSite can only be accessed by a phone, and only requires the user to be able to speak and listen. Callers can create their own VoiceSites or access those of others. They can also surf the spoken web, jumping from VoiceSite to VoiceSite using speech.
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Say a plumber wants new customers. First he calls a number and software called VoiGen then guides him, in his local language, through the process of setting up a VoiceSite. Relevant information, such as a welcome greeting and the plumber’s contact details are recorded. Behind the scenes, the VoiGen system then creates a VoiceSite. A phone number, analogous to a URL, is then assigned to the plumber.
Anyone who calls the plumber's VoiceSite number is greeted with his welcome message, and then given help to navigate the information. For example, the caller can say "address" to hear the plumber's address, or "appointment" to request a call-out with him.
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IBM India Research Laboratory are now working on an audio browser which will allow users to "surf" easily through different sites.
I'd never heard of VoiceSites until now. Interesting development. Do you think rural India will prefer VoiceSites or the Internet? According the article:
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And even for those who can afford computers, attempting to access the Internet remains a futile exercise, either because they cannot read or write or the information on the web is simply not relevant to them.
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I also came across another article dated May 2008 which talks about how you can start a VoiceSite:
How to start a VoiceSite with Rs 1 lakh : Mobile Pundit