SimPhony: a voice communication tool for distributed workgroups

distributed workgroups Vidya Lakshmipathy MIT Media Lab 20 Ames Street E15 Cambridge, MA 04105 [email protected] Chris Schmandt MIT Media Lab 20 Ames Street E15 Cambridge, MA 04105 [email protected] ABSTRACT Communication is vital in any workplace. However, as workers become less tied to their desktops and computers, the need to provide them with a mobile communication tool that adapts to their work environment becomes more necessary. This paper describes SimPhony a mobile, voice-controlled, voice communication system built on a PDA and designed specifically for distributed workgroups. SimPhony supports one-to-one or one-to-many communication with voice instant messages or synchronous audio transmitted over an 802.11b wireless network, and it transitions between different communication styles as messages becomes more frequent. The SimPhony interface looks much like an instant messaging client but is accessible through a voice or visual interface on the PDA or a voice interface accessible by any telephone.