We are a non-profit organization developing technical standards and usage guidelines for the future of conversational AI
We are a community of The Linux Foundation.
Technologists, industry practitioners, academic researchers, and ethicists come together from around the world to pursue the aims of the Open Voice Network: to build the open, standards-based, interoperable, and trustworthy future of voice / Conversational AI.
What this means to you: a level playing field, with unfettered access to constituents and new markets. Efficiency in development and delivery: build and maintain once, with use everywhere. Accelerated innovation: standard building blocks allow investment in differentiation. A confidence in the data behavior of others.
The Open Voice Network is guided by four ideals. We seek a world in which voice technology
is worthy of user trust
enables user, ecosystem, and architectural choice
is inclusive and accessible
is open in software and hardware, with standards serving as a foundation for commercial differentiation.
History
The Open Voice Network was formed on June 1st, 2020 as a community of The Linux Foundation
Our origins can be traced to joint 2017-2018 research by The Massachusetts Institute of Technology Auto-ID Laboratory, Capgemini Consulting, and the Intel Corporation.
Governance
The Open Voice Network (OVON) is an independently funded and governed non-profit industry association which operates as an open-source community of The Linux Foundation, a world leader in the creation of open-source projects and ecosystems.
Financial support for OVON comes from sponsoring enterprises and organizations. Governance and strategic direction are provided by a Steering Committee of senior executives of sponsor organizations. Reporting to the Steering Committee is the Executive Director (responsible for day-to-day management), and the chairs of the OVON standing committees and moderators of OVON communities.
As a community of The Linux Foundation, OVON enjoys access to its expertise, and shared legal, operational, and marketing services. Click here to read the Open Voice Network’s organizational charter with the Linux Foundation.
About the Linux Foundation
The Linux Foundation is dedicated to building sustainable ecosystems around open source projects to accelerate technology development and industry adoption.
Founded in 2000, the Linux Foundation provides unparalleled support for open source communities through financial and intellectual resources, infrastructure, services, events, and training. Working together, the Linux Foundation and its projects form the most ambitious and successful investment in the creation of shared technology.
Please visit the Linux Foundation website for more information.
What do we value
A Shared Vision & Mission Among The Many
Vision
The Open Voice Network (OVON) seeks to make voice / Conversational AI work like the web – open, standards-based, unfettered – and for voice / Conversational AI to be worthy of user trust.
Mission
The Open Voice Network will achieve its vision through the communal development and adoption of industry standards and usage guidelines, industry education and advocacy initiatives, and the development and documentation of voice-centric value propositions.
Leadership
Meet the Team
Helping to reconcile users and voice technology needs for the future
In a world where voice is out of favor with privacy advocates, we are building ethical guidelines, open source standards, and technical solutions that close this gap. Meet our leadership team below, and click on each member’s name to learn more about their background.
Dr. Jim Larson
Senior Advisor
Nathan Southern
Project Manager, The Linux Foundation
Alissa Paik
Marketing Advisor, Thrive Marketing Strategies
The Open Voice Network Steering Committee
Our group of informed advisors, subject matter experts, and stakeholders provide a vast wealth of input on business, financial, operational, and technical matters. Steering Committee members all share in our mission, vision, and values of a future where open-source voice technology delivers the value businesses seek while offering the protections users demand. We strive to seek diverse personalities, voices, opinions, and cultural interests across our Steering Committee to ensure that all relevant topics are heard and addressed in our important work. With a rapidly growing base of friends, contributors, and members this group helps us continuously weigh what’s important and keep on track to our desired results. To learn how to join our Steering Committee, become a sponsor of our work, share your opinions on voice assistance technologies, or become a friend of the Open Voice Network please visit our Contact Us or Friends page.
Mirko Saul
Schwarz Gruppe, Chair
Ali Dalloul
Microsoft
Christian Wuttke
Schwarz Gruppe, Chair of the Technical Committee
Doug Rogers
Wegmans Food Markets
Sean King
Veritone
Bernhard Hochstätter
Deutsche Telekom
The Open Voice Network Technical Committee
Our group of informed advisors, subject matter experts, and stakeholders provide a vast wealth of input on business, financial, operational, and technical matters. Steering Committee members all share in our mission, vision, and values of a future where open-source voice technology delivers the value businesses seek while offering the protections users demand. We strive to seek diverse personalities, voices, opinions, and cultural interests across our Steering Committee to ensure that all relevant topics are heard and addressed in our important work. With a rapidly growing base of friends, contributors, and members this group helps us continuously weigh what’s important and keep on track to our desired results. To learn how to join our Steering Committee, become a sponsor of our work, share your opinions on voice assistance technologies, or become a friend of the Open Voice Network please visit our Contact Us or Friends page.
Joel Crabb
Chair & Vice President, Architecture and Chief Architect, Target
Mirko Saul
Vice-Chair & Head of Digitalization Innovations Schwarz Grüppe
Christian Wuttke
Chair & Manager of Conversational Solutions, Schwarz Grüppe
Doug Rogers
Member & Director, Information Security, Wegmans Food Markets
Ali Dalloul
Member & Vice President of Strategy & Communication, Azure AI Platform, Microsoft
Bernhard Hochstätter
Member & Executive Product Manager and Tribe Lead Voice Platform, Deutsch Telekom
Joel Crabb
Chair & Vice President, Architecture and Chief Architect, Target
Mirko Saul
Vice-Chair & Head of Digitalization Innovations Schwarz Grüppe
Christian Wuttke
Chair & Manager of Conversational Solutions, Schwarz Grüppe
