From: The IESG <iesg-secretary@ietf.org>
To: IETF-Announce <ietf-announce@ietf.org>
Cc: vcon@ietf.org
Reply-To: iesg@ietf.org
Subject: WG Review: vCon (vcon)
A new IETF WG has been proposed in the Applications and Real-Time Area. The
IESG has not made any determination yet. The following draft charter was
submitted, and is provided for informational purposes only. Please send your
comments to the IESG mailing list (iesg@ietf.org) by 2023-09-28.
vCon (vcon)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Current status: Proposed WG
Chairs:
Spencer Dawkins <spencerdawkins.ietf@gmail.com>
Brian Rosen <br@brianrosen.net>
Assigned Area Director:
Murray Kucherawy <superuser@gmail.com>
Applications and Real-Time Area Directors:
Murray Kucherawy <superuser@gmail.com>
Francesca Palombini <francesca.palombini@ericsson.com>
Mailing list:
Address: vcon@ietf.org
To subscribe: https://www.ietf.org/mailman/listinfo/vcon
Archive: https://mailarchive.ietf.org/arch/browse/vcon/
Group page: https://datatracker.ietf.org/group/vcon/
Charter: https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/charter-ietf-vcon/
[https://github.com/dgpetrie/draft-petrie-vcon/blob/main/vcon_charter.md]
Introduction and Group Overview
The vCon working group is about passing conversational data. Such data is
commonly generated and collected in business environments, from chat logs to
transcripts to recordings. Most systems provide way to store such
information, but there are not many standards or interoperability within the
storage or transmission mechanisms or formats.
The two opposing forces influencing such information passing is trying to
enforce privacy of personal data and the ability and interest to use
conversations in various ways, e.g., AI analysis. For the first force the key
is knowing what information exists, where it comes from, and being able to
protect it appropriately. Or being able to refer to conversations without
exposing their contents or assure suitable redaction has been performed. For
the second force the key is being able to integrate data between multiple
systems (phones, chat systems, email, etc.), move data when transitioning
from one software or provider to another, and so on. There is a lot of
conversational data already being exchanged, but using proprietary formats
and per-case engineered exchange solutions, from using FTP and other legacy
components, file naming conventions, and so on. There are also three open
source systems implementing vCon.
The work group is to define a JSON-based container for conversational data,
along with mechanisms to protect the integrity and privacy of data in the
container. The group may also work on new media types to support analysis,
annotation or transcription, in case such media types do not exist today.
Transport and storage are not in scope, nor are APIs. Use Case 1: Contact
Center Data Exchange
Contact centers manage communications with a company's customers. Staff in a
contact center have conversations with customers using phone calls, emails,
texts, and other messaging systems. The contact center may be operated by the
company or a 3rd party. The company would like to have a standard way to:
* Retrieve the conversation data from the in house or 3rd party contact center
* Provide the conversation data to a service to keep recordings for
conversations of record or for compliance reasons
* Provide the conversation data to a service to analyze and provide quality
management in the contact center
* Provide the conversation data to a service to provide speech analytics
* Redact or hide information in the conversation such personally identifiable
information (PII) and payment card information (PCI) that does not need to be
disclosed to some consumers of the conversation data
* Contain the entire conversation or omni channel where the conversation
takes place in multiple modes of communication such as SMS, phone call,
emails, texts, and other messaging
* Provide means of protecting privacy during exchange using encryption
Use Case 2: Non-Call Center Customer Relationship Management
People working outside of a contact centers may have customer relationship
management (CRM) responsibilities at their companies. They may be performing
as sales persons, account management, business development or general
management. The customer they they interact with may be internal to the
company. The requirements for this case, at a high level are not largely
different from the Contact Center case. The primary difference is that they
do not have contact center staff or an IT organization providing them support
The user has no control or choice over the phone or communication systems
that they must use. Having a standard container for conversation data enables
them to:
* Retrieve the conversation data from their phone system provider or
communications systems providers
* Feed the conversation data to a SAAS provider accepting a standard
conversation container as input and providing numerous services such as:
transcription, note taking, annotations such as action items, importing to a
CRM system, coaching and mentoring
Use Case 3: Conversations of Record
In some contact centers or company functions, it may be required to capture
conversation data and maintain them as a conversation of record. For examples
emergency service contact centers (ECRIT) may be required to record all
information related to an emergency call. In some call centers, compliance
reasons may require cording of conversation and related information
* The integrity of the captured conversation and meta data may be the most
critical feature in this used case
* Location of one or more of the parties to the conversation may be relevant
to the conversation of record
Use Case 4: Message History Exchange
Today many instant messaging applications allow multiple clients for the same
user, ex: laptop and mobile, or old mobile phone migrating to new mobile
phone. Being able to share the message history from an existing device to a
new device seems like a nice way to share messages that the new client could
not have an end-to-end session for.
Another case is when you have a group chat with substantive discussion and
then add some other users who were not party to the conversation. Allowing an
administrator in the group be able to catch them up by sharing message
history from some relevant point in the past would be a nice to have feature.
In Scope
The scope of the VCON working group is:
* Define a JSON based standard container and Media type to contain and/or
reference conversational data including: call style meta data, recordings,
data exchanged or presented in the conversations, conversation analysis,
transcriptions, translations and annotations
* Define/specify a mechanism for proving integrity of the conversation data
* Define/specify a mechanism for encrypting of the objects enclosed in the
vCon conversation data container to provide confidentiality of the data
independent of transport such that some parts of the vCon may be disclosed to
different parties
* Determine if there is need for defining media types and standard containers
for some small set of analysis, annotation or transcription data
* Data minimization should be considered for each of the use case
* Create one or more use cases I-Ds to expand upon the use cases in this
charter
Out of Scope
The following are out of scope:
* Algorithms or methodologies for transcription, translation, redaction,
analysis or annotation of call data
* Real-time streaming or updating of conversational data
* Transport mechanisms
* Storage or databases specifications
* The encryption keying.
Milestones
* Specification for a JSON based container for conversation data
* Recommendations or analysis of missing (not defined) data containers and
media types for components of the conversation data
Milestones:
WG action announcement
WG Action Announcement
From: The IESG <iesg-secretary@ietf.org>
To: IETF-Announce <ietf-announce@ietf.org>
Cc: The IESG <iesg@ietf.org>,
vcon-chairs@ietf.org,
vcon@ietf.org
Subject: WG Action: Formed vCon (vcon)
A new IETF WG has been formed in the Applications and Real-Time Area. For
additional information, please contact the Area Directors or the WG Chairs.
vCon (vcon)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Current status: Proposed WG
Chairs:
Spencer Dawkins <spencerdawkins.ietf@gmail.com>
Brian Rosen <br@brianrosen.net>
Assigned Area Director:
Murray Kucherawy <superuser@gmail.com>
Applications and Real-Time Area Directors:
Murray Kucherawy <superuser@gmail.com>
Francesca Palombini <francesca.palombini@ericsson.com>
Mailing list:
Address: vcon@ietf.org
To subscribe: https://www.ietf.org/mailman/listinfo/vcon
Archive: https://mailarchive.ietf.org/arch/browse/vcon/
Group page: https://datatracker.ietf.org/group/vcon/
Charter: https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/charter-ietf-vcon/
[https://github.com/dgpetrie/draft-petrie-vcon/blob/main/vcon_charter.md]
Introduction and Group Overview
The vCon working group is about passing conversational data. Such data is
commonly generated and collected in business environments, from chat logs to
transcripts to recordings. Most systems provide way to store such
information, but there are not many standards or interoperability within the
storage or transmission mechanisms or formats.
The two opposing forces influencing such information passing is trying to
enforce privacy of personal data and the ability and interest to use
conversations in various ways, e.g., AI analysis. For the first force the key
is knowing what information exists, where it comes from, and being able to
protect it appropriately. Or being able to refer to conversations without
exposing their contents or assure suitable redaction has been performed. For
the second force the key is being able to integrate data between multiple
systems (phones, chat systems, email, etc.), move data when transitioning
from one software or provider to another, and so on. There is a lot of
conversational data already being exchanged, but using proprietary formats
and per-case engineered exchange solutions, from using FTP and other legacy
components, file naming conventions, and so on. There are also three open
source systems implementing vCon.
The work group is to define a JSON-based container for conversational data,
along with mechanisms to protect the integrity and privacy of data in the
container. The group may also work on new media types to support analysis,
annotation or transcription, in case such media types do not exist today.
Transport and storage are not in scope, nor are APIs. Use Case 1: Contact
Center Data Exchange
Contact centers manage communications with a company's customers. Staff in a
contact center have conversations with customers using phone calls, emails,
texts, and other messaging systems. The contact center may be operated by the
company or a 3rd party. The company would like to have a standard way to:
* Retrieve the conversation data from the in house or 3rd party contact center
* Provide the conversation data to a service to keep recordings for
conversations of record or for compliance reasons
* Provide the conversation data to a service to analyze and provide quality
management in the contact center
* Provide the conversation data to a service to provide speech analytics
* Redact or hide information in the conversation such personally identifiable
information (PII) and payment card information (PCI) that does not need to be
disclosed to some consumers of the conversation data
* Contain the entire conversation or omni channel where the conversation
takes place in multiple modes of communication such as SMS, phone call,
emails, texts, and other messaging
* Provide means of protecting privacy during exchange using encryption
Use Case 2: Non-Call Center Customer Relationship Management
People working outside of a contact centers may have customer relationship
management (CRM) responsibilities at their companies. They may be performing
as sales persons, account management, business development or general
management. The customer they they interact with may be internal to the
company. The requirements for this case, at a high level are not largely
different from the Contact Center case. The primary difference is that they
do not have contact center staff or an IT organization providing them support
The user has no control or choice over the phone or communication systems
that they must use. Having a standard container for conversation data enables
them to:
* Retrieve the conversation data from their phone system provider or
communications systems providers
* Feed the conversation data to a SAAS provider accepting a standard
conversation container as input and providing numerous services such as:
transcription, note taking, annotations such as action items, importing to a
CRM system, coaching and mentoring
Use Case 3: Conversations of Record
In some contact centers or company functions, it may be required to capture
conversation data and maintain them as a conversation of record. For examples
emergency service contact centers (ECRIT) may be required to record all
information related to an emergency call. In some call centers, compliance
reasons may require cording of conversation and related information
* The integrity of the captured conversation and meta data may be the most
critical feature in this used case
* Location of one or more of the parties to the conversation may be relevant
to the conversation of record
Use Case 4: Message History Exchange
Today many instant messaging applications allow multiple clients for the same
user, ex: laptop and mobile, or old mobile phone migrating to new mobile
phone. Being able to share the message history from an existing device to a
new device seems like a nice way to share messages that the new client could
not have an end-to-end session for.
Another case is when you have a group chat with substantive discussion and
then add some other users who were not party to the conversation. Allowing an
administrator in the group be able to catch them up by sharing message
history from some relevant point in the past would be a nice to have feature.
In Scope
The scope of the VCON working group is:
* Define a JSON based standard container and Media type to contain and/or
reference conversational data including: call style meta data, recordings,
data exchanged or presented in the conversations, conversation analysis,
transcriptions, translations and annotations
* Define/specify a mechanism for proving integrity of the conversation data
* Define/specify a mechanism for encrypting of the objects enclosed in the
vCon conversation data container to provide confidentiality of the data
independent of transport such that some parts of the vCon may be disclosed to
different parties
* Determine if there is need for defining media types and standard containers
for some small set of analysis, annotation or transcription data
* Data minimization should be considered for each of the use case
* Create one or more use cases I-Ds to expand upon the use cases in this
charter
Out of Scope
The following are out of scope:
* Algorithms or methodologies for transcription, translation, redaction,
analysis or annotation of call data
* Real-time streaming or updating of conversational data
* Transport mechanisms
* Storage or databases specifications
* The encryption keying.
Milestones
* Specification for a JSON based container for conversation data
* Recommendations or analysis of missing (not defined) data containers and
media types for components of the conversation data
Milestones: