Update on the New Version of V123

Alex Torrenegra

By now, most of you are probably aware that we are working on a new version of Voice123. There are many changes coming! We will be releasing the list of new and updated features soon.

Where are we right now in the development and execution of this new version of Voice 123? Well, in order to understand where we are, you first need to understand our development process. Are you ready for some technical talk? Then keep reading!

The development process of the new Voice123 has three major stages or areas:

The first stage is the documentation stage. This stage is approximately one third of the entire process. We worked on this back in the first and second quarter of 2006. During this stage, we put in writing everything that we wanted for the new Voice123. We also added some highly technical information, just to make sure that we, the development team, are all on the same page. Yes, we have added some new documentation since finishing this stage, but most of what we’re creating now was decided on back then.

The second stage is the coding stage. It also takes one third of the total time devoted to develop the new version of Voice123. During the coding stage, all the designers, web architects, and developers wrote the code that makes the service work. This part of the process is really complex. It is like building a tall building; tons of project management skills are required. The new version of Voice123 is being developed with three times as many people as the original version. It has been quite an exciting and difficult process, as we have been exposed to the challenges of having everybody on the same page. The good news is that we already finished with this stage!

The third stage is quality assurance (QA). Here goes the final third of the amount of time needed for the entire process. Given that almost all of the new features that the new Voice123 will have work intrinsically with all the others, this makes the Q&A process very difficult. We have chosen to go with several Q&A milestones. Each milestone represents a pre-version of the new Voice123:

The first milestone is version Alpha. It is going to be reached when we have successfully tested all of the new important features. Alpha is a version of the new Voice123 where almost all the features work, but with rough edges.

The second milestone is version Beta. Version Beta is reached when we have successfully tested ALL of the new features, (big and small) as they were documented on the documentation stage. This version should be ready enough to be used. However, since we want to make sure everything works as we envisioned and there are no user problems, we will invite many of you to test the Beta version so that your feedback will help us find flaws that we may have not detected.

The third milestone is Going Live. Once we have received all of your feedback, and we have applied to it as many program improvements as possible, we will then be ready to release the new version of Voice123 to the public. We will, of course, do a lot of testing of the system once we are live with the new Voice123, but we expect to find only minor errors.

So…where are we right now? We are very close to reaching Alpha version. (Within two or three weeks?) – We started testing the new features at the end of 2006, and we will soon be able to say that we have achieved the Alpha milestone! Once we are there, we will make public all of the new features that are being implemented.

The good news is that getting from Alpha to Beta takes only a few weeks, and getting from Beta to Going Live takes only a few additional weeks. As such, I am happy to say that we are almost there!

Thank you all for your patience and support! A lot of the energy that drives us comes from the great feedback we obtain from you on these forums. You may only see Freddie most of the time, but almost all of us take the time to read what you have to say.

By the way, I’ve been thinking of using the Voice123 blogs and voice over Savvy forums to post frequent updates (daily?) of our progress as we reach the Going Live milestone. Would you be interested in reading it? If there are a significant amount of people interested, I would make it part of my daily routine Wink

Scott Pollak · Posted: Thu Feb 08, 2007, 16:08 (GMT) Post subject:

I, for one, Alex, appreciate this update GREATLY and assure you many of us would check your daily blogs and updates. Thanks.

Amy Snively · Posted: Thu Feb 08, 2007, 16:08 (GMT) Post subject:

I'm interested in reading about it. Thanks for the update!

Colin Campbell · Posted: Thu Feb 08, 2007, 16:15 (GMT) Post subject:

Ditto Alex... post away.

Joe J Thomas · Posted: Thu Feb 08, 2007, 16:18 (GMT) Post subject:

Alex,

Thank you very much for the update. Glad to hear your process is so well though out.

I'd like to hear updates on progress.

I'll also throw in on the Beta tests if needed. I've been a programmer for 25+ years, and have done my share of back-end web coding (still do, in fact Wink

)

Cheers,
Joe J Thomas
www.JoeActor.com

P.S. btw, what is V123 written in (PHP with a SQL back end? C#? Perl?) Just curious...

Tom Greenlee · Posted: Thu Feb 08, 2007, 16:21 (GMT) Post subject:

count me in too!

Todd Ellis · Posted: Thu Feb 08, 2007, 16:24 (GMT) Post subject:

Alex - Thanx for the update!

Keith D. Milby · Posted: Thu Feb 08, 2007, 17:21 (GMT) Post subject:

You had me at: "The first stage is the documentation stage."

With figures, graphics, charts and graphs, I hope.

Very Happy

Alex Torrenegra · Posted: Thu Feb 08, 2007, 17:40 (GMT) Post subject:

Oh yes! Too many of them Razz

Freddie Molina · Posted: Thu Feb 08, 2007, 18:28 (GMT) Post subject:

Thank you boss, great info 2 daumen hoch

Colin Campbell · Posted: Thu Feb 08, 2007, 18:33 (GMT) Post subject:

Oooooohhhhh... Freddie, kissin' up. Why don't you tell Alex... "nice tie boss!" But, then again, I guess he doesn't wear a tie.

Anthony Williams · Posted: Thu Feb 08, 2007, 19:00 (GMT) Post subject: I'm All In!

Thanks Alex,

i look forward to it!

Freddie Molina · Posted: Thu Feb 08, 2007, 19:02 (GMT) Post subject:

Alex Torrenegra · Posted: Thu Feb 08, 2007, 19:16 (GMT) Post subject:

J.S. Gilbert

Could you possibly do a kappa, omicron or upsilon version. Why does everyone always stop at beta? There are so many really good letters of the Greek alphabet that just sit there going unused.