Question 4/2 - Human factors issues in international telecommunication services

This question is aimed at increasing usage and therefore revenues derived from international telecommunication services by improving ease of use and usability. With ever increasing international travel and with rapid globalization of the communications industry, a degree of standardization or consistency in the design of services from the user's viewpoint would improve the ease with which such services are used across international boundaries. One purpose of this Question is to identify areas in which consistency is desirable and to develop solutions that can be applied by service providers and manufacturers to the benefit of users. With the development of new multimedia and Internet-based services there may be an increase in the number of these areas.

Certain basic elements of the human interface to international telecommunication services are relevant to multiple services. These basic elements include certain access and control procedures for important functions of services, presentation of information such as address information and certain kinds of user feedback including tone signals, and the dialogue between the user and the service. Consistency in the way such elements are provided will benefit both users and service providers by simplifying the learning of new services resulting from the transfer of experience from familiar services. Consistency in these elements will speed the design of the user interface for new services. Consistency in these elements will result in more rapid user acceptance and therefore more revenue for service providers. One such element is the method for entering alphabetic information in a terminal with only a numeric keypad. Another such element is a language-free indication to enter a code for the language to be used for an interactive voice response service.

Human factors issues arise from time to time that are not directly related to specific new services under development. These issues include aspects of symbols and pictograms to assist telecommunication users, including symbols for facilities and services that accommodate people with disabilities. Another such issue is the format for printing communications address information, including electronic mail addresses and World Wide Web URLs on letterheads and business cards. These issues may involve aspects of terminal equipment, including especially terminals provided for publicly accessed services. Harmonization of terminals and user procedures can reduce difficulties in using publicly accessed services. Advancement in network technologies will permit a growth in the number and types of services available to users of public terminals. Older people and people with disabilities often face difficulties when using public terminals.

These issues may also include general questions on human factors aspects of the Global Information Infrastructure (GII), including telecommunications, multimedia and Internet-based services. The rapid convergence of networks and services will soon necessitate a global Recommendation for a new user identification system. Proposals for using Internet or URL addresses for all future services and networks have already been made. However, such a global Recommendation should be based on well-documented user requirements and good human factors practice. Liaisons should be sought with organizations performing such studies to ensure that the optimal Recommendation will be made.

What human factors Recommendations are needed concerning standards or guidelines for consistency in the basic elements of user interfaces that affect more than one service, or concerning matters that are not directly related to specific telecommunication services?

What Recommendations are needed to harmonize operating procedures for voice and non-voice public terminals?

What Recommendations are necessary to make public terminals accessible and easy to use for older people?

What Recommendations are necessary to assure ease of use of a new user identification system?

The anticipated results and associated target dates for approved text are provided in the attached Annex.

ETSI-TC HF
ITU-T questions on numbering, routing, and new service definition
SG 13 regarding GII ergonomics issues

Annex (to Question 4/2)
Project number	Topic and rationale	Target completion date
1	Maintenance of all existing service-related Recommendations Rationale: This project reviews and revises, where and when appropriate, the existing human factors related ITU-T Recommendations and supplements, including F.901, F.902, F.910, E.120, E.121, E.122, E.123, E.124, E.125, E.126, E.127, E.128, E.131, E.132, E.133, E.134, E.135, E.136, E.137, E.161, E.180, E.181, E.182, E.183, E.184, E.331, Suppl. #3, Suppl. #5, and Suppl. #6.	Ongoing
2	Completion of draft new Recommendation E.138 - "Human factors aspects of public telephones to improve their usability for older people" This new Recommendation will give guidance on the design of public telephone terminals and facilities to ensure that the special needs of older people have been accommodated.	2001
3	Revision of Recommendation E.161 to delete "Option B" and add a tactile identifier on the "5" key This revision will delete a second option for the assignment of letters of the Latin alphabet to the digits of a telephone dial. This option was provided originally as transition measure for a limited time only. In addition, there will be added to the recommendation the specifications for a raised tactile identifier ("dot") to be placed on the "5" button to help blind people and others with low vision, and everyone in darkened locations, to orient to the telephone dialpad by touch.	2001
4	Revision of E.121 to add symbols and pictograms for specific types of facilities for people with disabilities This revision will add symbols and pictograms aimed at making it easier for people with disabilities to locate public telecommunications facilities that meet their needs.	2002
5	Revision of E.123 to improve the format for printing telephone numbers and add formats for printing e-mail and URL address information The new information will provide a standard for printing e-mail and website address information on business cards and letterheads. It will also provide a way to print telephone number in less space to accommodate the need for several numbers (for mobile, fax, pager, etc.) on a business card.	2001
6	New recommendation to recommend an internationally standard "earcon" (audible tone signal) to indicate the possibility of choosing a language in which to receive an interactive voice response service It is impossible to find the right words to offer a language choice before knowing what language the listener understands. Therefore, a non-linguistic method is needed. This new recommendation will provide an "earcon" for that purpose.	2002
7	New recommendation giving a standard method for entering alphabetic information on telephone dialpads This Recommendation is needed to permit entry of e-mail addresses, web addresses, etc. using a telephone dialpad.	2003