The Java Play Framework version 2.3 has been released with features such as the move away from the 'play' command to the 'activator' command, support for TypeSafe UI and Java 8. This release serves as a good time to explore using Twilio with Play Framework. The author of this text guides through setting up Play Framework, creating a new application, and integrating Twilio by writing code that responds to both SMS and telephone calls, including adding routes and dependencies to the Build.sbt file.