| In telephony, interactive voice response,
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| | two-way interaction with the caller.
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| or IVR, is a computerized system that
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| | Automatic call distributor (ACD) systems
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| allows a person, typically a telephone
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| | are often the first point of contact when
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| caller, to select an option from a voice
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| | calling many larger businesses, and can
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| menu and otherwise interface with a
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| | be used in place of more expensive IVR
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| computer system. Generally the system
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| | systems. IVR systems are generally used
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| plays pre-recorded voice prompts to which
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| | at the front end of call centers to
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| the person presses a number on a
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| | identify what service the caller wants
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| telephone keypad to select the option
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| | and to extract numeric information such
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| chosen, or speaks simple answers such as
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| | as account numbers as well as provide
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| "yes", "no", or numbers in answer to the
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| | answers to simple questions such as
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| voice prompts.
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| | account balances or allow pre-recorded
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| The latest systems use natural language
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| | information to be heard.
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| speech recognition to interpret the
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| | IVR systems are often criticised as being
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| questions that the person wants answered.
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| | unhelpful and difficult to use due to
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| The newest trend is Guided Speech IVR
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| | poor design and lack of appreciation of
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| which integrates live human agents into
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| | the callers' needs. A properly designed
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| the design and workflow of the
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| | IVR system should connect callers to
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| application to help the speech
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| | their desired service promptly and with a
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| recognition with human context.
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| | minimum of fuss.
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| Other innovations include the ability to
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| | IVR call flows are created in a variety
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| speak complex and dynamic information
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| | of ways: while older systems depended
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| such as an e-mail, news report or weather
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| | upon proprietary programming or scripting
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| information using Text-To-Speech (TTS).
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| | languages, modern systems are structured
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| TTS is computer generated synthesised
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| | similar to WWW pages, using the VoiceXML
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| speech and is no longer the robotic voice
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| | or SALT languages. This allows any Web
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| people associate with computers. Real
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| | server to act as an application server,
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| voices are used to create the speech in
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| | freeing the developer to focus on the
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| tiny fragments that are glued together
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| | call flow. Developers then also no longer
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| before being played to the caller.
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| | require specialized programming skills,
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| IVR systems can be used to create and
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| | as any Web developer already has all the
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| manage many services including telephone
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| | tools needed to create an IVR call flow.
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| banking, order placement, caller
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| | IVR as a technology can be utilized in
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| identification and routing, balance
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| | several different ways:
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| inquiry, and airline ticket booking.
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| Voicemail systems are different from IVR
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| | 1. Equipment installed and setup on
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| systems in that they are a one-way
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| | the customer premise
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| communication tool (the caller leaves a
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| | 2. As an Outsourced Solution Provider
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| message), whereas IVR systems attempt
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| | (OSP)
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