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