Interactive Voice Response (IVR)

What are interactive voice response (IVR) systems?

Interactive Voice Response (IVR) systems allows callers to interact with your communications system over the telephone. IVR is used to enable the caller to retrieve information from a database, enter information into a database, or both. IVR systems allow you to efficiently exchange information, reducing clerical processing.

How It Works?

An IVR system talks to callers following a recorded script. It prompts a response the caller to respond either verbally or by pressing a touchtone key, and supplies the caller with information based on responses made.

What are important features of IVR systems?

IVR system should store responses made by callers.
Should be able to provide different responses to callers based on time of day called.
Should be able to capture either touch-tone or voice responses by callers.

Common uses of IVR?

Automated Attendant: A specialized form of an Interactive Voice Response system. An IVR connected to a PBX. When a call comes in, this device answers it, and says something like: "Thanks for calling the ABC company. If you know the extension number you'd like, push button that extension now and you'll be transferred.

If you don't know it, push-button "0" (zero) and the live operator will come on. Or wait a few seconds and the call operator will come on anyway." Sometimes the automated attendant might give you other options -- like "dial 3" for a directory. Automated attendants are sometimes connected also to voice mail systems ("I'm not here. Leave a message for me."). Some people react well to automated attendants. Others don't.

Electronic Voice Mail:
A system which stores messages spoken by a user usually over a telephone, which can be retrieved by the intended recipient when that person next calls into the system. Also called Voice Mail, it operates just like a touch-tone controlled answering machine.

Types of Vendors?

Vendors can be categorized into three types:

Manufacturers - companies that manufacture IVR equipment and sell IVR software to complement the hardware.
Resellers - companies that sell the IVR equipment and software developed by manufacturers and software vendors. The focus of these companies is in providing customized solutions and support that may not be available from the manufacuters.
Specialized Software vendors - these companies focus on developing IVR software solutions.

ASA Solutions (https://asasolutions.com/)
Raising the bar with targeted IVR, consulting, project management and support solutions

Aspect Workforce Optimization (https://www.aspect.com/solutions/workforce-optimization)
Technology is second nature to your customers. Now it can be first-rate for your agents. Aspect Workforce optimization solutions increase productivity for millions of agents worldwide while enhancing their work lives every day - from real-time coaching to managing their schedules via smartphones with ease. Workforce, quality and performance management. The Aspect suite covers it all and is designed to adapt rapidly and cost-effectively to your changing contact center needs. The result? More engaged agents, higher quality customer interactions and improved customer experience all at a lower operating cost.

CallFire (https://www.callfire.com/products/ivr)
CallFire's hosted IVR solution allows you to create phone trees as simple or as advanced as you want. Just record your messages - or choose the text-to-speech option - and build anything from an automated outbound survey to an auto-attendant that routes calls to your office. You can even attach your IVR to a CallFire toll-free or local number. With CallFire's IVR solution, there are unlimited possibilities.

Cisco Unified IP Interactive Voice Response (https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/products/customer-collaboration/unified-ip-interactive-voice-response-ivr/index.html)
Cisco Unified Communications is a comprehensive system of powerful, enterprise-class solutions-including IP telephony, unified communications, IP video and audio conferencing, and contact center. Cisco Unified Communications can increase your organization's competitive advantage and deliver measurable return on investment (ROI) by improving efficiency, boosting productivity, and enhancing customer loyalty.

Connect First Inc. (https://www.connectfirst.com/)
Connect First offers substantial call center software solutions and specialize in delivering low cost IVR solutions to meet any call center metrics or other contact center technology needs you have.

Custom-IVR.com (http://www.custom-ivr.com/interactive-voice-response-solutions.htm)
Interactive voice response technology features our award winning IVR (Interactive Voice Response) software and phone systems. Interactive voice response applications address the specific needs and requirements of callers and organizations needing to provide timely and relevant information.

DialogTech (https://www.dialogtech.com/products/voice-broadcast)
Voice broadcasts are an efficient and cost-effective way to deliver appointment reminders, promote events, automate customer alerts, conduct surveys, solicit re-orders, and more. DialogTech's state-of-the-art voice broadcasting technology is both extremely sophisticated - with support for IVR functionality, text-to-speech personalization, live transfers, voicemail detection, and real-time reporting - and simple to use, enabling you to configure you own voice broadcasts in minutes.

EasyIVR - IVR Answering Service & Voce Mail Broadcasting (http://www.easyivr.com)
Manage your own 800 number IVR and voice broadcasting phone campaigns online. Register for service and download phone lists and wav files from the internet - monitor results with reporting system.

Genesys (https://www.genesys.com/)
Genesys Premier Edition is a cloud contact center that helps businesses deliver exceptional customer experiences to maximize their business outcomes. Built on the industry proven Genesys Customer Experience Platform, this cloud-based contact center allows companies to simply and quickly manage customer experiences.

IntelePeer (https://www.intelepeer.com/products/voice-services/)
By moving their communications to the cloud, organizations of any size can reduce costs, improve productivity, and have more flexibility to meet changing business needs. With our Atmosphere® Communications Platform and expert support team, IntelePeer makes it easy to unlock these benefits and more

IVR Technology Group (https://www.ivrtechgroup.com/)
IVR Technology Group can provide you with a completely or partially outsourced IVR hosting solution - including phone numbers, phone lines, IVR ports, web/database/application servers, and more for a low monthly fee. This solution provides your company with robust, reliable IVR while avoiding upfront investments in hardware and staffing or training - all while you retain full access and ultimate IVR control

Nexus Techno Solutions (http://www.nexsussolutions.com)
Premier telecommunications and electronic commerce consulting firm .Over the past few years, we have provided research, consulting services and solutions in various areas of software development. We offer telecommunications expertise to our clients in India and overseas.

NICE inContact (https://www.niceincontact.com/call-center-software/interactive-voice-response-ivr)
NICE inContact CXone Interactive Voice Response reduces your cost per call by letting customers choose the type of help they want such as self-service or speaking to an agent. Not only will our IVR system free up your agents to handle more complex cases, but customers can quickly self-solve basic issues like bill pay, account inquiries, and more.

NomKa IVR System (http://www.nomka.com/ivr.html)
We develop tailored IVR routing solutions that include: priority, advanced and relationship routing.

Message Technologies, Inc (https://www.messagetech.com/)
Message Technologies, Inc. (MTI) is an industry leading provider of standards-based interactive voice response (IVR) technologies and full-service IVR hosting. MTI's hosted IVR service helps increase revenue, improve customer satisfaction, and lower costs using VoiceXML compliant IVR solutions and best-of-breed hosting solutions.

Parwan Electronics Corp (https://voicesaver.com/voicesaver-ivr)
Specializing in Voice Processing Solutions, has quickly become one of the industry's leading software development companies.

Plum Voice (https://www.plumvoice.com/)
Plum delivers Interactive Voice Response software, systems, and expertise that companies of all sizes rely on to simplify their global communications and improve their customers' self-service experience.

Pronexus (https://www.pronexus.com/)
Pronexus specializes in voice application and Interactive Voice Response (IVR) development tools. Pronexus VBVoice™ is the most comprehensive and flexible IVR toolkit for your IVR application development and computer telephony solutions with its award-winning GUI and seamless integration with Microsoft® Visual Studio®

SmartAction IVR (https://www.smartaction.ai/)
SmartAction IVRs are powered by artificial intelligence and custom automated call apps enable integration with any call center customer database, web site or service, PBX and support software.

TeleVoice, Inc. (https://www.televoice.com/)
TeleVoice has been delivering Voice Response systems since 1986. Directly and through our resellers.

Voice Broadcasting Pros (http://www.voicebroadcastingpros.com)
Voice Broadcasting Pros allows you to coordinate an effective outbound voice broadcast campaign with an enormous call capacity while tying into an IVR system.

VoiceShot Voice Broadcast (https://www.voiceshot.com/public/outboundcalls.asp)
VoiceShot Outbound voice broadcast and voice mail broadcast allows you to instantly send hundreds or even thousands of interactive phone calls while managing the entire process right from the Web.

Wessan Interactive (http://www.wessan.com)
Wessan Interactive is a leading provider of Interactive Voice Response (IVR) and web-related services for some of the most recognized companies in the nation. Our cost-effective, customized solutions are quickly implemented to generate immediate results and improve the market share of your business.