What is “on premise IVRS (Interactive Voice Response System)”?
On premise IVR system can be defined as Interactive Voice response System (IVRS) which is installed in the premise of the company who is using IVRS for providing various services to its customers. On Premise IVR systems are also known as “Legacy IVRS” which are normally developed specifically for the company, using native API functions of CTI boards. It is tightly integrated with CTI board used, PBX or telephone operator, Operating System of the machine and normally written in a well defined languages like C++, .NET C# etc.
While, hosted IVR may provide many advantages, mainly outsourcing of maintenance and low initial investment, but on premise or legacy IVR systems are going to stay, in my opinion.
1. Recurring Cost
Hosted IVR services are normally rented. So, it is a recurring cost for a company. Hosting service provider may restrict services when some call spikes take place. Unlimited calls and one time cost is more beneficial in terms of ROI for many large corporates than paying for every calls handled by hosted IVR. Many companies already maintains various computer servers and PBX systems and putting one more server ( the IVR System) is not another heavy investment.
Popularity: 32% [?]
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Call transfer from interactive voice response system to human agent is one of the basic requirement and a must for IVR usability in any call center. While transferring an active call on an analog extension is very simple an straightforward, but the same may not be simple in case of ISDN PRI connectivity with PBX. The method of call transfer vary from one PBX manufacturer to another and that makes it more difficult to implement call transfer facility for a new CTI application developer.
Recently, I had faced similar difficulty while trying to implement call transfer facility on ISDN PRI with a PBX. It took many days, but later I realised that, it is mainly due to technical support from PBX manufacturer end only. In my opinion, PBX manufacturer should provide information how call transfer facility has to be used by a CTI application in their manual itself.
Popularity: 58% [?]
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There are many disadvantages of using analog CTI ( Computer Telephony Integration) cards. Apart from that, digital CTI boards offer many advantages over analog CTI boards and I would like to list three main reasons why one should upgrade to digital CTI boards from analog ones.
Even in India, E1 connectivity or PRI lines are easily available from any telecom service provider and it is much cheaper. And with, many new CTI manufacturers are offering high quality digital CTI boards which are easily available.
Here are three reasons :-
1. Dialed Number Identification ( DNI Facility)
Digital boards provide DNI ( dialed Number Identification) which is not available in analog CTI boards. DNI can be very useful. It provides options for separate CTI applications depending on the DNI detected. The [click to continue reading…]
Popularity: 34% [?]
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I had visited India Telecom 2009 exhibition held from 3rd December 2009 to 5th December 2009 at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi, India. Though it was mainly an exhibition about Indian Telecom Industry, but I found many companies from IVR industries present there. I thought I would update about them.
These are the companies I found :-
1. Aculab
It came with CTI boards VXML interpreter. While I was visiting the stall, there were some visitors and I did not speak to anyone, did not fail to pick up their brochures. But I think, Aculab got good number of visitors.
ACULAB at India Telecom 2009 Exhibition
Popularity: 55% [?]
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IVR (Interactive Voice Response) System is a tool which can serve hospitality industry in many ways. Most probably, not many people in hotel industry or IVR industry may have thought about it or implemented some really smart, useful, productive IVR application for it. Well, recently, I was advising one company how IVR is useful in hotel industry, I realised IVR can be deployed in hospitality industry right from hotel bookings to room service, from providing voicemail service to bill payment!
Here is how:-
1. Advertising and Hotel booking
Hotel booking can be completely automated and can be made very enthralling experience for the caller or prospective guest! For example, if the caller is an foreign national, she can be greeted in his native language ( using Caller ID, IVR can greet her in her native language, a pleasant surprise, right ?)! And she would be able to browse through various room types, tariff, availability in her own language. She would be even able to make payment and get confirmation code on voice for any room booking! And caller gets all information of the hotels, its amenities, facilities including weather of the city where the hotel is located. Yes, IVR will be able to offer information on must visit places of the area. Never forget, it can alert booking clerk of the booking immediately on SMS and he can view the report and transaction.
Popularity: 36% [?]
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There are many interesting usage of IVR systems all across the globe. IVR is being used to earn money for company, save expenses, increase efficiency, increase sales etc. But how about using IVR to increase agricultural production ?
Yes, some industrious people have thought of that and implemented IVR which give out weather forecast to farmers. The IVR also provides information and tips about crop selection, proper sowing time, pest, choosing optimum time for using fertilizers etc.
Handygo Ltd., a wireless solution provider and VAS content provider, has started this IVR service Punjab and Haryana, two Indian states. They intend to launch the service pan India. With increasing mobile users in India, this IVR service may surely help farmers use of technology for their agricultural product increase.
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Popularity: 38% [?]
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Recently, while I was talking to one of my clients about a customised IVR solution for his office, he suddenly asked me,”What benefits would I have by installing this IVR thing in the first place ?”. Actually, I was startled! I was on a paid consultancy chat and I was actually surprised to hear that question! I always thought that benefits of IVR systems are obvious and almost all in industry are convinced about it! So I took some time to reply convincingly about benefits of having IVR in his office.
But I thought, I must write some points about benefits of having IVR system in your office :-
1. Extend your office automation to your caller/customer
You have installed sophisticated software to automate many activities in your office and are experiencing immense benefit of it, but have you extended the same benefit to your caller as well as customer ? If not, please install IVR system today and extend all those automation benefits to your the callers as well as to your customers. Provide all information about company, contact details categorically like marketing, technical etc.
2. Attending the call at the first ring
Saves time to any industry, both the caller, and for the industry. Should I explain how time is money, OK, let me! 3 rings use 8 seconds and if you receive 300 calls a day (8 hours), and picks up calls after 3 rings every time, you waste ( 300 X 8 = 2400 seconds) 40 minutes in total of your callers! As well as yours so, it makes 1 hour and 2 minutes! It may not be possible for a human to pick up a call in one ring, but trust me, an IVR system will pick up the ring without any failure, every time.
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Popularity: 49% [?]
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In my previous post on IVR as E-Com Portal , I tried to explain how IVR can be used to generate revenue. In this post, I would try to list the some services, which should be interesting and likely to generate revenue. I think, it would be best if the IVR e-com portal is operated either on a toll free numbers or on a normal telephone number without any premium charging. Normally, voice portals provide the services free while charging premium for the call.
1. Direct Selling
One would be surprised to know that, many products, services could be sold on IVR. Few such products or services are :-
a. Music CD/Albums :
One can build a complete music store on IVR. The obvious advantage on operating a music store on IVR is ‘listening trailers’ on the fly! Callers would find it very easy to search any music number or album by language, genre, singer, films etc. There can be many options how caller pay, orders DVD etc.
b. Tickets
Most probably, many people are aware about buying tickets on IVR system. One can sell flight ticket, railway ticket, bus ticket, movie tickets on IVR e-com portal.
c. Books
Books could be sold on IVR e-com portal easily and some excerpt could be read out to the caller about new arrivals of books!
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Popularity: 34% [?]
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