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Voice Mail
Voice mail, the most common application, involves the direction of the incoming call to a voice mailbox associated with a particular user or application. The incoming message is stored in the mailbox and the user is advised, using one of several techniques (e.g., message-waiting lamp indication and stuttered dial tone), of the fact that a message is waiting. When the user accesses the system and enters the proper command and password, the message is re-synthesized and played back, ultimately in analog audio form. Features may include personalized greeting, message broadcasting using a user-definable distribution list, message archiving, message forwarding, message annotation, automated call return, and access to a console attendant or alternative answering point.
In addition to what might be described as more legitimate applications, the future portends increased use of voice junk mail. Advertisers such as KMPS radio (Seattle, Washington) have built voice mail databases that allow them to broadcast advertisements to thousands of current and potential customers. While such use is aggravating to many voice mail recipients, they do, of course, have the option of calling the advertiser and requesting that they be removed from such a database. The carriers are particularly unhappy about such use, as it not only places great demands on the involved voice mail systems and the network, but also threatens to yield en masse cancellations of highly-profitable voice mail subscriptions. A more legitimate and common application is for school districts to notify parents of events such as their childrens absence from school, the mailing of report cards, the scheduling of sporting events and practice sessions, or schools closings/delays due to severe inclement weather [5-19].
Call Processing
Call processing applications involve the voice processing system as a front-end call processor to a PBX or ACD. The automated attendant feature of the system will answer the call and provide menu options which can be invoked through either DTMF input or voice recognition software. Features may include automated call routing, Automatic Number Identification (ANI), and Fax-on-Demand (FOD) access. Once the caller has selected a menu option, the call can be directed to the appropriate agent, extension, or computer resource. Should the system not be able to connect the call immediately, it can either be placed in queue or the caller can leave in voice mail a call-back message, rather than simply abandoning the call.
First Interstate Bank, for instance, provides a Day & Night Banking Center® that allows customers to access account information without human intervention. The caller is prompted to enter his account number, followed by a user-definable PIN. At that point, menu options include the account balance, last five checks posted, last three deposits posted, and so on. American Airlines provides toll-free access to its reservations centers, with the ACD being frontended by a voice processor that prompts the caller through options including domestic versus international reservations, AAdvantage Frequent Flyer Program status. Based on DTMF input, the caller is directed to the appropriate agent group or to an automated database access system.
Database Access: Interactive Voice Response (IVR)
In a database access application, the voice processing system acts as a front-end, although to general purpose computers on which reside appropriate databases (Figure 5.2). As a means of imposing a level of security to the transaction, various means of caller authentication can be employed. For instance, DTMF input of a Personal Identification Number (PIN) can be required for access or more unusual and expensive techniques such as voice recognition (recognition of voice commands) and voice print matching (verification of the callers identification by matching the characteristics of the voice input to a stored sample) can be involved before the caller is afforded access to the system. That information (bank or credit card account information) then is voice-synthesized for the benefit of the caller, yielding what is commonly known as Interactive Voice Response (IVR). Access to multiple databases often is served across a LAN. Features may include voice recognition, voice print matching, and text-to-speech capability. Reservations centers such as American Airlines and financial institutions such as First Interstate Bank make heavy use of such capabilities in order to reduce staffing levels and provide enhanced customer service. Further, carriers such as Bell Atlantic use voice recognition technology to provide automated access to local directory databases [5-20], [5-21], and [5-22].
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