IVR/VRU

IVR/VRU

Print Media Solution Sheet

Description

Interactive Voice Response (IVR) / Voice Response Unit (VRU) capabilities are inherent in many enhanced service applications. Voicemail, conferencing calling, calling cards, or Automatic Call Distribution (ACD) are just a few of many applications requiring IVR/VRU capabilities. In traditional TDM-based architectures, each of these applications is typically implemented with proprietary "Service Node" equipment. While the service logic varies between applications, the basic IVR/VRU requirement to play prompts or announcements, and then collect and report back digits is duplicated in each proprietary service node implementation.

In a next generation VoIP architecture, application logic and media processing are separated. Without the burden of IVR/VRU processing, service-specific logic can be deployed on less expensive off-the-shelf computing platforms (e.g., a Linux server). RadiSys Convedia media servers support feature-rich IVR/VRU media processing as a shared resource that can be controlled and shared by a variety of applications in an open, decomposed next-generation architecture. Applications requiring IVR/VRU functions can command the Convedia Media Server to play menu prompts, perform DTMF tone detection and generation, and report back menu selections or dialed digits. In addition, RadiSys Convedia media servers also support integration with 3rd party speech servers, to add Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) and Text-to-Speech (TTS) elements into an IVR dialog design.

RadiSys Convedia media servers are specifically designed to provide shared, carrier-scale IVR/VRU processing features including:

  • Feature-rich IVR script processing using SIP/VoiceXML or SIP/MSML
  • Command/response IVR dialogs using MGCP or H.248
  • Menu option prompts or announcement playback
  • Customizable, multi-language announcements (30+ languages and growing)
  • Dynamically generated announcements (e.g. date or account balance)
  • DTMF detection and generation (either inband or using RFC 2833)
  • Retrieval of announcements or prompts from internal storage or external storage (via NFS or HTTP)
  • Automatic speech recognition (ASR) – to receive spoken commands rather then digit selections
  • Text-to-speech (TTS) – to speak a text string, rather then playing a pre-recorded prompt or announcement.

RadiSys Convedia Media Servers also support VoiceXML 2.0, as well as MSML, providing an improved level of flexibility for feature-rich IVR dialog design.

In summary, RadiSys Convedia media servers offer the feature and control interface flexibility, along with the scalabiltiy from entry-level software media server solutions up to carrier-class hardware media servers, that can fulfill the industry’s needs for robust IVR media processing in today’s NGN and IMS network deployments.

More Information

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