Using an IVR System Delivers Benefits in Any Business
May 04, 2010
By Susan J. Campbell, TMCnet Contributing Editor
Deploying an IVR system allows a company to use technology commonly found in the contact center or the large organization, which allows customers to move through a menu to find the right department and deliver significant value in terms of productivity and efficiency to companies throughout the global marketplace.
According to a Mormon Times article, it also has a place within those practicing genealogy. Launa Darby, speaking at the 2010 National Genealogical Society's Family History Conference, noted that IVR systems can save a genealogist as much as 40 to 50 percent of his or her time.
Darby relies on voice recognition software for transcriptions, letters and journal entries, passages from books, notes on interviews and reports. For Darby, who likes to talk much more than she likes to type, voice recognition makes perfect sense.
Throughout the IVR industry this past month, a number of companies are making headlines, thus proving the success of IVR systems in a corporate environment. Remembered Voices, a unified phone and Web service for the creation and management of voice recordings, has selected IVR system provider Plum Voice as its IVR partner. Plum Voice is a single-source provider of IVR solutions. Remembered Voices selected the company after evaluating several vendors.
While IVR systems can play a key role in a number of organizations, it can't optimize the experience if the user does not take the necessary time to work with the program and teach it to recognize words and phrases specific to the user.
Industry options include Dragon Naturally Speaking Preferred 10 made for PCs, which sells for $149-$199; MacSpeech Dictate sells for $165-$199 and is designed for Macs; IBM Viavoice runs about $70-$100 and works better on older computers. E-Speaking $14.95 is available on Vista and is free for 30 days; Express Dictate 2.0 is a free download as is Wave to Text 5.26.
These software programs record continuous speech, so any noise that a microphone can pick up will be included in the recorded text. Ambient (News - Alert) noise can be a problem if not monitored, although higher quality products will be able to cancel outside noise.
Darby also highlights that the more a person uses the voice recognition software, the more accurate it will become in producing the recorded text necessary to complete professional work. For those companies seeking to streamline processes and optimize an employee's time, IVR technology could be the key.
In other IVR news, VASCO Data Security Inc., a software security company supplying authentication products announced that it will showcase its DIGIPASS for Mobile authentication solution at MEFTEC at the Bahrain International Exhibition Centre.
This is also a suitable solution for banks that are desirous to secure multiple customers facing channels like e-banking, m-banking, phone banking and the usage of an IVR system and cash retrieval at the ATM.
Susan J. Campbell is a contributing editor for TMCnet and has also written for eastbiz.com. To read more of Susan's articles, please visit her columnist page.Edited by Kelly McGuire