VoIPSwitch officials are touting their IP IVR module as having the ability to, "extend VoipSwitch to the whole set of services that use voice interaction with users."

The IP IVR version for calling cards services is sold separately as a module, while the IP IVR for other services is the part of the main package Voipswitch platform.

Company officials say, the "main scenarios in which IP IVR can play a main role" include two stage dialing calling cards (PIN or Caller ID/ANI authorization), one stage dialing with IVR (PIN or Caller ID/ANI authorization), voicemail, PBX (News - Alert) auto attendant and callback.

The IVR is very often used in services like broadband phone calling, offering such functionality as max call duration announcement, actual balance information, last minute (or any other defined period) before the call end warning, recharge by PIN or support number and others.

The IP IVR can be used with any VoIP equipment that is compatible with SIP or H323 protocol, company officials say, adding that it supports DIDs (SIP or H323 trunks). "Thus," they say, "the access number for example for calling cards can be implemented by using DIDs rented from a provider, instead of owning a PSTN gateway."

In this scenario DID or DIDs are delivered over Internet directly from DID provider to VoipSwitch.

The IP IVR supports the g723.1, g729, g711, GSM, g722 (soon iLBC) codecs. The voice prompts are stored in an already compressed format , which company officials say makes the system "robust, as it does not have to convert the prompts while realizing the IVR procedures."

The IVR scenarios as well as voice prompts are customizable as well, and the product comes with predefined scenarios designed to be "useful in different applications." Also, the new scenarios can be built by a system administrator using XML scripting language.

The system is multilingual by default. There are several languages uploaded, including English, French, Spanish, Arabic, Hebrew and others.