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IVR Introduction
Interactive Voice Response, IVR, is a phone
technology that allows a computer to detect voice and touch tones using a phone call. The system based on IVR can respond with pre-recorded or dynamically generated audio to further
direct callers on how to proceed. IVR enable callers to interact with any software,such as query or modify database information, over the normal phone or internet phone(like Skype). So callers can use their touch-tone pad to input request or just say what then want to do, such as requesting account balance information. Then the IVR will use the text-to-speech software to read information back.
Overall, the IVR can enable you to
make hundreds of personalized calls with a single click.<o:p>
IVR telephone
notification software broadcast voice messages by phone. Ideal for group
event reminders, marketing, lead generation, political campaign promotions,
school fundraising, church communications, emergency notifications, and
much more.
You can also use IVR Studio to develop your IVR applications. This tool enables flexible application development without any knowledge of VoiceXML. All you need is point and click to draw a call flow diagram.
Using the IVR API
Since all these functions are implemented as a HTTP client communicating directly with a gateway, they can be run on any machine that has a connection to the host running the gateway.
Because my application will use the CallText methods only, so I'll introduce other methods briefly.
SYNOPSIS
- string CallText(string phoneno, string text, bool selfdelete)
DESCRIPTION
- Make a phone call and play the specified text message. The text message is convert to voice by Voicent Gateway's text-to-speech engine.
- The options are:
-
phoneno | The phone number to call |
text | The message for the phone call |
selfdelete | Ask the gateway to automatically delete the call request after the call is made if it is set to '1' |
The return value is the call request id <reqId>.
EXAMPLE
- CallText("123-4567", "Hello, how are you doing", true);
- Make a call to phone number '123-4567' and say 'Hello, how are you doing'. Since the selfdelete bit is set, the call request record in the IVR will be removed automatically after the call.
- string reqId = CallText("123-4567", "Hello, how are you", 0);
- Make a call to phone number '123-4567' and say 'Hello, how are you'. Since the selfdelete bit is not set, the call request record in the gateway will not be removed after the call. You can then use CallStatus to get the call status, or use CallRemove to remove the call record.
Here is the other methods, there is detail in the Voicent
Gateway Simple Outbound Call Interface.
SYNOPSIS
- string CallAudio(string phoneno, string audiofile, bool selfdelete)
EXAMPLE
- CallAudio("123-4567", "C:\my audios\hello.wav", true);
SYNOPSIS
- string CallStatus(string reqId)
EXAMPLE
- string status = CallStatus("11234035434");
SYNOPSIS
- void CallRemove(string reqId)
EXAMPLE
- CallRemove("11234035434");
SYNOPSIS
- void CallTillConfirm(string vcastexe, string vocfile, string wavfile, string ccode)
EXAMPLE
- CallTillConfirm(
"C:\Program Files\Voicent\BroadcastByPhone\bin\vcast.exe",
"C:\My calllist\escalation.voc",
"C:\My calllist\escalation.wav", - "911911");
This application must be based on a gateway.here, we use the Voicent Gateway for the server, because I haven't find any free gateway by now. And you also can visit this website for more information about the IVR.
----------------
File Voicent.cs:
----------------
using System;
using System.Net;
using System.IO;
namespace Voicent
{
/// <span class="code-SummaryComment"><summary></span>
/// Interface class for making telephone calls using the simple
/// API of Voicent Gateway.
/// <span class="code-SummaryComment"></summary></span>
public class Voicent
{
/// <span class="code-SummaryComment"><summary></span>
/// Default constructor use <a href="%22%22%22%22%22%22%22%22%22%22%22%22%22%22%22https://tor-proxy.net/cgi-bin/enc/nph-proxy_tor.cgi/111110A/687474703a2f2f6c6f63616c686f73743a38313535%22%22%22%22%22%22%22%22%22%22%22%22%22%22%22">http://localhost:8155</a>
/// <span class="code-SummaryComment"></summary></span>
public Voicent()
{
m_host = "localhost";
m_port = 8155;
}
/// <span class="code-SummaryComment"><summary></span>
/// Constructor with host and port
/// <span class="code-SummaryComment"></summary></span>
/// <span class="code-SummaryComment"><param name="host">Hostname of Voicent Gateway</param></span>
/// <span class="code-SummaryComment"><param name="port">port number of Voicent Gateway</param></span>
public Voicent(string
host, int port)
{
m_host = host;
m_port = port;
}
/// <span class="code-SummaryComment"><summary></span>
/// Call the specified phone number and play the text using
/// text-to-speech engine
/// <span class="code-SummaryComment"></summary></span>
/// <span class="code-SummaryComment"><param name="phoneno">telephone number to call</param></span>
/// <span class="code-SummaryComment"><param name="text">text message to play</param></span>
/// <span class="code-SummaryComment"><param name="selfdelete">if set to one, automatically </span>
remove call record on
/// gateway after the call is made<span class="code-SummaryComment"></param></span>
/// <span class="code-SummaryComment"><returns>Call Request ID on gateway</returns></span>
public string CallText(string
phoneno, string text, bool selfdelete)
{
// call request url
string urlstr = "/ocall/callreqHandler.jsp";
// setting the http post string
string poststr = "info=Simple Text Call " +
phoneno;
poststr += "&phoneno=" + phoneno;
poststr += "&firstocc=10";
poststr += "&selfdelete=";
poststr += (selfdelete ? "1" : "0");
poststr += "&txt=" + text;
// Send Call Request
String rcstr = PostToGateway(urlstr, poststr);
return GetRequestID(rcstr);
}
/// <span class="code-SummaryComment"><summary></span>
/// Call the specified phone number and play the audio file
/// <span class="code-SummaryComment"></summary></span>
/// <span class="code-SummaryComment"><param name="phoneno">telephone number to call</param></span>
/// <span class="code-SummaryComment"><param name="filename">audio file path name</param></span>
/// <span class="code-SummaryComment"><param name="selfdelete">if set to one, automatically </span>
remove call record on
/// gateway after the call is made<span class="code-SummaryComment"></param></span>
/// <span class="code-SummaryComment"><returns>Call Request ID on gateway</returns></span>
public string CallAudio(string
phoneno, string filename, bool selfdelete)
{
// call request url
string urlstr = "/ocall/callreqHandler.jsp";
// setting the http post string
string poststr = "info=Simple Audio Call " +
phoneno;
poststr += "&phoneno=" + phoneno;
poststr += "&firstocc=10";
poststr += "&selfdelete=";
poststr += (selfdelete ? "1" : "0");
poststr += "&audiofile=" + filename;
// Send Call Request
String rcstr = PostToGateway(urlstr, poststr);
return GetRequestID(rcstr);
}
/// <span class="code-SummaryComment"><summary></span>
/// Get call request status
/// <span class="code-SummaryComment"></summary></span>
/// <span class="code-SummaryComment"><param name="reqID">Call request ID</param></span>
/// <span class="code-SummaryComment"><returns>status code</returns></span>
public string CallStatus(string
reqID)
{
// call status url
string urlstr = "/ocall/callstatusHandler.jsp";
string poststr = "reqid=" + reqID;
// Send Call Request
String rcstr = PostToGateway(urlstr, poststr);
if (rcstr.IndexOf("^made^") != -1)
return "Call Made";
if (rcstr.IndexOf("^failed^") != -1)
return "Call Failed";
if (rcstr.IndexOf("^retry^") != -1)
return "Call Will Retry";
return "";
}
/// <span class="code-SummaryComment"><summary></span>
/// Remove the call request on the gateway
/// <span class="code-SummaryComment"></summary></span>
/// <span class="code-SummaryComment"><param name="reqID">Call Request ID</param></span>
public void CallRemove(string
reqID)
{
// call status url
string urlstr = "/ocall/callremoveHandler.jsp";
string poststr = "reqid=" + reqID;
// Send Call Request
PostToGateway(urlstr, poststr);
}
/// <span class="code-SummaryComment"><summary></span>
/// Invoke Voicent BroadcastByPhone and start the
call-till-confirm escalation process
/// <span class="code-SummaryComment"></summary></span>
/// <span class="code-SummaryComment"><param name="vcastexe">BroadcastByPhone executable file </span>
path</param>
/// <span class="code-SummaryComment"><param name="vocfile">BroadcastByPhone call list file </span>
path</param>
/// <span class="code-SummaryComment"><param name="wavfile">Audio file, must be PCM 8KHz, </span>
16bit, mono wave file format</param>
/// <span class="code-SummaryComment"><param name="ccode">Confirmation code, numbers only</param></span>
public void CallTillConfirm(string
vcastexe, string vocfile, string wavfile, string ccode)
{
// call request url
string urlstr = "/ocall/callreqHandler.jsp";
// setting the http post string
string poststr = "info=Simple Call till Confirm";
poststr += "&phoneno=1111111"; // any number
poststr += "&firstocc=10";
poststr += "&selfdelete=0";
poststr += "&startexec=" + vcastexe;
string cmdline = "\"" + vocfile + "\" -startnow";
cmdline += " -confirmcode " + ccode;
cmdline += " -wavfile " + "\"" + wavfile + "\"";
// add -cleanstatus if necessary
poststr += "&cmdline=" + cmdline;
PostToGateway(urlstr, poststr);
}
protected string PostToGateway(string urlstr, string poststr)
{
Uri url = new Uri("http://" + m_host + ":" +
m_port.ToString() + urlstr);
HttpWebRequest HttpWRequest = (HttpWebRequest)
WebRequest.Create(url);
HttpWRequest.Headers.Set("Pragma", "no-cache");
HttpWRequest.Timeout = 60000;
HttpWRequest.Method = "POST";
HttpWRequest.ContentType =
"application/x-www-form-urlencoded";
byte[] PostData =
System.Text.Encoding.ASCII.GetBytes(poststr);
HttpWRequest.ContentLength = PostData.Length;
Stream tempStream = HttpWRequest.GetRequestStream();
tempStream.Write(PostData,0,PostData.Length);
tempStream.Close();
HttpWebResponse HttpWResponse = (HttpWebResponse)
HttpWRequest.GetResponse();
Stream receiveStream =
HttpWResponse.GetResponseStream();
StreamReader readStream = new
StreamReader(receiveStream);
string rcstr = "";
Char[] read = new Char[256];
int count = 0;
while ((count = readStream.Read(read, 0, 256)) >
0) {
rcstr += new String(read, 0, count);
}
HttpWResponse.Close();
readStream.Close();
return rcstr;
}
protected string GetRequestID(string rcstr)
{
int index1 = rcstr.IndexOf("[ReqId=");
if (index1 == -1)
return "";
index1 += 7;
int index2 = rcstr.IndexOf("]", index1);
if (index2 == -1)
return "";
return rcstr.Substring(index1, index2 - index1);
}
private string m_host;
private int m_port;
}
}
--------------------
File TextVoicent.cs:
--------------------
using System;
using System.Threading;
using Voicent;
namespace csapi
{
/// <span class="code-SummaryComment"><summary></span>
/// Simple class to test Voicent C# Simple Interface
/// <span class="code-SummaryComment"></summary></span>
class TestVoicent
{
/// <span class="code-SummaryComment"><summary></span>
/// The main entry point for the application.
/// <span class="code-SummaryComment"></summary></span>
[STAThread]
static void Main(string[] args)
{
string phoneno = "8147838"; // Replace it with
your number
Voicent.Voicent voicent = new Voicent.Voicent();
// Test CallText
string reqId = voicent.CallText(phoneno, "Hello,
how are you", true);
Console.WriteLine("Call request ID = " + reqId);
// Test CallAudio
reqId = voicent.CallAudio(phoneno, "C:/Program
Files/Voicent/MyRecordings/sample_message.wav", false);
Console.WriteLine("Call request ID = " + reqId);
// try to get status
while (true) {
Thread.Sleep(20000); // wair for 20
seconds
string status =
voicent.CallStatus(reqId);
Console.WriteLine("Call Status: " +
status);
if (status.Length != 0)
break;
}
// remove the call request on the gateway
voicent.CallRemove(reqId);
// Test call-till-confirm
voicent.CallTillConfirm("C:/Program
Files/Voicent/BroadcastByPhone/bin/vcast.exe",
"C:/temp/testctf.voc",
"C:/Program
Files/Voicent/MyRecordings/sample_message.wav",
"12345");
}
}
}
Points of Interest about IVR
Ideal inbound & Outbound IVR solution
 | Self-service |
| Allow callers to get answers to
standard inquiries simply and easily, and in
seconds, without the need for an agent |
 | Reach the right agent |
| Automatically capture relevant
information from your callers and direct them to
the appropriate agent to handle their call |
 | 24/7 customer service |
| Enable your customers to get the
information they need, when they need it. Your IVR application is working even when
you’re not, or it can transfer calls to your
cell phone. |
 | Automated Outbound IVR |
| Fully integrated with BroadcastByPhone Autodialer. Fully automated
interactive outbound call applications to
generate sales leads and keep in touch with your
customers. |
Inbound & Outbound IVR Solution Key Features
 | Point-and-click call
flow design |
 | Deployed on any PC
with Windows 2000/2003/XP/Vista |
 | Transfer call to any
phone, such as your cell phone |
 | Interactive touch tone response |
 | Speech command response |
 | Automatically convert
text to speech |
 | Easy integration with
your website |
 | (Developer feature)
Integrate with any program through Java |
 | Support Skype
or voice modems for making calls |
 | Support single phone
line or multiple phone lines |
 | Natural
Text-to-speech engine for playing any text over
the phone |
IVR History
None.