IVR applications
IVR applications are the voice menus of the switch: they answer a call, identify the caller, play prompts in the caller’s language and act on the keys the caller presses. A calling card product, a callback service and a balance announcement number are all IVR applications, configured in the panel and running on the switch’s IVR service.
How it works
Section titled “How it works”- A call reaches an application in one of two ways: through a DID whose Assigned to is the application, or through a vendor Connection that points at the IVR service with a CLD Translation Rule that names the application, for example
s/.*/callingcard/. - The application identifies the caller: by the card number and PIN, by the caller’s number (trusted numbers), or by the account the call was authenticated to.
- It plays prompts in the language the caller chose or the account’s IVR language, using the switch’s built-in text-to-speech for numbers, amounts and durations.
- Outgoing calls placed by the application, such as a calling card call, are rated and routed like any call of the identified account, through its service plan and routing group.
Application types
Section titled “Application types”| Type in the panel | What it does | Page |
|---|---|---|
| Calling Card | Card number and PIN, balance, destination, call | Calling Card application |
| ANI Callback | Calls the caller back and then runs another application or connects a destination | Callback applications |
| Top Up | Moves the value of a top-up card to the caller’s account | Top Up application |
| Play Balance | Announces the balance or the time left to a destination | Play Balance application |
| Conference | Conference rooms, when the conferencing module is installed | Conferencing management API |
| Milliwatt Tone | Plays a continuous test tone for audio and loss measurements | This page |
A few applications have no type in the panel and are started only through a connection with a CLD keyword: Play Prompt (prompt_<id>), the test call application (ssptest), the tiny calling card (cctiny) and two-way callback (ani_2way_<number>). The Welcome Call is started by the switch itself after a device first registers.
Set it up
Section titled “Set it up”- Open DIDs & IVR Apps → IVR Applications and click Add New.
- Enter Name and Description, select the Type, and for menu-driven types the languages in order under Type & Languages.
- Click Save, then open Advanced Parameters and add the options that differ from the defaults with Add Row.
- Open DIDs & IVR Apps → DID Pool, open the access number and set Assigned to to the application.
Options apply from the next call. The defaults common to all applications are listed in Options common to all IVR applications.
Through a connection
Section titled “Through a connection”For applications without a panel type, or to run one application with different options per access number:
- Add a Connection to a vendor that represents your IVR service, with Destination set to the address and port of the switch’s IVR service, for example
192.168.0.100:5062. Support can confirm the address on your installation. - Set the connection’s CLD Translation Rule to the application keyword with its options, for example
s/.*/callingcard_en_es_noplaybalance/. - Add a termination route with the access number’s prefix for this connection and put it into the routing group of the accounts or DIDs that should reach the application.
Options in the dialled number override the application’s configured options for that call only.
Languages
Section titled “Languages”The applications speak the languages whose prompt sets are installed on the switch; English is always available. The languages of a calling card are selected per application under Type & Languages; other applications use the account’s IVR language or Default IVR Language. Adding a new language needs a translation of the phrases, recorded prompts and a text-to-speech module; see Add an IVR language.