jhenry@rand.org (Jim Henry) (10/10/89)
I would like to design a system which allows a telephone caller to check the status of an order by telephone without human intervention. What I envision is a card in a PC that can answer a ringing phone, deliver a recorded greeting, listen to a series of touch tones and make the numbers available to a database program. The database program would check the order and instruct the card to deliver one of two recorded resposnses, ready or not ready. Of course the budget to do any of this is limited. Is there reasonably priced hardware that could do this? Are there better ways of approaching this problem? Are there problems with doing this that I'm overlooking? Thanks for any ideas you can pass along.
tom@gatech.edu (Tom Wiencko) (10/16/89)
In article <telecom-v09i0440m06@vector.dallas.tx.us> Jim Henry <jhenry@rand. org writes: >I would like to design a system which allows a telephone caller to >check the status of an order by telephone without human intervention. I recently researched a similar application, and found a company which seems to handle this type of requirement very well. The vendor is Innovative Technology, Inc. in Roswell Georgia. They make a clever little board (which is not really cheap, but gets the job done) and better yet, there is a lot of software out there written by this company and by other companies to handle all sorts of touch-tone response applications. I have not used their product myself, but have talked to people who have used it and have demo-run some applications using it. Seems pretty slick. They are at 404/998-9970. Disclamer: I am not associated with Innovative Technology. Tom Wiencko (w) (404) 977-4515 gatech!stiatl!tom Wiencko & Associates, Inc.
macy@hal.uucp (10/19/89)
In article <telecom-v09i0455m03@vector.dallas.tx.us> you write: >X-TELECOM-Digest: volume 9, issue 455, message 3 of 11 >In article <telecom-v09i0440m06@vector.dallas.tx.us> Jim Henry <jhenry@rand. >org writes: >>I would like to design a system which allows a telephone caller to >>check the status of an order by telephone without human intervention. >I recently researched a similar application, and found a company which >seems to handle this type of requirement very well. The vendor is >Innovative Technology, Inc. in Roswell Georgia. They make a clever >little board (which is not really cheap, but gets the job done) and >better yet, there is a lot of software out there written by this >company and by other companies to handle all sorts of touch-tone >response applications. This product is sold in its unmodified form as the "Nita" auto-atendant and voice mail system. Nita is sold by authorized contract dealers nationwide (of which I am one). And it works very well. Nita is also sold on an OEM basis by ITI to VARS with a set of development tools for development tools for enhanced applications such as the voice response application described. Based on my installation of several of these systems, I can attest to the quality of the product and ITI. I'm very impressed. I have not purchased or installed any of the enhanced versions by VARS for "value-added" applications. I'm told the Nita makes an execellent platform, though, and these enhanced applications work well. (Like most products of these types, the quality of the VAR and testing behind it determines the ultimate quality of the enhanced product) ITI publishes a booklet giving the names, addresses, phone no.'s and a brief description of the enhanced product's application. When you call ITI at (404) 998-9970 you will get a Nita, dial 411 for a directory. The name of the national sales manager is Jim Shriver. ITI will not sell to end users directly, but they will help you get information on dealers and/of VARS. Be aware that the Nita requires a stable, quality hardware platform to operate. It will operate on a XT or AT platform. Several clones work, but there are many issues concerning BIOS and disk operation that need to be addressed if you intend to use you own machine to run this system (if the dealer will even permit it...) One of the principal obligations of a dealer is hardware configuration and setup. Initial setup of the software is a bit complex, as well. Nita is made to work with darn near any phone system that will support single line (2500) phones as stations. And there's so much more, but I've taken up too much net bandwidth already. Disclaimer: I am a satisfied independent ITI dealer. I like this product. As a courtesy to the net, I will answer e-mail questions, time permitting. I would prefer not to sell this product outside my service area (Ohio). I do not receive any payment, commission, or even recognition for sales or promotion, other than my own sales. Just trying to do right by the net...there's a lot of stuff out there that _doesn't_ work nearly as well... Macy Hallock 150 Highland Dr. macy@NCoast.ORG F M Systems Inc. Medina, OH 44256 {uunet|backbone}!hal.cwru.edu!ncoast!macy +1 216 723-3000 Fax +1 216 723-3223 uunet!aablue!fmsystm!macy