Context-aware IVR : challenges and opportunities

Abstract

Voice based telecommunication services are emerging as most appropriate medium for information dissemination in developing regions, as they overcome prevalent low literacy rate and are more reachable than any other medium like internet. However, present-day Interactive Voice Response (IVR) systems are not able to capture user requirements and present a rigid interface to its users, and thus the IVR systems are commonly considered as frustrating to use. In this paper, we are proposing an architecture to build context-aware IVR systems, which can adapt themselves to match user requirements and provide a better experience, thus enabling their widespread use. We did a real world deployment to understand the requirements for the new architecture. We intend to make use of work in context-aware systems and adaptive systems to create next-generation IVR systems that have humanlike ability in tackling caller intricacies with ease of access like internet.