MARVEL™ IVR (Interactive Voice Response)

INTRODUCTION :

Marvel™ IVR provides a software development toolkit, complete with a graphical user interface, providing 32-bit interactive voice response capabilities for the Windows NT platform. All applications are built using a fast, efficient drag and drop system.

Marvel™ IVR is the latest version of open, IVR tools from Aflak Electronic Industries Co.. Interactive Voice Response (IVR) applications enable callers to query and modify database information over their telephone using their own human speech or by dialing digits on their telephone. Callers can use their touch-tone pad to input requests or just say what they want to do, such as ordering a product, obtaining a work schedule, or requesting account balance information, and the database speaks information back to the caller using Text-to-Speech. IVR offers customers and businesses a new level of freedom by enabling them to conduct transactions 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Businesses of all sizes are realizing the tremendous benefits of IVR applications for their call processing and information delivery needs. Marvel™ IVR represents the next generation of IVR tools, which utilize open development languages and powerful platforms such as Windows NT. The introduction of Marvel™ IVR also demonstrates our continued commitment to deliver the most affordable, easy-to-use IVR tools to our customers and resellers.

Many applications require a database interface with an IVR system. Marvel™ IVR can connect to any ODBC compliant database in addition to Microsoft Access, Microsoft Excel, dBase, Microsoft FoxPro, Paradox, Btrieve, Oracle and Microsoft SQL Server. With over twenty built in database commands including a command that allows you to write your own custom SQL commands, almost any information you have stored in a database can be made available to clients over the phone, in real time, eliminating the need for live operator assistance to check account balances, order status and other time consuming activities. Data runs between the IVR system and the database application through specific variables. Applications can run embedded, be created on the fly, or through import/export facilities.

Marvel™ IVR can be used to read information from databases, write information to databases, as well as query databases and return information. Marvel™ IVR performs lots of customizable commands. You can setup properties for each command just as if you were executing the commands manually.

Marvel™ IVR applications are not stand alone applications. Applications are executed inside of a mailbox on your system. Marvel™ IVR supports E1, ISDN, DID, and analog interfaces. Callers can dial into an application directly or dial into the system and select an application to use. Marvel™ IVR runs on multi-vendor (digital and analog) boards.

Marvel™ IVR will execute any application you create when a caller dials in. By using DTMF, you can allow callers to interact with the system. Advanced database technology allows you to read, write, append, search, and seek database information, you can record your product inventory, keep track of your customers or patients, or virtually any other application you can think of. The advanced, innovative technology, backed by a simple, easy to use, drag and drop interface makes writing applications easy. Marvel IVRTM Generates Revenue!

Possible Applications with Marvel™ IVR :

The list of possible Marvel™ IVR business applications is endless. Anytime an employee takes inbound phone calls, looks up information and reads it to the caller, you have a potential IVR application. If the answers to the following questions are YES, then the need for Marvel™ IVR is a must :

• Does the business currently have people looking up information in a computer database to repeat it to someone on the phone?
• Can the requested information be found by entering a few identifying items (accounts #, password, etc.)?
• Can the information be found by asking a few basic questions common to all callers?
• Would the customer like to add services without adding headcount?

When a Marvel™ IVR application manages routine calls, employees can spend more time with tasks or providing personal assistance. In the meantime, callers get the basic information they need without waiting on hold for a representative. A properly designed IVR system from Aflak Electronic Industries Co. will enhance a business' service offering at little or no net cost.

The following is a partial list of business applications where Strategy ES IVR could be implemented :

• Automotive


• Banking & Financial


• Building & Construction


• Community & Civic Organizations


• Education


• Fortune 1000 Companies & Corporations


• Government


• Insurance


• Manufacturing


• Medical and Health Care


• Merchandising


• Real Estate


• Transportation and Distribution


• Travel & Entertainment


• Utilities


• Order Entry


• Store Locator


• Account Balance


• Fax on Demand


• Out Dialer


• Voice Messaging


• Health Care Company


• Help Desk


• Human Resources Dept.


• Information Provider


• Insurance Company


• Doctor/Patient Reminder


• Retail Business


• Telecommunications Industry

Drag and Drop development facilities. Marvel provides full featured icons which can be moved and connected to a free form call flow. Each icon carries enough comment fields to insure a very clear documentation trail of what is happening at each step. For example: What prompt is playing to the caller? or How long should we wait for a response? Icons are grouped logically for every stage.

MARVEL™ IVR FEATURES :
Not just another pretty face : Ever programmed a database application before? Our graphical database connectivity will make short work of the most complex queries or operations. As you build your application, you can see the database fields displayed graphically. You choose the field information you want accessed and our program creates all the necessary lines of program code.

Internet Ready : IVR and WEB access, (both on the same NT server), allow callers to retrieve information from the touch tone phone or their web browser. With the internet options you can service your customers over the telephone or via the hyperlink. The system responds over the WEB, or with voice prompts over the telephone. You enter your selections and get information by clicking on icons or by choosing from menus

Marvel™ IVR places high-end call processing development at your command. This 32-bit Windows NT application generator allows you to build custom, interactive voice applications that allow callers to access information stored in databases, text files, network drives or virtually any where. With Drag and Drop facilities and unique icons that represent each command, Marvel™ IVR is easy to learn and use for new and expert developers. Marvel™ IVR has over forty built in commands that can be used alone or combined into groups to perform virtually any operation. Each command has a complete set of parameters that give you full control of the system as well as ample space for program comments.

Marvel™ IVR can connect to any ODBC compliant database in addition to Microsoft Access, Microsoft Excel, dBase, Microsoft FoxPro, Paradox, Btrieve, Oracle and Microsoft SQL Server. With over twenty built in database commands including a command that allows you to write your own custom SQL commands, almost any information you have stored in a database can be made available to clients over the phone, in real time, eliminating the need for live operator assistance to check account balances, order status and other time consuming activities.

Unlike other IVR software, Marvel™ IVR has built-in speech recognition capabilities, allowing callers to speak their important information to the IVR rather than press keys on their telephone keypad. Marvel™ IVR can interact with callers in a clear, natural dialog and return information based upon what the caller says. Marvel™ IVR also has the ability to send faxes and email to employees or clients based upon telephone interactions between callers and the IVR system. If your company needs a customized solution, not some out of the box software, your company needs Marvel™ IVR!

The Marvel™ IVR Application Generator from Aflak Electronic Industries Co. is a powerful package designed to offer all of the features of high-end, customized voice-processing systems in a simple to use, graphical user interface.

Messaging Voice Processing : Marvel™ IVR provides Voice Messaging and Auto Attendant as standard features with Unified Messaging, Fax Server, and Text-to-Speech (TTS) available as optional additional features.

Automated Attendant & Voice Mail : Marvel™ Automated Attendant & Voice Mail application can be setup to solve various answering requirements. Callers do not have to wait when the operator is busy with other calls. Company lines are answered quickly and courteously by customized, automated greetings. if callers have a rotary phone or do not know the extension, they are directed to an operator for assistance. Callers can reach Marvel™ Automated Attendant from any touchtone telephone 24-hours-a-day, 365-days-a-year.

Once a call is answered by Marvel™ Automated Attendant & Voice Mail, callers are routed to the extension, department, etc., they enter. It can be setup to direct rotary callers to an operator for assistance. Additionally, if the line is unanswered or busy, the call can be routed to another extension, to the company operator or to a personal operator set up for that particular mailbox.

If all extension are unavailable, callers can hold or hang up. If they hold, they are placed in a queue. They are then periodically told of their position in the queue and can be offered option to hold for the next available assistant, leave a message or dial another extension.

If a fax tone is detected, Marvel™ automatically transfers the call to a fax machine connected to a telephone system extension.

Provides Callers with Information : Callers can receive prerecorded information such as the company address, direction, product specification, service and price information. Such feature is known as Audiotex feature).

Marvel™ Automated Attendant offers comprehensive message taking capabilities by providing telephone answering when an individual is busy or unavailable.

Up to seven greeting per mailbox can be recorded and scheduled to play at various times of the day. This ensures coverage 24-hours-a-day, 7-days-a-week.

When extensions are busy or do not answer, the system plays the appropriate busy or personal greeting and offers the caller the choices of leaving a message, calling another extension, holding ,call queuing, or receiving assistance.

Unified Messaging (UM) : Marvel™ UM integrates with e-mail servers to insert voice and fax message into e-mail client in-box. Marvel™ UM provides integration with Microsoft Outlook™ application.

Marvel™ UM must be equipped with the MVP Application Suite to implement Unified Messaging.

Microsoft Outlook Integration : Marvel™ UM has a proprietary integration designed to work with Microsoft's Outlook. With this proprietary integration, Marvel™ UM voice and fax messages are displayed along with e-mail messages in the Outlook Inbox screen.

When a voice messages is selected, a Marvel™ UM edit screen is automatically presented that enables voice playback through the multimedia speakers of the user's PC, or if desired, through the user's telephone. When a fax message is selected, the preloaded fax viewer software is launched with the fax loaded.

This integration does not require Microsoft Exchange as the email server. Any e-mail server/service that is compatible with the Simple Message Transport Protocol (SMTP) and Post Office Protocol versions 3 (POP3) Internet protocols is supported.

Multiple System Language : Marvel™ IVR can be Configured with any number of different audio prompt files and communicate in different languages on different prompts simultaneously. Arabic and English come as a standard prompt options. Other languages included if required.

Text-To-Speech : As an option to hearing messages, playing information stored in databases or text files and prompting users based on previously entered information, Marvel™ IVR can effortlessly convert text messages to speech and play the speech to callers. You can use this technology to listed to e-mail messages over the phone, read product descriptions, names, addresses, news articles, and much more.

Fax Capability : Marvel™ IVR provides an interface to send faxes anywhere in the world. You can retrieve information from callers, format a purchase order, and fax it to your operations department. Marvel™ IVR can send a fax via the Winfax or RightFax interface with no user intervention, just setup your IVR application to send a fax and let it work for you.

E-mail Capability : With Marvel™ IVR connected to your internet ready LAN, an IVR application can check a mail server anywhere in the world for new messages or send new messages. You can send confirmation e-mails for order-entry systems, call clients to confirm e-mail orders and more. The Marvel™ IVR Application Generator allows you to control the action without having to learn a difficult language or procedure.

Speech Recognition : Marvel™ Speech Recognition Engine has been embedded in Marvel™ IVR to allow callers to speak to the IVR application when they call the system. The speech recognition feature, combined with Marvel™ Text -to- Speech and database access ability allow smooth, natural conversation between the caller and the application. The Marvel™ Speech Recognition Engine is currently being used in various applications to process thousands of words every day. The superior accuracy of the Marvel™ engine is just one demonstration of.

Outdialer : This tool allows for importing a database of clients into the IVR system. The system can then dial each phone number in the database and play a message to the client. You can pre-record a message or let Marvel™ IVR's text-to-speech ability read a message for you. You can use Marvel™ IVR to alert patients of changes in their appointments, alert families of inclement weather advisories, alert employees of special news and events, and more.

Natural Language Recognition : In addition to understanding single words and short command, Marvel™ IVR can also interpret natural language commands from callers. With natural language recognition, Marvel™ IVR allows callers to say a complete sentence, then finds the key words in order to do what the caller says.

Multiple Applications on 1 System : Marvel™ IVR allows you to setup multiple IVR applications on one Marvel™ IVR system. Different applications can be setup to run on each incoming telephone line or in different groups of lines allowing your company to fulfill all of your needs with a single system.

System Specifications :

Number of ports: 4-256 Number of applications per system: unlimited Hours of message capacity: unlimited Telephone Connection: RJ-11, RJ-14, DID, E1 Optional Features: Tape backup, LAN Remote Admin, UPS-Battery Backup Unit
Database Connectivity - Marvel™ IVR can connect to virtually any database and make the stored information available to callers. Marvel™ IVR can also retrieve information from callers and insert information into the database.

Text-to-Speech - As Marvel™ IVR interacts with callers, it can read information from databases or files and use text-to-speech technology to play back information to callers.

Speech Recognition - Unlike other software on the market that require callers to enter information as digits, Marvel™ IVR can ask callers to speak their information. Marvel™ IVR offers a smooth, natural feel to all callers.

Internet Ready - Marvel™ IVR has the ability to send and receive email messages from the internet and initiate calls based on this information.

We have developed a powerful application generator to meet the telephony needs of virtually every kind of business.

Marvel™ IVR is an application generator that allows individual building of personal IVR features. Marvel™ IVR makes it possible to design and customize voice applications. By using a simple drag-and-drop interface, the feature's functionality can be visualized as it is being designed.

Reliability :

Built with extreme reliability in mind :

Designed as Windows NT service. The program runs on Windows NT for maximum reliability.

Optional DLT or DVD back-up system that back up.

The System comes in a reliable industrial chassis with external UPS and power regulator to protect from power fluctuation. Database runs in MS SQL for maximum data security and speed of processing.

The Industrial Chassis has the following features :

• 19-inch / 7U rack mountable case which meets the global standards, made of rugged, steel chassis suitable for industrial environments


• 19-slot ISA / PCI-bus passive backplane


• 300-watt AC or DC Hot-Swappable Redundant power supplies


• 4 x 5.25" removable drive bays accessible from behind the front lockable door


• 2 x 3.5" drive bays accessible from behind the front lockable door


• Lockable door for protecting the disk drives against dust and unauthorized access


• Two sets of system control panels including reset buttons and HDD LEDs


• Power-on switch behind the front lockable door


• 5 High-speed Ball-bearing fans with removable easy-to-clean dust-filters


• Adjustable hold-down clamp that protects plug-in cards against vibration


• Temperature, Fan & Power Module Sensor board with LEDs and a Beeper


• For an extra cost; the following further reliability options can be provided :

1. Dual hot-swap 300-Watt or more power supply.
2. Dual hot-swap processors.
3. Dual hot-swap mirroring hard disk
4. 19" industrial Rack system.

Marvel IVR System runs under the Microsoft NT 4.0 Operating System. It is a true 32-bit multi-tasking and multi-threaded application, which means that each channel and function run independent of one another. If, for some reason, one of the processes fails it does not affect the rest of the processes. (For instance: If one channel has a problem, the rest of the channels, database, archive and playback threads are unaffected and the single channel can be reset without restarting the system or upsetting the rest of the recordings).

Complete System Status :

All of Marvel IVR System vital status information (from archive media to current activity of every phone or radio) is displayed on a single, easy-to-understand screen. Reporting modules are also included for displaying and printing this information.

Marvel IVR System is designed to allow for unattended operation. If there are any problems or an attendant is required to change the archive media, Marvel IVR System will notify the attendant via visual/audio alarm, e-mail or even pager if service is available!