Seven Great Reasons Why IVR Should be in the Cloud

Interactive Voice Recording (IVR) takes inputs from the user in the form of a voice or keypad entries and uses them for triggering a response which may be as simple as "Your balance is ..." or something more complicated in the form of proactively informing the customer about their flight status.

Cloud brought one wave of disruptive technology after the other on our shores and one could hardly expect IVR to buck the trend. Here are 10 great reasons why IVR should be in the cloud:

• Levels the Playing Field : We very well know how big companies leveraged their massive war chests in the 80s and 90s for building a massive IT arsenal providing an overwhelming IT advantage. There was no way smaller companies could compete against the buying power of bigger companies in the 80s and 90s. But it is different now because cloud has rapidly leveled the playing field by making IT affordable.

• More Choice for Customers: More new companies are coming up today than a decade ago. Thanks to cloud technologies, we are in the age of startups. The biggest beneficiary is the customer-the user of the product or services. Businesses that were essentially monopolies until a few years ago are finding it increasingly difficult to retain their base of existing customers without providing value to them.

• Easy to Setup: Cloud IVR is easy to setup provided you have a fast internet connection and browser. You won't have to spend a dime on installations. Just plug and play. Since the system is pre-checked as well as pre-tested you can add extensions and start recording messages right away.

• Startup Time in Hours Not Days and Months: Premise based systems can take days and months before they are operational which can be a huge disadvantage in today's competitive environment. Cloud based IVR systems have negligible startup time. Once can get started right provided there is a fast internet connection and browser.

• Provides a Big Company Image Makeover: If you need an instant image makeover for your business you will need to improve the way you communicate with the outside world. With cloud based IVR services you can get that big company feel that you need for your startup business. With multiple departments and professional call handling callers calling your toll free numbers will get an impression of talking to a professionally managed big company.

• Introduces the Self-help Option in the Customer Service Menu: Not every two customers are the same, some like the self-help option, while others prefer talking to an agent. Programmers should acknowledge this fact by building the self-help option into every IVR system. It makes a lot of sense too. By building the self-help option into every IVR system one can get billing/balance information by keying account information.

• Enables Flexible and Agile Work Environments: Calls landing into business cloud IVR systems can be routed to any landline, mobile, hotel, outstation, holiday number, enabling employees to work from any location and any time zone. This means businesses can hire the best talent available without having to worry about relocating their employees.