The built-in IVR (Interactive Voice Response) engine is a powerful component of the FreeSWITCH system. It allows messages to be played and interactive responses (usually touch-tones) to be processed, in order to direct calls to particular destinations. It can ultimately allow callers to hear information without needing to speak to a live person, select options that enable/disable features, or to enter data that can be used in account, billing, or other operations.
Most people are familiar with an IVR as an auto-attendant that answers a main number for your company and provides a list of options to reach people (that is, "For sales press one, for support press two"). This avoids disruptions to unintended call recipients, and reduces or removes the need for a dedicated receptionist. More advanced IVRs can also be used for collecting information from a caller, such as a caller's account number or the PIN number for a conference bridge. In this chapter...