Different integration methods for automatic calls

Voicent products provide different integration methods for developers. It can be a little confusing if you have just started using with Voicent products. To make an automatic call from a command line or HTTP, you have a few choices.

First you need to decide whether to integrate with Voicent Gateway directly or Voicent end user products (AutoReminder or BroadcastByPhone). Voicent Gateway is an open standard based server software, it is a VoiceXML gateway. With the gateway VoiceXML interface, you have the flexibility to create your own interactive phone applications. For example, you can develop your own survey outbound call applications or inbound IVR applications. With the gateway interface, you can pretty much do whatever you want to do. The drawback is that you have to get into the details of VoiceXML development. For more information, please see the online tutorials and samples under the developer section.

The only way to integrate with Voicent Gateway is through its HTTP interface. However, you can definitely develop your own wrapper using any programming language you want. You can use the simple call interface as a starting point. The interface code is just a wrapper on top of HTTP in different programming languages.

Voicent AutoReminder, BroadcastByPhone, and AgentDialer are all applications of Voicent Gateway. They all use the same HTTP interface for making phone calls.

If your application or integration for automatically phone call is relative straightforward, you should use the interface provided by AutoReminder or BroadcastByPhone. These interfaces do not require you to interface at the lower VoiceXML level. However, it does not mean you cannot customize the call content. You can use the GUI based Message Designer to design your own message, then use the message in your command for the phone call. The product, AutoReminder or BroadcastByPhone, will automatically generate VoiceXML code on the fly.

To decide whether to interface with AutoReminder or BroadcastByPhone, you should use AutoReminder in most situations. The major difference is that AutoReminder interface is on a per call basis, while BroadcastByPhone interface is for a call list. So unless you want to use features like Call-till-confirm in BroadcastByPhone, you should integrate with AutoReminder.

AutoReminder has both HTTP and command line interface. BroadcastByPhone only has command line interface.

In summary,

1) Use the gateway simple call interface if your phone message is a fixed audio file or text

2) Use AutoReminder or BroadcastByPhone if you need to customize the call message (one level interaction). Use AutoReminder if the call message is related to some scheduled time, like appointment. Use BroadcastByPhone if you need call-till-confirm feature.

3) Use IVR Studio and BroadcastByPhone if your call message is more than one level of interaction.

The above 3 methods require very little programming for the call application. All you need to do is calling the interface method.

4) Use Gateway VoiceXML interface if you need to generate dynamic call message. This is the most flexible method but more programming is required.