IVR is another term for auto-attendant or the simpler terms the menu options that callers are presented with when they first ring your business.

A typical IVR may be the following:

Welcome to our company, please listen to the following options

For Sales press 1

For Accounts press 2

For Production press 3

For all other enquiries press 4

This is typical of an IVR that most clients implement. With OfficeIPLink™ PBX systems, you can implement a simple IVR as we have above, or you can make them complex by cascading IVR's together. The OfficeIPLink™ PBX System contains all the standard capabilities such as:

• Defined Timeout (where a button is not pressed in a defined time).
• Direct Extension dial ("if you know the extension you wish to dial please dial it now")
• Online Extension Directory
• Number of Repeats before going to timeout destination
• Number of Repeats before going to Invalid selection destination.

Like most of the other features within the OfficeIPLink™ PBX, they can be cascaded as part of the call flow. So one option 1 in the example IVR above, may go to the Sales Ring Group, option 2 may go to the Accounts Queue, option 3 may ring a direct extension. You could also allow the users to dial direct extensions. One of those extensions may be a conference room.

So an instruction to someone who is going to access the conference, might be "When you reach the IVR, press 800 as the extension and you will access the conference room". A very simple instruction, and removes the need for the receptionist or other staff to be involved. Even if they fail to perform that instruction successfully, they could press 4 for other enquiries, and be manually transferred to the conference room.

For many companies, who did not previously have access to an IVR capable PBX system, this is one of the main features that really has an impact on the business, and the efficiency of the staff. In many cases the person who handled all the incoming calls is now free for other tasks, as the amount of calls taken by this person is lessened dramatically.