Abstract
Interactive Voice Response (IVR) technology has come a long way since it was first used for voice mail and automatic call directing. The most common input method is still a key press on a telephone keypad. Auditory interfaces are being used in a variety of applications many people might not have considered, including psychological screening and assessment, access to information about government services and matters, self-management of employee investments, and providing access to graphical user interfaces and scientific instruments to the visually impaired. With such widespread use of IVR technology, it makes sense to promote research into the development of better interfaces for auditory environments. Interactive Voice Response systems will continue to be used since not all applications of computer technology can support visual or graphical user interfaces, nor would visual interfaces be appropriate for all applications. The future will bring new applications of IVR incorporating speech input and the use of the Internet in interactive applications as an adjunct to phone-based interfaces. This paper concludes with a discussion of what makes a good IVR interface.
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