Monday, October 8, 2001		On Hardware

This is how telebanking works
Satinder Ahuja

INTERACTIVE voice response system (IVRS) refers to a technology that links computers and telephony switches to the public telephone network. The IVR provides automated access to information and services over the phone. In this technology, computer will act as automated attendant system and are capable of answering all telephone calls.

The main benefit of an IVR system is to eliminate the need of staff to answer repetitive questions. An IVR system does not replace office staff but frees them from having to handle calls. It allows callers to get the required information they need 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This system gives voice to the computer database and furnishes the information the callers need.

This kind of system has the ability to convert human speech into digital formats that can be stored on hard disk. Such digital data can be edited, appended and replayed on a touch-tone telephone.

In India, the IVRS has found way in major banks, railways and telephone exchanges. Let’s see how this works in telebanking sector

Telebanking offers a wide range of services including:

1.Account Information

2.Balance enquiry

3.Transaction details

4.Interest rates

5.Change of secret password

6. Talk to officer on duty

Whenever someone calls up the bank, the IVR system picks up the call. The following sample session occurs between caller & IVR System.

System: Welcome to XYZ bank telebanking services. Press * button on your telephone.

Caller: Dials *

System: Dial your account number please.

Caller: Dials and the system validates if a caller dials correct account number.

System: Dial your secret password of telebanking.

Caller: Dials and the system validates if a caller dials correct password.

System: You can dial 1 for latest closing balance, 2 for latest five transactions, 3 to know about interest rates, 4 for change of secret password, 5 for talk to officer on duty and 6 to exit telebanking.

Caller: Dials 1.

System: Please wait to listen your latest a/c balance.

System: Speaks out the latest balance.

Database can be located on local computer on which our IVR System is configured or it can be on a remote system. The process of establishing the connectivity of IVRS with the database is called Application Program Interface (API). Hardware connectivity of local computer with the remote system is established through RS 232 serial port that is a standard port on almost all computers.

Suppose accounts database is located on remote computer & caller wants saving bank balance. To obtain data from the remote system, the IVRS executes a query on the remote through serial port and gets back the data through the same channel. After that IVRS plays the data that related to caller query.

The following are the hardware and software specifications for IVRS:

1.Computer: PC AT 80486 or higher with minimum 32MB RAM , 270 MB Hard Disk capacity

2.Multichannel Voice Card (PCI or ISA)

Features of voice card are:

a) Ring detection

b) Detection of digits

c) Recording and playing of voice.

1. Operating system - Windows ’95/’98/NT, QNX

2. Programming languages – C, C + +