The Ifbyphone HTML request-style API provides developers with a telephony interface for custom applications. Known as Ifbyphone Glue, the combination of our API with your code allows interaction with Ifbyphone's building blocks, giving you the freedom to build a wide range of Interactive Voice Response (IVR) applications.
The Ifbyphone API enables those who have the skills to develop a forms-based web application to create a sophisticated IVR system. For example, create a simple application to trigger outbound calls or build a more complex voice application that chains together a series of SurVo voice forms. Use our API to build a custom Click-to-Call, reminder call or wake-up call, as well as order-status applications, event-notification applications, anonymous-calling applications, automated dialers, and customer service applications.
The Ifbyphone API, in conjunction with SurVo voice forms, provides full access to automated speech recognition, text–to-speech with multiple voices, DTMF processing, audio recording and audio playback. Ifbyphone-hosted services are compatible with any telephone and require no onsite hardware.
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Looking for the API Documentation?
Looking to get started quickly? We recommend that you first review the
SurVo Voice Form documentation and then read the API and Advanced Developer documentation. A list of all Ifbyphone documentation is located here.
How Does a Phone Mashup Work
Ifbyphone Mashups replace traditional HTML forms with telephone-delivered voice dialogs. The following steps demonstrate the execution of a typical phone mashup application:
- A user initiates a phone call via a click on a web site or by calling an Ifbyphone toll free number.
- A SurVo voice form that has been previously configured on the Ifbyphone web site is triggered. The voice form delivers instructions to the caller and collects information via
speech recognition or DTMF.
- At the completion of the user dialog (which has been configured in the voice form), the Ifbyphone service transmits collected information to your Ifbyphone Glue via the HTTP Methods "GET" or "PUT." Your Glue is, in fact, just a web application (coded like a web page) that has been structured to accept data as if it came from an HTML form. This web application can be secure or unsecured, hosted on any server and implemented in any programming language.
- The web application processes the information that is available in the form request. Results for numeric, multiple choice, yes/no, date, time, and question-option lists are available as text. Open-ended question results are available as recorded audio.
- When your application has finished processing the data from the SurVo voice form, it formats a reply to the SurVo as an XML file. The XML file specifies the next Ifbyphone building block to execute and any parameters required by this building block. For example, you can execute another SurVo voice form which reads the caller or clicker, information retrieved by your application via text-to-speech and then executes another series of prompts. It could be a voicemail account, a Find Me that is used to tranfer the call, or just a hang-up.
A Phone Mashup Example
An order status hot line
is a typical Ifbyphone Glue API application. In this application, a SurVo voice dialog plays when your customer calls an Ifbyphone-provided toll
free number. The customer's information is then posted to your web application, which looks up the customer's order and returns an XML-formated message to Ifbyphone's servers. The message then
directs our system to either read a response to your customer or run another SurVo dialog.
The Ifbyphone API supports applications with any number of SurVo voice
dialogs and multiple transactions between a web application and Ifbyphone servers. All SurVo voice dialogs are created via an intuitive web interface.
For more information on Ifbyphone's Glue API, as well as our custom development services, please call
1-877-295-5100 and ask for "Business Accounts."
Phone Mashup Blog
Until recently, only large businesses have been able to enjoy the benefits of combining the efficiencies of the web with a customer's telephone. With Ifbyphone's large collection of hosted services, combined with our easy-to-use API, any business—large or small—can immediately begin to connect to their customers in new ways. With the Ifbyphone Mashup API, you truly will be getting more from your phone and giving more to your customers.
While the possibilities of the Ifbyphone API are endless, we invite you to review our blog, which contains useful information and helpful hints for working with phone mashups.
Click Here to visit our Phone Mashup Blog.
Phone
Mashup API
