In a world where smart phones have permeated many consumer markets, users have access to email on the go at any time. But what about those millions of people out there that don’t have a smart phone, and still want to have access to email on the go without having to purchase a data plan? Or what about smart phone users that don’t want to type out more than a sentence or two message from their handheld device? I myself have an iPhone, and can attest to the fact that writing more than a couple lines of text on the go can be a bit of a headache. So what is the solution?
An interactive voice response system of course! An IVR system could be designed that allows users on the go to call in, enter their email account information including password, and give the system access to their personal email accounts. The system would allow users to call in and hear their emails read to them telephonically. With the help of Plum Voice’s text-to-speech software, users could draft a response by speaking into the phone. From there, they could configure their settings in a myriad of ways. The system could be configured only for inbound calls, so users could call in if and when they wanted to screen their emails. The system could also be programmed to make an outbound call informing users when they had a new message. Smartphone users could similarly use the TTS technology to draft response emails, but could eliminate the email reading features since they already have a device that allows them email access. An interactive voice response system for email reading and responding is a great idea for users in every corner of the market, and I certainly would be excited if such a system were released!
