When Plum developed its VoiceXML platform more than 10 years ago we choose the Linux operating system over Windows.  Our operations team felt Linux provided better management tools and Plum’s platform developers wanted more control over the OS including unhindered access to the source code.

Plum IVR systems are deployed into varying customer sites so having a shell, text based client to help customers remotely administer and support their IVR platform was absolutely essential.  The Microsoft operating system was not a viable option in this regard.  Its remote management tools are difficult to use due to the difficulties of transmitting a fully-graphical interface over sometimes limited bandwidth. That leads to either glitchy, unreliable UI interaction or painfully slow administration. Or both.  Companies that implement a Plum system on site choose Plum to help their IT team remotely manage, maintain, and support not only the IVR but also the telecommunication connection.  Linux helps Plum do just that and provide an industry leading SLA for onsite IVR systems and platform software.

Plum’s SLA for onsite systems and IVR platform software includes remote management of all software processes needed to execute VoiceXML scripts.  These processes include text-to-speech engines, speech recognition, grammar engines, dialogic drivers and/or SIP stacks.  Telephony is complex and these software processes must carry out their functions and interoperate properly to insure an IVR platform is up-and-running 24×7.  Using a graphic Windows management tool would hinder Plum’s ability to quickly diagnosis and resolve issues as well as provide comprehensive system monitoring of more than a dozen software procedures.