A virtualized infrastructure for IVR applications as services

Interactive Voice Response (IVR) applications (e.g. automated attendant) are ubiquitous nowadays. Cloud computing is an emerging multi-faceted paradigm (Infrastructure as a Service - IaaS, Platform as a Service - PaaS, and Software as a Service - SaaS) with several inherent benefits (e.g. resource efficiency). Very few, if any, IVR applications are offered today in cloud settings despite all the potential benefits. This paper introduces a novel architecture for a virtualized IVR infrastructure and demonstrates its potential with a case study. The architecture proposes IVR substrates that are virtualized, composed, and assembled on the fly to build IVR applications. It relies on a business model which introduces the IVR substrate provider as a new role in the cloud business model. In the case study, which includes a prototype, IVR service providers develop and manage IVR applications using a simplified platform that adds a level of abstraction to the substrates available in the virtualized infrastructure. The applications are offered as SaaS to end-users.