Inference Solutions Adds SMS Channel Support

Inference Solutions has announced new SMS channel support for its Inference Studio platform. This adds a new way for customers to get the service they need in a manner that suits their needs, and further increases Inference’s end-to-end multichannel support.

The Inference Studio platform is a full service creation environment for IVR, call routing, and transaction automation. It’s already offering a wide range of communication channels, including inbound IVR, text-to-speech, and voice biometrics, but up until now did not offer SMS channels. That’s now changed, with the addition of “Send SMS” and “Reply SMS” nodes, adding the texting option to its palette of over 30 nodes.

Given that virtually everyone today has a smartphone, text messages are the preferred means of communication for many employees. Inference Solutions is well aware of the trend, and the value it holds, as CEO Callan Schebella notes: “Polling shows that 64 percent [of customers] prefer communicating with businesses through SMS. Ultimately, engaging with the customer on their own terms will be the winning formula.”

By adding SMS, Inference allows businesses to meet their customers’ communication expectations, and enables them to respond to queries or send notifications to the customers’ devices of choice. Users can also switch between various modes, sending outbound SMS notifications that include audio attachments, or sending post-call confirmations through SMS receipts.

"Adding SMS to Studio makes it a more complete solution, but it also marks another point of evolution for the IVR, that takes things well beyond its origins,” states Jon Arnold of UCStrategies and J Arnold & Associates. “Now, voice is just one IVR application, and legacy-based contact centers really need to start thinking about their architectures, especially to enable both agents and customers to seamlessly communicate across text and voice modes."

Inference’s SMS channel support will be available for Inference Studio 4.2 for North America, and can be demoed live at Enterprise Connect. For more information, visit www.inferencesolutions.com.