CallFire, a provider of hosted cloud telephony technology, has launched its Hosted Interactive Voice Response (IVR) product. This product allows for rich customer interactions without live call center representatives.

CallFire's Hosted IVR features include:

• Human-like text-to-speech;
• Scale from one to thousands of calls;
• APIs for developer integration;
• Real-time phone number provisioning; and
• Simple pricing starting at 5 cents per minute.

Core to CallFire's Hosted IVR product is the IVR designer, which offers drag-and-drop functionality for non-technical users empowering them to create complex surveys, and meeting reminders. Features include reading text from a specific Microsoft Excel column using text to speech, complex dial plans, recording of responses, and even Google analytics integration. "The product is so easy to use, we think it will revolutionize the way small businesses use telephones to save time, collect data, and become more productive," said Dinesh Ravishankar, CEO of CallFire. "Real time reporting and enterprise scalability allow larger businesses to leverage the same features at a fraction of what they used to pay."

Hosted IVR’s feature set supports a wide range of customer uses creating a high degree of personalization in the conversation. For example, the IVR can be used for a virtual receptionist that will route phone calls, comprehensive phone surveys that will compile results, or customized appointment reminders. The IVR can either be sent out to a list of phone numbers or assigned to a specific phone number that can receive incoming calls.