Jane Huh
Daily Egyptian
Recorded telephone systems often require touch-tone responses, but SIUC's Telecommunications Department implemented a system that can accurately recognize a caller's vocal request.
Speech-recognition software, installed into the Telecommunications systems on July 1, takes calls and transfers them to more than 100,000 different locations.
Now anyone can find telephone numbers of campus departments and on-campus students.
This new customer service line operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and business hours are also included in the service.
A recorded voice message asks which of three options the caller is trying to reach: a person, a department or campus activities.
After the caller makes a request, the voice will repeat the response to confirm, and then the system will transfer the caller to the requested line. In cases of multiple listings, the system asks for additional information and goes through the directory again.
"That's cool. You can have the Internet or you can call, either way if you have questions," said Andrea DeShazo, a senior in psychology from Memphis.
"I'd use it since I live off campus, and I hate calling the school and trying to find out who I need to talk to," DeShazo said.
The high-tech service is capable of picking up sharp recognition even with outside noise or accents, according to the Telecommunications Department news release.
David Bouhl, Information Technology Telecommunications director, said he would like to recruit the assistance of students to apply more listings to the system's database.
"Sometime, further along, I hope to work with a marketing class. This system has a lot of capability," he said.
The campus text files are phonetically transcribed and stored in an order that enables a search based on the caller's speech.
In the near future, students will be able to order food through the system once the specific software application is added. The application will transfer hungry callers to the requested food establishment's phone number.
DeShazo said the current system could improve its service by including phone number listings of off-campus students.
Lisa Scarbar, a sophomore in psychology from Marseilles, said students would find local emergency numbers useful.
"Adding in emergency numbers would be good too in case my car breaks down," she said.
The Telecommunications Department will attach an "alias" for an individual that also goes by another name, such as a nickname, into the system. A simple call to the Telecommunications Department will update the identification.
Bouhl said student informational guides will publicize the new calling system this fall.
"I'm always losing phone numbers. I was hoping someone would do something like this," DeShazo said. "Too bad they can't get the whole yellow pages."
For campus and community information, use the new customer service line at 453-2121. To request any changes, call the Telecommunications office at 453-2484
Reporter Jane Huh can be reached at jhuh@dailyegyptian.com
Published on 11/17/05; 12:24:44 PM
