Voice broadcasting

Voice broadcasting is a mass communication technique, begun in the 1990s, that broadcasts telephone messages to hundreds or thousands of call recipients at once. This technology has both commercial and community applications. Voice broadcast users can contact targets (whether they be members, subscribers, constituents, employees, or customers) almost immediately. When used by government authorities, it may be known as reverse 911 (since such notifications are intended only for use in emergencies).

Voice broadcast systems manage a database of phone lists as well as digitally-recorded phone messages. Using telephony components, these computers can simultaneously broadcast thousands of phone messages. Personalized information can be included in the phone messages through the integration of text-to-speech software.

Advanced systems include telephony boards with answering-machine detection, and the logic to properly play a unique message to answering machines without message truncation.

Interactive voice broadcasting

Interactive voice broadcasting (also referred to as interactive voice messaging) programs allow the call recipient to listen to the recorded message and interact with the system by pressing keys on the phone keypad. The system can detect which key is pressed and be programmed to interact and play various messages accordingly. This is a form of Interactive voice response (IVR).

The actions that can be programmed may include surveys, information confirmation, contact preference confirmation, or navigation through a phone menu. An example of the use of this technology is automated phone surveys, where professional polling organizations place automatic calls to conduct surveys. Respondents are provided survey questions that are answered using DTMF-tone keypad responses [http://www.hhh.umn.edu/img/assets/23538/A%20Quick%20Guide%20to%20New%20Survey%20Methods.pdf] .

More qualitative results can be captured by allowing call recipients to leave their own voice message instead of just button presses. This function can not only be used for "grassroots" lobbying, but can be used to allow loved ones to leave voice messages for each other when separated after a disaster.