GVP Whitepaper

Genesys Voice Portal

Discover the Power of Voice

Table of Contents

Executive Summary 1.

Genesys Voice Portal Features 1.

Genesys Voice Portal Architecture 2.

Key Components Overview 2.

Voice Communications Server 2.

Voice Portal Manager 3.

Genesys Studio 4.

Communication Between the Web Server and Genesys Voice Portal 4.

Automated Speech Recognition 5.

Text-to-Speech 5.

Integration with the Genesys Product Suite 5.

Configuration Management Environment 5.

Genesys I-Server 5.

Integration Features 6.

Standards Supported 7.

Application Development 7.

Development Language 7.

Developer Tools 7.

Application Deployment 8.

Administrative Tools 8.

Voice Portal Manager 8.

Voice Communications Server 8.

Genesys Voice Portal Configurations 8.

Single Voice Communications Server 8.

Multiple Voice Communications Servers 8.

…Servers with Dedicated Voice Portal Manager 9.

Network Deployment Options 9.

In Front Of the Switch 9.

Behind the Switch 9.

Reliability 9.

Off-the-Shelf Hardware 10.

Recommended hardware 10.

Required Software 10.

Recommended third party software 10.

A G E N E S Y S W H I T E PA P E R

Genesys Voice PortalDiscover the Power of Voice

EXECUTIVE SUMMARYGenesys Voice Portal (GVP) is a software product thatdelivers next generation voice processing to meet sophis-ticated call routing and voice self-service needs. GVPimproves the value proposition of traditional IVR sys-tems with lowered costs and improved time to market forspeech-directed voice applications, a standards-basedVoiceXML development environment, more personal-ized and dynamic customer interactions, and an integrat-ed approach to self-service, intelligent routing and agent-assisted service. GVP enables phone access to web-basedcontent, facilitates consistent communications betweenvoice and web support channels, eliminates redundantexpenditures in disparate infrastructures, and deliversoperational cost savings over proprietary IVR solutions.

The GVP architecture is modeled after the web, givingbusinesses the flexibility to separate their voice applica-tions from the supporting telephony and speechresources. Voice applications can reside on a Web Serverthat is either remote or colocated with other GVPservers. Just like with web applications, the disaggregatedGVP architecture ensures the quick implementation ofmoves, adds and changes, which are easily propagatedthroughout both local and remote voice resources. GVPallows a customer to grow their capacity by simplyadding a standard telephony card enabled Windows 2000server, loading the GVP software, and "telling" the newserver which web server it should contact to access theapplication.This translates into faster and easier platformexpansion, and simplified application maintenance. It’sjust that simple.

GVP utilizes VoiceXML to provide a unified develop-ment environment that allows businesses to repurposeweb investments for voice, including application code,business rules and personalization software. Voice andweb channels can share the same backend database inte-grations, facilitating a holistic view of the customerregardless of how they choose to interact with the busi-ness. Additionally, Genesys offers a GUI developmenttool for easy creation, testing and deployment ofVoiceXML applications.

GVP has three primary software components that canreside on a single physical server or on separate physicalservers.They are:• Voice Communications Server (VCS) • Voice Portal Manager (VPM)• Genesys Studio

The server(s) that host the Voice Communications Serversoftware must also host voice cards to terminate calls.Additionally, Genesys I-Server is required to integrateGVP with the Genesys Framework. Advanced SpeechRecognition (ASR) and Text-to-Speech are optionalthird party software components that would reside on

the same server(s) as the VCS software.

Tightly integrated into the Genesys product offering,GVP is uniquely positioned to provide a comprehensiveinteraction management solution that includes personal-ized voice self-service, automated speech recognition,universal queuing, intelligent customer segmentation,advanced call routing and CTI, as well as robust cradle-to-grave reporting and easy-to-use administrative GUIs.

GENESYS VOICE PORTAL FEATURESLike traditional IVR solutions GVP provides the coretelephony features needed to support call handling for avoice application. However, GVP expands traditionalIVR functionality with self-service capabilities that aretightly integrated with the Genesys product suite and aflexible, standards-based voice processing platform.

Core telephony features• Call acceptance and processing via standard ISDN and

robbed-bit signaling• Support for major PBXs (more added regularly)• ISDN or robbed-bit T1 or E1 trunks terminate on

standard Dialogic boards (DM/VA series boards) forvoice processing

• Media services including the voice prompts, menus and data (DTMF or speech) collection

• Call transfers with support for AT&T Transfer Connect,WorldCom Takeback and Transfer, and Sprint Agent Transfer as well as Call Bridging when GVP sits in front of the switch

• Acceptance and processing of information delivered with a call from the PSTN including ANI, DNIS and CLID

• Telephony ports providing the ability to send and receive calls. For example, a hardware platform supporting 23 simultaneous and discrete conversationswould require 23 ports. GVP ports are universal in that they can terminate any call for any application.Supports approximately 46 ports ASR (2 T1/E1 spans), and 92-118 ports (4 T1/E1 spans) DTMF-onlyper server (your final port density will be determinedby a number of factors).

Advanced features • SpeechWorks OSR Automated Speech Recognition

(ASR)• Nuance 8.0 (ASR)• SpeechWorks Speechify Text-to-Speech (TTS)• Advanced Call Control capabilities using TeleraXML

extensions, providing capability beyond the current scope of VoiceXML

• XML-based backend data capture• Intelligent call routing via integration with Genesys

Universal Routing Server• Call parking, giving multi-site contact centers the

ability to allow self-service and call queuing on the

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GVP, ahead of transferring or bridging the call to an agent• Graphical User Interface (GUI) for the development

of VoiceXML applications• Real-time monitoring and management, as well as

historical reporting and analysis via integration with the Genesys Framework

• Web-based GUI for configuration of system features and voice applications, as well as diagnostics and otheradministrative functions

• Flexible deployment options including single site configuration or distributed configuration with cen-tralized management

GENESYS VOICE PORTAL ARCHITECTUREKey Components OverviewThe Genesys Voice Portal software product integrateswith the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN)to deliver web-driven telephony services to callers.TheGVP has three primary software components that canreside on a single server or be separated onto individualservers.They are:• Voice Communications Server (VCS) – VCS parses,

interprets and executes the VoiceXML commands in the XML documents served by the voice application.The VCS also integrates with automated speech recognition (ASR) and text-to-speech (TTS) software.

• Voice Portal Manager (VPM) – The Voice Portal Manager (VPM) is the component that is used to configure the various components of the GVP. A web-based interface is used to administer GVP compo-nents.

• Genesys Studio – Genesys Studio is a Windows-basedGUI tool that can be used to build and test voice applications using a "drag and drop" paradigm.

A standard Web Server (IIS,Apache, etc.) may be addedto the GVP configuration as an optional fourth networkcomponent. In this configuration, the GVP voice appli-cations would reside on the Web Server and be remote-ly configured and managed from the VPM.Web Serversconnect directly to the GVP server via a corporate LANor WAN. The voice application resident on the WebServer produces the VoiceXML that directs the VCS toplay recorded greetings, prompts, and informational messages to the caller.The voice application also receivescaller input via the VCS and plays customized responses.Each Web Sever can handle HTTP requests for approx-imately 400 voice ports. Primary and backup WebServers are recommended.

The fifth network component is Genesys I-Server. Asmentioned earlier, I-Server helps GVP identify the correct voice application when a call arrives. It alsoorchestrates call transfers.

The standard version of GVP enables web-driven voiceapplications using DTMF. Advanced SpeechRecognition (ASR) via integration with Nuance andSpeechWorks and Text-to-Speech (TTS) via integrationwith SpeechWorks Speechify are optional integratedthird party software components.

Voice Communications ServerThe Voice Communications Server (VCS) softwareworks with standard Dialogic boards to terminate andprocess voice calls that arrive on TDM circuits. WhenGVP is deployed in front of the switch, the Dialogic cir-cuit boards connect to T1 & E1 lines that carry the voicecalls. When GVP is behind the switch, the Dialogic circuit boards connect to the premises-based switch via astandard RJ-48 connector. The VCS communicates withthe Dialogic boards, instructing actions such as playingprompts or listening for DTMF/speech input.

Multiple VCS hosts can be deployed in a distributedfashion for high availability. The VCS includes voicebrowsers to interpret VoiceXML documents into callprocessing events. It integrates with other Genesys soft-ware components via the I-Server and optionally inte-grates with TTS and ASR engines.

The VCS contains several processes that work together.WatchdogWatchdog is a centralized process that initiates the load-ing of information for all other processes. Watchdog isalways the first process that starts on the VCS. It readsinformation from the GVP pop.ini file and provides theprocess with settings and initialization information.

Network ManagementThis process is responsible for interfacing with theSNMP subsystem. It fields SNMP MIB requests andgenerates traps for processing by a network management

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system. It can also provide activity logging for informa-tion and debugging purposes.The network managementprocess has a user interface component found in theVoice Portal Manager that displays statistics on the num-ber of active ports and allows the manual stopping andrestarting of VCS processes.

Dialogic Call ControlThe Dialogic Call Control processes the actual voicecalls and manages the Dialogic telephony interfaces.

Dialogic Media ServiceDialogic provided call management and media process-ing services used by the Telephony Manager.

Telephony ManagerThe Telephony Manager controls the physical voice pro-cessing media and communicates with the Dialogic CallControl and the Dialogic Media Service. Through themedia's driver interface, the Telephony Manager mayissue requests such as setting up and tearing down a call,playing a voice file, or bridging a call. The TelephonyManager executes call control commands from theConversation Controller and Action Execution Engine.It also interfaces with the ASR APIs to process speechrecognition requests to the ASR components and returnsthe recognition results to the Conversation Controllerand Action Execution Engine.

Conversation Controller and Action Execution EngineThe Conversation Controller drives the conversationwith the voice application. It creates a parsed stream ofthe commands, and using the appropriate APIs, executesthe stream of commands. For standard voice processing,such as playing a voice file, it dispatches the play requestto the Telephony Manager. If TTS is required, therequest is dispatched to the TTS API by the TelephonyManager, which then plays the resulting TTS generatedvoice.

Page CollectorThe Page Collector is a process that fetches the XMLpages that need to be executed, determines the docu-ment format and passes the pages to the appropriateparser.

TXML ParserThe TXML Parser parses XML documents using theTeleraXML (TXML) tag set for specific call control andsends the interpreted telephony commands to theConversation Controller and Action Execution Engine.

VXML ParserThe VXML Parser parses XML documents using theVoiceXML tag set and sends the interpreted telephonycommands to the Conversation Controller and Action

Execution Engine.

Call Flow AssistantThe Call Flow Assistant (CFA) initiates an outbound callrequest and communicates with the VPM to authorizeinstructions to the VCS.The CFA:• Provides assistance to every port in translating call

control macros into elemental call control steps.• Provides two-way communication with Genesys

I-Server.

I-Server ClientThe I-Server Client communicates with the Genesys I-Server on a remote host.

Text-To-Speech (TTS) APIThe TTS API communicates with a TTS resource serv-er. It receives instructions and text strings from theConversation Controller and Action Execution Engine.It then returns these execution results in a media file thatis streamed out through the Dialogic Media Services APIby the Telephony Manager.

ASR APIProvides access to grammar modules and the speechrecognition engine for SpeechWorks, Nuance and othervendors.

Voice Portal ManagerThe Voice Portal Manager (VPM) is used to configurethe various components of the GVP. VPM offers a web-based interface for entering and changing information.The VPM can be either co-resident on the VCS or resideon its own separate server. The later is recommendedwhen multiple VCS servers are deployed in the network.

VCS Integration with VPMThe VPM acts as a central repository for the configura-tion data of each VCS installed in the GVP network.During the installation, the VCS self registers with theVPM. Upon any restart of the VCS, the VCS configura-tion information is obtained from the information storedin the VPM.The VPM can manage a single or multipleVCSs in a GVP network solution.This enables the VPMto provide the ability to configure all VCSs in a GVP net-work solution with one simple graphical interface.The primary VCS configuration features of the VPM are:• Monitor VCS performance• Enable/disable VCS system logging• Manage grammar packages for ASR voice applica-

tions• Manage VCS system messages and traps (such as

filtering)• Configure TTS servers (local or remote)• Configure ASR servers (local or remote)• Manage VCS system start/stop processes

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• Manage TTS language types and voice types

Voice Application ConfigurationAny voice application that is processed on the GVP mustbe configured in the VPM. Voice applications that arecreated using Genesys Studio are automatically registeredin the VPM.Voice applications that are not created usingGenesys Studio must be manually configured in theVPM.This is necessary because the VCS uses these appli-cation configurations during call treatment. In addition,the VPM configuration enables the VCS to correctlyidentify the desired voice application using the DNIS ofthe incoming call.The primary voice application config-uration features of the VPM allow authorized adminis-trators to:• Add, modify, and delete voice applications from GVP• Configure the voice application URL• Assign specific external telephone numbers to a voice

application• Enable ASR capture (when ASR is enabled)• Configure a fail over voice application upon failure of

primary voice application

Diagnostics/Network ManagementVPM provides links to graphical interfaces that providediagnostics and network management for all VCSs in thenetwork.The diagnostics interface can be used to trou-bleshoot GVP problems. The network managementinterface provides information about each particularVCS.

The diagnostic and network management features of theVPM allow authorized users to:• Start and stop VCS,TTS,ASR and Dialogic processes• Run diagnostic tests and view diagnostic logs• View summarized system configuration information

for each VCS• View real-time VCS,TTS, and ASR system activity

information (this does not include historical information)

Genesys StudioAs discussed in section 5,Genesys Studio is a GUI devel-opment tool that can be used to build and test voiceapplications. It is designed for beginners and program-mers who are accustomed to Integrated DevelopmentEnvironments (IDEs). Genesys Studio allows applica-tions to be generated in ASP or JSP and emits VoiceXMLand Telera XML documents.Genesys Studio offers a series of palettes that includeblocks which represent predetermined functionality in acall flow. These blocks can be dragged-and-droppedonto a canvas to quickly build a call flow that denotes thevoice application. This speeds application developmentby freeing the developer from having to learn and writeVoiceXML tags. Instead, developers can focus on appli-cation call flow.

Genesys Studio works in conjunction with the VCS toenable developers to debug voice applications that arebuilt using Genesys Studio or in native VoiceXML.Once a voice application is created in Genesys Studioand configured using VPM, it can be installed on a WebServer for access by a VCS. Genesys Studio provides agraphical interface for observing interactions betweenthe VCS and the Web Server.

The Genesys Studio software can be installed on a GVPserver or on a separate Web Server.

Communication Between the Web Server andGenesys Voice Portal

Communication between the Web Server and GVP isanalogous to the desktop web browser model. In a stan-dard web-based application, servers issue instructions todesktop browsers using HTML.The browser responds byrendering a page on a computer display and establishinglinks to other pages on the Web.When the user clicks ona link, the browser issues a request to the designatedURL, which results in another web page being fetchedand rendered.When the page or its contents change thenext fetch from any browser receives the updated page.Requests and information exchange on the GVP arehandled in a similar fashion, but the markup language isVoiceXML instead of HTML. The VCS has aVoiceXML-enabled web client that fetches pages fromWeb Servers.Voice applications are generally developedin Active Server Pages (ASPs) or Java Server Pages (JSPs)that render and deliver instructions in VoiceXML form.The VCS parses the VoiceXML and instructs call han-dling (answering, bridging, disconnecting calls), mediamanagement (playing greetings, prompts, and messagesusing cached voice files and text to speech), and callerinput (collect touch-tone digits, perform speech recog-nition).VoiceXML enables a voice application to drive aninteraction with a caller in the same way that it wouldinteract with a desktop web browser to render a screenand react to keyboard or mouse input.As with the desk-top browser, any changes to the voice application on theWeb Server become effective the next time a page isrequested.Automated Speech Recognition GVP incorporates pre-built ASR interfaces for use inspeech-enabled voice applications.The GVP ASR archi-tecture is designed to allow communication throughstandard Ethernet networks of 100Mbps or more.

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The primary ASR components of GVP are:• ASR Software – Processes that run on the VCS and

handle ASR related tasks.• ASR Package – A package that is specific to each

voice application. It consists of the complete set of filesrequired to run an ASR voice application including the grammar, dictionary, parameter settings, and prompt files.The VCS manages the ASR Package.

• ASR Application Related Prompts – The prompt filesthat are played during the execution of the ASR voiceapplication.This is also voice application specific.

ASR SpeechWorksSpeechWorks components run on the VCS with "in theskins" option (OpenSpeech Server-enabled client-serverconfiguration).

GVP integrates with SpeechWorks OpenSpeechRecognizer (OSR) version 1.1 that resides on a singleserver and includes:• OSR Client/Server - Provides programmer-levelAPIs for ASR and performs speech recognition by collecting speech samples and directing them to internalresources for recognition and interpretation. It providesautomated grammar caching, compilation services forthe voice application and caches compiled grammars.• OSR License Manager - Runs as an external processon the VCS.

ASR NuanceAll Nuance components run on the VCS.These compo-nents, or processes, are referred to as "servers" byNuance. GVP supports Nuance version 8.0 with theappropriate service pack.

The Nuance component running on the VCS containsthe following five processes:• ASR License Manager – Provides the run time

licenses for the Nuance processes.• ASR Client – Provides programmer-level APIs for

ASR. It collects speech samples and directs them to recognition resources for recognition and interpretation.

• ASR Recognition Server – Performs the actual speech recognition and is available in multiple languages.This server contains pre-loaded grammars and each server can have a different set of grammars.The ASR Recognition Server is configured at the time of installation.Again, this "server" is loaded andruns on VCS.

• ASR Compilation Server – Provides the compilationservice to the voice application and stores complied grammar in a database.

• ASR Resource Manager – Distributes recognition tasks from ASR Clients across available ASR Servers and performs load balancing by assigning tasks to the

least busy recognition server. If a VCS needs to compile a grammar at run time, the ASR Resource Manager sends the grammar to the ASR CompilationServer.The complied grammar is stored in the ASR database and is fetched by the ASR Recognition Server when needed.

Text-to-SpeechGVP includes interfaces for incorporating third partytext-to-speech technology for use in voice applications.GVP currently supports SpeechWorks Speechify. TheAPI that interfaces with the TTS software is referred toas the TTS Server. Both the TTS Server and theSpeechWorks Speechify TTS software are installed onthe VCS.The VCS communicates with the TTS serverthrough HTTP.

The TTS Server can convert TTS in real time or batchmodes. In real time mode, text is converted to speech anddirectly streamed back to the client. In batch mode, theconverted text is posted to a specific URL at the end ofconversion.

INTEGRATION WITH THE GENESYS PRODUCT SUITEGVP takes advantage of the existing Genesys Frameworkto interface with various components of the Genesysproduct suite. The integration between GVP and otherGenesys components is via the Genesys I-Server.

Configuration Management EnvironmentCentralized configuration and management of GenesysVoice Portal is enabled in the Genesys environmentthrough the integration with Configuration ManagementEnvironment (CME). Using Configuration Manager, agraphical user interface application, administrators cancontrol resources and make real-time updates.

Genesys I-Server The Voice Communications Server includes an I-Serverclient that communicates with a Genesys I-Serverprocess running on a remote host.When GVP is config-ured in front of the switch, I-Server is informed of newcalls arriving at the VCS as well as the termination ofexisting calls. In a behind the switch configuration, theGenesys I-Server is contacted at call setup to furnish theANI and DNIS of the incoming call so that the correctvoice application can be identified.

In either case, I-Server is able to control the VoiceXMLscripts that are executed by the VCS. VCS relays call datato I-Server and I-Server is able to orchestrate the trans-fer of the call to the appropriate agent as necessary. Callinformation along with any data associated with the call,is passed to the Genesys I-Server. I-Server transmits theinformation to other elements of the Genesys suite forintegrated call handling and management including:

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Integration with the Genesys Management LayerThe Management Layer of the Genesys Frameworkincludes a Solution Control Interface (SCI) that allowsadministrators to centrally manage, monitor and manuallystart/stop all GVP processes. SCI provides the user’s viewinto the Management Layer. A single source for OA&Mreduces overall operations, maintenance and training costswhile expediting reaction to system failures. Since this is afamiliar tool to administrators who are comfortable withGenesys Framework, integration of GVP into operatingprocedures is routine.

Integration with the Genesys Reporting LayerThe Reporting Layer of the Genesys Framework provides a foundation for real-time and statistical historicalreporting. The Reporting Layer consists of Call CenterPulse for integrated real-time reporting and monitoring andCall Center Analyzer for integrated historical reporting andanalysis allowing call data to be associated with specific callrecords. The Telera I-Server client will provide call infor-mation in the form of key/value pair attached data to enableGenesys real-time and historical reports.

Integration with Genesys Universal Routing Server (URS)The VCS integration with Genesys I-Server allows URS tocontrol voice application treatment, perform call transfersand gather reporting information. Genesys I-Server passescall information and attached data to the Genesys URSenabling enhanced, cost-effective call routing.

Integration with Genesys Workflow and Workforce ManagementThe Workforce Management solution is a multi-mediaresource planning tool which optimizes the scheduling,forecasting and adherence capabilities for a workforce handling any combination of voice and Internet-basedtransactions. The Workflow solution helps manage the lifecycle of a customer interaction from initial contactthrough fulfillment – regardless of how the customer choos-es to communicate with the business.

A voice media channel for the Genesys Universal QueueGenesys Universal Queue allows a business to route allincoming customers, regardless of contact media, to a single,integrated media queue. This gives the customer a singlepoint of contact with the company, and the company acommon view of the customer optimizing each interaction.

Integration FeaturesAs a result of the GVP integration with GenesysFramework, various contact center features are made available.

Call flow typesGVP, working with the Genesys Framework, can supportboth GVP controlled and Call Router controlled call flows.

In a GVP controlled call flow, the self-service phase of thecall can continue without I-Server assistance.The I-Server iscontacted once the call is queued by the voice applicationusing the TXML QUEUE_CALL tag. The I-Server isalways notified of call arrival and the hang-up of events forreporting purposes. In a Call Router controlled call flow, theself-service phase cannot continue without I-Server assis-tance.The GVP will wait for the URS to instruct whichvoice application to execute.

Route RequestThis feature allows the voice application to park a call on theGVP and issue a request to the Genesys Framework foridentifying a target where the call can be transferred. Thevoice application makes the request using the TXMLQUEUE_CALL tag.

Transfer of CEDWhen a voice application queues the call, the voice applica-tion can send Caller Entered Digits (CED) via theQUEUE_CALL TXML tag.The CED can also be trans-ferred using the SCRIPT_RESULT tag when the call flowtype is 'Call router controlled call flow'.

Launching of routing strategy on URSThis feature allows a voice application to specify theRouteDN based on the CED.The RouteDN is utilized bythe URS to launch different routing strategies, or routingscripts. The routing strategy contains the logic to controlhow the call is handled.

Call transferThe voice application can transfer the call by providing aphone number.The transfer can be invoked either via theVoiceXML Transfer tag or the TXML CREATE_LEG_AND_DIAL tag.

WhisperThe whisper feature allows the voice application to performa whisper on the agent leg before the caller and the agentlegs are bridged.This feature is available for "in front" of theswitch GVP configurations when the voice application per-forms a VoiceXML transfer and bridging is not used.

IVR Take BackThis feature allows control to be returned to the voice application after the caller has finished speaking to the agent.This feature is available for "in front" of the switch onlyGVP configurations when the voice application performs aVoiceXML transfer and bridging is not used.

STANDARDS SUPPORTEDGVP is a pure software solution that does not rely on pro-prietary programming languages or hardware. It complieswith the latest industry standards as well as emerging stan-

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dards from organizations such as the Internet EngineeringTask Force (IETF), the International TelecommunicationsUnion (ITU) and the World Wide Web Consortium(W3C).

Supported standards include:• VoiceXML 1.0 and 2.0 (latest public working draft) • HTTP for all inter-server communications• TCP/IP and UDP protocols • SNMP manageability for both hardware and software

processes• ISDN for PRI• Robbed-bit (in-band signaling)

Future releases of GVP will support the following IETFstandards:• Session Initiation Protocol (SIP), an application layer

control protocol used to establish and terminate calls between one or more endpoints in an IP-based network– RFC 2543bis

• Real Time Transport Protocol (RTP), providing end-to-end network transport functions suitable for applicationstransmitting real-time data – RFC 1899

• RTP Payload for DTMF Digits,Telephony Tones and Telephony Signals – RFC 2833

• Session Description Protocol (SDP), describing multi-media sessions for the purposes of session announcementand multimedia session initiation – RFC 2327

• SIP INFO Method, allowing for the carrying of session related control information that is generated during a session – RFC 2976

• Draft-ietf-session-sip-timer, allowing for a periodic refresh of SIP sessions through a re-INVITE.The refreshallows both user agents and proxies to determine if the SIP session is still active.

• Draft-rosenberg-sip-app-components-01, supporting decomposition of the application server into two components – a media server that handles the media component, and an application server that handles the callcontrol, data, and signaling.

APPLICATION DEVELOPMENTThe skill set needed to write GVP applications is essential-ly the same as that for writing any Web application,with theadditional consideration of the target user interface (audiovs. visual). Development does not require knowledge ofproprietary languages or telephony-related functions such asDID/port allocations or call handling. GVP’s web-drivendevelopment platform allows businesses to leverage existingweb development expertise as well as any existing web-based integration with backend systems. Furthermore,businesses may be able to re-purpose application code, busi-ness logic and software that is currently used in conjunctionwith its online applications.

Development LanguageVoice applications written for use on GVP must be writtenin the nonproprietary coding language of VoiceXML.GVPsupports both the W3C standards for VoiceXML 1.0 andVoiceXML 2.0 (April 25, Last Working Call submission forthe VXML 2.0 submission to the W3C – http://www.w3.org/Voice/).

GVP also supports XML tag extensions to assist in thesophisticated call control requirements of many voice applications.These tags include advanced functionality suchas leg creation, dialing, bridging, queuing, carrier-specificintegrations, etc. Furthermore, the tag extensions allowintegration of a web application that drives media interactions with an intelligent call router such as GenesysURS. For instance, they allow the voice application tocommunicate collected information to the intelligent callrouter for use in an agent screen pop. GVP can intersperseTXML and VoiceXML pages.

While the use of VoiceXML greatly increases portabilitybetween VoiceXML compliant platforms, it is important tobe aware that some companies have taken shortcuts, notimplemented certain features, or changed the VoiceXMLstandard according to what they see appropriate. It is alsoprudent to understand that a complex VoiceXML applica-tion that is built for one platform is unlikely to workunchanged on another platform.

VoiceXML applications can be developed using the GenesysStudio GUI tool. Or, they can be written in nativeVoiceXML using any VoiceXML 2.0 development tool orbe written manually using a standard text editor.

Developer ToolsThe GVP product suite provides a VoiceXML applicationdevelopment tool called Genesys Studio. Genesys Studio isa Windows-based GUI tool that is used to build and test

voice applications using a "drag and drop" paradigm. In thisparadigm, developers can arrange, add and delete functionalblocks – such as start, stop, prompt and menu – in the mainwindow. The blocks are then connected to build the call

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flow for the voice application. Once the code is generated,an Active Server Page (ASP) or Java Server Page (JSP) file iscreated for each block.

The tool is designed for beginners and programmers whoare accustomed to Integrated Development Environments(IDEs). Genesys Studio supports touch-tone and ASRvoice applications, as well as provides a common mechanismto link to databases. In addition to Genesys Studio, the VPMalso provides a tool that allows developers to capture caller"utterances" for tuning of ASR voice applications.Genesys Studio also includes a code tracing feature that aidsin voice application debugging.

Application DeploymentOnce a voice application has been debugged and is ready fordeployment, it can be configured for actual use through theConfigure to Go Live feature of Genesys Studio. Whenusing Genesys Studio, voice applications are automaticallyregistered to the VPM. Users are prompted to enter infor-mation such as the toll free number associated with theapplication, the fail over number and a backup voice appli-cation URL.

Voice applications that are written in native VoiceXMLrequire the developer to load the VoiceXML files onto astandard web server and then use the Genesys Voice PortalManager to associate the toll free number with the startpage’s URL.

ADMINISTRATIVE TOOLSThrough the tight integration with Genesys Framework,Voice Portal can be centrally configured in the GenesysConfiguration Management Environment. Genesys man-agement tools such as the Solution Control Interface canstart, stop, auto-restart and control the status of GVP com-ponents as well as provide a view into logs.

Voice Portal ManagerIn addition, GVP provides a Voice Portal Manager (VPM),which includes a configuration GUI that is accessible viaInternet Explorer. VPM provides the ability to configurevoice applications and administer solution components. Italso provides diagnostic tools.

VPM allows:• Configuration of system features• Configuration of voice applications including the ability

to add a new voice application, edit voice applications ordelete voice applications.

• Enabling of voice applications• Viewing of various operational logs• Ability to view status of Advanced Speech Recognition

(ASR) engines• Ability to view status of Text to Speech (TTS) engines• Ability to view connectivity with Genesys I-Server

• Ability to view connectivity with voice application WebServers

• Ability to access the Dialogic diagnostic software• Diagnostics to analyze and test the GVP• Ability to capture caller "utterances" for tuning of ASR

voice applications• Ability to view the active calls on GVP

Multiple local or remote servers can be configured from asingle VPM or multiple VPMs based on user preference. Inaddition, when separate Web Servers are used to host thevoice applications, they too can be configured using VPM.

Voice Communications Server Within the VPM GUI is a link to administration GUIs foreach of the VCSs that are configured for the GVP. TheseGUIs can be accessed from any computer that has http connectivity to the VCS. They allow the user to monitorVCS performance and perform diagnostics including connectivity tests.

GVP CONFIGURATIONSThere are three basic GVP configuration options:

Single Voice Communications ServerIn this basic configuration, there is only one VoiceCommunication Server (Host1). The VPM is co-residenton the VCS.A separate Web Server hosts the voice applica-tions and can host the Genesys Studio software.

Multiple Voice Communications ServersThe VPM is co-resident on one of the VCSs (VCS Host 1).The other VCSs rely on access to the VPM on VCS Host 1.This implies that the VPM components on VCS Host1 mustbe active even if the VCS processes on VCS Host1 are down.A separate Web Server hosts the voice applications and canalso host the Genesys Studio software.

VCSs can be physically distributed across sites for high reli-ability.All VCSs are managed by the centralized Voice Portal

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Manager. The combination of distributed voice processingnodes and centralized application and configuration man-agement eliminates duplication that is typical in traditionalIVR solutions, resulting in significant cost and time savingsto business customers.

Multiple Voice Communications Servers withDedicated Voice Portal ManagerThe VPM is resident on a dedicated host (VPM Host).TheVCS hosts access the VPM independently. Therefore, theVCS host can be down for maintenance without impactingthe other VPM hosts’ access to VPM. A separate Web Serverhosts the voice applications and may host Genesys Studiosoftware.

NETWORK DEPLOYMENT OPTIONSGVP can be positioned as a solution "in front" of the prem-ises switch (calls will be terminated directly into GVP fromthe PSTN) or "behind" a premises-based switch configura-tion.Both in front and behind the switch configurations canbe deployed in a single or multi-site environment.Additionally both have universal port capability – meaningthat a call received on any physical port can access any con-figured voice application.

I In Front Of the SwitchIn this deployment, the VCS directly interfaces to thePSTN. Incoming calls terminate directly on the VCS wherethe voice application treatment occurs. ISDN protocols inNorth America and ISDN or CAS protocols in the rest ofthe world are used for signaling between the PSTN switchand the VCS. Use of ISDN enables the VCS to ascertain theANI and DNIS of the incoming call.The DNIS enables theVCS to identify the desired application. If agent assistance isneeded,VCS instructs the PSTN switch (using takeback andtransfer capabilities) to route the call to the correct destina-tion.The VCS is integrated with Genesys Framework so thatthe Genesys Universal Call Router can control voice appli-

cation treatment, call transfer and gain reporting informa-tion.

II Behind the SwitchIn this configuration the GVP only receives incoming callsthat are directed to the VCS by an enterprise PBX. It is thePBX that directly interfaces to the PSTN. When a callarrives from the PSTN, the PBX performs the necessarysignaling hand-shakes to accept the call. The call is thenswitched (by the PBX) to the VCS. In this deployment, theVCS is also integrated with Genesys I-Server withinGenesys Framework. I-Server provides the VCS with ANIand DNIS information so that the correct voice applicationcan be identified. At the end of the voice application callflow, if the call needs to be routed to an agent, the VCS againcontacts the I-Server to transfer the call to the appropriateagent.

RELIABILITYHigh reliability is achieved via physically distributed VoiceCommunications Servers. In a distributed GVP deploy-ment, the VCSs are daisy-chained for automatic server-to-server overflow. In the event of a busy condition or serverfailure, calls can hunt transparently and automatically to thenext server. If all ports at all VCSs are busy, calls can fail overto a predetermined backup location.

GVP ports are universal in that any port can handle any callapplication.This enables businesses to employ cost-effectiveredundancy since the capacity needed to recover from a single server failure is greatly reduced.

VCS components are monitored by a Watchdog process thatautomatically restarts failed processes and alerts the enter-prise Network Management System (NMS) through anSNMP trap. The Watchdog process resides on the VoicePortal Manager and includes a user interface to allow themanual stopping and starting of any VCS component.

Communication between the VCS and Voice PortalManager is via HTTP. VCSs can access locally stored con-figuration information for each of the applications fromlocal cache. This information is accessed in the unlikelyevent of a loss of connectivity with the Voice PortalManager. In this case, the VCS will automatically acceptthe call and complete it using the stored backup termina-tion number.

In a large-scale GVP solution, a caching appliance plays anindispensable role in providing efficient communicationsbetween a VCS and the Web Server in which the voiceapplication resides. In a smaller-scale GVP implementa-tion, such as when the Web Server is collocated with oneof the VCSs, the need for a caching appliance on everyVCS is not required.

Application reliability is achieved via deployment of a

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backup Web Server. Through the Voice Portal Manager,multiple Web Server hosts can be configured. The orderin which each Web Server is contacted is also provisionedin the Voice Portal Manager. In the event that none of the

Web Server hosts can be contacted in a reasonable time period, the VCS can automatically reroute the call to abackup number, typically terminating at a customerpremises or contact center.

OFF-THE-SHELF HARDWARERecommended hardwareThe following hardware is recommended for a GVP instal-lation:

REQUIRED SOFTWARE

The following software is required for a GVP installation:Genesys• Genesys GVP software (available on a CD from

Genesys) • Genesys Framework including I-Server

Windows• Windows 2000 Server with Service Pack 2• Internet Explorer 6.0 +• MSXML 4.0+• Windows 2000 Components:

- Internet Information Server (IIS) > Common Files- Internet Information Server (IIS) > File Transfer Protocol

(FTP) Server- Internet Information Server (IIS) >Internet

Information Server Snap-in- Internet Information Server (IIS) > World Wide Web

Server- Management and Monitoring Tools > Simple

Network Management Protocol• Windows time service • Telnet service

TelephonyThe following Dialogic telephony hardware is required:• Dialogic DM/VA series card.There is also a DM/VA

driver which is shipped with the GVP installer discs.

Speech RecognitionThe following software from SpeechWorks or Nuance isrequired if speech recognition software is used:

• SpeechWorks OSR 1.1• Nuance 8.0Note:This software is distributed with the Genesys CDs.

Text to SpeechThe following software is required if text-to-speech soft-ware is used:• SpeechWorks Speechify 2.13Note:This software is distributed with the Genesys CDs.Miscellaneous• WinZip, PKZip or any other un-zipping program

Recommended third party softwareIt is recommended that the GVP components run with thefollowing third party network management software:• PC AnyWhere version 10.0

CONCLUSIONGVP is a powerful premises-based voice processing solutionfor both medium and large-scale enterprises. Since the solu-tion is based on open standards, GVP offers flexible deploy-ment options and multiple other advantages over tradition-al, proprietary IVR systems. GVP offers a unified develop-ment environment for web and voice applications, allowscentralized management of a distributed platform and offersinvestment protection with smooth, incremental migrationto VoIP. These advantages translate into reduced capitalspending, reduced operations staff, new revenue opportuni-ties and accelerated time to market.

Component ValueCPU Dual Intel Pentium III CPU,

minimum 1.4Ghz

Hard Drive Two 10K RPM 18Gb with RAID 1

Memory 2 GB for dual CPU configuration

F1 Boot Prompt Disabled

BIOS Setting


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Key GVP Advantages

• Separates application logic from voice processing –

applications can be centrally managed and updated.

• Utilizes off-the-shelf hardware.

• Leverages VoiceXML 2.0 and standard web programming

(ASP, JSP, Java).

• Provides tight integration with Genesys product suite.

• Supports SpeechWorks OSR, Nuance ASR and

SpeechWorks Speechify TTS.

• Allows web investments to be extended to the telephone

including application code, personalization software and

back-end integrations.

• Designed to take advantage of modern web standards including distributed applications, personalization tools, caching, audio techniques, security and networking.

• Supports migration from TDM to VoIP.

Genesys Corporate Headquarters

2001 Junipero Serra Blvd Daly City, CA 94103 Telephone: +1 415.437.1100 Facsimile: +1 415.437.1260 Web: www.genesyslab.com E-mail: [email protected]

Genesys Asia Pacific Telephone: +65 538 9886 Genesys Australia Telephone: +61 2 9463 8500 Genesys Canada Telephone: +1 506 658 1080 Genesys Europe/Middle East Telephone: +44 118 974 7000 Genesys Japan Telephone: +81 3 5649 6821 Genesys Latin America Telephone: +1 305 789 6660

All other company and product names mentioned are used for identification purposes only, and may be trademarksof their respective owners.

Copyright © 2002 Genesys Telecommunications Laboratories, Inc.All Rights Reserved

GVP Whitepaper

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