Build a complete solution

Other voice architectures we’ve reviewed focus only on the voice elements of the solution – the call flow, grammars, and navigational elements. The classic elements of a business application – including business rules and data interfaces – have to be bolted on. The Datria Voice Architecture, on the other hand, includes all these elements in one common framework. As a result, we dramatically leverage the productivity of our own development staff and can deliver more functionality to you in less time. We also create a level of consistency and traceability that improves quality, facilitates deployment, and reduces the cost of maintenance.

Build a solution that business people can manage

Most of our customers don’t have voice experts on their staffs. If we required you customers to invest in new staff (or significant training) to support our applications, we would create significant obstacles to adoption. Instead, we deliver our applications with DICE — the Datria Integrated Configuration Environment. DICE provides a high level visual environment that allows you to configure Datria applications and change those configurations over time as your needs change. Using DICE, a systems analyst who understands your business process — but who has little or no training in voice technologies — should be able to manage a Datria application.

DICE comes in two editions. The Standard Edition allows you to configure the application logic you acquire from Datria; the Standard Edition is bundled with all Datria applications. DICE/Extended Edition is an extra cost option that allows you to configure existing logic and create new logic. Generally, we won’t sell you the Extended Edition unless you have extensive experience in voice application design and development.

Build a flexible solution

Chances are your business is going to change. Your systems will change. Your business processes will change. Even the words you use to conduct your business will change. To help keep pace with that change, we provide DICE, the Datria Integrated Configuration Environment. DICE will help you manage your Datria application — even if you don’t know much about voice applications.

Build a solution that minimizes custom programming

When you’ve got a business to run, writing custom code is probably not the best use of your time and talent. Additionally, custom code can complicate things. Because the solution is customized, it may be difficult to support using standard tools and staff people trained in standard methods. Custom code may also complicate upgrades to new releases. In most business applications, it’s best to provide configurability without requiring custom programming. The Datria Voice Architecture delivers this through a visual paradigm and business-oriented components, and the Datria Integrated Configuration Environment (DICE).

Build a solution that integrates with the Datria Deployment Methodology

We’ve built a deployment method that emphasizes speed and predictability. We’ve built an architecture that fits hand-in-glove with the deployment method so you get one seamless solution.

Deliver a future-proof solution

Voice technologies are changing rapidly. Your business is changing rapidly. We’ve developed an architecture that separates the business logic from the technology that surrounds it. For instance, our applications write to standard interfaces. If our application changes, it doesn’t affect what’s on the other side of the interface. If what’s on the other side of the interface changes, it doesn’t affect our application. So, within reason, you can update your business logic without disrupting your technology. Or you can update your technology without disrupting your business.

Build a solution that extends what you already have

If you’re like most of our customers, you’ve already invested significant time, energy, and money in your corporate applications for workforce scheduling, ticket management, dispatch, part replenishment and so on. It’s probably not a good idea to rip it all out and start over again. Datria applications are designed to enhance your investments rather than replace. We deliver information more quickly and less expensively so your corporate applications can work on better data and make better decisions.

Build on open technologies

If you’re like most of our customers, you know how to deploy applications on technologies like J2EE, XML, Web services, VoiceXML, SALT, SOAP, and ODBC. By building these into our applications, we can deliver the benefits of voice while minimizing the cost of ownership.

Provide multiple deployment options

Datria applications are available as premise-based solutions or as hosted solutions. In premise-based solutions, you acquire Datria software licenses and execute them on your web applications servers and voice and telephony infrastructure. In a hosted solution, you may choose to outsource the voice/telephony infrastructure and/or the web applications servers to a Datria hosting partner.

The features and logic of the Datria application are the same, regardless of the deployment option you choose. The primary differences are financial. The hosted solution typically has lower up-front costs and you can often pay for it out of an operating expense budget. On the other hand, a premise-based solution typically has a lower total cost when the entire life-cycle is considered.