[Asterisk-Users] Suitable for Dynamic IVR Platform?

[Paul Dugas]

New to asterisk so please be gentle.  I'm guessing I'm among a number of
recent additions to the list after the article in Linux Mag.  I gotta say
I'm *very* intersted in the project and will be doing lots of reading
shortly.  A couble quick questions first...

How suitable is Asterisk for use as an IVR providing callers with textual
data out of a database?  Can it be combined easily with something like
Festival (festvox.org) to read text to callers?  Anybody doing anything
like this already?

Can Asterisk be used to create applications that initiate outbound calls
based on timers or other events and use the IVR to play messages and
collect responses?  Think automation of alert notifications.  i.e. "Hello.
The equipment room is on fire.  Press 1 to acknowledge this message".

Thanks in advance.

Paul

--
Paul A. Dugas                               Dugas Enterprises, LLC
email: paul at dugasenterprises.com            1711 Indian Ridge Drive
phone: 404.932.1355  fax: 770.516-4841      Woodstock, GA 30189 USA
   [ onsite at the Georgia DOT's West Annex, 404.463.2860 x158 ]