President Preckwinkle Launches New County-Wide Voice Response System

Cook County President Toni Preckwinkle’s Bureau of Technology today launched a new Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system to answer phones County-wide. The new system replaces several older automated systems and consolidates multiple County agencies onto a single platform. The system also provides new IVR service to several offices, including the Clerk of the Circuit Court and the Social Service Department under the Office of the Chief Judge. “This is a way for Cook County to ensure that even those without access to the internet are able to take advantage of automated 24/7 services,” Preckwinkle said. “This system will also increase productivity as County employees will no longer need to redirect phone calls to other departments. Callers will be connected to the proper person automatically, which will free up employee resources for other tasks.” The IVR system is expected to handle approximately seven million calls per year. The new system has the capacity to speak several languages. It can also be programmed for new functions and will be able to integrate with future technology. Another advantage of the new IVR system is that it operates on modern server technology which is faster, more agile and increases overall system reliability. In the event of an outage, a backup system at an off-site Cook County Data Center will instantly take over, and callers will not experience any gap in services.