The system helps to collect data, recruit and schedule participants, and conduct sophisticated phone questionnaires automatically. In this sense, it should definitely reduce the cost of research whilst improving accuracy, questionnaire consistency and efficiency

The IVR system will be marketed by SPSS MR, who has now gained worldwide rights to sell it. The technology is based on automated phone scripts gathering customer feedback 24 hours a day. This obviously lightens the load on market research agencies and corporations in recruiting and scheduling participants, maintaining respondent databases and conducting sophisticated phone questionnaires automatically.

Practically speaking, users will need to select their call list from the ARCS database, construct a questionnaire and digitally record the questions using a live interviewer's voice. The system then handles both outgoing and incoming calls for multiple projects simultaneously. Respondents interact with ARCS using their phone keypad or voice.

According to Joe Marinelli, president of SPSS MR US, "This new offering is in line with our overall strategy to be an end-to-end market research provider. IVR technology offers users a quick, cost-effective solution to automating data collection. Whether conducting outgoing calls, using live interviewers to transfer respondents to an IVR survey, or receiving calls from panellists, the automation of the system saves labor costs and increases field capacity. Potential uses of the ARCS system are limitless, as the system integrates with mail merges, email programs and any number of analytics."