It was a busy week in the IVR sector. Here are some of the major stories from TMCnet.

Certified payment service provider CommerceGate has announced its Interactive Voice Response (IVR) which provides users with the option of purchasing products over the phone by way of any touchtone telephone, landline or mobile device. Callers need only key in their credit card information, which is then transmitted to CommerceGate’s level one PCI (News - Alert) compliant secure payment system. The system accepts nearly any type of credit card. Upon completion of the transaction, the caller is then routed back to the merchant phone service.

TMCnet’s Rachel Ramsey reported in a recent story that Siri isn’t the only one of its kind. The voice recognition software that comes supplied with the iPhone (News - Alert) 4S has met its newest match, the Speaktoit application. The new Speaktoit application for the iPhone 4S uses the Dragon Dictation voice recognition software to ensure that the software can easily respond to questions regardless of regional accents.

Also, TMCnet’s Jacqueline Lee reported that Apple’s famous IVR star Siri has planned her comeback, and she’s enlisted some help in the process. Actors Samuel L. Jackson and Zooey Deschanel are hyping Siri in Apple’s (News - Alert) latest television commercials.

In an additional story, TMCnet’s Amanda Ciccatelli reports that customer relationship management software such as IVR has evolved over the years. It offers easier remote access with smartphones, tablets and laptops, and cloud computing. Companies can now use CRM tools to track social interactions with customers and address them using Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn (News - Alert). These days, CRM systems also enable mobile access to data using different kinds of devices including Android smartphones, the iPhone, iPad, or BlackBerry.

And in another story, Datatel Communications Inc., has introduced a suite of solutions specifically designed to help print media publishers address PCI compliance when taking credit card payments over the telephone.