This document introduces VoIP Drupal, an open source software platform that allows Drupal sites to make and receive phone calls, send SMS messages, and more. It highlights example uses like building a community hotline. Key benefits are integrating different communication methods and making Drupal accessible from any phone. Getting involved opportunities include testing examples, creating modules, and organizing meetups. Upcoming events promote hands-on learning and hackathons.

1. VoIP Drupal
building sites that answer calls,
send SMS, and more
Leo Burd
MIT Center for Civic Media
MIT – 2012.03.07

3. Goals
• Help people understand what VoIP Drupal is
• Demonstrate examples of what it can do
• Highlight the benefits of the platform
• Invite you to join the fun – it takes a village to raise
a platform!

4. Acknowledgements
VoIP Drupal Development
Ben Bunk*, Blair McNeib*, Kester Edmonds, Tamer
Zoubi
VoIP Drupal UX
Adam Kalsey*, Andy Oram*, Hector Iribarne, Keith
Casey Jr.*, Konstantin Ordoulidis*, Lee Vodra*, Mark
J. Pearrow*, Micky Metts*,
Owen Barton*
Note: volunteers names are marked with (*)

5. The future of the web rests on voice-enabled
apps accessible even from regular phones (1)
(1) http://www.fastcompany.com/1719453/tim-berners-lees-voice-enabled-internet-quest-in-africa

6. 6
Photo: Leo Burd (2005)

7. VoIP Drupal is…
A software platform that enables Drupal sites to
•Make and answer phone calls
•Play and record audio messages
•Send and receive SMS
•Organize conference calls
•Implement voice menus and call routing
•Run polls, surveys, and many more things

8. VoIP Drupal
modules

9. How things work

10. VoIP Drupal
modules

11. Dialplan scripting commands
– Dial number
– Say text or audio file
– Record audio from phone
– GetInput from keypad
– JoinConference
– RejectCall
– Hangup
– SendText number, message
– RunIvrMenu options
– Goto label
– GotoIf label, condition
– Gosub script name

12. Hello world
$script = new VoipScript('hello_world');
$script->addSay('hello world');
$script->addHangup();

13. Office hotline
$script = new VoipScript('voipscript_small_office_ivr');
$script->addSay(t('Welcome to our office hotline.’));
$script->addLabel(‘office_menu’);
$options_menu = t(‘For sales, dial 1. For customer support, dial 2. For hours of operation, dial 3. To hang up, dial
the star key.’);
$input_options = array(
‘1’ => ‘sales’,
‘2’ => ‘customer support’,
‘3’ => ‘hours’,
‘*’ => ‘hang up’,
‘I’ => ‘hang up’,
‘t’ => ‘hang up’
);
$invalid_msg = t(‘Invalid option selected.’);
$script->addRunIvrMenu($options_menu, $input_options, $invalid_msg);
$script->addGoto(‘%ivr_option_selected’);
$script->addLabel(‘sales’);
$script->addSay(‘Sales department’);
$script->addGoto(‘hang up’);
$script->addLabel(‘customer support’);
$script->addSay(t(‘Customer support department’));
$script->addGoto(‘hang up’);
$script->addLabel(‘hours’);
$script->addSay(t(‘Our office is open Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm.’));
$script->addGoto(‘office_menu’);
$script->addLabel(‘hang up’);
$script->addSay(t(‘Thanks so much for calling our office. Bye bye.'));
$script->addHangup();

18. SameBoat
South Wood County, Wisconsin

19. Potential Outreach
Population
45,803
200 community
organizations

23. Signs located at:
Walmart
Job Center
Food Pantry

24. PDF Bulletins:
Buyers Guide
Job Center
Food Pantry

25. Community Hotline
715-952-9020

26. Potential VoIP Drupal applications
• Go Out to Vote campaigns
• 2-1-1 and 3-1-1 community hotlines
• Call centers
• Phone- and SMS-based surveys
• Group communication
• Story recording / playback
• Audio speed dating services
• Language training
• Audio tours
• Adventure games
• Interactive community radio programs
• Emergency announcements
• And much more!

27. Key benefits of the platform
• Facilitates the construction of unified communications systems
integrating SMS, email, web, and voice
• Makes Drupal accessible from any phone – no data plan
required!
• Enables the expansion of “community plumbing” beyond the
web
• Is open source and free – you are in control

28. Benefits for administrators
• Easy installation and configuration – no programming required
• Fully customizable – enable only the features you need
• Run as part of the Drupal system itself
– Enable access to VoIP Drupal features using roles and permissions
– Assign Rules, Actions and Triggers
• Enhance user interaction with ready-to-use audio blogs, click-
to-call fields, phone recorders, audio announcements, etc.

29. Benefits for developers
• Well defined API that can be extended to other VoIP services
• 20+ sample scripts that can be customized
• 20+ modules that already implement common functionality –
no need to reinvent the wheel
• Simple, yet powerful PHP-like scripting language with a short
learning curve
• Visual programming language for novice developers and fast
prototyping

30. Future directions
• VoIP Drupal 1.0
• What’s Up and other VoIP apps
• Drupal 7 port
• Visual VoIP Drupal
• Integration with Drupal Commons, CiviCRM, OpenScholar,
Open Atrium and other systems
• Expand beyond MIT

31. Visual VoIP Drupal

32. Ways to get involved
• Join http://groups.drupal.org/voip-drupal
• Play with script examples in the sandbox
• Create new modules; new sites
• Contribute code, documentation
• Organize meetups
• Help us spread the word!

33. Key take-aways
Much better understanding of
• What VoIP Drupal is
• How VoIP Drupal expands the power of computing beyond the
browser
• Its potential uses for non-profit and for-profit organizations
• How to get started and where to find resources
– Sandbox
– Discussion group
– VoIP Drupal’s project page

34. Upcoming events
• 3/14 :: Impromptu hands-on session with Micky on how to set
up VoIP Drupal and get it to say ‘hello‘
• 3/20-23 :: Drupal Con Denver
– Introductory and hands-on sessions (TBD)
– Twilio contest: http://bit.ly/xAlgpV
– Tropo hackaton: http://bit.ly/z9IrUs
• Biweekly web gatherings after that

35. For additional information
leoburd@media.mit.edu
http://groups.drupal.org/voip-drupal
http://linkd.in/vIewAW
Special thanks to