Telephone communications system including a digital telephone switch, a voice response unit and a stored program sequence for controlling both the switch and the voice response unit

The present invention relates to a telephone communication system which includes a telephone switch having a plurality of incoming and outgoing lines for switching calls therebetween, an audio response unit for receiving audio communications from a user and for generating and transmitting voice communications, and a central processing unit for executing a stored program sequence based upon the audio communications received by the voice response unit to control both the voice response unit and the telephone switch. The central processing unit may be connected within the voice response unit or externally thereto.