Development system and method

1. A computer-implemented method, executed on a computing device, comprising:

defining a library of functional modules;

enabling a user to select a plurality of functional modules from the library of functional modules;

enabling the user to visually arrange the plurality of functional modules to form a multi-channel conversational application, wherein the plurality of functional modules are arranged to enable an end user to initiate a session of the multi-channel conversational application in a first channel; and

creating a regression test set for the plurality of functional modules by selecting a specific path of a plurality of paths through a visual arrangement of the plurality of functional modules forming the multi-channel conversational application.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the conversational application further includes a multi-modality conversational application.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 wherein the multi-channel conversational application includes one or more of:

an IVR channel;

an SMS channel;

a mobile-based channel; and

a web-based channel.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 wherein the multi-modality conversational application includes one or more of:

an audio-based communication modality; and

a visual-based communication modality.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4 wherein the audio-based communication modality includes one or more of:

recorded audio segment functionality; and

text-to-speech functionality.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 4 wherein the visual-based communication modality includes one or more of:

JSON text-based functionality; and

HTML/SSML text-based functionality.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein enabling the user to visually arrange the plurality of functional modules to form a conversational application includes:

enabling the user to visually arrange the plurality of functional modules to define a logic flow for the conversational application.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the library of functional modules includes:

one or more predefined functional modules; and

one or more user-defined functional modules.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 further comprising:

enabling the user to define the one or more user-defined functional modules.

10. A non-transitory computer program product residing on a computer readable medium having a plurality of instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

defining a library of functional modules;

enabling a user to select a plurality of functional modules from the library of functional modules;

enabling the user to visually arrange the plurality of functional modules to form a multi-channel conversational application, wherein the plurality of functional modules are arranged to enable an end user to initiate a session of the multi-channel conversational application in a first channel; and

creating a regression test set for the plurality of functional modules by selecting a specific path of a plurality of paths through a visual arrangement of the plurality of functional modules forming the multi-channel conversational application.

11. The computer program product of claim 10 wherein the conversational application further includes a multi-modality conversational application.

12. The computer program product of claim 11 wherein the multi-channel conversational application includes one or more of:

an IVR channel;

an SMS channel;

a mobile-based channel; and

a web-based channel.

13. The computer program product of claim 11 wherein the multi-modality conversational application includes one or more of:

an audio-based communication modality; and

a visual-based communication modality.

14. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein the audio-based communication modality includes one or more of:

recorded audio segment functionality; and

text-to-speech functionality.

15. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein the visual-based communication modality includes one or more of:

JSON text-based functionality; and

HTML/SSML text-based functionality.

16. The computer program product of claim 10 wherein enabling the user to visually arrange the plurality of functional modules to form a conversational application includes:

enabling the user to visually arrange the plurality of functional modules to define a logic flow for the conversational application.

17. The computer program product of claim 10 wherein the library of functional modules includes:

one or more predefined functional modules; and

one or more user-defined functional modules.

18. The computer program product of claim 17 further comprising:

enabling the user to define the one or more user-defined functional modules.

19. A computing system including a processor and memory configured to perform operations comprising:

defining a library of functional modules;

enabling a user to select a plurality of functional modules from the library of functional modules;

enabling the user to visually arrange the plurality of functional modules to form a multi-channel conversational application, wherein the plurality of functional modules are arranged to enable an end user to initiate a session of the multi-channel conversational application in a first channel; and

creating a regression test set for the plurality of functional modules by selecting a specific path of a plurality of paths through a visual arrangement of the plurality of functional modules forming the multi-channel conversational application.

20. The computing system of claim 19 wherein the conversational application further includes a multi-modality conversational application.

21. The computing system of claim 20 wherein the multi-channel conversational application includes one or more of:

an IVR channel;

an SMS channel;

a mobile-based channel; and

a web-based channel.

22. The computing system of claim 20 wherein the multi-modality conversational application includes one or more of:

an audio-based communication modality; and

a visual-based communication modality.

23. The computing system of claim 22 wherein the audio-based communication modality includes one or more of:

recorded audio segment functionality; and

text-to-speech functionality.

24. The computing system of claim 22 wherein the visual-based communication modality includes one or more of:

JSON text-based functionality; and

HTML/SSML text-based functionality.

25. The computing system of claim 19 wherein enabling the user to visually arrange the plurality of functional modules to form a conversational application includes:

enabling the user to visually arrange the plurality of functional modules to define a logic flow for the conversational application.

26. The computing system of claim 19 wherein the library of functional modules includes:

one or more predefined functional modules; and

one or more user-defined functional modules.

27. The computing system of claim 26 further comprising:

enabling the user to define the one or more user-defined functional modules.