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VoIP Technology Shows Significant Promise For Call Center Operations

Before plunging into VoIP head first, it's important that businesses understand just what they are "talking" about when they begin looking at VoIP technology for their call center operations. Understanding these subtleties will ensure proper planning and appropriate decisons. The first key is to realize that "VoIP" is the basic term where cost alone seems to be the driving incentive. But IP Telephony is so much more. Unlike VoIP lite, IP telephony is not simply about cost savings. The benefits of IP Telephony to call center operations include rich applications, enabling mobility, increased productivity, and enhanced business continuity.

DEFINITIONS

VoIP is the basic transport of voice in a packet form on an IP-based data network. It is the transmission of telephony over a data network and offers little in the way of features and functionality. IP Telephony uses VoIP but is a software application suite offering rich feature applications. These often-modular applications lend themselves to cost-effective integration with other applications that share the IP network. Voice5A8 and Data Convergence may be defined as the integration of voice and data applications in a common environment. Of particular significance is the integration of communications applications with key business applications. The latter are usually tied to business processes, which are central to an organizations operations.

IP telephony lends itself to contact centres for the ease of integration with sophisticated multimedia applications as well as computer telephony integration, intelligent call routing and distributed or virtual contact centre applications. The merging of voice and data applications, such as Unified Messaging, is perhaps indicative of where IP telephony as a voice-based application leaves off and convergence starts.

Voice and data convergence may be construed as the coming together of voice and data in a common environment. This simplistic definition belies the significance of convergence. The reality is that converging voice and data enables the integration of voice communications applications (such as teleconferencing and speech access) with key business applications (such as sales force automation and supply chain management). These business applications are predicated on business processes that are the lifeblood of most organizations. By marrying these applications on any network and on any device, the door is opened to deriving new levels of business value.

THE PROMISE OF VoIP

I5A8n recent years the number of companies looking to up grade their call center infrastructure via implementation of VoIP technology has grown dramatically. Merging voice and data on a single network and deploying an IP-based contact center platform allows companies to route calls to home and satellite offices more efficiently. This approach is delivering on the promise of helping companies grow their business, apply productivity enhancing applications, and expand call center operations easily and cost effectively. Scaling for growth to new remote service centers is a smooth transition as each is treated as an add-on node to the existing IP network.

Companies can add remote staff to call center queues when needed and can retain key employees by letting them work from home. The entire process can utilize one application to manage all media for routing and reporting across agent locations. An additional benefit is the ability to deliver business applications over this new network when necessary.

Potential hurdles to implementing pure VoIP include preparing the network with switch and router upgrades, replacing all the desktop phones, and upgrading adjunct systems such as voice mail. These are not insurmountable issues and can either be accomplished all at oce (shotgun) or in a phased in approach. However it is accomplished the business benefits far outweigh any initial challenges.

It's safe to say that the great5A8 migration to the IP contact center is well underway. While there are many approaches, vendors and users agree that the decision is not driven by the technology, but rather by business applications that the technology enables. While companies may appear to take very different paths to VoIP, each is able to make the right decision for their current and future business needs from a myriad of solution options.

THE MIGRATION TO VoIP

In general, however, the migration is happening very slowly. Art Schoeller, an analyst at The Yankee Group, says, "The move to IP in the contact center is inevitable but not imminent. The transition from TDM to IP, catalyzed by Cisco, is much like the transition from analog to digital systems, which was catalyzed by Rolm. Like that transition over 20 years ago, this transition will take time. And this one is more complex."

Where this transition seems to have found it's lead is among smaller business entities. Most IP contact center installations have occurred in small to midsize businesses (SMB). Many of these SMBs use home agents and remote offices. SMBs tend to be more willing than larger companies to take risks, many are growing, and they are reaping the benefits of flexibility and agility. Seeing this untapped potential larger businesses are begining to follow suite albeit at a somewhat slower pace.....so far.

As of now there are fewer large installations in place, and the5A8y are generally multisite, often with overseas positions (including outsourcers). The major system vendors such as Avaya, Cisco, and Nortel all say they have pure IP installations of 2,000 seats or more. That's impressive...and it works. It won't be long before the pace and numbers of installations among larger companies grows significantly. They won't long be able to deny the benefits offered and the potential positive impact on process and cost efficiencies.

"The industries making radical changes are the ones who are suffering the most pain from economic and market forces, such as teleservices [outsourcers], airlines, telecom and high-tech companies," says Lawrence Byrd, a convergence strategist at Avaya. "These companies are seeking substantial cost savings from infrastructure consolidation, for example reducing 30 separate [automatic call distributors] to one or two, moving away from the complex and expensive network routing architectures of the 1990s, and intelligently routing the right customer to the right agent, wherever they are."

"These companies understand that they must make more significant investments in network optimization, as well as changes to their business processes and how they manage their people. But they are willing to do so for the payback offered. IP telephony in the contact center is the technology enabler for such transformation," he says.

THE TRENDS FOR VoIP

Today, many of5A8 the large call center installations - those exceeding 200 seats - are hybrid solutions, some sites are TDM, some are IP. Companies use IP trunking between sites and IP to some desktops, for example, at new sites or sites where the switch has been upgraded. The traditional PBX can serve as a gateway, converting between TDM and IP.

Businesses with multiple locations are turning autonomous sites into satellite sites, significantly reducing the numbers of servers, applications and licenses required for functions such as routing, reporting, Computer Telephony Integration (CTI), quality monitoring and workforce management.

Another trend is higher adoption rates in Europe/Middle East/Africa and Asia Pacific. North America is generally slower to adopt IP contact center technologies because of more conservative and risk-averse decision-makers, and more large installed systems. However, of Cisco's 1,500 installations worldwide for example, approximately half are in North America.

Yet another trend is for companies to adopt VoIP in the enterprise first and then in the contact center. Gartner analyst Bern Elliot says IP system sales already have overtaken TDM system sales for corporations, but "IP adoption in the call center will lag." Elliot predicts that traditional TDM-based call centers will remain the dominant architecture for new system sales in North American until mid-2006. IP-based call center systems compris5A8e approximately 10% of new system sales today.

LEASONS LEARNED

Businesses leery of IP contact centers typically express concerns about security, quality, reliability and scalability. Early implementers say they faced challenges, primarily with quality of service, but they used assessment, configuration, testing and monitoring to successfully address those issues. However, the rule of thumb is that if you've done what you need to do for your network for other applications, running phones on IP is not a leap of faith.

Many early implementers say voice is more secure and more reliable over IP than it was in a TDM world, and the enhancements to their networks for voice also have benefited their data applications. For example, many clearly saw the potential benefits for growth, flexibility and disaster recovery.

When a significant disaster occurs and a business must trigger its disaster-recovery plan, it is a relief to easily be able to add seats at other sites and reroute calls quickly, with no effect on service. It is also reassuring when system continuity enables the following of the rigorous security processes applied to all other applications for your voice and call center applications.

Many companies have found that TDM is just too expensive for what they want to do. Often they'll discover that a pure IP solution offers their company lower total cost of ownership than TDM, with additional savin5A8gs over time by avoiding proprietary hardware. Frequently they'll also see benefits from virtual operations across sites and CTI in hours instead of months. Also seen have been savings on wiring, moves, adds and changes, and networking of remote locations, while buying flexibility for the future including multimedia enhancements.

THE FUTURE

The breakthrough in adoption of IP in the contact center will occur as more companies share evidence that it is low risk, it works, and there are quantifiable business benefits. Any initial trepidation will soon disappear as companies recognize that VoIP is a technology that's right for them.....and whose time has come for the call center industry.

Tip....for assistance in finding just the right fit in a VoIP solution for your call center operation take advantage of the FREE consulatative services at Business-VoIP-Solution.com.

posted by blogs71770 @ 10:51 PM 0 comments

What a Five Hour Hike Can Teach You About Business

It was intended to just be a short hike, as the afternoon temperatures were predicted to be in the mid-90s5A8.

This past weekend, my husband suggested we maintain the stamina we achieved by hiking in Yosemite, and go on a short hike through our local State Park. Because the afternoon was supposed to turn hot and humid, we set out at 9:00 AM and figured we'd be back home by 11:00. We had hiked in this park before, so we pulled out the trail map and chose a new trail that we hadn't discovered yet. Here's where it went wrong:

The plan was to walk for only 90 minutes, so we didn't bring water.

We had a map from the Park Office, so we thought we knew the route.

We figured we'd be hungry in a few hours and our stomachs would tell us when it was time to turn back, so we didn't wear watches.

We had walked in this park before and had a sense of how long the route was, so even though there was a distance meter on the map, we ignored it.

We started off at 9:30, and found the trail easily. It was a beautiful, sunny morning and the trail was level and easy through the forest. Occasionally, we'd catch glimpses of the lake and the sailboats merrily skipping across the surface. A few times, horses and riders came past us on the trail. When we got tired, we rested on a log or rock. Overall, it was a lovely walk.

What felt like an hour later, we started to get a little thirsty, but nothing to worry about. The map showed that the trail looped back to its starting point, so if we just kept m5A8oving forward, we'd eventually make it back to the car where we had bottles of water. A little while later, we came to a fork in the path that was not on the map, and we became unsure which way to go. Should we go forward? Or back?

Forward seemed like a good idea.

It wasn't.

Now we were starting to get worried. We'd only seen one other hiker on the trail who wittingly called out to us, "Stay under the trees, it's cooler!" We began to worry. So we sat down to figure it out. Forward? Back? Forward? Back?

Forward.

Again, bad choice. Forward was a bog that no human could get through. Back became the obvious choice.

By this time, the temperature had risen, along with the humidity, and we were both sweating like little piglets. Once in a while, we'd come across a stream where we could rise our faces, but not drink the water because it probably had pesticide and herbicide run-off in it.

Eventually, we made it back to the car. It was 2:30 in the afternoon and the temperature was 94 degrees. We'd been walking for five hours, without water, without watches, without cell phones. The whole time, we never felt hungry, so our "internal timepiece" never was able to tell us that it really was time to turn back.

I'm pretty sure we won the "Idiot of the Day" award that day.

So what did I learn that I could apply to my business?

First, when you're enjoying what you're doing, ti59Cme flies. That part was good.

Second, even if you have a plan and a map, you must have a way to measure it, and you must take regular stock of your progress.

Third, going forward isn't always the best choice.

Fourth, being prepared for emergencies and contingencies, even if you don't expect to have them, is helpful.

Fifth, don't rely only on your internal timepiece, or your gut instinct, to tell you what to do. Study your options and carefully plan for your future.

And when the sun gets hot, stay in the trees where it's cooler!

Karyn Greenstreet is a Self Employment expert and small business coach. She shares tips, techniques and strategies with self-employed people to boost focus, create sustainable motivation, and increase profits. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Karyn_Greenstreet

posted by blogs71770 @ 6:58 PM 0 comments

Voip Softswitch 101 VOIP Elusive Backbone Explained

Throughout the early days of voice over protocol, Voip softswitches have become the most crucial element of this communication technology, which serve as the key enabler of Voip transmission service delivery.

Voip Softswitch is by no means a straightforward out-of-the-box switching gear. It is a system which comprised of multiple single elements that adds to the overall functionality of the whole Voip backbone.

There also multiple add on supplementary tools which create greater functionalities of a given Voip softswitch. Since the principle function of signaling and media control is the same for almost any types of Voip softswitch, you can compare different types of such devices from different vendors by supplemented add-ons they come with.

The Voip softswitches have been the key enabler for Voip switching technology as well as the driving force behind the IP telephony industry. As such, to keep up with the demands of increasing support as well as the need for ways to drive down cost, its pretty encouraging to see how Voip softswitches has evolved into a profitable revenue-generating tool on a carrier network.

[+] Optimal Network Management

Most carriers need to keep5A8 their cost low and margin as high as possible in optimizing their traffic exchange. These Voip softswitches come into picture with its intelligent routing capabilities which are based on their cost to quality ratios, load and other criteria in real time. Such tools are known to bring forward a profitable margin of 30%

[+] Variety of business models

One business model generated from these Voip softswitches is by offering Voip exchange services, where potential customers may buy or sell telephony minutes from multiple Voip providers.

Another viable business model is leasing Voip softswitch partitions to Tier 2 and Tier 3 operators which do not have their own Voip infrastructures in place. These small operators may use the leased softswitch capability to resell minutes to customers.

Today, Voip softswitches have become the important part of Fixed Mobile Convergence (FMC) scenarios. This can be seen by the increasing number of mobile service providers who are offering cheap Internation Long Distance (IDL) calling.

The convergence of the wireless and wireline domains has opened up a new and exciting ways to serve to the Voip customers where the use of Voip softswitches has paved a way for further development of new IP based services.

Additionally, carriers will continue to use softswitches to maximize the efficiency of their networks today and will definitely rely on them as the FMC has brough4B3t a new wave to the Voip market tomorrow.

posted by blogs71770 @ 6:35 PM 0 comments

3 Ways Of Using VoIP For Online Business Enhancement

VoIP phone is a phone but because its signals are carried through the Internet it also offers possibilities not normally associated with regular PSTN (Public Network Telephone Network) phones.

Let us look at some practical examples of utilizing that capacity in business applications.

1.Placing a phone button on your web page and that linking to your VoIP phone number. It can be very handy for amplifying good customer relations, support and general feedback. If you are not there during the incoming VoIP call, people can still leave voice mail and all without leaving the given webpage and for the PC to PC calls with no extra charge to you or them. An example of one big website that starts utilizing that VoIP feature is eBay.

2.You can use VoIP to call your blog. Yes, as funny as it might sound it can be sometimes handy as for example when you are on a trip and want to keep in touch with your readers or customers through lively vocal updates. One large site supporting this technology is Googles Blogger.

3.And one more here. You can think of it as your own 1-800 or 1-900 number except that often you do not need to pay for it. It can look like a regular VoIP phone button on your website but with 514a description of how much a customer is going to be charged for the a particular call to you as for example if you are providing a technical support , counseling, entertainment or any other type of information that you wish to charge for talking and having conversation about. One company facilitating utilization of this particular VoIP expression that I have researched is called Jyve.

Certainly this list is not exhaustive as Internet itself is in a constant state of development but perhaps it gives you some new ideas for better facilitation of you internet transactions through VoIP.

posted by blogs71770 @ 1:23 PM 0 comments

Business VoIP - How Internet Telephony Can Help Your Business

Today lots of businesses are making the switch to Voice Over Internet Protocol (or VoIP for short) as a way to save money on expensive monthly telephone bills. Of course consumers are also taking advantage of internet telephony but it's the business world that typically has the most to gain by incorporating VoIP into their telephone service, for a number of reasons. Here are some of the top reasons why businesses should consider VoIP.

Integrated Communications and Added Features

Far from being just another telephone service, VoIP actually integrates several forms of communication. Of course, you get a lot of the standard features you'll find with most telephone services, VoIP can also incorporate enhanced calling features not available anywhere else, at least not for the same low price. Some of these features include:

• Integrated voice mail and email: Listen to your email on your VoIP-enabled phone or read your voice mail on your computer)
• Web access: High end VoIP phones come equipped with scre5A8ens that allow you to surf the web right from the phone itself
• Softphone support: You can access your data and make phone calls from any computer connected to the Internet by using specialized software to place and receive calls...you'll no longer have to go "find a phone" when you're traveling and won't have to burn up costly mobile phone minutes to keep in touch with the office.

One of the biggest concerns when switching to VoIP is what type of equipment you will need to make the switch and how much it will cost. Of course depending on the answer and how much calling you do, it might not make sense to switch to VoIP. However, most businesses (and even consumers) can realize significant savings by switching to VoIP and can do so while keeping most of their legacy phone equipment.

Mobile and Flexible Calling

With options like softphones and "follow me" features, your mobile workforce has plenty of alternatives for placing and receiving calls. In fact, using the "follow me" feature, your mobile staff can have their phones ring both in the office and on their cell phone or other mobile device so they're always within easy reach.

Reduced Cost

If you've ever tried making heads or tails of your monthly phone bill, you quickly realized that the phone company nickel and d5A8imes you for everything under the Sun and varies how much they charge per call based on which calling area the recipient is in. This sort of nonsense is great for the phone company but makes it difficult to gauge what your monthly bill is going to be in order to make projections for down the road. By using VoIP service for out-of-area calling, you get to enjoy the simplicity and lower overall cost that comes with paying a flat fee. This is one of the biggest benefits of switching to VoIP since it can relieve quite a few headaches and significantly impact a company's bottom line.

To get started making your transition to VoIP, your first step should be researching the different options available to you. There are several VoIP info sites online that provide this type of info as well as the sites for the individual companies that provide internet telephony service. Be sure to evaluate the various plans each company has to offer, the contractual terms and how the plans can be incorporated into your business.

Pretty soon, you'll be able taking advantage of the lower cost and better features that come with incorporating VoIP into your business telephone system and most likely, you'll never look back once you adopt this increasingly popular technology.

posted by blogs71770 @ 1:15 PM 0 comments