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F.A.Q.
For further information on the following, click on relevant section:
Call Centre / ACD
What is it?
ACD stands for Automatic Call Distribution, an application whereby calls coming in to an organisation are routed to the most appropriate person or group based upon a set of user-defined rules. For example, calls could be set up to go to workgroup personnel in rotation or to the person in that group who had been off of the phone for the longest. More sophisticated systems would allow calls to be routed based upon the calling line identification presented or to the person or group best suited to answer the caller. The latter is often referred to as 'skills based routing'. A flexible ACD system will monitor incoming call levels and send alarms to management should call answer times exceed acceptable pre-defined standards. In this case further agents could be brought 'into the group' to answer calls. Many ACD systems would be able to incorporate remote offices or workers seamlessly in to an ACD group for greater flexibility.
Why have it?
An even distribution of calls into a company is desirable for many reasons. Firstly, callers will get answered more quickly instead of being placed in a queue should there be a bottleneck. From a staffing point of view ACD provides a fair and even workload. Used as a marketing tool ACD can provide easy to implement customer response mechanisms to handle specific projects, for example, taking calls resulting from advertising campaigns.
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Call Management
What is it?
Call management is a software-based application that monitors all calls within an organisation and provides management reports to show where costs can be attributed. Most call management systems have a standard set of management reports that can be generated as well as the ability to use 'wizards' to construct bespoke reports directly linked to individual company business processes. Modern call management systems provide greater functionality and can measure a complete set of business parameters, for example, time to answer, most frequently dialled numbers and missed calls. Today, many call management systems go even further by being able to track Internet usage, web sites visited and email. With a significant trend in the communications market towards Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) it is important to consider a call management system that can monitor IP packets.
Why have it?
The resultant management reports generated by call management applications have a wider range of business use. From checking call bills with your network operator, generating a list of top dialled destinations through to monitoring abuse of your telephone system. Call management systems can determine if you have too few lines to answer your customers calls (missed business) as well as the time taken to answer calls - too long and you miss even more business. Want to measure the productivity of one sales team against another or check that you are spending too much time on the phone to low value customers? - then call management is for you.
Other Considerations
It is an offence to download certain images from the Internet. It is also an offence to store racist information. Individuals visiting such sites can put your company at risk as Internet cache systems store a 'footprint' of where they have been. Call Management systems can identify the individuals concerned and block access to these sites.
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Call Recording
What is it?
The ability to record telephone conversations for later playback and analysis. This encompasses the recording both ends of a telephone call for incoming, outgoing, internal and conference calls. Conversations are recorded to a storage medium, often a hard disc on a local PC, or network device. Key features would include a fast search facility to track down recordings for playback - this is essential for practical use and the more sophisticated systems would additionally use text to speech recognition to search out the recordings. Voice recording files are often recorded in Windows wav file format that makes them easier to use in an organisation.
Why have it?
There are many uses that voice recording can be put to, including some applications where the ability to record conversations is becoming mandatory. In the main this essential use would apply to public liability sectors, for example, fire, police, ambulance, where there is a need to check back on events that may involve life or death situations. Outside of this the biggest user of call recording systems in recent years is the call centre market. Here there are two significant drivers. Firstly, call recordings can be used to train call centre agents. Recordings can be played back and measured against a training score sheet (an application often built in to many call recording systems). Secondly, where call centres are conducting financial transactions there is a need to verify agreements made over the phone in the case of a later dispute.
Other Considerations
Civil liberty groups do not like call recording systems but their use remains within the law. Many organisations appease the concerns of these groups and individuals by making an announcement at the start of the call to the effect that calls may be recorded for training purposes.
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CTI
What is it?
CTI stands for Computer Telephony Integration, the joining together of computer applications with your telephone system. There are many CTI applications; the linking of a customer database to your phone system will provide you with instant information about who is calling you on a PC screen. This basic application has become known as 'screen popping'. Beyond this more sophisticated products will address call and contact centre management, telesales scripting, call recording and retrieval, voicemail, and unified messaging. Web based CTI applications that offer a sales or service based interface with your organisation with 'click to call' facilities can also be linked to your communications systems.
Why have it?
CTI provides a great deal of automation and can enhance business processes. Research has shown that 'screen popping' can increase the number of callers handled in a given time dramatically by having all the information you want to hand at the time you take the call. Call and contact centres are pretty useless without CTI applications routing the calls to the right destination and providing 'cradle to grave' management reporting on how your company handled each call. Likewise, other application addresses at this web site, unified messaging, call recording, call management etc, function entirely through CTI.
Other Considerations
There are CTI standards that should be considered when purchasing products and applications. Both your telephone system and the CTI applications you want to run should work to the same standard, the most common being the Microsoft derived and supported TAPI standard. Standards produce lowest common denominator functionality so it is worthwhile considering bespoke applications written for your telephone system. They usually offer tighter integration and greater functionality.
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ISDN
What is it?
Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) was commercially introduced in the early 1990's. In essence, ISDN is a dial up digital switched circuit for both voice and data communications. Initially there were two types of ISDN, Narrowband and Broadband. Early focus was on Narrowband services and here there were essentially two product offerings; Basic Rate ISDN and Primary Rate ISDN. Basic Rate, sold under the BT product name ISDN2, offered users two 64k channels for voice or data applications. Early adopters used this for fast file transfer at a time when alternative modem technology offered 14.4k transfer rates. Primary Rate ISDN, sold as ISDN30 by BT and offering users 30 channels, was, on the other hand almost universally adopted by PBX vendors for voice applications. Today both variants are used for voice and data.
Why have it?
ISDN delivers a number of features that can be utilised by modern telecommunications applications to provide business benefits. Calling Line Identity (CLI) for example means that PBX systems can display the calling line number on display keysets. Using Computer Telephony Integration (CTI) extends this functionality in to displaying complete caller customer or service records on a PC screen. Because ISDN lines can be used for voice and data users can deploy more applications at the same time. Basic Rate users can surf the Internet at moderately fast speed whilst using the other circuit for voice calls.
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Structured Cabling
What is it?
In the past, buildings could have several different cabling systems for different communications systems, for example; block wiring for voice, coaxial for Ethernet, multi-pair for RS232 etc. Structured cabling replaces all the different cabling with a single cabling system which covers the whole building for all voice and data (including CCTV and video) requirements.
A structured cabling system consists of outlets, which provide the user with an RJ45 presentation. User outlets are usually supplied as either one or two RJ45 connectors mounted in a standard single gang faceplate (but multiple sockets are also available), or as single snap in modules which can be fitted into floor boxes.
Each user outlet is cabled back to a patch panel using an individual cable containing four twisted pairs, this cabling is known as 'horizontal cabling'.
Why have it?
A structured cabling system is the backbone of a modern communications system. With the increasing pace of voice and data convergence a unified cabling system makes sense: Any socket can take any device and it is simple to add, move or change applications and services without calling out service providers. Most structured cabling systems come with a long lifetime guarantee.
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Unified Messaging
What is it?
Unified Messaging is a CTI application that endeavours to present to the user all message types in one location or screen. At the most basic level this would include voicemail and email messages. Thereafter, other message types can be addressed such as fax, and SMS etc. More sophisticated systems would allow remote interrogation to read emails and play voice messages with the ability to respond accordingly.
Why have it?
Research indicates that using one application to handle common message types improves productivity considerable, thus return on investment can be readily quantified by example. Unified messaging provides professionals with more flexibility when travelling, improves employee productivity while in the office and on the road, and gives companies the competitive edge they're looking for.
Other considerations
Here are what some observers consider as four recommendations for unified messaging:
- The first feature one should look for is having multiple message types - voice, fax, and email-arrive at a desktop user interface such as Microsoft Outlook/Exchange or Lotus Notes.
- To manage all three main message types from the telephone (Voicemail/email/fax) is ideal but not always feasible.
- Scalability - IS managers should be able to take advantage of multiple server scalability, both horizontally and vertically. The systems should work together to increase the number of users supported within the network.
- Companies should have the ability to add other computer telephony integrated applications in the future, providing themselves with the flexibility to meet the needs of their growing organisation.
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Video Conferencing
What is it?
Video conferencing is a point to point or point to multi-point communications tool where all parties can both hear and see each other. For SME business users there are basically three types of product on the market.
- Desktop, where the video application is loaded on a PC using a small camera - suitable for individuals.
- Workgroup or Set Top video where a video control unit literally sits on top of the TV - suitable for three or four people.
- Boardroom, where a complete video system is usually fixed in place - suitable for larger groups.
Significantly, in recent years, technology has become much better and costs have plummeted and at the same time video conferencing products have become easier to use.
Why Have it?
It's easy to calculate the return on investment (ROI) for video conferencing, especially of you can use it to eliminate or significantly reduce to the amount of international travel. But that's only part of the picture; say you travel 200 miles to a management meeting once a month. The day after something happens that changes all your plans and you all have to convene again to make decisions. Video lets you make as many '200 mile trips' as you want. Training? That's another good reason to use video as is engaging specialist remote assistance - hospital/medical application.
Other Considerations
Progressively, video conferencing systems are moving to IP based WAN connectivity from the dial up ISDN methods originally used. As broadband, IP VPN's and private digital circuits become more cost effective their higher bandwidth, offers greater, faster, better communications than ISDN. Today, most Set Top Video offers both type of connectivity.
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VoIP Voice over Internet Protocol
What is it?
VoIP is an application, voice communications, routed over an enabling technology - an IP network. IP networks have become ubiquitous but at the same time remain transparent to users, the best example being the Internet. In this respect IP network were initially and exclusively designed to carry data communications but technology has addressed the opportunity of converting voice communications in to data 'packets' and sending them over the same, single, IP network. Hence the term Voice over IP. In business applications a modern PBX will be able to offer VOIP functionality via a 'gateway' device. Some PBX systems are designed solely for use in IP applications; known as IP PBX, these systems deploy LAN Telephony as well as utilising VoIP.
Why have it?
If you can run voice and data communications over one network instead of two then costs should be reduced. As stated above, IP is an enabler. Therefore using VoIP would enable you to use new applications as well as speeding up existing applications. Remote workers or offices are a fine example of where VoIP can be both cost effective and highly functional. Connected from their home or branch office via an IP Telephone, personnel can be logged in an out of call centres, take and make calls with full PBX functionality as if they were sitting in the main office.
Other Considerations
Do not confuse with LAN Telephony or Voice over the Internet as these are different applications. LAN Telephony routes all calls internally over an IP local area network as well as externally over a raft of circuit options, which include digital private circuits as well as switched public circuits. Routing a call initiated on the LAN requires quality of service (QOS) to be considered and often an upgrade to the LAN is required to ensure acceptable voice communications.
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Wallboards
What are they?
Long associated with displaying the status of key performance indicators in call centres such as; number of calls waiting and lost calls, wallboards have become much more sophisticated in recent years. Whilst the large LED based models are still available and serve markets very well there are now many more options for users. Firstly screen based models offer smaller workgroups a cheaper option and the larger 'wide-screen' gas plasma TV type displays offer better colour visuals as well as multi-media options. Connectivity to the data source has also diversified with IP based networked wallboards providing increased locational versatility by way of being able to place them wherever there is an network connection point. Wireless versions of these even do away with that problem.
Why have one?
Wallboards are there to provide instant measurement of performance at a glance and in real time so they are perfect for high call volume operations such as call centres. As call centres move towards multi-media messaging wallboards will track the number of emails in a queue and those that have not been responded to in the service level targets.
Other Considerations
Match the wallboard to the application; individual screen based wallboards are available for small groups, use IP based systems for remote management, use LED based systems when you only want to draw attention to one or two key performance indicators for large groups of workers.
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Wi-Fi Wireless Fidelity
What is it?
Wi-Fi, or Wireless Fidelity, is freedom: it allows you to connect to the Internet from anywhere in your home, a bed in a hotel room or a conference room at work without wires. How? Wi-Fi is a wireless technology like a cell phone. Wi-Fi enabled computers can send and receive data indoors and out; anywhere within the range of a base station.
Why have it?
Firstly, base stations are being commercially fitted everywhere; Hotel lobbies, airport lounges, coffee shops, etc. Why? So users with Wi-Fi enabled devices can sit down and log on to the Internet or send and receive email. Organisations such as BT Openzone will sell 'access' to these so called 'hot spots' on a time related charge.
Secondly, Wi-Fi is easy to install in either the office or the home and removes the need for additional wiring points to be installed so users are up and running quickly and not restricted to working near a spare fixed network point.
Other Considerations
Look for the Wi-Fi CERTIFIED logo on a product before you buy it. The Wi-Fi certified logo is your assurance that the product has met rigorous interoperability testing requirements to assure products from different vendors will work together. Wi-Fi Certification comes from the Wi-Fi Alliance, a non-profit international trade organisation that tests 802.11-based wireless equipment to make sure it meets the Wi-Fi standard and works with all other manufacturers' Wi-Fi equipment on the market. The other main consideration is security, ensuring once you are logged on that no-one can access your device.
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