A Customer Ip Communications System Roadmap

By Author: Ruben Marcus
Total Articles: 18
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Planning any IT technology upgrade is never as simple as sending out an RFP and wading through the responses. It takes careful upfront planning to do it right. And when the technology issue you’re addressing happens to involve your enterprise communications system, trying to understand what’s currently available since the last time you did an upgrade can be a project in itself.

IP communications systems, based on a soft switch design, are rapidly replacing aging digital pbx system. All-in-One solutions support traditional telephony services and Unified Communications tools on a single centralized server; full featured contact center services may also be available. Today’s customer has the option of fully replacing their existing system or installing a co-located IP soft switch for a gradual system migration while leveraging the new technology and associated benefits.

One of the many advantages of an IP communications system is the availability of a range of features, functions, and processes ...
... collectively referred to as Unified Communications. Many customers confuse the terms IP telephony and Unified Communications (UC), thinking they are the same, though they are distinct from one another. UC offerings (described below) facilitate and enhance the traditional telephony experience, not replace it. Implementation of an IP communications system provides the necessary framework to enable and support UC solutions, beginning with a shared network infrastructure needed for communications and control signaling requirements. Many UC features and applications are enabled by SIP, particularly when customers need to interface to third party solutions from vendors such as Microsoft and IBM who are currently providing most station user desktop software applications.

With a unified solution all system subscribers are available to support contact center operations, expanding its scope beyond the formalized agent group configuration. Select customer calls can be supported or individually handled by co-resident telephony system station users, who are not full-time formal contact center agents, when the need arises.

A major advantage of a SIP-based system for contact center operations is that it enables multi-modal functionality, including the ability to talk, collaborate and exchange information among call participants. UC tools are easily applied to contact centers: Presence helps agents identify status and availability of other agents or specialized “experts” when needed to handle a call; conferencing services facilitate

connectivity among multiple call participants; mobile solutions support roaming or off-site agents not at a formal desktop; and teleworking options are ideal for supporting home agents on a full- or part-time basis.