CT Integration

The technology used by computers and telephones is converging fast, offering businesses new applications that may change the way they work and improve efficiency. This convergence (known as CTI, for computer telephony integration) is becoming an important factor to consider when making the decision on a telephone system. For example, the technology is here today to allow you to have "screen popping" when callers ring in. This means that if their calling number is presented and their details are on your contact database, these will automatically appear on your computer screen. In the same way, by the click of a mouse button you can make a call to a contact direct from your PC screen. Voicemail messages can be transferred to your mobile phone, or sent as an audio file to your e-mail account.

CTI (Computer Telephony Integration) allows computers to communicate with telephones and more importantly the computer system to control the telephone network. CTI is used to pass information between the telephone system and the data network. For example, as a call comes in the CTI application interrogates the appropriate database to find the record of the incoming caller.

The database record `pops' up on the screen of the person answering the call therefore saving time identifying the caller. CTI is far more than just "screen popping" - skill based routing, web enabled call centres and hot desking are just a few of the many applications CTI can offer.
 

Some CTI Applications:

  • Computer telephony integration, IVR, paging and speech recognition.
  • Database/directory integration via automated feeds and updates from other sources in your organisation such as SAP, HR, and HL7 databases (LDAP and ODBC compliant).
  • Ability to monitor alarm panels and notify proper personnel for various events.
  • Integration with any in-house or wide-area paging terminal.
  • Integration with any paging device.
  • Integration with e-mail systems.
  • Webinar - Audio/Visual conferencing

Unified Messaging

Unified Messaging can unite your voice mail system with your computer network to allow all messages (fax, e-mail and voice) to be found in just one location - for example, Microsoft Outlook.

Store conversations as a WAV file, send them anywhere in the world. Even add conversations to your client files for future reference.

Unified Messaging will also allow you to send and receive faxes too. Your personal DDI telephone number will also act as your fax number. The system recognises the incoming fax call and directs it to your e-mail inbox. Send outbound faxes straight from your desk - no need to fax manually.

Unified Messaging is another CTI application and is becoming increasingly popular as the price is falling due to increased demand.


Interactive Voice Response (IVR)

Interactive Voice Response is a CTI application. Very simply, it is a connection with a computer database, that enables a caller to receive information via the telephone. For example, airports.

You call a number, select via pressing the appropriate number keys to select your flight. The IVR system then converts the data back into voice and plays the message to the caller.


Call Centre Applications

Call centres use an Automatic Call Distribution (ACD) system to intelligently manage how calls are distributed amongst staff. ACD achieves this by sending the longest waiting call to the longest idle extension.

When there are no agents available the telephone system holds incoming calls in a queue before sending them automatically to the first available agent on a 'first-come, first-served' basis. ACD ensures minimum queuing time, and gives an even distribution of calls amongst businesses, thus maximising profitability.

For customers, the reduction in waiting times increases the perceived quality of customer care. Therefore ACD can achieve clear performance gains and maximise business opportunities.

Coupled with an MIS (management information system) package, you can achieve an instant status of your department, showing a range of parameters, including the number of calls received, the average waiting time, number of calls currently in a queue. You can pull off business reports, showing the all details of their calls for the day/week/month etc.

If you receive a high volume of inbound calls, or you want to improve clent perception of your business and you currently use a conventional system, then maybe you should investigate the benefits of an ACD system.

Some businesses do not consider themselves a call centre. In truth, the majority are because of one fact - they answer calls. By implementing a call centre strategy you will:

  • Improve customer service
  • Improve efficiency 
  • Monitor performance
  • Be released from the boundary of an office - virtual offices
     

Outbound call centres would have 'predictive dialling' where calls are automatically set up by the computer system. Using CTI calls are automatically dialled from a database listing and are then passed together with the clients database record to an agent. Predictive dialling can improve talk time by up to 300% compared to manual dialling.

Hot Desking

Not every UK business can support a workstation for each member of staff. Whether on or off site, we can allow user's to log in to the computer network and the telephone system from almost anywhere in the world, or simply another desk in the office.

Simply log into a telephone with your PIN code and all your speed dials, feature keys will transpose onto the telephone in front of you - even voice mail and DDI calls. If you have employees who work from home, we can even route calls to their home if the office is experiencing a high volume of calls - dare we say a virtual call centre?