Harnessing VoIP for application convergence

The aspect of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) being most broadly promoted currently is using an Internet connection to replace traditional phone lines. Calls, of course, can be made on the Internet using a VoIP service provider and standard computer audio systems. Alternatively, some service providers

From a call center standpoint, however, there is a whole lot more to VoIP than a few TV ads by Vonage or cheap calls to your relatives across the planet. IP, for example, can facilitate internal communications. To begin with, it means only one set of wires that have to be strung to the desktop since the computers and phones will both just be nodes on the same network. It also means that staff only needs to support a single transmission protocol.

Replacing existing internal phone systems with VoIP networks, then, can cut costs and simplify administration. The real value, however, will be in the area of converged applications which improve collaboration and productivity.

"In two years we will be seeing a critical mass of applications in this area," says Gartner vice president of enterprise communications Jeff Snyder. "These applications are what are going to make the compelling argument for switching to IP Telephony."

First of all, it brings voicemail, e-mail and faxes into a common inbox where they can be deleted, answered, forwarded or saved.

They also provide presence management - the ability to see who else is logged onto the network at the time. In a call center or help desk situation an analyst or agent can then escalate a call simply by finding who else is available and transferring both the caller and all supporting data or documents to that employee. This reduces the number of call backs and improves customer service.

They also make teleconferencing, including document sharing, a standard desktop and telephone feature, rather than something that needs to be specially scheduled. Just clicking on an icon brings additional participants into the discussion.

"The big breakthroughs in VoIP are in convergence, not new applications," Elliot said. "When you take voice off its own channel, it enables better applications for the enterprise."

Not surprisingly, VoIP vendors have been building a variety of other technologies into their existing products. There has, for example, a merging of VoIP with additional functionalities such as ACDs, predictive dialers and call monitoring. Now some vendors are even offering these converged solutions as a hosted service.

In the workforce management (WFM) space, vendors are now coming out with hosted WFM offerings that harness VoIP technology to make contact centers more versatile than ever. These hosted solutions make it possible for contact centers to be onshore, nearshore or offshore without heavy investment in infrastructure. As a result, the architecture of the center is highly flexible based on the needs and/or culture of the operation i.e. they can be centralized, distributed or home based.

Using VoIP and the hosted application model, for instance, the call center can add home-based workers easily, or ramp up existing operations at the drop of a hat. Thus companies can extend their facilities across multiple time zones and locations and change their structure to fit seasonal loads.

The real benefit for VoIP, then, is physical virtualization of call center operations that span continents via distributed contact centers and home-based agents. It may not make economic sense - yet - to set up full-fledged and dedicated contact centers to directly service the emerging middle class in countries like India, The Philippines or Russia. But the combination of VoIP and hosted call center solutions opens up an almost unlimited series of new markets. Virtual contact centers can be deployed to service any language without the necessity of investing in infrastructure for each country. Some countries, perhaps, can have centers specific to their region, while others can cater to several languages using multi-lingual agents, or via a network of home-based CSRs in the countries required.

Another good reason for the marriage of VoIP and hosted WFM is that in a global and virtual operation, you want the same technology environment in every location. That makes it easier to manage globally and keeps costs down. Further, the customer gains a uniform experience no matter where they call in the world.