Monday, July 23, 2012

Elements required for a speedy call monitoring implementation

The implementation of a call monitoring solution is a task which every call center faces, whether they are a startup with a smaller center or a multinational enterprise adding branch locations.

Once the right solution has been selected, there are a number of steps which must be followed to ensure a successful implementation. 

Throughout the process, it’s essential to keep open and ongoing communication between all teams. 

Project managers, IT and telecom staff all need to be working off the same project plan, with defined roles and responsibilities.

While vendors often request open VPN access, security concerns often make companies reluctant to provide full access whenever needed during a remote installation. 

While onsite training is always recommended, remote installations are often preferred because of the speed which they can be turned around and because of the travel expenses saved.



Still, as efficient as a remote install can be, the tools used and the team involved from both parties are essential.

"Remote access tools, web collaboration and presentation products are great but they are not sufficient enough to expedite the build. 

There is no substitute for an ‘always available’ remote connectivity method during the implementation process.

It is certainly understandable why VPNs are not always granted on an open basis, but access over the VPN should be made available if at all possible during specific times required for installation.

Enterprises seem to be receptive to this request, even as more and more stringent lockdown procedures are added to the mix for security purposes.

“Enterprises understand the need for an efficient, no-nonsense, temporary VPN authorization. We can surely accommodate web based remote connectivity options after the implementation is complete, but they are not conducive to expedited build processes, when they require someone to be on the other side,” added Blake St. John, CSI Project Manager.

"IT people want to reduce their footprint, and save on time and money. It’s amazing how quickly a system can be implemented, especially if the server is virtual. More and more IT teams are requesting virtual servers, which we can accommodate in most environments. They also want very granular security, and we've been a leader in providing bulletproof call monitoring solutions. It’s a great combination - ask, and if possible, you shall receive!" St. John added.

With a healthy collaboration, VPN access and peace-of-mind security, a rapid and successful implementation is achievable.
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Monday, July 16, 2012

5 critical benefits an IT team looks for in a call monitoring system

It's important for a call monitoring system to offer a bulletproof implementation, especially for an enterprise's IT team, who are looking for these kind of items to be a check-off, rather than a wish list item.

Here is a quick list of what we see as being important IT check offs:

* Virtualization: Any robust call monitoring solution will support virtual servers. CSI currently supports VMware, Citrix, Microsoft VM, and others. In an active recording environment (no audio recording board hardware) it's awesome to be able to slice off a VM and add a branch center to a centralized recording environment.

* Scalability: Contact center monitoring systems should be designed from the ground up to be extremely scalable and enterprise-ready, especially in terms of supporting multi-site/multi-country installations. Organizations should be able to quickly add recording as needed. Systems should be able to scale to seasonal spikes as well.

* Security: We were actually one of the first recording vendors to automatically encrypt all recorded media via 256-bit encryption. We've evolved with PCI standards and continue to offer enhancements which bolster system security even more. Administrators can control access and permissions down to the button level. Many companies utilize different levels of assessment and only the most locked down systems will be able to pass all assessments. CSI hasn't failed an assessment yet.

* Implementation and Support: We've got experience - enough (40 years) to know that being responsive and thorough is important to those using our system. There's a reason we have 95% customer retention over such a long period of time. We use a support ticketing system which ensures timely response and customer updates as issues progress. Many companies are choosing remote training, which saves on costs. We'll still come onsite, of course. We also always answer the telephone, which goes a long way.

* IT footprint: Keeping the IT costs down is huge. Many of the above-mentioned bullet points, especially virtualization, contribute to a smaller IT footprint. Having a web-based interface is huge, meaning any authorized user with access to a web browser can log in and use the system, from any location. We've also seen more and more active recording implementations, where the recorder integrates directly with the switch. This helps to flatten IT costs as well.

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