Course 150 IP Contact Center Technology

PART 1: ESTABLISHING A BASE

The first part of this course introduces the broad concepts and strategic goals of IP in the contact center, and reviews existing call center technologies and supporting technologies for IP contact centers like VoIP and SIP to establish a base of knowledge you can build on.

1. The shift toward IP

We will begin with a summary of the major themes: call centers are complex environments, legacy techniques have shortcomings, there are real benefits to implementing IP-based systems, and there are many pitfalls to avoid. This section describes the broad reasons why the industry is shifting toward IP, the “killer apps” for this technology, when to apply them and the major implementation issues.

A. Business Links to the Call Center

1. Business Applications

2. Requirements of a Call Center

3. Customer Transaction Life Cycles

4. Front Office/Back Office Functions

B. Problems with Legacy Call Centers

1. Location Specific

2. Restrain Multimodal Communications

3. Limit Self Service Options

4. Limit Interoperability

C. The Open Architecture

1. Standards Based vs. Proprietary Interface

2. The Killer Apps

3. Multimedia Contact Channels

4. Issues, Costs, and Timing

D. Drivers for Implementation

1. Greenfields – New Installations

2. Reduce Operating Costs

3. Increase Customer Contact Options

4. Prepare for New Features and Capabilities

2. Supporting technology overview: VoIP

A good review of the basic technologies that will be used to support IP Contact Centers is provided so that you can fill in gaps and/or get up to speed in critical areas. You will learn how VoIP works, how IP calls are set up using SIP and the duties of communication servers and gateways.

A. Voice over IP

1. Packetizing Voice

2. Media Gateways

3. Softswitches

4. IP Addressing and Routing

B. VOIP Network Services and Providers

C. IP Telephony

1. IP End Devices and Terminals

2. Communications Servers and IP PBXs

3. SIP Signaling

4. Proxy Servers

5. IP Centrex Services

3. Classic call center technology

This section will provide you with a solid understanding of how current technology used in “legacy” call centers functions to better understand the differences of IP-based systems. You will learn how an ACD routes calls, how an IVR processes caller information and interacts with the CTI server, and how the CTI server extracts customer records from databases and delivers them to an agent via screen-pops.

A. Types of Call Centers

1. Inbound

2. Outbound

3. Blended

B. Automatic Call Distribution Switch

1. Major Functions of the ACD

2. Anatomy of a Call Flow

3. Service Level Metrics

4. Call Routing Methods

C. Computer Telephony Integration

1. CTI Server Components and Messages

2. Delivering Screen Pops

3. Interactive Voice Response Unit Flows

4. Enhanced Skills-Based Routing

D. Multi-site Operations

1. Distributed Call Center Silos

2. Carrier Call Routing Options

3. On-site Call Routing Options

E. Management Reporting

1. Real Time Administration

2. Performance Management Reports

3. System Management Reports

PART 2: WHAT, HOW AND WHY

With a solid technical background in place, we now tackle the main ingredients of the IP Contact Center. You’ll understand the media choices for customer communications: voice, e-mail, web-chat, web collaboration, click-to-talk – and how these are handled in a modern, multimedia contact center.

4. IP contact center components

In this section, you will learn about the new components and functions being introduced into the contact center, and the duties that the agents’ IP phones and desktop applications perform in this environment. You’ll understand how new IP-based functions both improve and complicate center operations.

A. Call Control and Media Servers

B. Multimedia Applications and Channels

1. Voice Mail and Call Back

2. Web Chat and E-Mail

3. Click-to-Talk, Click-to-Video

4. Web Collaboration and Co-Browsing

C. Contact Center Subsystems

1. IP Call Recording and Monitoring

2. New Complexities for Workforce Management

3. Cross Channel Transaction Tracking

4. Web-Based Standards for the IVR

5. IP IVR – Local, WAN-based, and Distributed

D. ACD Software Functions

1. Basic Call Routing

2. Multimedia Skills Based Routing

3. Universal Queue

4. Out-dialing

E. System Integration

1. Data-Support Programming – Web Services, XML, SOAP

2. Voice-Support Programming – VXML, CCXML

3. Common Application Programming Interfaces

4. Software Development Kits

F. IP Phones

1. Components and Software

2. Protocol Support

3. IP Features

4. Display Options

5. Specialized Contact Center Applications

6. Feature Keys

G. Desktop Applications

1. Softphones

2. Fat Client vs. Half Client

3. Agent Functions and Features

4. Supervisor Functions and Features

5. IP Phone Integration

5. Premise-based solutions

This section describes the hardware, software, architectures, and techniques that are available for you to build small, medium and large contact centers. Options and example system layouts for each category are detailed including remote agents, virtual contact centers, universal queues, and multimedia skills-based routing.

A. Pure IP Solutions for Medium and Small Businesses

1. Typical Features and Options

2. Contact Center in a Box

3. Remote Extensions

4. Example Layout

B. Pure IP Solutions for Large Enterprises

1. Network Based Application Servers

2. Virtual Contact Center

3. CTI-Less Operations

4. Internet Connected Agents

5. Redundancy Options

6. Example Layout

C. IP Enabled and Hybrid Solutions

1. Advantages and Disadvantages

2. ACD/PBX Enhancements

3. Seamless Enterprise Hybrid

4. Example Layout

D. Multi-site Solutions

1. IP Trunking and On-Net Calling

2. Centralized vs. Distributed Control

3. Centralized vs. Distributed Gateways

4. Unified Queuing

5. Example Layout

6. Hosted Solutions

You will learn in this section how hosted contact center providers, using IP-based technologies, can offer many variations of leasing or outsourcing, strategies that must be considered by almost every organization. You’ll understand the many forms of hosted services available, a checklist of 40 advantages over premise-based solutions and the many pitfalls that should be avoided when choosing these options.

A. Hosting Options

1. Contact Center Services

2. Multi-tenant Architecture

3. Network Services

4. Application Services

5. Outsourcing and Home Sourcing

B. Advantages over Premise-Based

1. Responsibility

2. Flexibility

3. Expandability and Reach

4. Cash Flow

C. Service Provider Marketplace

1. Telecommunications Carriers

2. Hardware and Software Companies

3. Specialized Application Providers

D. Selecting a Hosted Solution

1. Capabilities of Provider

2. Security and Reliability Guarantees

3. Management Support

4. Hidden Costs – Pricing Models

7. Benefits of an IP contact center

The industry hype promoting the advantages and savings of IP contact centers makes it difficult to understand what is true or not. In this section, we cut through the hype and define 20 real benefits and describe under what circumstances they can be achieved. We will list 50 real opportunities for hard dollar savings separately so they are not confused with softer, long term benefits and make a link to strategic call center goals.

A. Reduced Complexity in Deployment and Maintenance

1. Standards Based Open Systems

2. Integrated Functionality

3. Faster and Less Costly Upgrade

B. Location Flexibility

1. Systems Separate From Agents

2. Flexible Agents – Home Shoring and Overflow

3. Linking Specialists and Idle Workers

4. Outsource Some or All of the People and Systems

C. Universal Queue

1. Consolidate Multiple Center Sites

2. Reduce Abandon Call Rate and Average Speed of Answer

3. Increase Agent and Trunk Utilization

D. Single network Deployment and Maintenance

1. Simplify Network Hierarchy

2. Reduce the Physical Number of Elements

3. Centralize Management, Monitoring and Reporting

4. Facilitate Business Continuity Planning

E. Unite Business Processes

1. Broaden Choice of Contact Mode for Customers

2. Support Multimodal Mobile Phones

3. Establish One Set of Rules Across Business Applications

4. Monitor and Report Across All Aspects of a Transaction

5. Collect Customer Data Across All Sites and Call Modes

F. Opportunities For Cost Reduction

1. Reduced Telecommunications Costs

2. Consolidate Infrastructure and Staff

3. Lower Cost Per Seat

4. Improve Self Service Options

G. Establish Long Term Strategy

1. Increase Productivity

2. Decompose System into Smaller Parts

3. Rapidly Follow Business Opportunities

4. Build Scalable Adaptive Systems

PART 3: GETTING READY TO BUILD

In the third part of the course, we turn to the practical, addressing what upgrades you’re likely to need to existing infrastructure, and how to go about selecting a solution to fit your needs and dealing with vendors. Included in the Appendix is a template for a Request for Proposal with over 800 line items plus a vendor directory and glossary that you can put to immediate use.

8. Infrastructure upgrade requirements

The benefits and cost saving potential of IP contact center technologies must be tempered by the complexity and expense of building and maintaining such systems. Here, you will learn the top ten technology-oriented actions that should be undertaken to ensure that the systems and networks function successfully and what upgrades are most likely needed.

A. Problems and Concerns

1. Security

2. Upgrade Costs

3. Timing

4. Regulations

5. Skills Gap

B. Assess Existing Network Capabilities

1. Voice Quality Factors

2. Capacity

3. Impact of Voice on the Data Network

C. Network Upgrade Requirements

1. Switches and Routers

2. Data Protocol Modifications

3. Power to Network Devices

D. Reliability and Stability

1. Fault Tolerant Architecture

2. Redundancy Options

3. Distributed Call Control Options

E. Network and Computer Security

1. Twenty Risks and Vulnerabilities

2. Ten Network Protection Optimization Steps

3. Three-Tier Secure Framework

4. IP Contact Center-Specific Features

5. Managing the Remote and Outsourced Machines

F. Network Management and Troubleshooting

1. Integrating the Data Network Tools

2. Measuring Voice Quality

3. Auditing the Network

4. Monitoring VOIP Activity

9. Formulating a request for proposal – AND DEALING WITH VENDORS

The next step is finding the best solution to fit your needs. In this section, you will learn how to do it the “right way” with a solid procurement process: how to develop and issue an RFP and dealing with vendors’ responses. We’ll give you a list of over 150 questions vendors should asked; for example, when a virtual contact center spans multiple time zones, are licenses based upon total aggregate seats available or actual concurrent seats occupied? The appendix contains a template for the RFP with over 800 line items that you can put to immediate use.

A. Executive Summary

1. Type of Company and Customers

2. Current Situation

3. Long Term Plan

4. Financial Considerations

B. System Architecture

1. Structure: Single vs. Multi-site

2. Remote Extensions

3. Trunking

4. Sever and Network Equipment

5. Reliability and Availability

6. Security

C. Voice Requirements

1. Subsystems

2. Maximum Seats, Groups and Queues

3. Call Routing and Handling

4. Outdial and Call Blending

D. Multimedia Handling

1. Types of Contacts Supported

2. Universal Queue

3. Cross Channel Tracking

4. Self Service Capabilities

E. Integrations

1. Supported Standards

2. Switch Vendors and Protocols

3. IVR and XML/VXML Support

4. CRM Vendors and Data Bases

5. Time Frame for Integrations

F. Desktop and Phone

1. Proprietary Features and Protocols

2. Agent and Supervisor Phones

3. Desktop Applications

4. Productivity Features

G. Hosted Service Providers

1. Architecture Implementation

2. Core Functionality and Capacity

3. Integration Capability and Experience

4. Data Security and Isolation

5. Customer Requirements and Limitations

H. Operations and Management

1. Administration and Supervision

2. Call Monitoring

3. Performance Reporting

4. Training, Collaboration and Conferencing

5. On-going Testing

10. Selected vendor reviews

To better select the correct solution, it is essential to understand the approaches of different vendors, products and industry trends. In this section, you’ll gain an understanding of the product lines of several key players that have interesting hardware and software offerings, in the categories of small and medium businesses, large enterprises, and hosted solutions.

A. Small and Medium Businesses

1. 3COM

2. Altigen

3. Zultys

4. Pingtel

B. Large and Multi-site Businesses

1. Avaya

2. Nortel

3. Cisco

4. Shoretel

5. Cosmocom

C. Hosted Services

1. Contractual

2. MCI

3. EagleIP

4. Echopass

5. Pandora Networks

11. Business case examples

To cement your knowledge and give you insight into the right solution for your needs, we’ll round out the course by understanding how other companies are using IP-based contact center technologies. We will review actual cases of deployments across several categories of organizations to give you a reference for future decision making.

A. Small Companies

B. Medium Organizations

C. Large Enterprises

D. Multi-site Centers

E. Hosted Services

12. Appendix

The appendix includes a good list of vendors by product type, and for those who will be seeking vendor proposals, we have included a contact center RFP template with over 800 line items to get you started. Also included is a glossary of terms, jargon and buzzwords unique to IP contact centers.

A. Vendor Listing

B. Call Center RFP Template

C. IP Contact Center Acronyms