· Summary
· Features 		· Benefits
· Pricing

Summary

Many companies have a office phone switch or a Private Branch Exchange (PBX) that is not at all or somewhat integrated with computer applications. Their office voice network (links) is separate from their office data network (Local Area Network - LAN). So, when a call comes in from a customer, the customer representative has to reenter the customer's phone number into the customer order computer application. In many cases, the company can not see the queue of calls, and can not manage the queues, in order to transfer calls to the right person. A predicative dialer has to be set up completely separately with its own set of phone stations. Many companies still have a PBX that is just a black box that is hard to manage. Some companies added a call processing adjunct server to their black box so that they can see the calls coming in on their PC at the office. However, the cost of a black box and call processing adjunct server jacked up the total cost pretty high.

Now, the combination of the functionality of a black box PBX and of a call processing adjunct server us being offered in a PC PBX. A windows 2000 server has a call switch/voice processing board that acts as a PBX, and has the call processing software all in one unit. Therefore, the term Computer Telephony Integration (CTI) or Application arose. Of course, the cost of a PC PBX is much lower than any older configuration with a black box.

An example of the screen to receive and make calls is given below:

Also the capabilities of PC PBX are far beyond those of any older configuration with a black box. Most PC PBXs offers Voice Over IP (VoIP) so that a voice goes over the same wire as data. This saves the cost of separate phone wires in the office. VoIP can also be used to interconnect your branches so that you avoid the Telco charges.

InterCS has selected  and implemented PC PBX solutions that are integrated with computer applications. 

In order to achieve this, InterCS offers  the following services:

 

  • Professional services covering requirements analysis, planning and design

  • Implementation services covering the implementation of the following main components:

  1. PC based Private Branch Exchange (PC PBX)

  2. Predictive Dialer

  3. Interactive Voice Applications

  4. Voice over IP (VoIP)
 

  • Integration of business applications with a PC PBX

Features

Professional Services

  

Professional services consist of the following services

 

  • Requirements Analysis and GAP analysis

  • Exploration Services

  • Planning Services

  • Design Services

 

Each professional service is described next

 

Requirements Analysis and GAP analysis:

InterCS will examine your current phone and computer application setup. It will determine with your help your short-term and long-term requirements. The GAP between your existing system and your requirements will determine what type of PC PBX and integration with computer application is needed. InterCS has done this analysis for several companies, and knows what to look for.

Exploration Services:

Given the set of minimum requirements, and your budget InterCS will explore alternative PC PBX solutions and integration approaches. It will recommend the best solution. InterCS has done this for several companies, and knows what standard call switching technology to look for. The wrong solution could limit severely your growth.

Planning Services:

Once the best solution has been agreed upon, InterCS will help you to plan the rollout. A rollout plan will help you to get the most important features work first. Without a plan, users will be overwhelmed with the changes, and may reject the whole project.

Design Services:

Once the rollout phases are planned, each phase has to be designed properly. The design consists of setting up the different groups of phone users with their privileges and extensions, the forwarding, the voice messages, the queuing setup, the wiring, the integration with computer business applications, etc. InterCS has done this for companies so that a smooth transition could take place.
  

Implementation Service

 

The implementation service consist of setting up the following solution and/or components:
 

  • PC PBX

  • Predictive Dialer

  • Interactive Voice Applications

  • VoIP

 

Each component is described next.
 

PC PBX:

 Depending on the requirements, the best solution may consist of one of the following PC PBXs

  1. Small size PC PBX

  2. Medium size PC PBX

  3. Large size PC PBX

A PC PBX may have a windows interface or a web interface. A web interface enables you to remotely manage calls over the web. Combined with VOIP, a web interface enables a person at home or at a remote office to take calls or make calls.

A PC PBX will include all features of your current black box PBX and of your adjunct call processing software, but at a much lower price.

Regarding small size PC PBXs, InterCS has experience with its preferred vendors. The limitations regarding the number of phone stations and regarding some advanced features make those PC PBXs falls in the group of small size PBXs. However, they offer plenty of features for a staff group up to 256 phone stations. Predictive dialers will be separate.

An example of a small size PC PBX is given below:

 

Regarding, the medium size PC PBXs, InterCS has experience with a selected list of vendors based on required media standards and integration capabilities. The maximum number of phone stations are 2,000. They all use the Intel (Dialogic) voice processing boards, and have the standard application integration platform software.

Regarding the large size PC PBXs, InterCS has experience with the best vendor on the market. It has a web-based interface, and is fully integrated with a predictive dialer.

Predictive Dialer:

A telemarketing group does outbound calling. A predictive dialer will dial customers based on a given dialer list, and connect the customer service representative when the customer picks up. The telemarketing person can note the customer needs, order, interest or feedback on his/her PC screen. Call statistics can be reported.

InterCS has selected the right predictive dialers for its customers. It has integrated the predictive dialer with computer customer ordering applications so that customer interest doesn’t have to be entered twice. InterCS has enabled the automatic dial up of a customer phone number from the computer customer application. InterCS has integrated the predicative dialer with the customer application such that the customer feedback is automatically stored in the customer application database.

Interactive Voice Applications:

Interactive voice application consist of possible items such as:

  • Interactive Voice Response (inbound calling)

  • Automatic Announcements (outbound calling)

  • Text to Voice (listening to email, customer orders and jobs)

  • Voice to Text (creating and sending email, orders, jobs)

Interactive Voice Response:

Pressing the numbers of a menu item, connects you to the right person, or service group or information item.

Automatic Announcements:

Using a dialer, the customer is called and upon pick up, is informed of an event. Such an event could be as follows:

  • Delivery date of a package, a service, etc

  • Activation confirmation of a service

  • Notice of an over due customer bill

InterCS has implemented automatic announcements for several companies. Such announcements were based on the customer application database. This is very effective and cost efficient.

This is a true integration of computer (application DB) and telephony (PC PBX and predictive dialer)

VoIP: 

Voice Over IP consists of converting your voice message (call) from an analog format into a digital format, and send it over a data wire and the internet to the phone of the called person. Since it goes over the Internet, the cost of such a call is much less than the call fee charged by a telephone company. You can have VoIP for just employees in one or in many interconnected offices.

By having VoIP in just one office, you save the cost of the separate phone wires. By having VoIP in several interconnected offices, you save the regional and long distance fees charged by telephone companies.

To enable VoIP, in one office you must have the following hardware and software:

  • A PBX that is VoIP enabled. Most PC PBXs are VoIP enabled. Such a PC PBX can be cheap

  • A Local Area Network (LAN)

  • Voice gateway software on each PC that converts your voice message from analog format to digital format.

To also enable VoIP in interconnected offices, you must have the following hardware and software

  1. A DSL or T1 line between each pair of offices, that is setup with a Virtual Private Network (VPN)

  2. A firewall with a VPN capability in each office

  3. Backup DSL or T1 line

InterCS has setup VoIP for several companies. The clarity of the voice calls is now good, and is no more an issue.

 

Benefits

The savings of VoIP are enormous, and are as follows:
 

  • No more new phone numbers required when new employee are hired or moved

  • No more new business cards and stationery when employees are moved.

  • No separate phone wires and wiring

  • No charges voice calls by telephone company

  • No downtime if phone lines or service company are out of service. Most T1’s of a building go into a fiber connection that is laid underground by the telephone company
 

Internet Customer Solutions, Inc.
239 New Road
Building B, Suite 103
Parsippany, NJ 07054

 Phone: 973-244-1470
Fax: 973-244-0794
Email: intercs@intercs.com

 

 

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