Put simply, whether delivered by customer premise equipment (CPE) solutions, by hosted or network systems, or a mixture of both, enterprises always demand control, choice and intelligence together within a financial framework that is acceptable to them.
Hosted and Network solutions offer businesses the opportunity to deal with operating costs rather than capital expenditure which will always get a positive hearing at the budget-holder level of a business.
The bottom line is that a successful Hosted and Network solution should offer everything a business could achieve with CPE, but yet be available on a pay-per-use or pay-as you-talk basis (per minute or second / call / month, etc), be scalable and reliable, and offer easily-added functionality if required.
While these solutions already offer some inherent benefits provided by their design such as simpler DR (Disaster Recovery) planning, they also should offer functionality and managed services that would not be possible with CPE.
By the very nature of providing a service on equipment based external to the contact centre, the real time activity of that operation can be monitored. A good supplier will be able to offer the service to monitor, and advise on the use, management, configuration and results achieved while using their services.
Ultra does all this for its clients and the companies that we have experience of working with and are most likely to reap the full benefits of network solutions are: -
Companies that are expanding geographically
For companies faced with fast-paced growth, expanding geographically could mean expanding their current technology and phone network, which could be expensive. Network solutions can be integrated with these companies’ existing technologies to expand the reach of their current capabilities. With a network solution, the software would supplement the company’s existing infrastructure, but would reside on Ultra’s network and be accessed from PCs anywhere in the world via a web-based interface. Thus, network solutions are well-suited for companies that are expanding their contact centre operations, whether by opening several geographically independent sites or by supporting a network of remote agents (also known as a virtual contact centre).
Companies with a limited budget / start-up business
Network solutions require only a minimal upfront charge for implementation with monthly usage payments based on the number of concurrent users. This model enables companies to enjoy the robust features and functionality of a sophisticated contact centre solution without prohibitive upfront CapEx investments.
Companies that want to utilise remote agents
Network contact centres enable agents to work from any location as long as it has a high-speed internet connection and PSTN phones. Companies can expand their employment pool by allowing agents to work from home or in remote sites, and can also offer their end customer 24/7 support without the overhead of keeping a physical centre open with all the extra overhead.
Companies with an immediate need
A network solution can be up and running very quickly, in a matter of days in some situations. Companies can accelerate their ROI by as much as six to nine months by implementing a network solution versus a traditional, on-premise solution.
Companies that wish to minimise the risk of business stoppage in an emergency
With a network contact centre, employees can communicate outside of their primary workplace should it be rendered inoperable by emergency or disaster. For example, an evacuation might require employees to work from a warm site, home, or cell phone. Because the network centre technology is physically maintained outside of the outage, the contact centre application, data, and communications remain accessible to agents working remotely to service customers, greatly reducing business risk.
Disaster-recovery and business continuance is now an in-built feature.
Companies with flexible / seasonal needs
Network solutions offer companies with seasonal spikes in demand, such as retail and government, the ability to ramp up quickly during peak times, without having to make a "peak infrastructure investment” that would otherwise sit idle for most of the year. Scalability is available both up and down for the business to suit business needs.
Companies that are rapidly expanding
For companies undergoing rapid growth, the network system enables them to take on new business without worrying about infrastructure limitations. Additional agents and even new sites can easily be added without the CapEx costs, time delays and headaches of upgrading or replacing the infrastructure.
Companies with little or no in-house Dialler / IT skills or resources
With the hosted model, help desk support and physical technical support is available with the subscription fee. The service provider provides all customization, integration, upgrades, support, maintenance, and technology refreshes.
Companies that have outgrown existing applications and systems
Network solutions can provide an efficient and economical way to replace or upgrade existing solutions for companies that desire advanced call centre functionality and are interested in acquiring a complete solution as a service –
e.g. enhance enterprise functionality with network call queuing and network routing or other components such as outbound, call blending, workforce management, Internet or web functionality.
With their customisable features, easy integration, and adaptability, a network system with an agent desktop that unifies all of the customer information into one screen can provide the functionality and cost savings needed to upgrade from basic solutions.
The move over to the new technology can even be phased as the network solution can be integrated in part permitting a risk-free changeover.
Key phrase (no times appears in content) – Google searches in last year – AdWords competition
Existing phrases (appear 3 or more times in text):
network solution (13) - 3,600
contact centre (8) - 40,500
network solutions (8) - 18,100
agents work (3) - 1,900
network system (3) - 14,800