Imagine being able to take and make calls, receive e-mails, IMs, and SMS, and at the same time manage web-enabled applications like hosted CRM and workforce management in a convenient, go-anywhere, user-friendly wireless appliance.

Imagine no more being tangled up in cords, or fiddling with multiple (and expensive) gadgets.

Imagine having at last a truly usable phone for home workers, including contact center agents and supervisors.

The hard reality is that when you are working from home you do get interrupted, like for deliveries, plumbers, other contractors, family responsibilities: which beats productivity and cost-wise having to leave early/arrive late to handle when working in a traditional office. Such a device would enable you to stay in touch and keep on the go while signing documents, giving instructions, etc.

The reality of having such a tool may be closer than you may think: in the form of an IP-enabled iPhone that acts like a mutant cordless handset.

Give the credit and kudos to Group Publisher Rich Tehrani who revealed in his blog just before ITEXPO West how the iPhone can become the ultimate (and universal) handset via IP by using the extra wire connected to the headphone jack.

This is roughly similar in concept to the Hutchison Telecom Telepoint hybrid cordless/microcellular units marketed in the UK in the early 1990s which if you were in range of one of these base stations you could make calls. I used to live and work near Manchester, England where this was launched and saw these 'points' but I never witnessed anyone using them. You could also use the devices at home as cordless sets.

What I'd like to see is someone to bring back the Tandy TRS80-T100--the first truly functional portable computer: the ultimate tablet--with 21st centry functionality.

The T100 combined word processing, BASIC, a small but readable screen, a built-in modem, and a a rugged keyboard: features that made it the journalist's best friend. You could, using an acoustic coupler, zap files over a pay phone. I used the clamshell model, the T200, when I wrote for the Manchester (N.H.) Union-Leader over 20 years ago, and it far beat most laptops I've relied on since.

I and other journalists, programmers, and other keyboard-intensive users have been reluctant to switch over to BlackBerries, etc. because the keys and pads are too small and unforgiving for us two-fingered demons, and the screens are way too small. The tablets that have come on the market in recent years lacked usability.

What are firms like Apple, and they and other practical geniuses who can box and package proven technologies waiting for?

While at ITEXPO West in L-A last week I saw a headline in USA Today "Opportunity Knocks in Canada". The story discussed how the petro-rich province of Alberta is recruiting skilled Americans to work there.

The other side of the picture is that US-serving contact centers located there are closing, such as Convergys' shuttering of its Red Deer site because of the high Canadian dollar that is largely fueled by the resource sector that has made services less competitive.

At the same time despite the widespread investments in predominantly nearshore contact centers throughout Canada over the past 12 years, there has not been the rapid expansion in IT and the subsequent movement up the skills and technologies food chain on any signficant scale there like that which has occurred in Ireland and is now taking place in India.

That shift has enabled the Irish economy, once Europe's basket case, to shrug off the loss of contact centers as it becomes less competitive than that in other nations, with former contact agents have moved on to become IT developers and help desk specialists. India is taking the same route.

Canadians have lost the puck as it were on the great opportunity that contact centers have provided elsewhere in laying the basis of a strong high-tech economy, which overall has long been fairly dismal with the exceptions of a few bright lights like RIM, Nortel, Mitel, and CRM vendors like Maximizer.

For when the oil runs out, what else is there going to be left especially in Alberta? While there has been much talk and a few high profile projects on technology, Canada, especially the West, is still a nation that 'hews wood and draws water'.

While managing the SIP in the Contact Center Certification track at ITEXPO West yesterday I came across two excellent insights courtesy of the speakers and the attendees.

In a discussion following TDI CTO Mark Moore's session on enabling home-based agents arose the issue of how to manage bandwidth at home agents' premises, what with everyone else in the household tapping into wireless networks unbeknownst to the agents.

The concern is to make sure the demand on the pipe at home is not constricted to the point where agents cannot access applications they need. This can be an issue in many households, especially with teenagers...one that I will be looking into...and reporting back on.

I don't have that problem in my household as the cable feed, base set phones (we have IP for residential too as well as for my work) the wireless hub are in my office, and I know exactly how many devices are on it. It helps that my peak usage times (daytime) are not the same as other users: my wife and a tenant, both of whom are full-time students at a local college.

Bandwidth may be a major issue in whether the cable companies in particular, are keeping up their investments in the pipes with demand. That's the issue I have where I live. That too I'll be reviewing...

The second insight is from Brian Spencer, president of Oaisys. He made a very good point in that you don't have to be live with customers to give excellent customer service. That it is OK to look into matters and get back to them, and in doing so reviewing call recordings to make sure that every issue customers raised and the importance they have given to them by language and tone of voice are followed up on.

This too will be followed up on in future articles.

In every journalist's career one comes across a piece of research that makes one's head shake followed by a jaw drop and scream either silently or out loud if no one is around: "Are these people [fill in the blank] ???!!!"

The paper "Business as Usual? A Benchmarking Study of Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity for Contact Centers ", published by DMG Consulting and sponsored by Empirix shockingly shows, if the survey sample is any indication, just how badly prepared contact centers to handle something as relatively minor as an ACD failure, let alone managing catastrophes like fires up to major events like hurricanes and yes terrorism.

The study, appropriately enough, arrived on my desk days before the seventh anniversary of 9-11 and in the middle of what is turning out to be the deadliest and most destructive hurricane season in three years, with Ike now at this writing threatening to destroy the Texas coast...

Here are the highlights, if you can call it that:

* Less than 37 percent of companies are confident that their operations can withstand a disaster or business disruption

* 60.2 percent of firms are not routinely testing their core contact center infrastructure. This leaves them open to unexpected but avoidable failures

* Only 4.7 percent of firms test their disaster recovery/business continuity plans monthly, leaving 95.3 percent at risk of a serious meltdown in an emergency situation

* 20 percent of contact centers do not even have a disaster recovery plan

I've had a lifetime dealing with, preventing, preparing for, avoiding, responding, evacuating in advance of, and writing about disasters...including accidents, earthquakes, fires, storms (including tornadoes), and terrorism. I've been a security guard in factories, at construction sites, and offices. I've written about 'events' from building fires to the first World Trade Center bombing, along with stories and books on electrical safety.

And as yesterday's blog noted I witnessed and underwent the aftermath of 9-11...following my-then employer's disaster plan...carrying a brightly colored emergency pack with hardhat that it had supplied each of us but fortunately I did not have to use.

At the same time I've heard, and told the stories of how the staff at my last employer, a small-midsized teleservices firm survived--by way of solid planning and preparation-- through the hurricanes that ripped apart the Southeast in 2004 and 2005, maintaining contact with clients and their customers, and their employees through some horrific conditions. I was proud to have told that firm's story on its website, in news and features, and in sales materials because it showed a genuine commitment to ensuring safety and continuity.

There is, therefore from my experience and observation, no excuse other than sheer carelessness leading to negligence not to have a solid, tested, business continuity/disaster response plan. Firms that lack them are putting their employees' lives at risk along with their businesses. They are a needless part of the problem that professionals like my son, who is a paramedic and who is out there every day saving lives do not need when responding to emergencies.

I hope the DMG Consulting/Empirix paper shakes people up. If one more contact center decides to sit down and write or revamp their plans as a result of it then some good will have come. And at the end of the day that's all what matters.

There is a wealth of ways to find out and learn more about new products and services. The Internet has proven to be an exceptionally versatile channel for this information, with online demos and the ability to interact with suppliers.

Yet when all is said and done there is still nothing like going to a conference/trade show floor and checking out the solutions and the exhibitors one-on-one, face-to-face, to get realtime information and answers to your specific needs via your multitude of senses.

For those reasons I strongly encourage you to attend ITEXPO WEST and make time to visit the show floor to visit the exhibitors to see what's new and what will be new in the way of solutions that could help your organization be the best it can be. To learn more I invite you to peruse our Show Guide via TMC President and Group Editor-in-Chief Rich Tehrani's blog. You will find the Guide informative and enlightening that inspires you, like a good travel magazine...to get there and see for yourself.

One of the coolest aspects of ITEXPO WEST is TMC University. The reason: nothing beats testing and certification on hard topics to drive learning and retain information that you can use and impart to others when you return. TMC University, along with finding out about the latest in solutions, offers high ROI from attending ITEXPO WEST for both time and for travel budgets.

TMC University provides full day training courses that validate and test your knowledge of key subject areas such as Microsoft OCS, FMC/Mobility, SIP, SaaS, and SIP in the contact center.

I have been to and have been involved with countless conferences and trade shows in my career. And I've yet to come across a concept as unique and worth while as TMC University.

I'll be moderating a couple of lessons. I'll also be proctoring some of the exams. I'll see you in class and in the examination halls.

Good luck!

When heading off for the Labor Day weekend, think of the people who make it possible: those who work for you like your contact center agents and supervisors for whom Labor Day is a workday where they deliver the customer service that we all depend on.

And when thinking of your staff examine ways in which you can treat them better, so that they can become more productive and loyal that in turn leads to higher revenues, lower costs, and greater customer satisfaction. You may even be recognized by your peers for the results that you have achieved.

InfoCision has proven that looking after your staff pays off. As reported in a story on TMCnet, the teleservices firm was recognized as a finalist in the Employer Achievement category of the Health Care Heroes Award, presented by Crain's Cleveland Business. InfoCsion won the congrats for having implemented a company-wide, proactive health and wellness program that emphasizes individualized employee care and convenience yet at the fraction of the cost.

Not surprisingly, InfoCision has been and continues to be one of the highest quality contact center firms there is. It is the only company to win a Marketing Via Phone (MVP) Quality Award every year since the inception of the honor back in 1993.

InfoCision gets a big cheer from this corner for proving in contact centers, as well as in organizations in general, that doing the right thing by your staff is the best thing all around.

Personalization:Several notes from SpeechTEK, held earlier this week in New York City:

--The industry is waiting for 'G', as in 3G, to enable integrated voice/visual (web/video) solutions to mobile customers. These tools have been under development but have no real place to go in the North American market until the wireless carriers upgrade their platforms to permit these applications

--Legislation/regulations are affecting offerings. Handsfree wireless laws create a need for integrated voice/web interfaces. The new FTC TSR amendments prohibit outbound pre-recorded telemarketing messages unless there is express consent

--Personalization: the ability to engage automated systems with customers becoming extremely important to improve success rates, customer satisfaction rates, and sales

--Speech analytics becoming key as enterprises want to mine calls to learn more about their customers

--Call avoidance i.e. of calls made by and to live agents is becoming a key strategy of speech and CRM suppliers and teleservices agencies as it helps their clients reduce costs and improve service--and customer satisfaction/retention

--Concerns/questions about security of automated speech authentication with one hacker-come-security consultant who reportedly manipulated the application for a CEO's system to think it was the executive

--The Aumtech/Microsoft/JetBlue story is shaking up vendors in that space because of the pricing model; also anytime Microsoft shows a strong interest in a market there is concern by smaller firms of what could happen to them. At the same time there is interest by those suppliers who make applications using the engines in Microsoft's low-priced and rugged speech solution because it could help them cut their costs and become more competitive

--The show floor acoustics leave a lot to be desired: ironic for a speech event. The noise levels were so high that one could barely hear someone else speak. That and scarcity of seats forced private meetings to 2 to 3 floors away, which wastes time

--The speech and CRM mix appears awkward, especially the support, WFO, and HR aspects. The most forlorn booth: Kelly Services. It was really out of place, both marketwise and in location in a tech-oriented show. Yet Kelly addresses staffing needs: which are 70 percent of contact center costs: and why contact centers exist

--The most fun exhibits: ClickFox's energetic team of greeters at the entrance, and Nuance's Can't Stop Stupid Calls.

There are instances with technology where the right tools and the right players come together to kickstart it into high gear. Examples include Robert Stephenson and the steam locomotive, Thomas Edison with the electric light, Henry Ford and the automobile, Boeing with 707 jet airliner, and Bill Gates Jr. and the PC.

That instance may be happening right now, again with Mr. Gates but also with Aumtech and speech rec. Aumtech's new tool to connect its IVRs with Microsoft's powerful speech rec engines appear to make speech tools affordable, slicing per-seat licensing fees from $3,000 to $10.

I came away more convinced as ever of this after moderating last week's Webinar and case study with JetBlue, which led to this article on TMCnet.com titled 'Aumtech, with Help from Microsoft, Breaks Through Speech Rec Cost Barrier'.

Forget SpeechTek: the real big story is here.

Yes, the Microsoft speech rec needs some tweaks i.e. more languages. I'd like to see M/S subsidiary TellMe use it. Yet compared with the price, and the total cost of ownership benefits, these are minor quibbles.

I first wrote about speech rec in 1997 when I was with Call Center Magazine. I have watched and reported on the sometimes agonizingly slow progress of this technology to where it is now becoming successfully deployed in just enough consumer-facing applications to where we as consumers are becoming accustomed to talking with machines.

I could be wrong but what Aumtech and Microsoft have done is arguably the single most important development yet in speech rec: by putting together the tools that are there.

Speech recognition has long been a 'tomorrow' technology, promising the ability to deliver contact center functionality without having contact center agents delivering them, resulting in reduced transaction costs.

While the applications have reached a level that they are sufficiently rugged, user-friendly, and widespread to the point where they have trained us to speak to 'them', they have--until now--still been too expensive to be deployed outside of major and deep pocket enterprises.

Until now...that is.

There is a TMC webinar taking place Thursday August 14 at 1pm ET that will explain how JetBlue has sliced speech rec application costs to a fraction of what they are traditionally. The virtual event, sponsored by Aumtech, features speakers from JetBlue, Microsoft, and Aumtech.

I'm intrigued. I can't wait to moderate this webinar. I therefore urge everyone in the contact center business who has an hour available on Thursday to log in, listen in, follow the presentation, and then take part in the Q&A. Here's a link to the session and to register.

Hope you'll be on the call, and online.