AWS Deployment Check list!

January 28, 2019 1:56 PM

Why Consider AWS Connect?

Considering the build out of an AWS Connect Call Center?   You should be!  This cloud based, self service solution has significant competitive advantages over the existing mountain of virtual call center providers.   Some of these advantages are clear an unambiguous:

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The Cloud Call Center Problem Statement!

A very common call center requirement is the ability to route a call based on the DNIS number dialed.  This is simple enough when you have only a few DNIS numbers to manage, but consider this application:   Consider a central call center that provides centralized appointment scheduling for some 600+ medical offices.    The call center agents are required to answer an inbound call with a custom answer greeting that is based on the medical office that cares for that patient.   The solution in place today requires the cloud platform to have a unique DNIS for each of 600 medical offices. 

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AWS Connect – A Game Changer!

It has been almost a year since we first took a look at the AWS Connect Call Center service and what a year it has been.   Since it’s pubic release, AWS is most likely the fastest growing Call Center solution in the global market.   The reasons for this are clear and unmistakeable.   We think AWS Connect is a game changer!  

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How we first used EC2!

As a long time Contact Center custom software integration and scripting consultants, we long ago learned to use AWS if we want to get our projects completed on schedule and get paid!  Most scripting work in ShoreTel or CISCO Call Centers will typically involve using an external database.  During the requirements discovery we would highlight that we needed a SQL server,  OBDC connector, Active Directory Credentials and database testing maintenance windows.   The IT folks would then go into the vaudeville act of outlining the procurement and setup process and all the other project killing goodies that were housed across the server team, security and of the growing backlog in other projects.  

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AWS used to Build ShoreTel Connect

February 2, 2017 3:29 PM

Placing your ShoreTel HQ in the “cloud”?

Moving the ShoreTel HQ server to a data center with ShoreTel Support to increase system resiliency, reduce or eliminate down time and increasing overall recovery times has always been high on the check list for business continuity and disaster preparedness.    Our preferred “data center” however is Amazon Web Services, or AWS for short!   We have been deploying ShoreTel in AWS as a “private” cloud solution for some time and have several blogs on the subject. read more on Build ShoreTel Connect inside your own private Cloud using AWS!

ShoreTel (SHOR) Goes Private?

December 9, 2016 11:30 AM

“ShoreTel  (SHOR) is in final stages of rolling out ShoreTel Connect”. Who cares? Technology issues aside, ShoreTel remains dog meat in the financial markets. Since the company’s public offering in 2007, the stock has never sustained a price above the first day closing of $12.50, itself a modest premium over the offering price of $9.50 a share.

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Why use Shifts at all?

Most call centers have “on hours” and “off hours” that route callers to different options based on time of day and day of week.  ShoreTel ECC has a concept entitled SHIFTS.   Shifts have day types:  Weekday, Weekend and Holiday.    You  go to System Parameters in the Contact Center Director, then Schedules and the create a Shift.  

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Why Route by DNIS?

Routing by the number the caller dialed, or DNIS is the preferred routing strategy for any Call Center call flow.  Clearly you can assign a DID phone number to a specific call flow and anyone who knocks on that door is answered by the same group of agents.   It is much more efficient to grab the DNIS information, however, and use it to index a database to retrieve the call routing information.  In this way, we only need one door to the call center! 

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One of the most requested applications we are asked about ShoreTel, is the possibility of doing "interviews" and "Surveys".  The fact is, that it is very possible to do this on a ShoreTel.  You do not need the Enterprise Contact Center either, we can create this solution on the basic ShoreTel iPBX. Our engineers are well equipped ShoreTel Support.

In this application, the caller dials an extension or DID that terminates in a VXML type application.   They are greeted with a custom prompt and then asked a number of questions.  The answer to each question, punctuated by the # key, is recorded into a voice mail box.  

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Getting tired of the Browser Wars?

July 30, 2015 12:26 PM

As more and more applications become cloud based hosted solutions, the more urgent will your choice of Internet Browser become!  The desktop warfare, in our opinion, is really getting out of control!  You would think that you can use any browser for any website you want to surf, but such is not the case.  We recently made the mistake of trying to pay our Microsoft Office Online invoice while using a Firefox browser.  

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ShoreTel ECC "Sticky" Email?

May 19, 2015 7:23 PM

Call Centers had no sooner become “Contact” Centers  when multimedia “nice to have” features became “must have” requirements.   The more mobile the customer base, the more likely that they are on a smart phone and not sitting at a desk computer.   They want “contact” however they want to communicate.  That use to mean voice by telephone, but might now mean text, chat, email and now video! 

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A question that keeps coming up in the support ticket system is the subject of InGate and Session Border Controllers.  Folks want to know if you need a SBC to configure a SIP trunk.  Why not just use a Firewall?  Can you configure ShoreTel SIP trunks to work without a SBC?  Continue Reading...

WebRT Call Center Demo!

May 13, 2015 12:15 PM

What is a “peer to peer” call center?  The concept is a fully functioning call center that exists only in the internet browser of the workgroup agents and supervisor participating.  In fact, no telephone lines are needed, beyond the published customer service number.  There is no large internal LAN network.

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WebRTC Demo Call Center here!

March 27, 2015 4:01 PM

What is a “peer to peer” call center?  The concept is a fully functioning call center that exists only in the internet browser of the workgroup agents and supervisor participating.  In fact, no telephone lines are needed, beyond the published customer service number.  There is no large internal LAN network.

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Can I Text Your Call Center?

March 27, 2015 3:53 PM

Phone only ‘call centers’ have been rapidly replaced with ‘contact centers’ that can also handle email and chat communications.  Customers want more options for interacting with companies they buy products and services from.  Chat requires the customer to be at a computer and though email may be sent from a mobile phone, generally the sender is at a desktop.    In a wireless world in which every man, woman and child seems to wonder around with a ‘text’  or sms enabled device on their person, does it not make sense that they would want to text your call center?

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