Building the Right IP Call Center Strategy Joe McFadden Vice President, Marketing, Nuasis

IP Urban Legends Fact or Fiction? “Voice Quality is not Business Ready” VoIP on a managed network with QoS is business quality; VoIP on the open Internet may not be FictionFact “My network isn’t ready for VoIP” “VoIP solutions aren’t reliable” “VoIP solutions aren’t secure” Enterprise routers are typically enabled with QoS and only need to be configured for it The network needs to be reliable, but some VoIP applications can recover from network failures Security can be achieved – as part of an overall enterprise network security strategy

The Call Center is the Killer Application Improve customer service and reduce costs Customer Service Operating Costs  Customer access to the right agents anywhere  Labor costs and turnover continue to be priority issues  Productivity gains are increasingly difficult to achieve  Agent access to the right information for first contact resolution  Quick, consistent response levels for / web contacts as well as phone calls  Multiple systems and networks are cost prohibitive

Customer Response Management Integration of multiple customer service models Immediate Assistance Deferred Assistance Self- Service  Customer access to the right response channel  Agent access to the right information for first contact resolution  Response via phone, , web consistent with customer expectations  Drive customers to self- service to lower labor costs  Improve the productivity of agents providing live service  Reduce the cost of managing multiple customer service models

Traditional Call Center Model Vertical solutions - hardware centric - proprietary Proprietary Telephony Monolithic Proprietary Telephony Monolithic Generic Data Monolithic Generic Data Distributed IVRACDCTICRM Self-serviceCall RoutingDB AccessHelp desk,SFA Application Architecture Network HW Platform

ACD PSTN ACD Three-tier Call Center Telephony Network CTI Hardware and Middleware Voice Data Integration Center Internet WAN Web Collab CRM Database WAN Corporate LAN/WAN DSL WAN CRM Database Traditional Call Centers Two networks – phone centric and expensive

Hybrid-IP approach A point-to-point solution that is essentially an extension of the traditional circuit-switched infrastructure. It is classified as an IP offering through the addition of IP trunks and/or line cards. Two Approaches to IP Source: Datamonitor Pure-IP approach An end-to-end IP solution built from the ground up with the intent that the solution will be wholly IP-based. The technology enables intelligent routing and centralized management of multi-site centers, while facilitating multi-channel communications over the single corporate data network. IP link IP-enabled PBX/ACD PSTN Internet PSTN Internet IP Corporate data network Customer

ACD PSTN ACD Call Center Telephony Network CTI Hardware and Middleware Third Integration Layer Center Internet WAN Web Collab CRM Database WAN Corporate LAN/WAN DSL WAN CRM Database IP Network Infrastructure Migration to IP looks familiar ACD

IP Can Cut Operational Costs Cost reduction factors and potential savings Assumptions: three sites; 100 agents per site * Potential savings based on deployment of an IP contact center system, single IP network solution vs. two-network solutions IP network infrastructure migration factors Potential savings* Annual inter-site telephony charges Assume 3 T1s per 3 $1500 per T1 per month $ 162,000 Annual system administration Headcount reduction; centralized administration of 3 sites and fewer systems per site; $60K annual salary $ 120,000 Annual labor costs Assume $40K annual per agent; 15% labor reduction by networking multiple centers together $ 1,800,000 Annual support / maintenance / license contracts Compared against two-network systems with disparate media platforms, CTI hardware & software, duplicate site components. $ 80,000 CTI application deployments Hardware / software / professional services for CRM screen pop to agent desktop or intelligent call routing $ 750,000 ($250,000 per deployment) Annual CTI application agent productivity Assumes second reduced call times for 300 agents for 3 minute average call time. $ 1,200,000 Total Savings$ 282,000

HW Platform LayerGeneric servers, Linux, Windows, SNMP, UPS Network LayerIP, ATM, frame, QoS, RSVP, multiple routes, TDM Architecture LayerVoiceXML, VoIP, SIP, XML, SOAP, ODBC/JDBC Application LayerSelf-service, contact routing and queuing, SFA, help desk, analytics, ERP Business Unit Business & IT IT The Horizontal Call Center Model Software centric – better fit for new service models VoIP enables the new software-only, horizontal application deployment model

Internet WAN CRM Database Corporate LAN/WAN DSL WAN IP Contact Center & IVR Single Network IP Architecture Software application architecture simplifies the model WAN  Phone, , web on one platform  CRM integration within hours vs. weeks or months  Agents anywhere  Multi-site management  Single point of admin across multiple sites  Consolidated reporting for all sites and all media PSTN

IP Applications Offer More Application migration yields largest savings Assumptions: three sites; 100 agents per site * Potential savings based on deployment of an IP contact center system, single IP network solution vs. two-network solutions IP network infrastructure and IP application migration factors Potential savings* Annual inter-site telephony charges Assume 3 T1s per 3 $1500 per T1 per month $ 162,000 Annual system administration Headcount reduction; centralized administration of 3 sites and fewer systems per site; $60K annual salary $ 120,000 Annual labor costs Assume $40K annual per agent; 15% labor reduction by networking multiple centers together $ 1,800,000 Annual support / maintenance / license contracts Compared against two-network systems with disparate media platforms, CTI hardware & software, duplicate site components. $ 80,000 CTI application deployments Hardware / software / professional services for CRM screen pop to agent desktop or intelligent call routing $ 750,000 ($250,000 per deployment) Annual CTI application agent productivity Assumes second reduced call times for 300 agents for 3 minute average call time. $ 1,200,000 Total Savings$ 4,112,000

Convert TDM transport to VoIP Preserves investment in TDM investments Lowers the cost of telephony transport Lowers the cost of systems administration Software-only IP contact center Fast, low cost deployment of CTI apps Simplified channel integration (VoIP) Distributed multi-site routing (servers / software) Lower TCO Lowers the cost of telephony transport Leverages investment in existing CRM integrations Migration Paths Where to deploy each solution Develop a migration strategy based on TDM investment and the operational benefits Application Layer Network Infrastructure Layer

Creating a Migration Plan Considerations Business readiness for delivery of a “consistent customer experience” Network readiness for voice and critical CRM applications Pure IP solution (application) vs. hybrid IP (infrastructure) Ease of integration to enterprise applications (cost of CTI) Complexity of user interface for agents and administrators Mission critical system reliability

How Do I Get Started? Migration typically begins with an initiative Business initiatives o Improved customer service o Consistent customer experience o Multiple media channels (voice, , Web, etc.) o Linking multiple sites Disaster recovery Line of business visibility o Decrease operations costs Outsourcing Offshoring Technology initiatives o Move beyond PBX call routing o ACD replacement o IVR application o CTI Project (Screen Pop) o VoIP

Where Would I Start? What drives the decisions? Application migration o Move a line of business that needs automation o Move a functional group that needs continuity across locations o Move an internal functional group e.g. help desk Technology migration o ACD replacement at a site o CTI Project (Screen Pop) at a site o Replace inter-site trunking with VoIP

Making the Transformation Sample Checklist Clearly define your strategy o Match your business strategy, technology strategy, culture, existing infrastructure, etc. o Select the approach that fits your environment Understand mission critical nature of contact centers Prepare for change o IT/Telecom o Business Ops Collaborate in planning, design, implementation, and support Assess and design network infrastructure (LAN/WAN)

Next Steps Take action based on what you have heard Determine how IP can make an impact for you Business process strategy o Budgeted projects o ROI Technology strategy o Architecture o Migration strategy Investigation o Network readiness o VoIP system reliability o VoIP system quality