How To Improve Call Center Productivity with VoIP Solutions

VoIP or Voice over Internet Protocol is making a huge impact on the business and call center industries today. Companies no longer have to wait for phone jacks, equipment and hardware setup. VoIP business phone systems use the Internet for phone calling, video conferencing and conference calling. VoIP has actually changed the way call centers and businesses operate. Call centers these days are not simply taking customer service calls anymore. They are looking for more ideal ways to add more efficiency and productivity into their offices. Below are ways that VoIP can improve your call center.

Reduced Costs

It can be quite expensive to operate a call center. From office equipment to paying out salaries, handling a call center can become a very costly endeavor. By switching to VoIP services over standard phone services, costs can be reduced significantly.

Combine All Business Functions

VoIP solutions provide overall complete office communication systems for companies and their communications by including voicemail, fax, email and phone calls. Business infrastructure expenses are reduced greatly by allowing both data and voice communications of one network. Regardless of the call center size, VoIP services integrate different IP functionality like call redialing, call forwarding, caller ID, text messaging and more under the same platform.

Eliminate Long Distance Costs

Since VoIP calls come through the Internet, long distance calls are not a worry any longer. In some cases, long distance calls can be made for free depending on the provider and others come at reduced costs. Some providers provide you with the ability to select between domestic and international plans so you are able to cater to your customers calling area.

No geographical constraints

These services that are provided in a newer call center allow employees to benefit from the scalability feature. Employees are able to work anywhere and also have to freedom to relocate and still be backed with job security due to these innovative services. Also, productivity is increased in centers due to having the ability to hire globally.

Telecommute

Call centers can now create a network of telecommuting workers whether they are stay at home mothers, students, disabled workers or others simply by implementing VoIP. Workers can now work from their homes and still have access to all the call center features like call tracking and customer information. Companies can lower their costs to run a call center by tapping into cost effective labor.

Speedy System Updates

Updates and upgrades can be automatically set and controlled in the "cloud" rather than actual hardware for virtual call centers. Instant updates will minimize call center operation delays and will provide a more customer centered focus.

Flexible/Customized Solutions

Some VoIP service providers will even customize a package to fit your business needs. As more businesses require more tools for effective operation, providers that offer open source software will provide easier ways to integrate newer features with older ones which will shed valuable time.

VoIP systems are the perfect application for businesses and call centers since they provide seamless connectivity. Employees will feel more at ease and comfortable using this type of service.

This is a guest post from Stella Wilson, who writes about the telecommunications industry with an emphasis on VoIP, Cloud Telephony, and business phone systems

Samsung unveils Galaxy S III Challenge iPhone

Samsung Electronics unveiled its latest hand-held weapon in its war against Apple a smartphone dubbed Galaxy S III that is lighter and thinner than the iPhone despite having a screen nearly twice as large.

The S III, with voice command, will go on sale in Europe at the end of this month and in the United States and other countries this summer. The company did not offer pricing information or disclose which U.S. carriers would offer the phone, which will run on 4G wireless networks.

Samsung is hoping the new phone will help it leapfrog Apple. During the first quarter of this year, Apple accounted for 29 percent of U.S. smartphones sold, while Samsung was close behind at 24 percent, according to figures released this week by NPD Group, a market research firm. Some analysts believe that Samsung sold more devices than Apple around the world from January to March.

Smartphone observers have attributed Samsung's success to the growing prepaid-phone market, in which consumers can buy lower-cost handsets without a contract, paying for a limited period of service in advance. Samsung accounted for 4 in 10 prepaid smartphones sold in the U.S. during the first quarter.

For its new phone, Samsung took a page from Apple's voice-controlled phone helper, Siri, saying the S III "has the enhanced intelligence to make everyday life easier," including a front-facing camera that will signal the phone to keep its screen bright if it detects that the user is reading or browsing the Internet.

The "S-Voice" feature, like Siri, allows users to dictate emails and text messages, issue voice commands to play songs, and even tell the alarm to "snooze."

The features will be powered by a souped-up internal computer with four internal processors, called a quad core; most other smartphones including the iPhone still have only two cores. The phone will have an 8-megapixel camera and a 1.9-megapixel front-facing camera, and will run the latest version of Google's Android mobile operating system, known as Ice Cream Sandwich.

BY: DAVID SARNO