Industry News

December 2007

OnviSource Unveils OnviCenter 6

OnviSource, Inc. announced the rollout of OnviCenter 6, a next-generation contact center software solution offering a series of workforce optimization (WFO) tools, contact center business applications, and agent desktop automation.  OnviCenter 6 also supports the distribution and management of calls and customer transactions among distributed call centers, remote agents, and virtual enterprise environments.

"Today's call centers are faced with achieving conflicting objectives, ranging from improved customer satisfaction to increased productivity and revenue growth," said Ray S. Naeini, chairman and CEO of OnviSource.  "In the process of meeting such objectives, call center managers are continually challenged with balancing labor costs and agent productivity with customer satisfaction; integrating different products from multiple vendors; as well as effectively handling distributed call centers and remote agents – a growing trend in today's call center industry."

"The time is right for a paradigm shift in the way we offer solutions to this industry," Naeini explained.  "The best solution for today's call center is far from the traditional approaches.  The time is right for a highly affordable, virtualized, and fully integrated WFO software solution, offered with a unified and automated agent desktop."

Amtelco's Infinity Provides High Reliability

Amtelco's Infinity is providing call centers with unprecedented levels of system availability.  Many Infinity users, including Medical City Dallas Answering Service in Dallas, TX and Medical Exchange in Merrillville, IN, have gone over a year without having to restart the system.  That equals 100 percent uptime, with uptime over the life of the system over 99.99 percent.

Today, business continuity efforts at many call centers are shifting from recovery mode to resilience.  Proactive business continuity assures that the system will not go down and disrupt business.  It also supports customer satisfaction by ensuring information integrity.

Amtelco consistently anticipates the rapidly changing business environment to ensure that the system, which is the backbone of the business, is protected and always running.  With Amtelco's Five Star Service, call center owners and managers have peace of mind knowing that their business will operate continuously and seamlessly and that the system infrastructure is delivering value to their clients.

Call centers can use the proven record of accomplishment of the Infinity system stability in their marketing campaigns to demonstrate their reliability to prospective clients and increase client satisfaction.

For more information about Amtelco's Infinity, contact Amtelco at 800-356-9148 or email info@amtelco.com.

ATA Supports FTC Director Testimony on DNC

In a Capitol Hill testimony, The Federal Trade Commission's (FTC) Bureau of Consumer Protection director Lydia Parnes touched on the Do Not Call (DNC) Reauthorization Act.  If passed, this bill would make the DNC Registry permanent.  Ms. Parnes testified that the FTC will not remove any telephone numbers from the DNC Registry until Congress passes a bill to make the DNC Registry permanent or the FTC passes a rulemaking on the topic. 

Tim Searcy, the chief executive officer of the American Teleservices Association (ATA), said, "We would be in support of a permanent Registry if we had the assurance that it is being appropriately updated.  We would encourage the FTC or Congress to require phone companies to provide a record of all disconnected numbers so they can be removed from the DNC – making the list more accurate." 

Searcy continued, "Until that happens, we support the extension of the current list."

Currently, the DNC Registry is set on a five-year cycle, expiring after five years to allow the FTC to properly cleanse the registry and to provide consumers the opportunity to reconsider their registration.

The ATA can be reached at 317-816-9336.

Telescan Releases Software Updates R2-2007

In October, Telescan released the second biannual software update for 2007.  The update included an enhancement made to the Spectrum Data Manager that allows various management level reports to be generated and printed from the agent station.  These reports include finding accounts with undelivered messages, an active message report that shows undelivered and/or delivered messages for a particular account for a particular date range, and an operator activity report that facilitates the analysis of operator performance. 

Another enhancement in this release is added flexibility in the distribution of transmitted messages.  "This new feature will allow, for example, a message to be emailed to a cell phone automatically as it is taken, but later to be emailed at a scheduled time to a different email box.  Telescan's Spectrum system provides even further possibilities in message transmission for our customers," said Patty Anderson, Telescan's director of sales and marketing.

To find out more, call Patty Anderson, director of sales and marketing, at 314-616-2445.

CAM-X Surpasses $100,000 for Breast Cancer Research

CAM-X raised over $21,000 for Breast Cancer research during the 43^rd Annual Convention and Silent Auction held in St. John's, NL on Oct 16-19, 2007.  This brings their four-year total to $103,000.

The silent auction for breast cancer research was such a success last year that it was decided to maintain the same format for this year's annual convention and trade show.  It was also felt that because breast cancer is such a relevant and significant cause, efforts again should be targeted towards this charity.  The silent auction was held in conjunction with a Charity Casino night. 

This year, CAM-X challenged members to raise money for the cause within their own offices.  An amazing $5,644 was raised by the staff at Answer 1 of Phoenix, AZ, Northern Communication of Sudbury, ON, Telelink Call Centre of St. John's, NL, and T.A.S. Communications of Belleville, ON. 

"CAM-X Members and Vendors continue to amaze us.  We have raised over $103,000 in support of this worthy cause.  Our members are generous and bighearted." said CAM-X executive director Linda Osip.

Professional Teledata's Jim Graham Addresses International Conference

Professional Teledata announced that Jim Graham, the company's vice president of software development spoke at the 4th Xbase++ Developer's Conference in Berlin, Federal Republic of Germany, November 14-16, 2007.  The conference was sponsored by Alaska Software Technology AG of Germany.

Jim addressed incorporating Xbase++ generated software code in various application products, as well as efficient integration into software products addressing vertical markets.  Jim said, "Xbase++ proved to be a powerful and efficient tool when Professional Teledata migrated their products from a DOS to a Windows platform.  The company developed close working relationships with Alaska Software and several independent contractors during the transition period.  We are pleased and honored for this opportunity to contribute to the success of their conference."

Based in Frankfurt, Germany, Alaska Software markets flexible, scalable software development tools for migration of enterprise-wide data processing infrastructures to future-oriented systems and platforms.

For more information about Professional Teledata, contact Karen Black at 800-344-9944 x112 or kblack@proteledata.com. 

American Telemedicine Association to Address Call Centers at Annual Meeting

At the American Telemedicine Association's 2008 annual meeting and convention there will be a special one-day event to specifically address the "The Role of Call Centers in Telemedicine."  It will be cosponsored with AnswerStat magazine (sister publication to Connections Magazine).  This unprecedented session will provide call centers with ideas, insights, and input on expanding their offerings to encompass medical call center services, including telephone triage.  This can allow them to diversify and more fully utilize their existing infrastructure.

Most speakers have been confirmed for the following topics:

• The Right Way to Call Center Management
• Home-Based Agents: An Answer to Staff Shortages
• Quality, Accuracy, and Consistency
• HIPAA in Your Call Center
• More Than an Answering Service
• Cost Center or Profit Center: Getting Paid for What You Do

Billed as "The World's Largest Scientific Meeting and Trade Show Focusing Exclusively on Telemedicine," the 2008 event will be held at the Washington State Convention and Trade Center in Seattle, WA on April 6-8, 2008.  Over 2,000 attendees are expected.

For more information, contact the ATA at 202-223-3333 or info@americantelemed.org.

Dominican Call Centers to Create 250,000 Jobs in Next Seven Years

In the next seven years call centers in Dominican Republic will generate some 250,000 jobs, said Investment and Export Center (CEI-RD) director Eddy Martinez, citing a study by the U.S.-based company Huwer.  The study found that the country has the conditions necessary to continue attracting not only an increasing number of U.S. companies interested in that type of service outside its territory, but also similar ones from Spain, Martinez said.

He added that this will prompt Dominican Republic to not only continue promoting the training of young people in English, but also to implement programs in schools and universities to improve their Spanish.  The new jobs would come in two phases: the government has set out to create 100,000 jobs for 2010, and the rest would be completed by 2014.  This will benefit the Dominican economy, "because we are not only speaking of creating more jobs, but better, higher-paying jobs on average than those we have had up until now," Martinez concluded.

Telelink Wins Award for Ethics

Congratulations go out to Telelink Call Centre of St. John's, NL for winning the 2007 Tom Ryan Award for Ethics, Integrity, and Quality Above All.  This honor was accepted by Cindy Roma and Sydney Ryan at the 43^rd Annual CAM-X Convention and Trade Show held recently in St. John's, NL.

The coveted Tom Ryan Award is presented annually in memory of one of the Telephone Answering Service/Contact Centre's most ardent advocates, Tom Ryan - a pioneer of the telephone messaging industry.  This industry-specific award pays homage to companies that exhibit quality service while adhering to a mandate based on commitment to ethics and integrity above all else.  (Pictured left to right are Cindy Roma, Barbara Ryan and Sydney Ryan.)

Also taken into consideration is a company's overall dedication to maintaining a cohesive working environment, practicing ongoing internal and external customer service initiatives, and continuous involvement in industry and community programs.  

Spanlink to Spinoff Calabrio

Spanlink Communications has spun off its Calabrio Software division.  Calabrio, Inc. will operate as a separate, independent company focusing directly on the development and distribution of customer interaction and workforce optimization software for IP-based contact centers.  The new company will start out with 500,000 installed desktops and will maintain the OEM relationship with Cisco.  Spanlink will maintain its focus on selling, delivering, and supporting unified communications solutions. 

The separation, which was approved by Spanlink's board, was completed November 1, 2007.  Spanlink founder Brett Shockley will continue as chief executive officer and president of Spanlink Communications.  Paul Lidsky, Spanlink's former chief operating officer, has assumed the role of chief executive officer and president for Calabrio, Inc. 

"Since we announced the Calabrio Software division in February, both organizations have been executing on a plan to thrive as separate entities," said Shockley.  "As intended, forming the two entities has allowed each to respond more effectively to the needs of customers, channels, and partners.  We see this spin-off as the next logical step in allowing both organizations to realize their full potential." 

iQor Wins Training Award

iQor, Inc. (formerly IRMC), providers of call center services, was awarded the prestigious American Society of Training and Development (ASTD) BEST Award for its creative, results-driven training programs.  iQor joins some of the best-known brand names in business from the United States, India, and South Africa.

"World-class training for our employees is a centerpiece of our pledge to our clients, and the ASTD award is a terrific testimony to our efforts," said Vikas Kapoor, president and CEO of iQor.  "We are currently making a substantial investment in growing our talent base, and we are launching some very innovative new programs which we hope will take our talent development practices to a whole new level."

"BEST Award winners set the standard for exceptional practices in learning, and demonstrate that a skilled workforce is vital to achieving business results," added Tony Bingham, ASTD president and CEO.

Established in 2003, the ASTD BEST Awards recognize organizations that are BEST at Building talent, Enterprise-wide, Supported by the organization's leaders, and fostering a Thorough learning culture.

DialAmerica Turns Fifty; Unveils New Brand Image

DialAmerica is celebrating its fiftieth year by refreshing its brand image.  At an anniversary celebration at their headquarters, the company unveiled its new logo, a vibrant image that expresses a combination of new technology and nautical navigation, demonstrating the firm's commitment to confidently sail into a new future for the teleservices industry.

The nautical imagery also provides the theme for the company's new brochure, which includes capability inserts on six vertical industries, including healthcare, financial services, communications, energy, B-to-B, and cause-related marketing.

"We have reinvented our brand identity on the occasion of our anniversary because we believe in the power and strength of this industry," said Art Conway, president and CEO of DialAmerica.  "After fifty years in the business, we are excited to navigate into the future, embracing the changes of tomorrow."

To receive a copy of the new brochure, contact 800-913-3331.

Merrill Shulman and Don Swift Inducted into CAM-X Hall of Fame

Congratulations go to Merrill Shulman and Don Swift on their inductions into the 2007 CAM-X Hall of Fame.  The presentations took place at the gala banquet held in conjunction with CAM-X's 43^rd Convention and Trade Show held recently in St. John's, NL.

Merrill was nominated for this prestigious honor by Gary Pudles (AnswerNet Network – Willow Grove, PA), who also presented a brief biography and an inspiring tribute to the long-time industry leader.  Don Swift was nominated by Paul Lloyd (Answer Plus – Toronto) and Doug Swift (Tigertel/UTR – Mississauga).  Paul and Doug presented a touching overview of Don's many accomplishments during his years in the industry.

The CAM-X Hall of Fame was established by the Canadian Call Management Association in 2001 in order to recognize dynamic individuals whose leadership has contributed to the evolution of the call center industry.

CAM-X is a Canadian-based trade association for the call management industry.

Endicott Acquires Central Voice from TRG International

Endicott Comm Inc announced the acquisition of Central Voice LLC, a division of TRG International for $7.8 million dollars.  Central Voice is a multilocation telemessaging business headquartered in Ocean, NJ with over 3,800 clients.

"This acquisition is strategic to our growth plan and provides Endicott with a solid base of clients," said Randy Harmat, Endicott's CEO.  "The combination of the client base, operating locations nationwide, solid management team, and standardized operations provide Endicott with a great company to continue its growth plan."

"Our transition plan will focus on our service offerings, ensuring that all operational employees are retained," stated Thomas Halton, president of Endicott Comm Inc.  "Our employees have been and will continue to be our key asset.  Endicott will continue to be an active participant in the acquisition market, and this will ensure our ability to achieve our growth goals."

For additional information on Endicott, call Thomas Halton at 856-869-7800.

St. Louis Welcomes TUNe

The annual Telescan Users Network (TUNe) meeting was held on November 8 and 9 at Harrah's Hotel & Casino in St. Louis, Missouri.  "This year's meeting had an impressive turnout, with the highest attendance it has had in the last ten years," said TUNe president, Tim Neville of StatCall in Alexandria, VA.  "A large part of that is due to the fact that most of Telescan's users were excited to learn about all of the new features for the upcoming year."

Bob Vornberg, Telescan's director of product development, gave the attendees a look at the future of Telescan by conducting demonstrations of several new features currently in development.

Patty Anderson, Telescan's director of sales and marketing, gave an informative presentation entitled, "How to Make Money with Your Spectrum System."  She also passed out demo-versions of Telescan's software.

To find out more about Telescan and TUNe, call Patty Anderson, director of sales and marketing at 314-616-2445.