Industry News

January/February 2008

Professional Teledata Announces Multisite Licensing for PInnacle

Professional Teledata announced optimized multi-site configurations for its PInnacle Telemessaging System.  A multi-site license allows several sites to share a single telephony installation and server-based database.  Remote sites consisting of only agent workstations can operate as complete, independent operations or dynamically share operational and dispatch responsibilities.  For example, sites can handle their respective first and second shift calls and reassign all third shift calls to a single, designated centralized site.

The benefits include:

• Operation of multiple sites or groups of agents as separate entities, each with their own assigned accounts, dispatchers, and procedures

• Reallocation of traffic and dispatching assignments from site to site on an automatic or manual basis

• Migration of individual accounts from site to site as required

• Maintenance of global management functions across all sites simultaneously

"As the industry experiences continued consolidation and absorption of geographically distant services into single operations, a new paradigm or business model is emerging," said Allen Kalik, president.  "PInnacle's multisite license eliminates the duplication of costly, unnecessary equipment and capacity, yet it maximizes the allocation of human resources."

For more information, visit www.professionalteledata.com or contact Karen Black at 800-344-9944 x112 or kblack@proteledata.com.

Topics Announced for ATSI's Owner's Forum

Two "mega" topics are planned for the Second Annual ATSI Owner's Forum next month at the ACE Conference Center in Lafayette Hill, Pennsylvania, January 21-23, 2008.  Headliners committed to the program are Verne Harnish ("The Growth Guy") and the Internet marketing team of Susan and Jim McCrossin.

Harnish is a frequent columnist and a contributing editor for Fortune Small Business Magazine.  The McCrossins have individually spent twenty-five years developing Information Technology (IT) systems and products and being involved in the development and management of IT related businesses.

The first day will be devoted entirely to effective strategies for understanding, developing, and growing attendees' businesses; the focus will be on how to develop the habits necessary to dramatically improve key areas of their business, their people, their processes, and their performance.  Attendees are serious about these areas, and Verne Harnish will provide the input to meet these challenges.

The second day focuses on everything needed to effectively use the Web to advertise business.  Whether it's search engine optimization, link building, analytics, Web 2.0, or putting it all together, Sue and Jim McCrossin will provide the answers.

For more information, visit www.atsi.org or call 866-896-2874.

Alston Tascom's Hosted System Continues to Make Advances

Alston Tascom's hosted Evolution system is now processing over 65,000 calls a week.  Six different companies subscribe to their hosted system, two of which are inputting data.  Subscribers include sites without offices and a site with agents in different states.  Alston Tascom's hosted system allows teleservice companies to be the experts in their operation and leave the technology Alston Tascom. 

Additionally, during the month of December, Alston Tascom signed up the seventh company to enjoy the benefits of the hosted Evolution system.  "We are growing, and we've found a way for our customers to make more money with less headaches," said Alston Tascom's Wayne Scaggs.  "Another recent accomplishment has been to connect agents in the Philippines to the hosted system to provide overflow and backup agents for the companies using our hosted system.  The agents can fill in the gaps during the day or work the midnight shift.  The hosted Evolution system provides telemessaging services to anyone, anywhere, anytime with an adequate broadband connection."

For more information, call 866-282-7266 Wayne Scaggs at Alston Tascom or visit www.alstontascom.com.

Amtelco to Provide Advanced Training at Conference

Amtelco will provide educational presentations during the upcoming NAEO conference to be held in Savannah, Georgia, on February 3-6, 2008.  Amtelco's lineup includes:

• Sunday, Feb. 3, 1:00–4:00 p.m.: Amtelco University – Gary Kerner and Susan Kirkpatrick present the latest "Work Smarter, Not Harder" tips and tricks.  Attendees will learn the best ways to tap into the power of Infinity and IS.

• Monday, Feb. 4, 1:00–2:30 p.m.: Infinity Intelligent Series, Version 5.5

• Tuesday, Feb. 5, 9:15–10:45 a.m.: Kevin Beale presents the latest innovations in Infinity software, version 5.5

• Tuesday, Feb. 5, 1:00 – 3:00 p.m.: Basic and Advanced Intelligent Series Workshop

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

Elaine McMaster Joins Startel as VP of R&D

Startel Corporation is pleased to announce that Elaine McMaster has joined the company as the vice president of research and development.

Elaine brings with her a wide range of experience and almost twenty years in telecommunications and other high-tech industries.  During her career, she has managed information technology departments of all sizes and has extensive knowledge of software development, project management, call center design and implementation, strategic development, and database administration.

Alice Reuter, acting president of Startel, comments, "We are delighted to have found an individual of Elaine's caliber to lead our R&D department's efforts into the future.  Elaine's background in both technology and business will allow her to make tremendous contributions to Startel."

Elaine adds, "I am very excited to have joined Startel and look forward to the possibilities and challenges that lie ahead.  I am a strong believer in soliciting customer input and incorporating it into our design and development efforts.  Startel has a long history of providing great products and call center solutions, and I am pleased to be part of carrying this tradition forward."  

Please visit Startel's Web site at www.startelcorp.com.

ATSI Recertifies Focus Comm Centers

Association of Teleservices International (ATSI) announced that Focus Comm Centers has recertified for the Gold 24/7 Call Center Certification Award after originally qualifying November 2004.  Donna West, president of Focus Comm Centers and an industry leader in quality education training products, said, "I am delighted that this certification product is available along with other with the other ATSI products that help to demonstrate a standard of quality to our clients and industry as a whole."

The certification indicates that Focus Comm Centers has met or exceeded high standards in the following areas: business practices, life safety, and operations, including normal and emergency procedures, personnel hiring, training, and ongoing evaluations through a peer review program focusing on a 99.9% annual run time.

Visit ATSI at www.atsi.org and Focus Comm Centers at www.focustele.com. 

CAM-X 2008 Coaching Clinics Planned

The Canadian Call Management Association, CAM-X, will hold their Call Centre Coaching Clinics in Toronto, Ontario April 18-19, 2008 and in Calgary, Alberta May 2-3, 2008.  The two-day seminars will reinforce the importance of the leadership role of supervisory personnel.

In 2007, CAM-X launched CSR and supervisor certification at their coaching clinics with tremendous success.  This year's clinics return to the more traditional style program; however, they will include breakout sessions on both days to accommodate delegates who wish to undergo CSR and supervisor certification. 

The schedule of events will include the following sessions: 

• Performance management

• Leadership from within

• The leadership revolution at work

Networking opportunities will include the ever-popular roundtable discussions and an off-site evening to allow the delegates to relax and get to know one another in a more informal setting.  The Call Centre Coaching Clinics are an ideal resource for supervisors, managers, and team leads.  These two-day sessions are available for both CAM-X members and nonmembers. 

CAM-X (www.camx.ca) is a Canadian-based trade association for the call management industry.  For more information, contact Linda Osip, executive director, at 1-800-896-1054 or linda@camx.ca.

Startel Announces New Eastern Area Sales Manager

Startel Corporation is proud to announce Steve Newell as their new eastern area sales manager; Steve will report to Dan Feis, director of sales.  Steve will be based in Atlanta, and in his new role he will focus on formulating solutions for our existing and potential new customers in the eastern United States.

"Steve has extensive industry experience working for a variety of value-added resellers, and his background aligns very well with Startel's portfolio and strategic direction," said Dan.  "His proven record of success selling PBX, ACD, IVR, VoIP, and voicemail products based on a variety of vendor platforms positions him well to bring significant value to our customers."

"I am extremely excited to be representing Startel, the leader in call center technology.  I look forward to strategizing with our clients to optimize their business platforms by utilizing Startel's robust CMC suite of products."

For more information about Startel, contact Steve directly at 678-376-1312 or visit www.startelcorp.com.

ATA Joins the American Red Cross to Aid the Dominican Republic

The American Teleservices Association (ATA) announced that it will partner with the American Red Cross to aid victims of Hurricane Noel in the Dominican Republic.  Tim Searcy, chief executive officer of the ATA, stated, "This is the first time the ATA has enlisted its entire membership in a disaster relief effort."  The ATA is reaching out to its 500 members to provide assistance, as it has had a long-standing relationship with many businesses in the Dominican Republic.

The ATA sought the help of the American Red Cross, who responds to over 70,000 disasters annually.  The core of Red Cross disaster relief is the assistance given to individuals and families affected by disaster to enable them to resume their normal daily activities independently. 

Additionally, several of the ATA chapters are incorporating these relief efforts into their local events to assist those in need.  By raising awareness and educating their members, both the ATA and the American Red Cross aim to help the residents of the Dominican Republic rebuild their lives in the wake of Hurricane Noel.

Visit the ATA at www.ATAconnect.org.

Keith Altman Joins Call Compliance as VP of Sales and Marketing

Call Compliance, Inc., a provider of Do Not Call compliance solutions, announced that Keith Altman joined the company as its vice president of sales and marketing.  Keith will be responsible for driving growth for their portfolio of services designed to ensure that enterprises remain compliant with federal and state DNC regulations.

Mr. Altman is an experienced sales and marketing executive with a solid track record of successfully building and structuring organizations and increasing revenue and profitability.

"We are excited to have Keith join and complement our team of industry leaders.  CCI has an aggressive customer acquisition plan as we move into the new year, and Keith's breadth of experience will be invaluable in helping the company achieve its goals," says Dean Garfinkel, CEO.

For more information about Call Compliance, Inc., visit www.callcompliance.com or call 888-674-6774.

West Switches to Employee Model

West Corporation today announced that its work-at-home agent service has changed from a contractor model to an employee model.  The move was triggered by clients' expressed need for strong agent management, including continual coaching, feedback, and extensive quality monitoring.

The employee model allows West to enhance the quality of its workforce by holding its at-home employees to a much higher standard and by providing more comprehensive training and ongoing quality reviews.  Many of the former independent contractors used by West have now been hired as employees of West at Home®.  By tapping into this large pool of existing talent, West at Home has been able to ensure staffing flexibility while experiencing no change in ramp-up time.

"This change ensures that we can provide a quality service for the demanding needs of our clients, which can best be achieved through the use of at-home employees," said Mark Lavin, president of operator teleservices at West Corporation.

Founded in 1986 and headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, West has a team of 37,000 employees based in North America, Europe, and Asia.  For more information, visit www.west.com.

Virtual-Agent Services Continues to Expand

Virtual-Agent Services (VAS), an Illinois-based contact center, established its twenty-first center in the village of Plaster Rock, New Brunswick, Canada.  The additional jobs created in Plaster Rock will add to the VAS workforce of over 1,400 team members globally.

Business New Brunswick Minister Greg Byrne was joined at last week's announcement by Néri Basque, VAS executive vice president of IT and strategic development.  "Our government is proud to continue our support for VAS, as it grows and creates even more job opportunities for New Brunswickers," Byrne said.  "This company is just one of the many success stories in our customer contact center industry, an industry which employs more than 21,000 New Brunswickers."

"Our growth is a testimony to the quality service our agents are providing every day to our growing customer base," Basque added.

Visit Virtual-Agent Services at www.vagent.com.

Noble Announces Amcat Acquisition

Noble Systems^® Corporation announced that it has acquired AMCAT^™, AMCAT UK LTD, and AMCAT Germany GmbH.  As a combined entity, Noble Systems/AMCAT represents benefits to the client base of both organizations.  James K. Noble, Jr., president and CEO of Noble Systems, said, "We are delighted with this acquisition; it represents our continuing corporate strategy to grow our business and give maximum benefit to our stakeholders.  We see the synergies of the combined companies as a major benefit for both AMCAT clients and Noble Systems' clients, and we plan to pass on these benefits as soon as possible."

For more information on Noble Systems, contact Lee Allum at 888-866-2538 or visit www.noblesys.com; for more information on AMCAT, visit www.amcat.com or call 800-364-5518.