Industry News

July/August 2009

Medical Call Center Newsletter Launched

The premier issue of Medical Call Center News was recently published and is now available online.  The contents include:

• Is Your Medical Call Center a Strategic Weapon?

• Increase Employee Retention by Giving Them a Dose of Nurses' Medicine

• The Real Question about the Economic Crisis

• SDC Solutions Acquired by Amcom Software

• Rein In Runaway Health Care Costs

• DIA Launches Online Career Center

• New Service Launched to Pharmaceutical Industry

The e-newsletter is scheduled to be produced six times a year.  "This will provide another communication vehicle to offer valuable and timely information to those in medical call centers and the telehealth industry," said publisher Peter DeHaan.

Medical Call Center News is available at no cost to anyone in the medical call center and telehealth industry.  It can also be viewed online.  Medical Call Center News is published by Peter DeHaan Publishing Inc. in conjunction with Connections Magazine and AnswerStat magazine.

Interested individuals may subscribe to receive future issues and view the premier issue at www.medicalcallcenternews.com.

Startel Receives ATSI Switch Certification

Startel was awarded the ATSI Industry Standards Switch Certification.  Dennis O'Hara, outgoing ATSI president, presented the award to Dan Feis and Steve Newell of Startel during the ATSI awards dinner. 

"We are extremely excited to receive this certification," stated Dan Feis, Startel director of sales and marketing.  "The ATSI Industry Standards Switch Certification validates the accuracy of the statistics and reports provided by our technology.  It also provides credibility and a differentiator for our clients when they are selling their services."

ATSI's goal in developing this certification is to define and establish a core set of metrics that are universally accepted and adhered to by the vendors who support ATSI members.  By developing this set of metrics, ATSI hopes that their members will be able to better compete for contracts and utilize a consistent set of terminology when communicating across platforms and vendors.  Nine metrics make up ATSI's Standards Performance Measurements.  In order to facilitate these standards, Startel integrated these measurements into their system.

Startel is one of two vendors to have earned the certification, with Telescan being the other.

For more information, contact Startel at 800-782-7835 or sales@startelcorp.com.

OnviSource Introduces Net Zero Solution for System Upgrades

OnviSource announced their new Net Zero Solutions package, which is a combination of free telecom consulting services yielding potential monthly savings, a special offer to upgrade from a legacy system to OnviSource's latest call center technology, OnviCenter 6, and attractive monthly financing.  Net Zero Solutions can enable some telemessaging call centers to upgrade their legacy systems to the latest technology with net zero monthly cost, while enjoying new opportunities to expand revenues and optimize operations.

Assessment of user requirements and a telecom billing audit is the first part of Net Zero Solutions.  Audits - which ensure that call centers aren't paying unnecessary fees and secure the best rates possible - have resulted in reduced telecom service rates that offset the cost to upgrade to a new system.

Qualified customers can procure specially discounted OnviCenter 6 systems, offsetting monthly lease payments with their monthly telecom savings; leasing is available through a trusted financing institution.  OnviCenter 6 delivers the latest technologies in teleservices, workforce optimization, and agent-scripting automation, as well as the capability to offer order-processing fulfillment and inbound-outbound campaign management.

For more information, contact Deborah Cromwell at 800-311-3025 or deborah.cromwell@onvisource.com.

Professional Teledata Client Goes Home with Cash

Kathleen Freeman of Advance Communications was the winner of Professional Teledata's "Unlock Trapped Profitability" contest held at the ATSI convention.  Professional Teledata introduced the contest to illustrate how users of PInnacle Freedom, a fully hosted software solution, can free themselves of the burden of hardware and more importantly, improve cash flow.  Freeman's guess that $209 was trapped in the box was the closest to the actual amount of $223, and she was delighted to take home the cash.

"I was so excited when my name was announced!  We've been a client of Professional Teledata for twenty-three years.  I really just took a wild guess and was thrilled to learn that I'd be going home with a little more than I came here with." 

"Our concept was quite simple," stated Pat Kalik, vice president of Professional Teledata.  "We really wanted to have a little fun with it and give show attendees an opportunity to win cash.  We thought it would be a better alternative to the traditional handouts at trade shows and felt that it really related to the product much better."

For more information, contact the sales team at 800-344-9944 or sales@proteledata.com.

Voicenation Chooses TASterix

Voicenation, a leading provider of Virtual PBX solutions, chose TASterix due to advanced feature set, flexibility, and "openness."  Voicenation currently supports tens of thousands of small- to medium-sized businesses, as well as Fortune 500 clientele.

"We're excited to implement TASterix as the platform for our answering services division.  It's obvious this solution was developed by a team who truly knows this industry, and we appreciate the ‘common sense' approach," stated Jay Reeder, founder and CEO of Voicenation.  "There isn't anything these guys didn't think of.  If we want to do something out of the ordinary, we have the ability to extend or enhance the TASterix solution because it is based on the open source Asterisk switch." 

"Having Voicenation on board immediately brings validity to our solution.  They are a carrier grade Virtual PBX provider with an advanced understanding of software development," stated Vince McGlone, CEO of TASterix.  "We are excited to be pioneers piercing this industry with a breath of fresh air from a cost and custom development standpoint, and Voicenation will help TASterix drive the ‘openness' message."

Martha Mina Becomes First ATSI Certified Agent of the Year

Martha Mina, of Focus Comm Centers, was chosen as the first ever ATSI Certified Agent of the Year.  Martha, hired in July 1990, has been an exceptional employee, quickly moving up within the company and spending eight years as supervisor.  In 1998, she decided to lessen her work responsibilities and stepped back to agent status.

Martha is meticulous in her message taking and devotes 100 percent attention to her callers.  "She has been our yearly Top Op four out of five years," stated Donna West, president of Focus.  "And she has scored 100 percent on numerous Award of Excellence and Award of Distinction calls since we have been taking part in the programs.  In her nearly nineteen years of being employed by our company, there is nothing that we have ever asked of Martha that she has been unwilling to do."

"Martha is punctual, dependable, and willingly works overtime, and she changes shifts to accommodate our needs," West continued.  "She is a leader, a mentor, and is always upbeat.  People try to live up to her expectations of them.  I'm thrilled for Martha; there could not be a more deserving person."

ATA Expands Philanthropic Initiative through Call Centers CARE

ATA's (the American Teleservices Association) Call Centers CARE activities commenced last year with a partnership with Habitat for Humanity of San Antonio.  This year, attendees of the recent ATA Washington Summit gathered to volunteer their time in support of two local Washington, DC, organizations: Thrive DC, a homeless service center, and DC Central Kitchen, a community kitchen that provides more than 4,500 meals a day.

Contact center professionals in ATA chapters across the United States actively contribute to numerous charitable causes of their choice.  On a national level, the association makes available various organized philanthropic efforts to further demonstrate that professionals in the teleservices industry contribute in a personal way and serve as good community partners.

"I am proud of the professionals in our industry who make an effort to have a positive, professional, and personal impact on the lives of others," said Tim Searcy, ATA CEO.  "Many members who attend the chapter and the national events participate in the Call Centers CARE activities because they allow them to make significant contributions while volunteering alongside other contact center professionals."

For more information, contact ATA director of member services, Lisa Nye Ford at 317-816-9336.

CAM-X Partners with TwoGreySuites

CAM-X (the Canadian Call Management Association) recently launched a partnership with TwoGreySuites (formerly BottomlineHR).  The partnership gives CAM-X members exclusive access to all the tools, information, and hands-on assistance needed to effectively manage staff located in Canada and the United States. 

TwoGreySuites provides 24/7 access to the HR Power Centre, where CAM-X members can find the most extensive data bank of HR resources available anywhere.  Also available is a human resources hotline for members should they have emergencies or difficult people issues.  No other service offers an HR hotline.

"CAM-X is proud to provide its members with this extremely valuable service.  It's like having a VP of HR at their fingertips," stated CAM-X president Mary Anne Straw. 

For any additional information about this new member service, contact Linda Osip, at the CAM-X office at 800-896-1054 or linda@camx.ca.

IVR Market to Grow to $2.7 billion by 2011

DMG Consulting LLC published its inaugural Hosted/Managed Service IVR Market Report.  This comprehensive report notes that the recession has sped up the pace of adoption and infused momentum into the hosted/managed service IVR market.  After years of relative quiet, the IVR market is growing rapidly based on the strength of new applications, rapid deployments, and product innovation from a range of highly competitive hosted/managed service providers. 

DMG projects a four-year compound annual growth rate of 13.4 percent for the hosted/managed-inbound IVR sector and 18.7 percent for the outbound IVR segment.  Sales of premise-based IVR solutions are expected to decline over the same period. 

"Self-service IVR solutions are important for enterprises in good times and become critical when budgets are tight, because they are highly effective in automating interactions that do not require the cognitive capabilities of live agents," said Donna Fluss, president of DMG Consulting. 

The report provides in-depth coverage of seven leading hosted/managed service providers and addresses all of the other competitors in this sector. 

To learn more or order the report, contact Deborah Navarra at 516-628-1098 or deborah.navarra@dmgconsult.com.  

TeamSNUG Enters into Agreement with Telesoft Systems

TeamSNUG (the Startel National Users Group) has entered into a vendor member discount agreement with TeleSoft Systems to utilize its Service Personnel Appraisal System's (SPAS) Call Center Agent Pre-employment Screening Software.  Michelle Weiss, director of business development for Cosmopolitan Medical Communications and TeamSNUG education chair, said, "The SPAS has assisted us in making more educated hiring decisions through providing more insight about our applicants.  In turn, this has reduced the amount of wasted dollars in bad hires and resulted in stronger employee retention, which improves the quality of service our clients receive.  I was pleased to be able to assist in bringing this product to TeamSNUG members."

"I believe our agreement will introduce more SNUG members to the SPAS software, which will in turn allow them to hire the right people the first time," said David Filwood, principal of TeleSoft Systems, "thereby giving them the best opportunity to provide the quality of service their clients demand."

Hudson Valley Answering Service and Answerphone of Jacksonville Sold

TAS Marketing announced the successful sale of two telecommunication businesses that were recently listed.  The first business was Hudson Valley Answering Service located in Poughkeepsie, New York, owned by Dominic and Sharon Gallo.  "The Gallo's were very satisfied with the sale as negotiations were made and equipment was purchased to enable the buyer to accept a few large accounts that were using radios," said TAS Marketing's Steve Michaels.  The buyers, Dick Gore and his daughter Julie Mooney with Berkshire Communications located in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, have taken over the operation and "found it to be an excellent acquisition for their future growth."

The second transaction was Answerphone, Inc. located in Jacksonville, Florida, owned by Vicki Leonard.  This sale was to Sunshine Communication Services, Inc., owned by Peter and Andy Gross out of Coral Gables, Florida.  "Peter found it helpful that the management would stay with the business and that they were on the same equipment platform," Michaels summarized.  Both transactions were complete within sixty days.

For more information, contact Steve Michaels at TAS Marketing at 800-369-6126 or tas@tasmarketing.com.