Telescan News

Telescan designs hardware and software solutions for the telemessaging industry, call centers, and answering services. Spectrum by Telescan is powered by the Spectrum Prism digital switching platform. Spectrum provides all the latest TAS technology including: Voice over IP, CTI (Computer Telephony Integration), ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network) and IVR (Interactive Voice Response).

Under the leadership of President Roger Young, Telescan's commitment to lead the industry in new technology is stronger than ever. They are committed to developing new products for TAS businesses and staying ahead of the technology demands of TAS clients. They have continued to introduce a stream of new products that will help TAS businesses be more efficient and profitable like: Spectrum VMail, Spectrum IVR, and Spectrum Data Manager.

In March of 2003, Telescan acquired Axon Communications.  AXON Telemessaging Systems combine high quality and superior performance and incorporate incoming call identification, call and agent transaction record-keeping, full management, and a variety of automatic message dispatching features.

To find out more about Telescan, call Patty Anderson, director of sales and marketing, at 314-616-2445.  Also, look at the Telescan newsfeed for the latest updates and check out Telescan podcasts.

Telescan Unveils New Products (December 2011)

Telescan unveiled several new products at this year’s TUNe meeting to a record-setting attendance. Two new programs are Telescan’s Spectrum Messenger IPhone App and Telescan’s Business Continuity program. The latter is a disaster-hosted program available to all Telescan Platform users. Information was also shared on Telescan’s latest two non-platform specific programs: Appointment Scheduler and Virtual Observer, a screen-logging software.

Roger Young, Telescan president, said, “Telescan always looks forward to this conference. Our interaction with TUNe makes us a better company.” One of the main objectives of the conference was to provide technical updates, stat reviews, and marketing ideas from Telescan.

Robbie Parnell, TUNe president, added that the meeting “was a good, productive, and festive conference for all who attended. We’re already looking forward to the next TUNe meeting in St. Louis.”

“This year’s TUNe meeting was a great success,” concluded Patty Anderson, Telescan’s director of sales and marketing. “I’m looking forward to 2012. The future of Telescan is very exciting.”

Telescan Rolls Out Spectrum Appointment Scheduler (June 2011)

Telescan recently introduced their new Spectrum Appointment Scheduler, a Web-based program that helps teleservice customers organize their business schedules and staff availability, and also allows call centers to make appointments 24/7.  The appointment scheduling product does not have a monthly fee. 

“Our Appointment Scheduler is not only easy to use, but saves money,” said Patty Anderson, Telescan’s director of sales and marketing.  “With Spectrum Appointment Scheduler we’ve eliminated the per-schedule cost by developing a scheduling program with a one-time purchase price.  This will bring back the profit in appointment scheduling.”

The Telescan’s Spectrum Appointment Scheduler:

• Allows agents to take appointment requests 24/7

• Maintains the customer database 

• Improves schedule utilization and avoids overbooking

• Cancels and modifies appointments easily

• Minimizes no-shows with email appointment reminders

Disaster Hosted Service from Telescan (June 2011)

With hurricanes, earthquakes, tsunamis, floods, and the recent rash of tornados, every call center is concerned about their ability to continue to function after a disaster.  Telescan has introduced a new disaster hosted service program to keep their users running, no matter what disaster might hit.  Telescan will have a hosted bank of users’ servers secured in a safe place.  In the event that one of Telescan’s users experience a disaster that takes down their equipment, they will be able to forward calls to the Telescan server and continue to operate, taking calls from the remote line with uninterrupted service. 

Patty Anderson, Telescan’s director of sales and marketing, said, “Our users are understandably concerned and want to be proactive and prepared to keep their businesses running no matter what might happen.  We know disasters can strike anywhere, so we developed the best possible disaster preparedness program.  We will now have PRIs available in the event one of our customers experiences an outage due to a natural disaster that takes down their equipment.  We can’t prevent disasters, but we can keep our customers running.”

Harold Holmes Joins Telescan (December 2010)

Harold Holmes has joined Telescan as an applications programmer.  Holmes comes from Lincoln Beach Software, where he served as lead programmer for thirteen years.  Holmes created dozens of retail products for Web developers and consumers.  His products have won many awards, and he has been recognized by industry leaders for his innovativeness.  Among Holmes' many accomplishments is the development of the industry standard Portable Application Description (PAD) system that is used by developers worldwide to disseminate information about their software to vendors.  Recognizing his contributions to the industry, Holmes was inducted into the Association of Software Professionals Hall of Fame in 2008.

"Harold brings unique expertise to the Telescan development team," said Patty Anderson, Telescan's director of sales and marketing.  "He will help Telescan remain an industry leader in technology by developing core products to meet the needs of the twenty-first century."

Telescan Completes Level 2 Technical Certification (November 2010)

Seven Telescan users recently completed the first ever level 2 technical certification on Telescan equipment.  The five-day training was sponsored jointly by Telescan and TUNe and held in St. Louis.  Receiving the certification was Robbie Parnell, Chris and Debbie Bibber, Becky Retherford, Tom Slye, Chris Stauch, and Kelby Carlson.

"This was very intense training," said Debbie Bibber.  "Attendees learned about telephony and how to deal with the phone company, wiring, and everything about our hardware and software.  I thought the Level 1 training was helpful, but this program gave us enough technical knowledge to disassemble a system and reassemble it again."

Patty Anderson, Telescan's director of sales and marketing, said, "We plan on providing Level 1 certification at least twice a year and Level 2 certification at least once a year.  It is our goal to have one Level 2 person at each Telescan user company.  To encourage certification, we are offering a discount on customer service for users with a Level 2 person on staff."  Telescan hopes to add a lab component to future Level 2 training.

Telescan Joins with CenturiSoft to Introduce Two-Way Voice Messaging (March 2010)

Telescan has introduced the integration of automatic message delivery notification between Centuri Messenger and Telescan's Spectrum.  This jointly developed software integration allows the Centuri to notify Spectrum of the delivery of a message with a date and time stamp.  This new feature eliminates the need for call center agents to periodically check for message delivery, saving time and improving accuracy.

Marcy Hewlett, president of A Better Connection, says that her company was the test site for the new Telescan/CenturiSoft integration.  She said, "The marriage of Telescan's Spectrum with CenturiSoft's Centuri Messenger has been a blessing for us.  The automatic filing of messages that have been taken by our operators and delivered to our clients via voice dispatching has given both our clients and our dispatchers peace of mind."

"We are excited to have Telescan further leverage the capabilities of the Centuri Messenger," stated John Pope, president of CenturiSoft.  "Now our clients who own both CenturiSoft and Spectrum will benefit from this partnership with increased accuracy and saving time every day." 

Telescan's Alert Response Becomes Alert MD (October 2009)

When Carolyn's Communications, Inc. was alerted to an opportunity from one of their biggest clients, they turned to Telescan to help turn the opportunity into new business.  The result was a new software program from Telescan, Alert MD.

A large pediatric client was concerned about their inability to handle the volume of business-hour calls, so they contacted Carolyn's Communications for help, who then turned to Telescan.  The solution Telescan designed has become their newest product, Alert MD.  When a patient is on hold for more than two minutes at a doctor's office, the call will automatically be transferred to Carolyn's Communications.  The caller's information is fed into the new interactive Web program, Alert MD, where it is separated into departments such as triage or appointments.  Alert MD automatically forwards the information directly to the appropriate department.  This intuitive Web interface can even track a call and its response.

"With Alert MD, we were able to save our client from hiring two or three additional staffers and at the same time improve patient care," said Kim Cotner of Carolyn's Communications, Inc., located in Snellville, Georgia.

Telescan Introduces Live Video Monitoring  (September 2009)

At this year's ATSI Convention, Telescan introduced new live video monitoring.  An addition to Telescan's popular Spectrum Messenger, this innovation allows managers to monitor up to six locations at the same time.  Using either a local LAN or remotely, Spectrum video monitoring allows call centers to monitor any location anywhere in the world, as long as there is a Web camera and Internet access. 

Telescan's Spectrum Messenger is a desktop-to-desktop real-time communications tool that is platform independent and has a full range of creative options.  It is compatible with any Windows platform and will operate on any TCP/IP-based local area network using IBM-compatible hardware.  The new live video monitoring component gives call centers another tool to manage more effectively and efficiently.  For instance, video monitoring can be used to monitor remote agents to ensure HIPAA compliance. 

Patty Anderson, Telescan's director of sales, said, "The new Spectrum Messenger video monitoring is an example of how Telescan has adapted and evolved our products around industry needs.  We are continuing to work on more new products with real-world application that will make life easier for our industry."

Telescan Rescues Funeral Home Clients  (September 2009)

Any telemessaging business that serves funeral home clients knows how time-consuming it is to update obituaries and memorials; it is also costly for clients.  Telescan has introduced a new software program, Spectrum Funeral Home Manager, that will change that.  The new software allows funeral homes' staff to login and edit their message, adding necessary information on services and memorials.  This will reduce errors and make the call information more accurate by allowing funeral home staff to key in the pertinent information. 

"This program was developed to allow Telescan users to offer improved services to their funeral home customers, while also reducing the cost to these customers," said Patty Anderson, Telescan's director of sales.  "We are always listening to our users and developing new products that help their businesses and their clients.  This is one example of a product that came from our users' ‘wish list.'"

Telescan Receives First ATSI Industry Standards Certification (June 2009)

ATSI (Association of TelesServices International) announced that Telescan is the first vendor to be certified under their Industry Standards Certification program.  Telescan's Prism switch and Telescan's Data Manager both have been certified.

ATSI's goal in developing this certification process is to define and establish a core set of metrics that are universally accepted and adhered to by the vendors who support ATSI members.  ATSI hopes that by developing such a set of metrics their members will be able to compete for contracts via a leveled playing field 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, Telescan has integrated these measurements into their system.  "By incorporating these nine ATSI metrics into our standard reports, we feel we have made the testing and standard comparisons easier for users," said Patty Anderson, director of sales and marketing.  "Telescan applauds ATSI's effort in establishing a uniform measure of testing for industry vendors.  We hope it will make vendor comparisons easier."

TUNe Hires Executive Director (April 2009)

Debbie Bibber, president of the Telescan Users Network (TUNe) announced the board's decision to retain the services of Dan L'Heureux as executive director.  "I know we can make TUNe an excellent organization, "said Bibber, "and we are pleased to have been able to get Dan to help us.  For many years," she continued, "TUNe has been run by volunteers, and while that has gotten us to where we are, it's time to move forward.  Our board made the decision based on various board members' positive experiences in working with L'Heureux on other organization boards and his willingness to be flexible to our needs."

TUNe is a user's group for telemessaging call center owners that utilize the Telescan systems.  Telescan, LLC, is based in St Louis and designs hardware and software solutions for the telemessaging industry, call centers, and answering services.

TUNe's annual meeting will be held in St. Louis September 9-11, 2009 at the Lumiere Place Hotel and Casino. 

Telescan Adds CenturiSoft Voicemail (Jan 09)

Telescan is now offering CenturiSoft voicemail systems for new and existing users.  CenturiSoft, a California based company, is an industry leader known for its feature-rich voice messaging system.

The addition of CenturiSoft will give Telescan users an intelligent sharing of telephony resources between pure voicemail and traditional call center functions.  For instance, voicemail applications can use Telescan's Prism switch to access out-dial paths using Prism's least-cost-routing tables.  These outbound paths, as well as inbound call paths, can be shared with live-agent applications for significant cost savings.

"We are always searching for new ideas to help our users," said Patty Anderson, Telescan's director of sales and marketing.  "We have added CenturiSoft because we want them to have the best possible system and one that integrates completely with our Spectrum system."

Telescan Offers ATSI Benefits to New Users (Jan 09)

For a limited time, Telescan will be offering a free one-year membership to ATSI with the purchase of a Spectrum system.  In addition, Telescan will also be giving new users the ATSI Marketing Toolkit.

The ATSI Marketing Toolkit was designed to provide telemessaging businesses with effective marketing options and strategies designed to help their business grow.  The toolkit includes templates for direct mail, postcards, print ads, and presentations folders.

 "We wanted to give new users something that will boost their business," said Patty Anderson, director of sales and marketing, "and we think ATSI membership and the Marketing Toolkit can do just that.  I don't know that any other company has ever made this offer."

Telescan's Spectrum Messenger's User Profiles and SMS Text Messaging (Nov 08)

Telescan has released the latest Spectrum Messenger with its new user profile and SMS text messaging features.  These software enhancements are available to all Telescan and Messenger customers with the customer support program.

User profiles can be created for each recipient in the messenger client program, including a photo, phone number list, email address, and other facts about that user.

The Spectrum Messenger also allows for two-way SMS text messaging to cell phones and is capable of interfacing with any telemessaging platform via a wireless modem or through a SMS service provider.  Messenger's SMS text messaging offers auto-segmentation of long messages, replies from cell phones back to the sender through a custom SMS ID that distinguishes them from other senders, full logging capabilities, and integration with Telescan's Spectrum data manager.

"Telescan is excited to bring these enhancements to our users," said Patty Anderson, Telescan's director of sales and marketing.  "We offer many features and enhancements as part of our customer support program.  Telescan will continue to develop software that will benefit the entire industry."

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

Telescan Adds More Staff to Their Support Services Department (Nov 08)

Telescan has recently added two more people to their growing staff.  "The continued addition of our new employees displays Telescan's striving dedication to improve our service to all of our customers," said Patty Anderson, Telescan's director of sales and marketing.  "That's our goal - to provide the best customer service in the industry."

The Telescan IT department recently added Victor Kelley as the new technical support services specialist.  Victor brings his expert skills, broad experience, and innovative ideas to the designing, building, and maintaining of Telescan equipment, as well as assisting Telescan and Axon customers with hardware support.

The customer service department is happy to add a new member, Angela Warren, to its staff.  Angela pulls double duty as a technical support services specialist and a trainer for Telescan. 

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

Telescan's Prism Switch Integrates with CenturiSoft Voicemail System (Oct 08)

Telescan announced the integration of their patented Spectrum Prism Digital Switch and the CenturiSoft Unified Communications System.  This blended approach of technologies provides more flexibility for telemessaging businesses that require more advanced call routing features such as follow-me, find-me, and time of day call routing.  The integration of both the Prism Digital Switch and the CenturiSoft voicemail system offers a cost-effective pass-through connection to the telephone network, using fewer ports, saving potentially thousands, and equipping Telescan users with more sophisticated call routing solutions for their clients.

"We finished testing the integration between the Telescan and the CenturiSoft Unified Communications System," reported John Robinson, president of Answering Service Inc. of Southfield, MI.  "I'm happy to say that everything works just like it should.  John Jones (of Telescan) did a splendid job of tweaking the software.  John Pope (of CenturiSoft) and John Jones got this done in record time.  This kind of service is what brought ASI to Telescan.  I want to thank Telescan and CenturiSoft for a job well done."

Telescan's Spectrum SMS Server Software (May 08)

Telescan recently released their new Spectrum SMS server software, available to all Telescan customers with the Spectrum Data Manager (SDM) customer support program.  The Spectrum SMS server is also capable of interfacing with any platform via its integral email-to-SMS gateway.  Features include:

• Two-way SMS text messaging to cell phones via wireless modem

• Auto-segmentation of long messages

• Group transmission to multiple recipients

• Expandable support for up to six concurrent modems

• Real-time display showing job and modem status for all channels

• Full logging capabilities, allowing manual review and retransmission of any job

• Email-to-SMS gateway for third-party systems (both POP3 and SMTP)

• Seamless integration with Telescan's Spectrum Data Manager

"Telescan is excited to bring this enhancement to our users," said Patty Anderson, Telescan's director of sales and marketing.  "We offer many features and enhancements as part of our customer support program, including the SMS server software that works with any TAS platform.  Telescan will continue to develop software that will benefit the entire industry."

Telescan Adds Staff to Support Services Department (Mar 08)

Telescan has recently added two new people to their growing staff to compensate for record sales this year.  "The continued addition of new employees displays Telescan's striving dedication to improve our service to all of our customers," said Patty Anderson, Telescan's director of sales and marketing.  "Our goal is to provide the best customer service in the industry."

The Telescan IT department recently hired Bob Zoellner as the new director of support services.  Bob manages the technical support, procurement, inventory, shipping and receiving, customer service, and training departments as well as designs and builds equipment and assists Telescan and Axon customers with hardware support.  Bob has many years experience and certifications in network engineering, information technology, process reengineering, system architecture, and business resumption planning.

The customer service department's newest member is Kelly Duncan.  Kelly pulls double duty as an administrative assistant and receptionist for Telescan.  Kelly has several years experience working in customer service, with certifications in both customer service and business administration.

Telescan Releases Software Updates R2-2007 (Dec 07)

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.

Telescan Announces First Annual Spectrum Messenger Users Meeting (Nov 07)

Telescan conducted its first annual Spectrum Messenger users meeting on September 23, 2007 in the Parker Palm Springs Hotel in Palm Springs, California, prior to the opening reception of the WSTA conference.  It was a successful first meeting with approximately twenty enthusiastic users in attendance; many ideas were exchanged.

Users learned about Spectrum Messenger and some of its new features which have not yet been released, including the desktop activity monitor, which allows management to visually monitor any desktop that is using Spectrum Messenger from anywhere in the world.  "Spectrum Messenger is much more than your average ‘chat' or ‘IM' program," said Patty Anderson, Telescan's director of sales and marketing.  "It also allows the user to define their agent, supervisor, and other group capabilities that will streamline its operation to custom-fit business needs."

Telescan Has Record Sales - Adds More Service Staff (Nov 07)

Telescan has recently added two more people.  "The addition of our new employees demonstrates Telescan's continued commitment to provide the best customer service in the industry," said Patty Anderson, Telescan's director of sales and marketing. "As our sales levels continue to break records, we will continue to add service people."

The Telescan IT department recently added Jeremy Ezell as its newest technical support specialist to assist Telescan and Axon customers with hardware support and provide technical expertise with equipment builds.

The training department's newest technical trainer is Rob Noel.  Rob will be providing technical training and cut-over installation support to all of Telescan's customers.  Rob has extensive credentials in both technical consulting and technical training. 

Telescan's Remote Agent Station Continues to Shine (Oct 07)

Telescan's remote agent station facilitates call center growth through the expansion of underutilized labor resources, while at the same time optimizing that work force to its fullest potentiality.  Telescan's remote agent solution is readily accessible, with little cost and setup required.

"Telescan's remote agent capabilities have been invaluable to our business," said president Marcy Hewlett of A Better Connection/Arizona Physicians' Exchange in Phoenix, AZ.  "This technology has given us the ability to expand into nationally based markets while continuing to maintain a local presence in those markets, tap into a national labor pool that has unusual longevity and is seldom tardy or absent, and enabled client-based growth with no increase in the size of our physical location."

"Bottom line, the Telescan Spectrum and remote agents have had a direct effect on our growth, increased profitability, and continued success."  A Better Connection is the winner of ATSI's Gold 24/7 Call Center Certification Award and Arizona Small Business Associations' "Top Arizona Companies to Watch."

Telescan Expands Customer Service (Jul 07)

Telescan has recently added Michelle (Chelle) Conway to their customer service department.  In addition to her customer service responsibilities, Chelle will coordinate new installations to insure the highest level of customer satisfaction.

Chelle comes to Telescan with an extensive background in the telecommunications industry.  She has worked as a project coordinator for several telecommunication companies and has WAN and LAN experience in programming languages applicable to voice and data communications, as well as personal computers.

"The addition of Chelle demonstrates Telescan's continued commitment to provide the best customer service in the industry," said Patty Anderson, Telescan's director of sales and marketing.  "As our sales levels continue to break records, we will continue to add service people."

Telescan Unveils Royalty-Free Music-On-Hold (May 07)

Telescan recently announced a new royalty-free collection of Music-On-Hold (MOH) files which can be used exclusively with Spectrum Prism.  This gives users more options to offer their clients, including music and/or recorded messages on a customized schedule.  The Spectrum Prism allows up to eight different music files to be stored--five of which contain Telescan's royalty-free MOH files, leaving the other three for customization so users can offer their clients a variety of music styles and/or artists.  Spectrum Prism also allows users to record their client's personal on-hold message.  It will alternate the music and message(s) in a variety of patterns selected by the client.  Announcements can be scheduled for each account to be activated at different times of the day or on a calendar schedule.

Telescan has licensed this royalty-free collection of MOH to be used in conjunction with Spectrum Prism; it is not meant to be used for any other purpose.  There are no royalties required as long as the music files are used for their intended purpose. 

Telescan's Patty Anderson Takes on Marketing (May 07)

Telescan announced that Patty Anderson, director of sales, has become director of sales and marketing.  Patty is no stranger to marketing.  During the 90s she helped Mail Boxes Etc. with their marketing and started her own chain of mail and packaging stores in 1980, which she franchised around the country.  Patty was instrumental in developing Telescan's new marketing campaign for 2007, "Building Your Future Together."

"The right marketing campaign and the right image are critical for business success," said Anderson.  "I am excited about this new responsibility.  This gives me the opportunity to make sure sales and marketing are well coordinated."

Patty is a member of eWomenNetwork and a past member of National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO).  She is a mentor in St. Louis City schools and volunteers with Habitat for Humanity and the Ronald McDonald House.

Telescan Posts Record First Quarter; Expands Support Staff (Apr 07)

Telescan announced that first quarter sales for 2007 had exceeded predictions by 50%, giving them a record first quarter; this record was accomplished in just the first two months of 2007.  To meet the rapid sales growth, the company announced it will be hiring two new customer support agents.

"Providing customer support that is second-to-none is the first priority of every employee at Telescan," said Patty Anderson, Telescan's director of sales.  "Meeting our customers' needs and exceeding their expectations is a big part of Telescan's success.  This philosophy will keep Telescan growing."

Building on their goal of superior service and support, Telescan hosted a free training seminar in March in Houston, Texas.  The theme of the seminar was "Building Blocks to Success."  The seminar included workshops on scripting design and management training as well as creative approaches to maximizing productivity and profit for a telemessaging business.

Telescan's Releases Script Designer (Apr 07)

Telescan has released its first scheduled system update for 2007 for the Spectrum System.  The update includes Telescan's new scripting capability, featuring the Script Designer, a visual interface for creating and testing scripts.

Among many other enhancements, this update includes a feature for distributing client-generated email to agents as an "inbound message," offering further alternatives for client-service interaction.

Telescan Adds E-mail Feature (Mar 07)

Telescan released a new feature for its Spectrum System that allows a user's client to send e-mail directly to the Spectrum agent desktop.  Telescan's Spectrum communications server retrieves and filters all such inbound mail according to parameters established in its configuration table, accepting only valid client mail for processing.

The text of the inbound e-mail is transformed into a message ticket and is presented to an available agent for handling based on routing criteria established by the system administrator.  The agent can take follow-up action on the inbound message based either on the message content or on account-specific parameters.

Telescan Integrates Voice and Text Messages (Mar 07)

Telescan announced an enhancement to its Spectrum information server that integrates voice and text retrieval of messages.  When used in tandem with Telescan's Spectrum VMail, Spectrum information server allows Web access to both the text and live recording of messages.  Retrieval of either form of the message over the Web will automatically mark the message as accepted and delivered to the client, thereby minimizing agent involvement in the delivery and dispatch process.

In addition to the ability to retrieve messages from the Web, clients can also use the Spectrum information server's Web interface to create an inbound message for the call center.  The Web-generated message is converted into a message ticket and presented to an available agent for handling based on routing criteria established by the system administrator. 

Access to the Spectrum information server is browser-based and supports a custom interface for use on mobile devices.

Telescan Releases Software Updates R2-2006 (Jan 07)

In December, Telescan released the second yearly software updates for 2006.  Twice a year, Telescan provides software updates for all of the system owners that subscribe to the Customer Support Agreement.  Whether it is with their senior EarthNet System users or their newest Spectrum System users, all members of the "Customer Support Telescan Family" benefit from these latest software enhancements that keep their call centers current and competitive.

This update includes an enhancement made to the Spectrum Data Manager that allows dispatching by Client Class.  This feature is especially beneficial in accommodating multiple-office environments.  Another highlighted improvement is the addition of new format codes supported by the email server.  "These new codes provide more flexibility for our customers in delivering critical information to their clients," said Bob Vornberg, Telescan's director of product development.

Telescan Launches New website (Jan 07)

In December, Telescan launched a new website reflecting the marketing themes for 2006: "The Future of Your Business" and "Take a Closer Look at Telescan."  The new site also features Telescan's new literature with a downloadable information page on each of Telescan's products. 

One of the key changes in this website is the incorporation of Axon into the Telescan site.  Since Telescan acquired Axon in 2003, they have maintained their own website.  The Axon product information is fully integrated into the new Telescan website.  Interested companies can now find all the information on both products in one place. 

Telescan has also included more user assistance into the new site with the addition of manual and remote support.  "We are constantly searching for ways to better serve our users," said Nicholas J.  Naimo, Telescan's General Manager.  This new site provides several user tools that will make service easier."

Telescan Adds Events Manager to Spectrum Messenger (Dec 06)

Telescan's latest addition to their Spectrum Messenger was introduced at the annual TUNe meeting in Nashville.  Spectrum Messenger provides secure, encrypted communications across a local area network and the Internet.  The new addition, Events Manager, provides event management and tracking.  With this tool, a telemessaging business can manage and track events they initiate for clients. 

When a customer calls, information is input into the system and the event is entered with a brief description.  The event can be assigned to a specific person with a priority level.  As the event progresses, a history is established by Spectrum Messenger's Events Manager and maintained until the event is closed.  Filters limit searching to assigned individuals, priority levels, or other established criteria.

"Events Manager is just one more tool Telescan gives TAS businesses to manage more efficiently and provide more service to their customers," said Telescan director of sales, Patty Anderson.

Telescan Completes Testing for ATSI Certification (Nov 06)

Telescan and the ATSI Industry Standards Committee have announced that they have completed the testing process for Telescan's Spectrum System.  The testing, which is a key step in certification, was conducted at A Better Connection in Gilbert, AZ, owned by Marcy Hewlett.  Roger Young, Telescan's president, was present for the testing, which was conducted by Dennis O'Hara and Allan Fromm from the Industry Standards Committee.

The nine metrics that make up ATSI's Standards Performance Measurements are: 1) average time to answer, 2) percent calls abandoned, 3) percent calls hanging up during VM prescreen message, 4) average time to hang up during a mandatory prescreening message, 5) average hold time (incoming calls prior to reaching an agent), 6) average hold time of held calls (incoming calls after reaching an agent), 7) average call duration, 8) average ring time, and 9) percent of calls answered in X seconds.  While these metrics do not represent all the metrics that are used in this industry, they do represent the key metrics necessary for commonality within the teleservice industry.  Telescan has incorporated these measurements into their system.

Telescan Wins Award for Connections Ad (Nov 06)

The Business Marketing Association (BMA) of St. Louis recently announced that Telescan has received a Targeted Advertising and Marketing (TAM) Award for their 2006 magazine ad titled, "Take Another Look at Telescan."  The award was presented to Telescan and their agency, Marketing Alliance, at a ceremony in September.  This is the fourth straight year that Telescan and Marketing Alliance have received TAM awards for their marketing programs.

"We are honored that the Business Marketing Association has chosen to recognize our marketing efforts," said Patty Anderson, Telescan's director of sales.  "We believe a strong marketing program is critical to success, and our partnership with Marketing Alliance has helped us maintain a strong, creative marketing presence."

Telescan Positions for the Future (Oct 06)

Telescan announced the retirement of Robert Riggs, Jr., setting in motion a series of moves that will strengthen Telescan for the future.  The announcement was made on August 31, 2006 by Roger Young, Telescan's President.  Nicholas J. Naimo will assume Riggs duties as General Manager.

Telescan also welcomes their two newest members, Lisa Rooks as Trainer and Customer Service Specialist and Craig Hegel as Technical Support Specialist.  In addition, Telescan announced that they have renewed their contract with Carin Shulusky of Marketing Alliance, to continue to provide marketing programs to Telescan and their network.

"We have positioned our company around a talented and highly respected team of industry specialists," said Roger Young. "We believe we are better positioned than ever for the future of the telemessaging industry."

Telescan Introduces RSS Feed for Messages (Oct 06)

Telescan's new RSS technology, a part of the Spectrum Information Server, sets a new standard for the telemessaging industry.  The RSS feed allows instant client notification of messages.  When a client has a message, he can be notified through his choice of PDA, Internet, or cell phone.  This new technology will reduce or eliminate the need for faxing and emailing messages.

"Telescan is continuing to find new ways to use our technology to help telemessaging companies serve their clients better," said Bob Vornberg, Telescan's director of product development.  "We want to make it as fast and easy as possible to get critical messages to the clients."

Telescan Welcomes Craig Hegel; Tasked to Develop New Axon Solutions (Sep 06)

Telescan recently announced the addition of Craig Hegel to its staff.  Craig joined Telescan as its new Technical Support Specialist.  An experienced system engineer, Craig brings a wealth of hardware and software diagnostic skills to his new position.  He has provided systems solutions for a number of prominent St. Louis companies including Barron Communications, Habanero, and Anheuser-Busch.

In his new position, Craig will be developing new adjustments to the Axon platform. He will help Axon customers find new updating solutions.  Telescan's target date for completion of the new Axon solutions is January 2007.

Telescan Releases New Scripting Feature (Sep 06)

Telescan released a new scripting feature as part of its Spectrum operating system for telemessaging and call center environments.  This new capability is fully integrated into Telescan's Spectrum system, using the foundation of the system's existing functions.

The new scripting feature makes developing of scripts for Spectrum easier for non-programming personnel.  The script designer is a visual interface employing a "drag-and-drop" approach for the creation of prompts and data entry fields.  The definition of decision logic within a script is facilitated by an interactive approach that simplifies the design process.

In addition to the basic scripting functions, Spectrum by Telescan has been enhanced to support the storage and retrieval of all captured information within an SQL database, allowing the creation of custom reports by the system's owner.

Telescan Introduces Spectrum Communications Server (Jul 06)

Telescan has released their new Spectrum Communications Server.  Designed to handle the transmission requests for the fax, alpha, and email servers which automate delivery of messages to clients, Spectrum Communications Server will enhance support for Internet paging.

The fax server supports multiple concurrent channels of faxing using standard COM ports and industry standard fax modems.  Real-time visibility is provided for every pending, active, or completed request.

The alpha server, like the fax server, can handle multiple lines concurrently using standard serial com ports and modems.  In addition to the industry standard TAP protocol, the alpha server now supports Internet paging using SNPP (Simple Network Paging Protocol).  SNPP is capable of supporting two way messaging.

The email server allows you to send email messages and to receive email acknowledgements from clients using the industry standard SMTP and POP3 protocols. The email server handles both high-speed cables/DSL as well as dial-up connections to the Internet.

Lisa Rooks Joins Telescan (Jul 06)

Telescan has welcomed Lisa Rooks to their Training Department.  In her new position, Trainer and Customer Service Specialist, Lisa will conduct software training and provide telephone support for software related issues.  This new addition is part of Telescan's on-going program to enhance their Training Department in 2006.

Lisa comes to Telescan with an extensive background in customer service and administrative support.  She was formerly a patient advocate for Delta Spinal Care, a group of Chiropractic physicians, based in Clayton, MO.  There, Lisa was instrumental in establishing an office protocol that grew the business from 50 patients to 500.

Telescan Releases the Next Generation Messenger (May 06)

Telescan released the next generation of Spectrum Messenger, the Spectrum Messenger Enterprise Edition.  The new features include desktop monitoring with real-time image recording, private labeling including your company logo, site-licensing, a new look and feel, and improved messaging to address groups and multiple locations.  The Enterprise Edition builds-on features in the original Spectrum Messenger, such as desktop-to-desktop communications, high-encryption to guarantee network security, email support, file transfers, and detailed recorded transactions.

Spectrum Messenger, introduced by Telescan in 2003, is a program for interactive text messaging for business.  It provides secure, encrypted communications across a LAN and the Internet.  Spectrum Messenger can be used with any call center system or as a stand-alone intra-office communication medium.

"The difference between the Spectrum Messenger and other instant messaging programs is that it allows the manager to select who can send and receive messages in a secure environment, and it selectively distributes document files, locally or over the Internet," said Nick Naimo, Telescan's Director of Business Relations.

Telescan Introduces Spectrum Information Server (May 06)

Telescan recently released their latest addition to the Spectrum System, the Spectrum Information Server.  This new program allows the call center's clients access to their text messages, call reports, system usage reports, and on-call schedules over the Internet using a Web browser.

Spectrum Information Server functions in parallel with Spectrum Prism and Spectrum Data Manager, the core elements of the Spectrum System.  Using a restricted password, the call center's clients can access their information online.  They can read or download text messages and manage their own on-call schedules.  It also gives them the ability to view or download detailed call activity reports.

"Telescan is currently developing support for Web-based access to voice-recorded messages, which will be released this year," said Bob Vornberg, Telescan's Director of Product Development.

Telescan's Geanta Earns Certification (Apr 06)

Telescan announced that Catalin Geanta, Product Development Programmer, has been recognized as a Microsoft Certified Application Developer.  The Microsoft Certified Application Developer (MCAD) credential provides industry recognition for professional developers who build powerful applications using Microsoft Visual Studio .NET and Web services on the Microsoft .NET Framework 1.0 and Microsoft .NET Framework 1.1. 

"Telescan is proud of Catalin and the others at Telescan who are Microsoft Certified Professionals," said Robert Riggs, Jr., Telescan's Director.  "The process to become certified is very rigorous and the recognition is well deserved.  Increasing the skills of our people translates into better products for our customers, which is our first priority."

In another development, Telescan announced their largest VoIP installation to date at Contact Communications, based in Vermont and New York.  Contact provides telemessaging, fire/rescue dispatch, and wireless messaging. 

"VoIP is more than a popular buzz word at Telescan," said Roger Young, President of Telescan.  "Thanks to our customers and their feedback, we have successfully formulated a VoIP solution that works and meets expectations."

Telescan Introduces Remote Support (Mar 06)

Telescan released their new Spectrum Remote Support program.  This new tool allows Telescan's support specialists to connect directly to their users' computer and take full control of the computer over the phone to make a necessary repair.  When the repair is completed and the call is ended, control of the computer is restored instantly to the user.  Since there is nothing to uninstall on their end, the user can resume full functioning immediately.

Telescan's Spectrum Remote Support requires no downloading of software and no complicated installation.  However, unlike similar expensive programs, Spectrum Remote Support is included in Telescan's Customer Support Program.

"Our new Spectrum Remote Support is part of our continuing effort to maintain the highest level of customer support possible," said Roger Young, Telescan's President. "This first-hand style of customer care helps eliminate misunderstandings that can occur with phone support.  We can also use this program to educate our users and walk someone through a particular process.  It works just like having a technician onsite showing the process in person."

Telescan Adds XLScheduler Interface (Mar 06)

Telescan has added a new tool to their Spectrum Data Manager that will enable users to easily interface with XLScheduler.  XLScheduler is a popular third party workforce management program.  This report generator combines the raw data from the periodic summary and call record analysis reports.

This interface tool will help Telescan users improve schedule forecasting, help manage staff hours and shift coverage, and assist with short and long-term resource planning.  In addition to scheduling, XLScheduler can provide two advanced report tool add-ins for call traffic statistics and operator performance and availability.

Telescan Enhances Time-Based Billing (Jan 06)

The latest update to Telescan's Spectrum Data Manager is "minimum usage billing."  This new feature provides a telemessaging call center the ability to accumulate and bill for time-based totals in minimum increments of 15, 30 or 60 seconds, rather than strictly in units of a second.  The minimum increment can be set independently on a per-account basis.  For instance, if an account is set to bill in 30 second increments, a 35 second phone call would be billed for one minute.

This feature allows outsourcing call centers to increase revenue, by rounding up to the next increment, without increasing billing rates.  Without minimum usage billing, it would be virtually impossible to add this type of billing.

"Telescan is constantly looking for ways to improve our system by adding features that will make a telemessaging call center easier to manage and more profitable," said Robert Riggs, Jr., Telescan's Director.  "We want to make sure every feature we add is practical and will improve our customers' business."

Telescan's Zip Code Fields Adds Accuracy (Jan 06)

Telescan recently added zip code fields to their basic messaging support in Spectrum Data Manager.  Although this has been supported for some time in their Order Entry package, Telescan users can now take advantage of this capability in all messaging contexts.

When address accuracy is critical, this approach can drastically reduce data entry errors.  The agent will ask for the caller's zip code.  When that data is entered, the program will look up the city and state and automatically fill in those fields.  The agent can then immediately identify whether an error has occurred and confirm the information with the caller.

"Our Zip Code lookup capability will reduce agent time because they will not have to key in the city and state," said Bob Vornberg, Telescan's Director of Product Development, "and it will increase operator accuracy by the double-check system it provides."

Telescan Rolls Out Spectrum Navigator (Dec 05)

Spectrum Navigator is Telescan's latest upgrade to their Spectrum System.  Spectrum Navigator adds customized information screens for each account or sub-account.  This addition will reduce the training time necessary for complex accounts, allowing agents to be productive sooner.

Spectrum Navigator provides a virtually unlimited number of information screens.  These screens are designed to guide and assist agents in processing calls for an account.  Customized screens may also be programmed with embedded commands.  The pre-programmed commands make agents more efficient and reduce the risk of errors.  They will also make it much easier to handle complex accounts.  With a simple keystroke or click of a mouse, agents can select the text prompts on the Spectrum Navigator screen and perform complex tasks.  This new feature gives agents easy point-and-click access to retrieve client information screens, copy messages from one account to another, select multiple message templates, retrieve pre-scheduled on-call information, and speed dial phone numbers from alphanumeric, digital, or voice pagers.

Telescan Introduces Free-Form Message Tickets (Dec 05)

Telescan introduced customized free-form message tickets to their Spectrum system.  This new feature allows telemessaging call centers the creativity and flexibility to customize a message ticket of each account.  The free-form tickets can be a single page or contain multiple pages.  They will support editing capabilities such as inserting and overwriting text, ensuring the required fields are not left empty and phone numbers gathered from callers will contain the correct number of digits.  Customized message tickets can contain an embedded code to track the usage of that message ticket.

"Telescan is constantly listening to our users and looking for new ways to make their businesses more efficient and productive," said Robert Riggs, Jr., Telescan's Director.  Telescan's custom message ticket can be used for a specific account or several accounts can share the same form.  Forms can contain multi-colored field labels to highlight important information that agents need to convey to or gather from callers.  Field attributes can configured as: required (text must be entered), must-fill (a specific number of characters are required), numeric-only (numerals must be entered), and mixed-case (allows both upper and lower case).

Telescan Announces On-Call Scheduler Updates (Nov 05)

Telescan has expanded their Spectrum on-call scheduler software by adding a Web-enabled feature.  This new feature allows clients to enter their own schedules through the call center's website from any computer, anywhere in the world, that is connected to the Internet.

Telescan's Spectrum on-call scheduler, a Windows-based program, helps track clients' complex schedules easily and accurately.  The new Web-enabled feature will reduce agent time to manage schedules and will minimize errors.

Spectrum on-call scheduler allows for daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly client schedules with contact information.  Client schedules are instantly available to agents as the client sends in their electronic schedule.  Spectrum on-call scheduler will make the process of maintaining difficult client schedules easier and more efficient.

Telescan Introduces Desktop Activity Monitor (Oct 05)

The Spectrum Messenger, Telescan's desktop communications tool, can now include the Desktop Activity Monitor.  This new optional software feature scans all desktops using the Messenger and delivers a visual representation of those desktops to authorized personnel.  Coupled with Spectrum Messenger's existing features, the Desktop Activity Monitor makes Telescan's desktop communications tool the ideal solution for any teleservices call center interested in instant desk-to-desk communications, email delivery, file transfers, and reminder notifications.

Telescan Wins TAM Awards (Oct 05)

The Business Marketing Association (BMA) of St. Louis recently announced that Telescan has received two of their coveted Targeted Advertising and Marketing Awards () for their 2005 marketing programs.  The awards were presented to Telescan and their agency, Marketing Alliance, at a ceremony in September. Telescan and Marketing Alliance received the awards for an article that appeared in Connections Magazine and for their ad titled, "How Well Does Your TAS System Fit?" which also appeared in Connections. This is the third year in a row that the BMA has recognized Telescan and Marketing Alliance for marketing excellence.

"We are delighted that the Business Marketing Association has chosen to recognize our marketing efforts," said Robert Riggs, Jr., Telescan's Director.  "We believe that a strong marketing program is critical to business success."

Telescan Enhances Spectrum Agent (Sep 05)

Telescan has recently introduced the first in a planned series of enhancements to their agent-interface software, Spectrum Agent.  These enhancements are designed to take full advantage of the advanced capabilities of Telescan's new Spectrum Data Manager.  Noteworthy in the new Spectrum Agent software release are enhanced support for time and time zone display for in-bound and out-bound calls, enhanced call-control functions, and one-click access to short-cut command "buttons" that make the system easier to operate and reduce agent time for each function.

Introduced earlier this year, Spectrum Data Manager, a Windows-based telemessaging system, has exceeded all Telescan's projected sales goals.  Telescan is continuing to introduce up-grades that will reduce operator time and increase productivity.

Cary Oakes Joins Telescan/Axon (Sep 05)

Telescan recently announced the addition of Cary Oakes to their staff.  Oakes will hold the position of Axon Technical Services Specialist.  He will assist and support Axon customers including repair or replacement of system boards and answer support-related questions.  Oakes will make sure Axon users receive uninterrupted service 24/7.  A graduate of Vatterott College, Oakes previously worked for Bausch & Lomb as a Technical Support Specialist.

Telescan Celebrates 30 years (Jul 05)

Thirty years of business calls for a party.  That's just what Telescan did during the ATSI show in St. Louis, the home of Telescan.  The party at the Hyatt Regency included all Telescan's staff and many Telescan users as well as a host of other ATSI attendees.

In 1975 when George and Judy Meyer founded Telescan, it fit a need to develop a reliable and efficient system to help telemessaging companies become more efficient and profitable.  In 2002 Robert Riggs, Jr. and Roger Young purchased Telescan.  In March of 2003, Telescan acquired Axon Communications located in Santa Ana, CA, increasing the network of Telescan/Axon users.

Over the past three years, Telescan has been introducing new products at a rapid rate, including the Spectrum family of products, the patented Prism DSP digital switching platform, Spectrum Messenger, Spectrum IVR, and Spectrum VMail.  This year, Telescan rolled out Spectrum Data Manager and Spectrum Data Saver.  Spectrum Data Manger controls access to all client information and system configuration parameters. Spectrum Data Saver provides protection for a company's data through offsite, secure data storage.

Telescan Spectrum Data Manager Breaks Sales Records (Jul 05)

When Telescan released their new Spectrum Data Manager in January, their hope was to sell 10 to 15 units by the middle of the  year.  However, the reception to the new program has surpassed all predictions with 30 units sold by the first of June.

Spectrum Data Manager is the new generation of telemessaging systems developed by Telescan.  It is the heart of the Telescan system, controlling access to all client information and system configuration parameters.  Spectrum Data Manager combines a high-performance database server with a full-range of networking and reporting capabilities including support for multiple time-zones, remote agent workstations, integrated order entry, on-call scheduling, and instant messaging.

Telescan Adds Zero Footprint Web Console (Jun 05)

Telescan has added the Zero Footprint Web Console to its product line.  The Zero Footprint Web Console is a system that incorporates all computer functions including speakers and mouse into one simple keyboard.  This system is easier to learn, reducing an agent's learning curve.  It also reduces the space required for an agent's system and the number of cables by condensing many functions into one keyboard.  Fewer pieces and fewer cables make the Zero Footprint Web Console a more reliable system.

Telescan will be demonstrating the Zero Footprint Web Console at their booth during the ATSI show in St. Louis, June 23 and 24.  Visitors will be able to try out this new technology during show hours.

Telescan Expands Spectrum Data Saver (Jun 05)

Due to high demand, Telescan is making their new data storage program, Spectrum Data Saver, available to telemessaging businesses not currently using Telescan's system.  Spectrum Data Saver, which was introduced in February of this year, provides offsite, secure storage for a company's data.

Spectrum Data Saver subscribers can access the storage program through Telescan's website.  All data from their telemessaging business will be stored in two secure remote locations, retrievable whenever necessary.  This program provides telemessaging businesses a safeguard against losing data during a disaster.  While even the best prepared business could lose everything in a heartbeat, this program will insure that users will not lose the core of their business, their data.

The cost of the new Spectrum Data Saver Program for telemessaging companies not currently using Telescan's system is a small set up fee, plus a monthly charge based on the amount of data to be stored.  Non-Telescan users will need to purchase a PC.

Telescan Introduces Enhanced Customer Support (Jun 05)

Telescan introduced a new toll-free number, 800-791-3521, for customer support.  This new toll-free service not only makes it easier for Telescan users to contact customer support, but it also improves the efficiency of problem resolution.

"This new customer support system will allow us to keep a database of service calls that we can share with our network of users through our website," said Nicholas Naimo, Telescan's Director of Business Relations/Operations.  "The service is a part of a developing program to share more user information through the Internet," Naimo added.  "We hope to make continuous additions to the new system throughout the year."

Telescan Appoints New Director of Business Relations (May 05)

Nicholas J. Naimo has been named Director of Business Relations and Operations at Telescan.  Naimo joined Telescan's development team in 2001.  He was instrumental in developing Telescan's Spectrum Messenger instant messaging program.

In announcing the new position, Roger Young, President of Telescan, said, "The addition of this new position demonstrates Telescan's commitment towards excellent customer satisfaction and continuous improvement in our business operations.  Nick has a broad range of experience in computer technology, programming, and management skills and has an intuitive awareness of our customers' needs make him a natural choice for this position."

Before joining Telescan, Naimo served as Executive Vice President of Hyundai Electronics America, a California based computer and electronics company.

Telescan Expands Website to Better Serve Customers (May 05)

Telescan recently introduced a new, updated website to stay in step with a barrage of recent product updates and new programs. The additions to the new site include Telescan's Customer Support Program, Tech Updates, user manuals, the new Spectrum Data Saver Program, and user testimonials. 

"Telescan is committed to making information on our systems as easy as possible to access," stated Robert Riggs, Jr., Telescan's Director.  "We are constantly looking for better ways to offer this information and keep our users updated on our constant stream of new product developments.  Making more information available through our website helps us serve our customers better and provide more information to the telemessaging market."

Telescan Announces Spectrum Data Saver (Apr 05)

Telescan's latest innovation to make telemessaging businesses more successful is the Spectrum Data Saver.  It provides offsite, secure storage for all your call center's data.  Spectrum Data Saver subscribers can access the storage program through Telescan's website.  All data from their business will be stored in two secure remote locations, retrievable whenever necessary.

"If there is anything we learned from the last two years," said Nicholas Naimo, Telescan's Director of Business Relations/Operations, "is that disaster can strike anyone anywhere without a moment's notice.  Even the best prepared call center could lose everything in a heartbeat.  [But] they will be able to continue operation within hours at our remote location. We will not only have all their data stored so they can continue to function, but we can even provide staff at our location to continue their service, uninterrupted.  This provides more security than any insurance."

The cost of the new Spectrum Data Saver Program for Telescan users in their Customer Support Program will be a small set up fee, plus a monthly charge based on the amount of data to be stored.  The service is also available to non-Telescan users.

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