Call Center Platform

Posted Posted in VAS

Convergence’s Call Center Platform offers an unmatched combination of advanced PBX and Unified Communications features, low cost of ownership, ease of use, and unbeatable support.

It is designed for simplicity & enhance call management at call centers and contact centers and enables efficiency in the workplace and transform the way business is conducted.

Its features maximize performance, reliability, and expandability.

It provides the functionality your business needs and brings corporate level phone system features to small, medium and large businesses.

Call Center Flow

Offering High Availability single or domain based multi-tenant PBX, carrier grade switch, call center server, fax server, voip server, voicemail server, conference server, voice application server, appliance framework and more.

The platform provides unlimited extensions, voicemail-to-email, music on hold, call parking, call center, call queues, phone provisioning and many other features.

Features & Benefits

Recording

Setup a recording for the auto attendant that provides announcement to callers.

Authentication

Extendable with plugin support. Web interface authentication by default authenticates against the FusionPBX Database. LDAP is one and has also been tested with Microsoft Active Directory and OpenLDAP.

Call Barge / Eavesdrop / Intercept

Listen into an active call from another extension.

Call Block

Block inbound calls by the caller id.

Call Broadcast

Create a recording and select one or more groups to have the system call and play the recording.

Call Detail Records

Various reporting capabilities to see who called, when, call length, export to a csv file, and call detail statistics.

Call Flows (Day Night Mode)

Typically used with day night mode. To direct calls between two destinations. Can work with BLF on phone to show which direction call will be directed to.

Call Forward

Forward to another extension or to any phone number.

Call Monitoring

View which extensions are currently in a call.

Call Pickup

For a particular extension or any extension that is currently ringing.

Call Queuing

Load calls into queues so they can be answered in the order they came into the queue.

Call Recordings

Record all or some calls or parts of the call.

Call Routing

Send the call different directions or perform actions based on reading the caller id info or other call information.

Call Announced Transfer

Transfer the active call to another internal or external call. Also known as a warm transfer.

Call Blind Transfer

Transfer a call like the call was going into a call queue or from an IVR.

Call Transfer

Transfer a call.

Call Waiting

A beep while on a call and to toggle between two different calls.

Caller ID

Support for customization and supporting providers.

Conference

Set up voice and video conference calls, is optionally secure with a PIN number, and can transfer current calls to a conference. Interactive conference control provides ability to see the list of callers in the conference and manage the volume, see who is talking, kick, mute, unmute, deaf, undeaf, profiles and controls. (See Conference)

Configuration

While the admin configures the system in the web interface. The data is saved to the database and can optionally be delivered to FreeSWITCH via XML files, or on demand from the database.

Contacts

Manage your contacts. Import contacts from Outlook CSV files. Export contacts to your cell phone with QR Codes. It is also possible to add additional features like time cards and invoices that can be related to the contacts.

Dialplan Manager

The dialplan is used to setup call destinations based on conditions and context. You can use the dialplan to send calls to gateways, auto attendants, external numbers, to scripts, or any destination.

Dial by Name

Search by first name or last name to find extension numbers on the system.

Device Provisioning

From Advanced > Default Settings you can enable provisioning for devices. Contacts used as Directory for the phones, vendor list and functions can be enabled or disabled. Support for memory, expansion (side cars), and programmable keys. Configure SIP endpoints for Yealink, Polycom, Cisco, Aastra and several other brands.

Do Not Disturb (DND)

Direct calls to voicemail by default however there is an option when using do not disturb to send the call to an alternative destination.

Extensions

Create extensions for phones to register to and an option to receive emails on missed calls.

Extension Summary

Summary of extension activity per domain such as missed calls, answered calls, no answer, inbound duration, outbound duration, number of outbound calls, number of inbound calls and Average length of Conversation (ALOC). The summarized information can be downloaded as a CSV file.

Follow Me

Allows calling multiple extensions or external numbers.

Interconnect

Gateways provide access into other voice networks. These can be voice providers or other systems that require SIP registration.

Hot Desking

A way to login to another phone device and temporarily or permanently become another extension. This is sometimes known as ‘hoteling’ and ‘extension mobility’

Inbound and Outbound Call Routing

Routes used to receive or send calls in or out of FusionPBX

IVR Menus (Auto Attendant)

Create a structured interactive voice prompt for callers to use. Uses FreeSWITCH IVR and delivered from Database on Demand.

Music on Hold

Allows multiple categories of music on hold that can be set globally or per domain. Can inject additional audio on intervals such as ‘Your call is very important to us please stand by’.

Operator Panel

A virtual panel that agents can drag and drop transfer calls. Adjust call state from available, on break, do not disturb and logged out.

Paging

Page another extension with or without password

Parking

Send a call to an unused “park” extension. The caller listens to music on hold until another extension connects to the call.

Recordings

Create and manage personalized recordings.

Ring Groups

Make one extension ring several extensions and an option to receive emails on missed calls.

Scalable and Redundant

Can be configured for multi-master database replication, file replication. FusionPBX, Database, and FreeSWITCH can be distributed across multiple servers for large enterprise scale systems.

Time Conditions

A extension that can be timed to route calls based on domain select, global option, move to other domains, and holiday presets.

User and Group Management

Edit, change or add users of all permission levels.

Voicemail

Has ability to copy voicemails for other voicemail boxes when receiving a voicemail. Additional features include voicemail to email and voicemail IVR. Forward add intro, check box for multi-delete.

Voicemail to Email

Have voicemails sent to email.

WebRTC

Make and receive video calls with a web browser.


Value Added Services

Posted Posted in VAS

According to Global Industry Analysts, the Global Mobile Value-added Services (VAS) Market will Grow at a compound annual growth rate of 14%, 2019-2022.

The growth will be driven by increasing smartphone penetration, proliferation of 3G, 4G and 5G services, growing popularity of mobile Internet, and rising consumer spending on telecom services.

A value-added service (VAS) is a term commonly used in the telecommunications industry. It refers to various services beyond the basics (phone calls and fax). Value added services include voice mail, ring back tone, balance checks, top up, SMS voting, recorded messages about expected waiting time, dialing back to the caller to avoid lengthy waits for service, and many others. Operators need various kinds of value added services, which they have to change and update frequently.
Telecom companies use VAS as a means to attract more customers, differentiate themselves, as well as boost margins and average revenue per user.

Characteristics of Value Added Services

  • They add value to the core services
  • They are not basic services
  • They stand alone in terms of their profitability
  • They can stimulate increased demand for standard service(s)
  • Sometimes, they stand alone operationally
  • They are add-ons to the basic service(s)
  • They may provide administrative and/or operational synergy among or between other services
  • They are not merely used for diversification purposes

Examples of Modern VAS Services

  • Voice mail
  • SMS voting
  • Top up
  • Ring back tone
  • SMS lotteries
  • SMS voting
  • Balance checks
  • M-commerce and mobile money based services
  • Online gaming
  • Mobile advertising
  • Infotainment and sports services
  • Dating and SMS chatting premium services
  • OTT and Mobile TV services
  • Location-based services
  • Live streaming
  • Devotional applications  
  • WAP content downloads
  • Recorded messages
  • Dialing back to the caller to prevent lengthy service waits

Convergence provides a large variety of value added services for cellular operators. In the tough telecom space, where Average Revenue Per User drops down due to Over-the-Top (OTT) and flat tariff, Convergence offers attractive services helping carriers eliminate some of their operating expenses, while using new VAS Services to capture some revenues lost to the OTT payers.