The Future of Call Management for the Channel
Today call management applications are deployed either as on-premise, hybrid or cloud solutions. From June, Tollring is launching the latest iteration of iCall Suite call analytics and recording as one single solution deployed in the cloud, as a hybrid model or on-premise, accessible on any device. This will cover all of our channel needs as our partners look to expand their offerings to meet customer requirements. We feel the hybrid model provides partners with a strong entry level solution to the cloud.
Our launch coincides with the fact that more and more end customers are reviewing their business processes and communications strategies as they consider migrating to cloud based offerings. The availability and accessibility of business intelligence solutions, along with the same level of functionality that is present in premise-based offerings, are key factors behind their move to cloud telephony.
The cloud is revolutionising call management with powerful new features that promote proactive customer management and competitive differentiation, such as proactive system monitoring for revenue assurance, fraud alarming and voice quality monitoring. Cost effective call recording together with innovation in call management solutions with Unified Communications and CRM integration, has meant that the channel can now take advantage of powerful solutions that deliver real business intelligence. This evolution of call management towards business intelligence will steer the future of Tollring’s products.How Resellers Can Demonstrate Value
To remain competitive, the channel should embrace new technology which brings with it new, advanced solutions and focus on delivering value so customers can achieve improved business outcomes.As the market continues to mature, customers will be looking to consolidate their suppliers and work more intelligently. So the channel must remain relevant and become experts in their fields, delivering experience, expertise and advice. They must become the trusted advisor to ensure their customers are investing in the right technology for their business. Understanding customer requirements is imperative so that they can deliver the most appropriate solution for each and every customer.
For those customers that have made investments in the past, providers must advise them on how things have changed since they last purchased. They need to be mindful of where customers are in terms of their understanding of latest technologies, their buying attitudes and the timing of their investments.
Customers adopting the latest cloud services and communications technology will be keen to measure the return on investment. They need to prove that investments are right for their business and they need to understand how their people are consuming their services, such as, has UC adoption made their business more efficient.
Thanks to the cloud, recent additions to the traditional call management portfolio, such as Tollring’s new iCall Suite, help the channel to demonstrate value to customers in new ways, for example through:
- Proactive fraud management using simple and effective call limit profiling methods.
- Advice based on usage profiles, highlighting variances in behaviour. Revenue assurance tools are becoming not only a way for the channel to bill accurately, but even more importantly, a way to differentiate themselves, adding real value to their service offering.
- Utilisation analytics across multiple customers/tiers of partners, providing valuable insight.
- Self-provisioning in the cloud; facilitates seat adoption and puts resellers in complete control of their customers.
The Impact on Customers
These latest call management tools deliver a new level of information via real-time dashboards, live wallboards and charts. Key decision makers, team leaders, site managers and employees can access valuable information on any device in a timely manner. It allows them to react quickly and make better decisions, as well as making everyone accountable.
A key enabler of this new technology is the use of APIs (application program interface). APIs can access different systems and databases and consolidate the data from multiple applications into a single reporting portal. The APIs strip away the noise, attribute the customer activity and deliver high value analytics via a web browser on any device. Vendors and their customers can thus make faster decisions that impact the bottom line and make them more competitive.
For example, by matching the credentials of a caller with their details on a CRM system, a dashboard can show that the caller queuing is one of the company’s highest value customers, who has recently placed a major order. Alternatively, it may be a customer who responded to a marketing campaign and has called three times that morning already but has hung up every time without managing to speak to anyone. Missed call = Missed Opportunity = Dissatisfied Customer = Increased Churn.
Tollring’s Vision
Business analytics is a strategic pillar within Tollring’s development planning and it is also deemed an important priority to any business.
Call management is a fundamental element to business analytics. This is evident in the fact that call management is becoming more about UC than calls. The adoption of new UC technology is being driven by the demands for business analytics, to empower end users in making decisions and achieving ROI. In the not too distant future, this will be seen in SIP-based communications and the rapid adoption of Skype for Business and other UC tools that will extend call management and recording solutions to include; real-time communications, VoIP, instant messaging, unified communications, video, and collaboration.
Tollring’s analytics and BI services help our partners to prove their relevance and in turn, help their customers to measure efficiencies from their transformational projects.
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