The document discusses the benefits of implementing Voice over IP (VoIP) in call centers. Specifically, it compares traditional circuit-switched call centers to packet telephony call centers enabled by VoIP. Packet telephony call centers allow for telecommuting agents, common infrastructures for voice and data, and follow-the-sun staffing models across geographic regions. This reduces costs and improves agent resources and call routing compared to traditional circuit-switched call centers.

1. ETE405 :: Lecture 5
Dr. Mashiur Rahman
Book : Cisco - Voice over IP Fundamentals Page 95-

2. Chapter 6. Voice over IP Benefits and Applications
• Benefits of Voice over IP (VoIP), including cost
savings, single infrastructure savings, and new
applications
• Using a packet telephony call center versus a
circuit-switched call center
• Service provider prepaid calling card applications
• Service provider enhanced services (such as
Internet call waiting and click to talk)
• An enterprise VoIP case study

3. Key Benefits of VoIP
• Price savings
• Ability to have one Information Services (IS)
department that supports both voice and data
networks
• Enterprises and service providers do not need
common infrastructure
• Enables voice mail systems to be put on
standards-based platforms

4. IP Telephony Savings
• Toll charges – least cost routing avoids toll
charges.
• Management costs
– System management labor – time and money saved.
– Users’ personal proile changes – handled by users, not
IT staff.
– MACs – quick and easy to handle from
– anywhere on the network.
• Physical circuit-switched ports no longer
required.
• Fewer circuits from the PSTN needed.

5. Call Center

6. Call Center: Inside view

7. What is a call center?
• A call center is a centralized office used for the purpose of
receiving and transmitting a large volume of requests by
telephone.
• We can provide services remotely and earn a lot of
money!
– The global market of call centre industry was US$
382.5 billion in 2004 and is expected to reach US$
641.2 billion by 2009.
– Total BPO (Business Processing Outsourcing ) market
is worth $122 - $154 billion. India has revenues of
10.9 billion USDfrom offshore BPO and 30 billion
USD from IT and total BPO (Genpact, WNS Global
Services, Transworks Information Services, IBM-
daksh, and TCS BPO).

8. Old and New method
• Circuit-Switching Call Centers
• Packet Telephony Call Center

9. Circuit-Switching Call Centers:
challenges
• Many toll-free numbers—CSCCs must manage the number of
circuits the enterprise uses. Using more circuits increases the cost
of operating the CSCC and, therefore, can potentially decrease
profits.
• Misrouted/rerouted calls—Each time a call must be routed to a
different agent (because, for example, an agent might not have the
correct skills to answer a customer's question, or he does not speak
a customer's language), revenue is lost.
• Multiple centers—The capability to "follow the sun" increases the
"brick-and-mortar" costs in a CSCC. Following the sun implies that
different physical call centers must exist to keep workers working a
normal shift. This also is known as time-of-day routing. (When the
United States call-center operators are sleeping, for example,
Australian operators can take the calls.)

10. Circuit-Switching Call Center

11. • Percentage distribution/overflow routing—The
capability to handle overflow between different
physical locations increases the profitability in a
peak call-flow time. But, if this overflow
mechanism is not properly managed, it can cost
more to overflow the call than to not service the
incoming call.
• Employee turnover—Call-center work can be
stressful, and, because of the repetitive nature of
such work, keeping workers can be difficult.
• Seasonal staffing needs—Oftentimes, call centers
experience more volume during certain periods.
As such, they must hire people to accommodate
the high-volume periods, and then lay people off
when volume drops.

12. • Inconvenient busy hours—If the call center
does not have a "follow the sun" model, it
must hire staff to work inconvenient hours,
such as the night shift, for instance.
• Regional call-center talent—Having skilled
workers come into a brick-and-mortar facility
can lower the number of possible workers in
the pool of talent. Telecommuting so that
regional workers can work within any
geography in a specific time zone increases
the number of workers in the available pool.

13. solutions
• Computer Telephony Integration (CTI)—One application is for caller
information (such as the caller's name, buying patterns, and
address) to be "popped" onto the agent's screen so that the agent
can handle the call more quickly.
• Skills/application-based routing—Routing calls to the proper agent
based on technical skills, language, and any other skill can increase
the speed by which the call is handled.
• Information duplication—Call agents can avoid asking the same
question twice if transferred to a new agent. This is possible due to
the information on the first agent's screen "popping" onto the new
agent's screen when the call is transferred to the new agent.
• Interactive Voice Response (IVR)—This enables callers to input basic
information (such as account information) so that calls can be
handled more quickly.

14. Packet Telephony Call Center

15. • This connection to the legacy PBX is accomplished by
having an external call-processing engine that connects
to the PBX and to the Call Manager through CTI links.
The external call-processing engine enables
telecommuters and PBX call agents to answer calls as
though they are attached to the call center.
• With a connection from the legacy CSCC into the IP
network, you can use enhanced features such as IP-
based IVR systems (also known as Voice Response
Units [VRUs]) and unified messaging services such as
fax–to–e-mail, text-to-speech, speech-to-text, and so
on.
• Call Center Corporation is no longer tied to physical
ports for the VRU, and the entire messaging
infrastructure (e-mail, voice mail, applications, and so
on) is tied into one common infrastructure.

16. • The call-routing or call-processing engine is
now just part of the data network and is
removed from the PBX. This enables
telecommuters, call-center agents, and branch
office agents to have the same access to the
same information. Access to a common
infrastructure gives everyone equal footing,
and it gives the customer a common look and
feel.

17. Common Infrastructure for All Call Agents

18. Inbound and Outbound
Inbound Outbound
• Requests for help, especially •Sales
technical help •Lead generation
• Inquiries or requests for •Proactive Marketing
information •Market research
•Public opinion calls
• Placing orders, in product
•Order call outs
purchases
• Applications for services
• Filing complaints