Centrex lines provided by the local telephone company provide programmable features on analog lines at a monthly cost based on usage and features. No technical staff is required. Software as a Service systems operate similarly but are provided and maintained by a separate company, including call routing and management. Digital and VoIP switches connect phone calls but digital switches are located on-premises requiring in-house maintenance while VoIP switches can be hosted remotely with IT support.

1. Introduction to Telecommunication
Equipment: PBX, ACD, IVR, CMS,
CAS and Workforce Management
or
How to Select Telephone Systems &
Services to Fit Your Needs
Bill Brackin
Program Director, North Sound 2-1-1
And Telephone Systems Manager
Volunteers of America Western Washington

2. •Telephone Services
•Dial Tone
•Long Distance
•Networking
•Telephone Systems
•Centrex with Single Line Phones
•Software as a Service with Single Line Phones
•Switches
•Digital Switch
•VoIP Switch
•PBX
•Optional Special Features

3. TELEPHONE SERVICES
• DIAL TONE - POTS LINES
POTS = “PLAIN OLD TELEPHONE LINE”
POTS LINES ARE THE SIMPLEST TELEPHONE LINE YOU CAN
BUY.
THEY ARE OFTEN REFERRED TO AS “BUSINESS LINES”. EVEN IN
COMPLEX APPLICATIONS POTS LINES HAVE THEIR PLACE.
THEY PROVIDE BACKUP LINES, FAX LINES, AND OTHER
SIMPLE APPLICATIONS. THEY ARE USUALLY DELIVERED AS
ANALOG LINES.

4. TELEPHONE SERVICES
• DIAL TONE – T CARRIER LINES
T1 MEANS ANY DATA CIRCUIT (INCLUDING VOICE
PACKETS) THAT RUNS AT THE 1.544 MB/SECOND LINE
RATE. T-1’S ARE POINT-TO-POINT DIGITAL LINES THAT
CAN HAVE MULTIPLE UNIQUE NUMBERS (DIDS)
ASSIGNED. EACH T-1 IS A DEDICATED LEASED DIGITAL
LINE THAT IS CONNECTED TO A PRIVATE BRANCH
EXCHANGE (PBX) FROM THE CENTRAL OFFICE (CO).
FEATURES ARE PROVIDED BY YOUR TELEPHONE
SYSTEM.
T2 AND T3 CIRCUIT CHANNELS CARRY MULTIPLE T1
CHANNELS MULTIPLEXED, RESULTING IN
TRANSMISSION RATES OF 6.312 AND 44.736 MBIT/SEC,
RESPECTIVELY.

5. • TELEPHONE SERVICES
• DIAL TONE – T CARRIER LINES
• T1S COME IN A COUPLE OF VERSIONS
• T1, WHICH HAS 24 PATHS FOR INCOMING AND/OR
OUTGOING TRAFFIC.
• T1 PRI, WHICH IN NORTH AMERICAN INCLUDES 23
VOICE CHANNELS + 1 DATA CHANNEL. THE D
CHANNEL CARRIES CONTROL AND SIGNALING
INFORMATION, INCLUDING CALLER ID.
• FRACTIONAL T1 - 256, 348, 512, 768 KBPS SERVICES
PROVIDING LESS THAN 23 VOICE CHANNELS.

6. • TELEPHONE SERVICES
• LONG DISTANCE SERVICES – 3 CLASSES
IN THE UNITED STATES, LONG DISTANCE CAN REFER TO THREE
DIFFERENT CLASSES OF CALLS THAT ARE NOT LOCAL TOLL-FREE
CALLS. THE MOST COMMON CLASS OF LONG-DISTANCE IS OFTEN
CALLED INTERSTATE LONG-DISTANCE, THOUGH THE MORE ACCURATE
TERM IS INTER-LATA INTERSTATE LONG DISTANCE.
ANOTHER FORM OF LONG-DISTANCE, INCREASINGLY RELEVANT TO
MORE U.S. STATES, IS KNOWN AS INTER-LATA INTRASTATE LONG
DISTANCE. THIS REFERS TO A CALLING AREA OUTSIDE OF THE
CUSTOMER’S LATA BUT WITHIN THE CUSTOMER'S STATE.
OFTEN, IN LARGE LATAS, THERE IS ALSO A CLASS KNOWN BY THE
OXYMORONIC NAME LOCAL LONG DISTANCE, WHICH REFERS TO CALLS
WITHIN THE CUSTOMER'S LATA BUT OUTSIDE OF THEIR LOCAL
CALLING AREA. THIS IS SOMETIMES ALSO REFERRED TO AS INTRA-
LATA LONG DISTANCE.

7. • TELEPHONE SERVICES
• LONG DISTANCE SERVICES – PURCHASING
BEFORE BUYING ANY LONG DISTANCE SERVICES MAKE SURE YOU KNOW
WHAT RATE WILL BE CHARGED FOR EACH OF THESE THREE
CATEGORIES. INTRA-LATA CALLS CAN LEGALLY BE BILLED AT A MUCH
HIGHER RATE THAN ARE INTER-LATA CALLS, AND OFTEN ARE. THIS
MAY BE A POINT OF NEGOTIATION.
IT IS ALSO VERY IMPORTANT TO KNOW THE APPROXIMATE MINUTES OF
EACH OF THESE CATEGORIES OF CALLS THAT YOUR AGENCY MAKES,
SO THAT YOU CAN EVALUATE THE FINANCIAL IMPACT OF A LONG
DISTANCE PROPOSAL ON YOUR AGENCY SPECIFICALLY.
YOU CAN BUY LONG DISTANCE SERVICES FROM YOUR DIAL TONE
PROVIDER, OR ANYONE ELSE YOU WANT TO DO BUSINESS WITH. YOU
WILL NEED TO TELL YOUR DIAL TONE PROVIDER WHICH LONG
DISTANCE CARRIER YOU ARE GOING WITH, BECAUSE THEY NEED TO
PROGRAM THAT INTO THEIR SYSTEMS.

8. • TELEPHONE SERVICES
• LONG DISTANCE SERVICES – SLAMMING AND PIC
FREEZES
“SLAMMING” IS THE ILLEGAL PRACTICE OF CHANGING A CONSUMER'S
TELEPHONE SERVICE—LOCAL (INTRA-LATA), TOLL (INTER-LATA
INTRASTATE), LONG DISTANCE (INTER-LATA INTER-STATE), OR
INTERNATIONAL—WITHOUT PERMISSION.
TO PREVENT SLAMMING YOU CAN ARRANGE IN ADVANCE WITH THE
LOCAL EXCHANGE CARRIER (LOCAL TELEPHONE COMPANY) TO
INITIATE A “PIC FREEZE” TO PREVENT UNAUTHORIZED CHANGING OF
THE LONG DISTANCE TELEPHONE CARRIER. IT STIPULATES THAT
YOUR CARRIER MAY NOT BE CHANGED WITHOUT YOUR WRITTEN
CONSENT. THIS FEATURE IS FREE OF CHARGE. IF IN THE FUTURE YOU
WANT TO CHANGE CARRIERS, REMEMBER TO SUBMIT A WRITTEN
REQUEST TO REMOVE THE PIC FREEZE BEFORE PLACING YOUR
CHANGE ORDER.

9. • TELEPHONE SERVICES
• NETWORKING
IF YOU PLAN ON TYING TOGETHER MULTIPLE LOCATIONS INTO A
COMMON TELEPHONE AND/OR DATA SYSTEM, YOU WILL NEED TO
DESIGN A NETWORKING SYSTEM.
YOUR SPECIFIC TELEPHONE SYSTEM MAY DICTATE THE OPTIONS THAT
YOU HAVE AVAILABLE TO YOU. SOME SYSTEMS WON’T WORK WELL
WITH DSL NETWORKS, FOR EXAMPLE. SOME WORK VERY WELL WITH
THEM.
NETWORKING IS A VERY TECHNICALAREA, AND YOUR IT STAFF OR
CONSULTANT SHOULD HELP YOU MAKE THIS CHOICE. DON’T BE
AFRAID TO ASK LOTS OF “DUMB” QUESTIONS. THIS IS COMPLICATED
STUFF, AND EACH OPTION COMES WITH GOOD AND BAD FEATURES,
SECURITY CONSIDERATIONS, INSTALLATION AND OPERATIONAL
COSTS, MAINTENANCE AND SUPPORT ISSUES, AND MORE.

10. • TELEPHONE SERVICES
• NETWORKING
• HERE ARE SOME, BUT NOT ALL, OF THE MANY ITEMS TO
CONSIDER:
• IS YOUR TELEPHONE SYSTEM VOIP CAPABLE OR NOT?
• SIZE OF THE DATA PACKETS THAT YOUR VOIP TELEPHONE SYSTEM
SENDS ACROSS THE NETWORK.
• THE RELIABILITY OF EACH TYPE OF NETWORKING SERVICE.
• IS THE PROPOSED NETWORK “POINT-TO-POINT”, “CLOUD”, OR SOME
OTHER DESIGN?
• WHO MANAGES THE MAINTENANCE, SECURITY, AND UPGRADES?
• DO YOU NEED TO PURCHASE THE ROUTERS, OR ARE THEY PROVIDED
AS PART OF THE SERVICE?
• DOES YOUR TELEPHONE SYSTEM HAVE THE CAPACITY TO ADD THE
NETWORKING SERVICE, AND IF NOT, WHAT WILL IT COST TO ADD THAT
CAPACITY?
• HOW LONG OF A CONTRACT MUST YOU SIGN IN ORDER TO GET A
REASONABLE PRICE?
• IS THE PROVIDER USING “COMPRESSION”, AND IF SO, HOW MUCH?
• CAN THE VENDOR GIVE YOU ACCESS TO EXISTING CUSTOMERS WHO
ARE USING THE PROPOSED SYSTEM IN A SIMILAR WAY TO WHAT YOU
ARE PROPOSING?

11. Centrex lines are analog lines provided by the local telephone service provider that provide
programmable features on the line. The cost is based on usage and features programmed for
each line and monthly service fee. Hardware and software maintenance is included in the
monthly costs. No technical staff is required to operate such a system. Agents can easily be
set up to work from home.
• TELEPHONE SYSTEMS
• CENTREX WITH SINGLE LINE PHONES
Local Central Office
(CO)
Call Center or Agency
Switching Software is
Located Here
Agent at Home

12. “Software as a Service” rides on analog or digital lines provided by the local telephone service provider.
It includes additional routing, call center management, voice mail, etc. provided by a different provider
than your local telephone company. The cost is based on usage and features programmed for each line
and a monthly or per-call service fee. Hardware and software maintenance and upgrades are included
in the monthly costs. There may be an initial setup fee. No technical staff is required to operate such a
system. Agents can easily work from home, and center can easily be relocated during emergencies and
disasters.
• TELEPHONE SYSTEMS
• SOFTWARE AS A SERVICE WITH
SINGLE LINE PHONES OR
TELEPHONE SYSTEMS
SAAS Provider Switch
(s)
Call Center or Agency
Switching Software is
Located Here
Agent at Home
Local Central Office
(CO)

13. •Telephone Systems
–Switches
A telephone switch is a system of electronic components that connects
telephone calls. It is hardware that is controlled by software in modern
telephone systems. In the past switching was often done manually.
A switch can be located in a local or long distance telephone company’s office
or on your premises. Telephone switches are a small part of the large
telephone network. When a switch is in-house, it is often referred to as the
telephone system or PBX (Private Branch Exchange). In-house switches
require you to pay for maintenance and hardware and software upgrades as
needed. They are more challenging to set up for at-home agents, and are not
as easily relocated during emergencies or disasters. They usually need you to
hire technical staff or to contract with a maintenance provider to make
changes, upgrades, or maintenance. In large agencies, where IT staff is
already available, they may provide a lower cost solution.

14. • TELEPHONE SYSTEMS
• DIGITAL SWITCH
A DIGITAL SWITCH IS A TYPE OF SWITCH THAT CONNECTS TWO
OR MORE DIGITAL CIRCUITS TOGETHER. IT IS A TYPE OF
SWITCH THAT HAS BEEN USED BY TELEPHONE COMPANIES,
AGENCIES, AND BUSINESSES FOR A LONG TIME. THEY
OPERATE ON TIME TESTED AND RELIABLE TELEPHONE
ENGINEERING. IF YOU HAVE A SWITCH THAT IS FIVE OR MORE
YEARS OLD, YOU PROBABLY HAVE A DIGITAL SWITCH.

15. • TELEPHONE SYSTEMS
• VOIP SWITCH
VOICE OVER INTERNET PROTOCOL (VOIP) REFERS TO
COMMUNICATIONS SERVICES—VOICE, FACSIMILE, AND/OR VOICE-
MESSAGING APPLICATIONS—THATARE TRANSPORTED VIA THE
INTERNET, RATHER THAN THE PUBLIC SWITCHED TELEPHONE
NETWORK (PSTN). THE BASIC STEPS INVOLVED IN ORIGINATING
AN INTERNET TELEPHONE CALLARE CONVERSION OF THE
ANALOG VOICE SIGNAL TO DIGITAL FORMAT AND
COMPRESSION/TRANSLATION OF THE SIGNAL INTO INTERNET
PROTOCOL (IP) PACKETS FOR TRANSMISSION OVER THE
INTERNET; THE PROCESS IS REVERSED AT THE RECEIVING END.

16. • TELEPHONE SYSTEMS
• VOIP SWITCH
OTHER TERMS FREQUENTLY ENCOUNTERED AND SYNONYMOUS WITH VOIP
ARE IP TELEPHONY, INTERNET TELEPHONY, VOICE OVER BROADBAND
(VOBB), BROADBAND TELEPHONY, AND BROADBAND PHONE.
BECAUSE THESE SYSTEMS CONNECT TELEPHONES AND SWITCHES BY WAY OF
THE INTERNET, THEY ARE TYPICALLY EASIER FOR IT STAFF TO DEAL WITH
THAN DIGITAL SWITCHES. THEY DO REQUIRE FIREWALL SECURITY
SYSTEMS, AS DO COMPUTER NETWORKS.

17. • TELEPHONE SYSTEMS
• VOIP SWITCH – QUALITY OF SERVICE
CONSIDERATIONS
THE UNDERLYING IP NETWORK IS INHERENTLY
UNRELIABLE, IN CONTRAST TO THE CIRCUIT-
SWITCHED PUBLIC TELEPHONE NETWORK. IT DOES
NOT INHERENTLY PROVIDE A MECHANISM TO ENSURE
THAT DATA PACKETS ARE DELIVERED IN SEQUENTIAL
ORDER OR PROVIDE QUALITY OF SERVICE (QOS)
GUARANTEES. BECAUSE OF THIS VOIP
IMPLEMENTATIONS FACE PROBLEMS MITIGATING
LATENCY AND JITTER.
THE RECEIVING NODE MUST RESTRUCTURE IP PACKETS
THAT MAY BE OUT OF ORDER, DELAYED OR MISSING,
WHILE ENSURING THAT THE AUDIO STREAM
MAINTAINS A PROPER TIME CONSISTENCY. VARIATION
IN DELAY IS CALLED JITTER.

18. • TELEPHONE SYSTEMS
• VOIP SWITCH – POWER CONSIDERATIONS
TRADITIONAL RESIDENTIAL AND BUSINESS ANALOG
POTS LINE SERVICES ARE USUALLY CONNECTED
DIRECTLY TO TELEPHONE COMPANY PHONE LINES.
THEY PROVIDE DIRECT CURRENT TO POWER MOST
THE BASIC ANALOG HANDSETS INDEPENDENTLY OF
LOCALLY AVAILABLE POWER.
IN A VOIP INSTALLATION YOU MUST PLAN FOR POWER
AND POWER BACKUPS, SINCE THE PHONES, SERVERS,
AND SWITCHES WILL NOT WORK WITHOUT LOCAL
POWER BEING SUPPLIED.

19. • TELEPHONE SYSTEMS
• VOIP SWITCH – 911 CONSIDERATIONS
A FIXED LINE PHONE HAS A DIRECT RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN A
TELEPHONE NUMBER AND A PHYSICAL LOCATION. IF AN
EMERGENCY CALL COMES TO 911 FROM THAT NUMBER, THEN
THE PHYSICAL LOCATION IS KNOWN.
IN THE IP WORLD IT IS NOT SO SIMPLE. A BROADBAND PROVIDER
MAY KNOW THE LOCATION WHERE THE WIRES TERMINATE,
BUT THIS DOES NOT NECESSARILY ALLOW THE MAPPING OF AN
IP ADDRESS TO THAT LOCATION.
• IP ADDRESSES ARE OFTEN DYNAMICALLYASSIGNED, SO THE ISP
MAY ALLOCATE AN ADDRESS FOR ONLINE ACCESS, OR AT THE
TIME A BROADBAND ROUTER IS ENGAGED. THE ISP RECOGNIZES
INDIVIDUAL IP ADDRESSES, BUT DOES NOT NECESSARILY KNOW
WHAT PHYSICAL LOCATION TO WHICH IT CORRESPONDS.
• THE BROADBAND SERVICE PROVIDER KNOWS THE PHYSICAL
LOCATION, BUT IS NOT NECESSARILY TRACKING THE IP
ADDRESSES IN USE.
• SINCE IP IS PORTABLE, THE LOCATION MAY BE A MOVING TARGET.
911 CALLS WILL OFTEN MIS-LOCATE THE CALLER. THIS HAS
RESULTED IN KNOWN DEATHS BECAUSE OF RESPONDERS BEING
DIRECTED TO AN OLD OR INCORRECT ADDRESS. IT IS CRITICAL
THAT YOU MAINTAIN TABLES IN YOUR VOIP PHONE SYSTEM TO
LOCATE ALL EXTENSIONS.

20. • TELEPHONE SYSTEMS
• VOIP SWITCH
WITH ALL OF THESE CONSIDERATIONS VOIP HAS STILL BECOME
THE STANDARD. WHY?
• LOW COST, ESPECIALLY WHEN COMBINED WITH INTERNET,
CABLE TV, AND COMPUTER DATA NETWORKING.
• EASILY TRANSPORTABLE. SOFTWARE CAN BE PLACED ON A
LAPTOP TO MIMIC A TELEPHONE SET. THIS IS CALLED A
SOFTPHONE.
• VOIP SERVICE IS NEARLY INDISTINGUISHABLE FROM THE PSTN.
• VOIP PHONES ALLOW VOIP CALLS WITHOUT THE USE OF A
COMPUTER. OF COURSE, INTERNET CONNECTIVITY IS STILL
REQUIRED.
• VOIP ALLOWS FOR MORE FLEXIBILITY AND
INTERCHANGEABILITY OF SOFTWARE AND HARDWARE IN
MANY CASES.

21. • TELEPHONE SYSTEMS
• VOIP SWITCH
384k committed rate
256k committed rate
Remote
Agent
Call
Center
Full T1
1.544
m
Fractional T1
512k
Call
Center
Call
Center
Central
Office
Central
Office
Central
Office
Internet
Cloud
VoIP – Hardware and software that
allows people to use Internet protocols to
make telephone calls.

22. • TELEPHONE SYSTEMS
• PBX
A PRIVATE BRANCH EXCHANGE (PBX) IS A TELEPHONE SWITCH THAT
SERVES A PARTICULAR BUSINESS OR OFFICE, AS OPPOSED TO ONE
THAT A TELEPHONE COMPANY OPERATES FOR MANY BUSINESSES OR
FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC.
PBXS MAKE CONNECTIONS AMONG THE INTERNAL TELEPHONES OF A
PRIVATE ORGANIZATION AND ALSO CONNECT THEM TO THE PUBLIC
SWITCHED TELEPHONE NETWORK (PSTN) VIA TRUNK LINES LIKE T1S.
PBXS ARE DIFFERENTIATED FROM “KEY SYSTEMS" IN THAT USERS OF
KEY SYSTEMS MANUALLY SELECT THEIR OWN OUTGOING LINES,
WHILE PBXS SELECT THE OUTGOING LINE AUTOMATICALLY. HYBRID
SYSTEMS COMBINE FEATURES OF BOTH.

23. • TELEPHONE SYSTEMS
• OPTIONAL SPECIAL FEATURES
• AUTOMATIC CALL DISTRIBUTION (ACD)
• SKILLS BASED ROUTING
• VOICE, EMAIL, FAX, CHAT
• INTERACTIVE VOICE RESPONSE (IVR)
• SPEECH RECOGNITION
• CALL CENTER SOFTWARE
• CALL RECORDING
• CALLACCOUNTING
• VOICE MAIL
• WORKFORCE MANAGEMENT (WFM)
• ONLINE HIRING SOFTWARE
• INTEGRATED TRAINING TOOLS
• COMPUTER TELEPHONY INTEGRATION (CTI)
• WORK AT HOME OR REMOTE AGENTS
• CONTACT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (CMS)
• AND MORE….

24. • TELEPHONE SYSTEMS
• AUTOMATIC CALL DISTRIBUTION (ACD)
ROUTING INCOMING CALLS IS THE TASK OF THE ACD
SYSTEM. ACD SYSTEMS ARE OFTEN FOUND IN CALL
CENTERS OR OFFICES THAT HANDLE LARGE VOLUMES
OF INCOMING PHONE CALLS FROM CALLERS WHO
HAVE NO NEED TO TALK TO A SPECIFIC PERSON BUT
WHO REQUIRE ASSISTANCE FROM ANY OF MULTIPLE
PERSONS (E.G., CUSTOMER SERVICE
REPRESENTATIVES) AT THE EARLIEST OPPORTUNITY.
THE ROUTING STRATEGY IS A RULE-BASED SET OF
INSTRUCTIONS THAT TELLS THE ACD HOW CALLS ARE
HANDLED INSIDE THE SYSTEM. THIS CAPABILITY
MAY INCLUDE E-MAIL, FAX, AND/OR CHAT AS WELL AS
VOICE.
MANY SWITCHES ALREADY INCLUDE AN ACD IN THEIR
SOFTWARE.

25. • TELEPHONE SYSTEMS
• AUTOMATIC CALL DISTRIBUTION (ACD)
• SKILLS BASED ROUTING
CALL ROUTING CAN SEND CALLS TO THE AGENT BEST SUITED
TO HANDLE THAT CALL. FOR EXAMPLE, SPANISH SPEAKING
CALLERS CAN BE ROUTED TO AGENTS WHO SPEAK SPANISH
IF THEY ARE AVAILABLE. A PERSON WITH DISABILITIES CAN
BE ROUTED TO AN AGENT WHO SPECIALIZES IN SERVICES
AND RESOURCES FOR PERSONS WITH DIABILITIES.
CALL ROUTING CAN ALSO BE BASED ON OTHER FACTORS
SUCH AS THE CALLER ID OF THE CALLER, THE NUMBER
THAT WAS DIALED BY THE CALLER, A DATABASE THAT
ESTABLISHES PRIORITY OF CERTAIN CALLERS, ETC.

26. • TELEPHONE SYSTEMS
• INTERACTIVE VOICE RESPONSE (IVR)
IVR IS AN INTERACTIVE TECHNOLOGY THAT ALLOWS A COMPUTER TO
DETECT VOICE (SPEECH RECOGNITION) AND KEYPAD INPUTS.
IVR ALLOWS CUSTOMERS TO ACCESS A COMPANY’S DATABASE VIAA
TELEPHONE TOUCHTONE KEYPAD OR BY SPEECH RECOGNITION,
AFTER WHICH THEY CAN SERVICE THEIR OWN INQUIRIES BY
FOLLOWING THE INSTRUCTIONS.
IVR SYSTEMS CAN RESPOND WITH PRE-RECORDED OR DYNAMICALLY
GENERATED AUDIO TO FURTHER DIRECT USERS ON HOW TO PROCEED.
IVR SYSTEMS CAN BE USED TO CONTROLALMOST ANY FUNCTION
WHERE THE INTERFACE CAN BE BROKEN DOWN INTO A SERIES OF
SIMPLE MENU CHOICES.

27. • TELEPHONE SYSTEMS
• CALL CENTER SOFTWARE
MANY TELEPHONES SYSTEMS COME WITH ACD BUILT IN, BUT IF
YOU WANT MORE THAN JUST CALL DISTRIBUTION, YOU WILL
NEED TO ADD CALL CENTER SOFTWARE, AND POSSIBLY A
SERVER, TO YOUR TELEPHONE SYSTEM. THESE USUALLY
PROVIDE A BETTER AGENT INTERFACE THROUGH THEIR
COMPUTER SCREEN, A CUSTOMIZABLE REAL-TIME
SUPERVISOR SCREEN, STATISTICAL REPORTS, AND MORE.
• CALL RECORDING
CALL RECORDING SOFTWARE OR CALL LOGGING SOFTWARE
ALLOWS A PARTY TO RECORD A TELEPHONE CONVERSATION
TO A DIGITAL FILE, USUALLY IN .WAV OR MP3 FORMAT.

28. • TELEPHONE SYSTEMS
• CALLACCOUNTING
A CALL ACCOUNTING SYSTEM IS A SOFTWARE OR
HARDWARE APPLICATION THAT CAPTURES, RECORDS,
AND COSTS TELEPHONE USAGE EVENTS. CALL
ACCOUNTING SYSTEMS DETECT OUTBOUND AND
INBOUND CALLS, CALL RING OUTS, CALL ROUTINGS,
ABANDONED CALLS, AND OTHER ACTIVITIES.
• VOICE MAIL
VOICE MAIL IS A CENTRALIZED SYSTEM OF MANAGING
TELEPHONE MESSAGES FOR A LARGE GROUP OF
PEOPLE.

29. • TELEPHONE SYSTEMS
• WORKFORCE MANAGEMENT (WFM)
WORKFORCE MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE PROVIDES A TOOL TO
MANAGE SCHEDULING NEEDS FOR THE AGENCY. WFM
COLLECTS INFORMATION ON THE NUMBER, LENGTH AND TIME
OF DAY OF CALLS AND CALCULATES THE NUMBER STAFF
NEEDED FOR EACH SHIFT. IT ALSO PROVIDES TRENDS FROM
HISTORICAL DATA WITH A VARIETY OF REPORTS. MANAGERS
USE WORKFORCE SOFTWARE FOR PLANNING MEETINGS, TIME
OFF OR VACATION TIME FOR STAFFING BASED ON SERVICE
LEVELS.
• ONLINE HIRING SOFTWARE
• SOME SYSTEMS OFFER OPTIONAL HIRING MANAGEMENT
SOFTWARE THAT PRE-SCREENS CANDIDATES, INTRODUCES THE
APPLICANTS TO YOUR COMPANY, GIVES ONLINE TESTS, AND
INTRODUCES THE CANDIDATES TO THE POSITION THAT IS
BEING OFFERED.

30. • TELEPHONE SYSTEMS
• INTEGRATED TRAINING TOOLS
CALL CENTERS OFTEN HAVE SLOW TIMES. INTEGRATED TRAINING TOOLS CAN
OBSERVE SLOW PERIODS AND FEED SHORT TRAINING MODULES TO IDLE
AGENTS TO MAKE THE BEST USE OF THE TIME. THESE TRAININGS CAN BE
LINKED TO ASSESSMENT TOOLS IN SOME SYSTEMS SO THAT THE TRAINING
MODULES ARE THE ONES THAT WILL BE MOST HELPFUL TO THAT SPECIFIC
AGENT.
• COMPUTER TELEPHONY INTEGRATION (CTI)
CTI ENRICHES YOUR CALLER’S EXPERIENCE BY RETRIEVING CALLER-SPECIFIC
INFORMATION AND MATCHING IT WITH THE BEST AGENT TO HELP THEM. ALSO,
THE SCREEN POP FEATURE SAVES BOTH THE CALLER’S AND THE AGENT’S TIME
BY AUTOMATICALLY OPENING THE RIGHT SCREEN DIRECTLY TO THE AGENT'S
DESKTOP. FINALLY, CTI LETS A CALLER UTILIZE SELF-SERVICE BY GETTING OR
SETTING HIS OWN ACCOUNT INFORMATION OVER THE PHONE WITHOUT
TALKING TO A LIVE AGENT.

31. • TELEPHONE SYSTEMS
• WORK AT HOME OR REMOTE AGENTS
FUNCTIONALITY IN YOUR TELEPHONE SYSTEM OR SERVICES THAT
ALLOWAGENTS TO WORK FROM HOME, RELOCATE TO ANOTHER
LOCATION, OR TO WORK IN A MOBILE ENVIRONMENT. CHECK WITH
YOUR VENDORS TO SEE WHAT YOU NEED TO DO TO ADD THIS
FUNCTIONALITY.
• CONTACT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (CMS)
A CONTACT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (CMS) IS AN INTEGRATED
SOLUTION THAT ALLOWS ORGANIZATIONS TO RECORD
RELATIONSHIPS AND INTERACTIONS WITH THEIR CALLERS.
THIS INFORMATION INCLUDES ALL EMAILS, DOCUMENTS, JOBS,
FAXES, CALENDAR AND MORE.

32. • AND MORE…..
IF YOU CAN THINK OF IT, A TELEPHONE SYSTEMS
MANUFACTURER HAS PROBABLY ALREADY DEVELOPED A
SYSTEM TO HANDLE IT. ASK YOUR VENDORS.
QUESTIONS???

33. Bill Brackin, Program Director
North Sound 2-1-1
(425) 609-2213
bbrackin@voaww.org