Finding the right partner that delivers IP telephony without sacrificing flexibility, reliability, security, and interoperability-all while leveraging existing investments-is the key.

Deploying IP telephony enables a globally distributed enterprise to communicate and to operate as one integrated entity. This allows new business models to emerge that increase productivity and speed business change, all on a single network.

The question for any business is how to implement this critical technology. One approach preserves a company's infrastructure investment. Another builds it from scratch. It's important to support either path while protecting a company's investment. The challenge for IT managers is to leverage existing applications, user-training, and infrastructure investments while deploying new solutions that will meet their future needs.

IT managers trying to make the right choice, at the right pace, about IP telephony need facts, not confusing terms and competing claims.

The truth is, decisions are driven by how applications and capabilities match business needs while meeting IT requirements for reliability, security, interoperability, and manageability. The IP telephony market has coalesced around a common architecture consisting of open servers, highly distributed gateways that connect IP and traditional elements, and a broad range of new access devices, including IP phones, wireless phones, softphones, PDAs, and more.

With our "stepping-stone" choices for migrating PBXes to IP, our customers can get started at low risk and cost. All these choices provide flexibility in supporting an organization's path to IP telephony.

For more details about our Enterprise Interaction Center by Interactive Intelligence Inc. go to our IP telephony page.

IP Telephony has broken down the wireline distance barrier, extending advanced capabilities and Intelligent Communications to any user, anywhere in the world.

Wireless voice and data communications have removed the need for a wired connection. At the intersection of IP telephony and wireless communications is enterprise mobility – the freedom of being enterprise-enabled, anywhere.

For example, with our Interactive Intelligence's Enterprise Interaction Center, a teleworker can receive calls made to their office at their home or remote location. They can access communications features they enjoy in the office, such as call transfer, abbreviated dialing, conference, and hold.

With IP Telephony, a company can choose the path that is most appropriate for them to deploy enterprise mobility, one that minimizes technical disruption and preserves existing investments in wiring and phones. A mobility server can be added to an existing PBX or the PBX can be IP enabled and gradually expand its new capabilities throughout the enterprise.

For more details about our Enterprise Interaction Center by Interactive Intelligence Inc. go to our IP telephony page.

Reducing unnecessary calls is a basic step in increasing contact center efficiency. There are three quick ways to reduce unnecessary calls:

Implement an IVR. Using an integrated voice response -- where automated voice prompts used to service customer contacts -- offers customers a fast and efficient means of self-serving their calling needs 7 days a week, 24 hours a day. Depending on the environment, an IVR can offload between 5 and 25 percent or more of your center's call volume. Our standards-based self service IVR platform for call centers and contact centers that enables enterprises to automate voice transactions via speech and touchtone.

Use Web pages. Company web pages can supplement a call center by providing customers with self-service options that are available most of the time. It offers a less complex and less expensive way of transaction processing than using voice solutions.

Analyze why customers are calling. Another way to reduce unnecessary calls is to track the reasons for the contacts. Tracking, in detail, why customers call highlights the number of call types that are unnecessary and avoidable.

For more details about our Customer Interaction Center by Interactive Intelligence Inc. go to our Contact Centers page.

Hosted solutions delivered over a Service Provider’s network offer leading IP Telephony and Contact Center applications in an on-demand model.

Benefits include:

Minimal upfront investment. No need to devote valuable IT resources to manage the solution Connect remote and international locations on the same platform without buying additional equipment.

Pay for only what you use.

Scale easily. To accommodate growth or seasonality.

WebDialogs' expanded Conferencing Suites can scale to your business needs—supporting a wide range of simultaneous users.

We deliver worry-free, always-available conferencing for your business, complete with comprehensive service and support that includes Helpline, Operator Services, and full System Administration and System Management. The entire conferencing solution can be implemented with litt le or no capital budget investment from you.

The WebDialogs conferencing solution is integrated directly into your organization’s private voice and data networks. This minimizes the need for your employees to access an external network to join a conference call—and internal networking provides significant cost savings for your organization.

You get one of the leading conferencing systems in the world today that is compatible with any environment—TDM, IP, mixed TDM/IP, and it works with multi-vendor equipment. Also, the solution can be integrated with your other business applications, scheduling systems, and directory databases, which delivers an enhanced user experience. There’s no special training required for end-users.

SIP is a catalyst for the next phase of open communications over IP. SIP is an interoperable protocol in a multi-vendor environment that creates new possibilities for system flexibility in multi-service networks. Organizations can pick the best of breed from a variety of vendors to create a seamless converged communication network.

A user with multiple devices like a cell phone, desk phone, PC client and PDA can rely on SIP to seamlessly integrate these entities for increased efficiency and productivity. SIP is differentiated from similar communications protocols by its wide industry support, providing a practical means of multi-vendor integration at the highest level of the protocol stack—the application layer.

Although a growing number of enterprise leaders are considering an organization-wide migration to converged communications, the majority are testing the waters on an application-by-application basis. Initially, savings associated with business continuity, toll bypass and ease of administration for moves/adds/changes fueled VoIP deployment, but it is the increased flexibility in deploying new capabilities and application integration that will drive the migration to converged communications in
enterprise environments.

Our converged business communication solutions embrace the principles of:

• Open, standards-compliant software and system architectures
• Solutions that are highly scalable and reliable
• Communication features transparent to the means of access
• Services rendered across multiple forms of access devices
• User productivity optimized to handle operational challenges
• Fork lift solutions are avoided to cut costs and service disruptions
• Enhanced service integration with Service Providers as opposed to siloed solutions
• Interoperability with multiple vendors creating end-to-end solutions

An effective mobility solution is far more than cellular phones or laptops. Employees and customers should be free to enjoy a consistent experience when they communicate even when the employee is away from their desk, working remotely or traveling. An employee’s physical location is irrelevant to a customer who wants to reach them.

Enterprise mobility delivers one number accessibility to enterprise employees on the go. They are always reachable at their direct office number. The call is extended to a cell phone, laptop or PDA. Missed calls go to a predefined call coverage or to the corporate messaging system.

Users can also conference, transfer, hold and dial from the corporate directory using any phone. Speech recognition capabilities are generally built-in to these Communications Solutions so, simple voice commands can be used to control communications for greater efficiency and safety when driving.

Manageability is the strongest benefit cited by CIOs who have deployed enterprise mobility. It ends the dependence on consumer-oriented wireless network features. Plus, a company can choose the path that is most appropriate for them to deploy enterprise mobility, minimizing technical disruption and preserving existing investments in wiring and phones.

What to look for in an enterprise-class mobility solution:

• Simple to use, simple to administer
• Consistent user capabilities and experience across all modes of work and devices
• Mobile communications integrated with other modes
• Mobile communications integrated into enterprise processes and business operations (e.g., mobile call detail records integrated with other call detail records)
• Secure and reliable access and delivery of applications
• Enterprise management and control of mobile devices and services

Mobility means providing universal access to the communication tools, information and applications you rely on to be productive - regardless of where you are or what device you have access to at the time. Access all messages - voice, email and fax- from one mailbox; dial one number to reach associates whether at the office or somewhere else; and enjoy the same communication features wherever you are working - on the road, at home, or in the office.

The building blocks of creating Mobile efficiency are Calling and Conferencing Management, Presence, Messaging Management, Contact and Information Management, and Personal Efficiency Management.

With these tools you can access all messages - voice, email and fax- from one mailbox; dial one number to reach associates whether at the office or somewhere else; and enjoy the same communication features wherever you are working - on the road, at home, or in the office.

Building blocks of mobility are:

• Calling and Conferencing Management - launch or initiate conferences from any phone while leveraging the communication system in the office
• Presence - "see" others and whether they are available to communicate via voice, text or video.
• Messaging Management - get access to all messages - voice, e-mail, or fax - from a PC, phone, or other wireless device. Manage your messages from wherever you are.
• Contact and Information Management - connect to directories and databases from wherever you are to get the right information and collaborate in real-time, or simply solve a problem without having to wait to get back to the office.
• Personal Efficiency Management - manage appointments and tasks through rules-based controls to distinguish between urgent requests and routine interactions.

The question for any business is not whether to migrate to IP Telephony - but how.

One path preserves a company's infrastructure investment.

Another builds a converged infrastructure from the ground up. It's important to choose a solution that supports the chosen path of migration, while protecting a company's investment.

The challenge for IT managers is to leverage existing applications, user training, and infrastructure investments while deploying new solutions that will meet their future needs. Fully distributed IP telephony solutions like the Interactive Intelligence products can be deployed as completely new, or extend existing investments in applications, servers, gateways, and phones.