VoIP PBX

To hear the Call Center and Contact Center immediately came forward, in our imagination, the idea of ​​a worker with a cap and the phone at his side. In fact, however, call centers are far more complex reality: the definition of wanting to quote Wikipedia : "To call centers (or call center) means all equipment, information systems and human resources to manage, optimally, phone calls to and from a company. The activity of a call center can be done by professionals and / or digital interactive IVR. Operators and receptionists can provide them, enable services, provide technical assistance, offering reservation services, allow purchases and promotional campaigns (telemarketing). "

And in fact in a call center there is a computer structure that is composed of at least:

• A phone server that manages channels and phone calls to call centers, digital receptionists (IVR) , operators. Often a PBX or directly to the telephone lines (in this case the server can also operate as PBX phone, although the two concepts are distinct and PBX telephony server).
• A corporate LAN more or less articulate.
• A series of workstations equipped with telephone (hardware or software) and headset.
• Workstations we can find a PC (Personal Computer) through which the operator performs dataentry or retrieves information from corporate databases to provide the client with whom you talk.
• In some specific cases we can find a system of CTI (Computer Telephony Integration), which is a telephone system that allows the server to communicate with the PC and transfer information about the call operator input / output.

Usually the call center communicates through telephone channels. And this is the fundamental distinction with the Contact Center. Taking a different definition of WikiPedia : "The contact center is a call center evolved, combining the functions of telecommunications with information systems, adding the use of other instruments over the telephone / communication channels, such as physical door, mail , fax, email, web, messaging on mobile phones. The call center, as well as the most advanced contact center must be understood as a new way of managing contacts and relationships with customers and citizens, according to a broader strategic vision and planning time to tell a customer-oriented culture of the Administration "

So the Contact Center is a broader concept, for which you require further technological resources such as:

• SMS Server: A server that is able to send SMS through the GSM network. Can be achieved when using special software and GSM modems, or purchased in the form of outsourced service by specific providers.
• FAX Server: a server dedicated to sending fax through normal telephone lines. The FAX Server become indispensable tools for work when the call center sells a service that provides customers with faxing: sending automation makes it easier and cheaper labor, as it prevents the operator to worry about sending the fax (or resend in case of no transmission). The fact FAX Server tools are fully managed by IT and therefore controllable by the network.

Often the call center make use of special software for contact management, in technical jargon, are called CRM (which stands for Customer Relationship Management, which is software for managing customer contacts). Through this software you can store disparate information about customers of the call center. The CRM concept is fairly large, but tends to its main functions are:

1. The acquisition of new customers (or "potential customers")
2. The increase in relations with major customers (or "customers arable")
3. The longest possible retention of customers who have closer relations with the company (referred to as "customers first floor")

In the outbound call center activities that are (so outgoing calls) you can find this type of software for the orders named CATI (acronym for Computer Aided Telephony Interview Software to manage the computer of telephone interviews).

With this view, certainly not exhaustive, we tried to give a first overview of the technological complexity of structures needed to run a call center: it is often heterogeneous systems that require integration and development of dedicated software, and in some cases even extremely expensive.

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