These two real-life examples show UC benefits

IF YOU have more than one call centre, UC has great benefits.  As well as bringing together functions such as ACD IVR, CTI and routing, it can create single high performance virtual call centre.

Brightside Group, an insurance broker and financial services business, uses UC across all of its offices and its four call centres.  Among the benefits it a “hot key” feature by which new potential business leads are transferred instantly for immediate attention.  Brightside has also installed a predictive dialler to call its database.

Another example is the North West Ambulance Service, based in Bolton, which was running nine different phone systems and eight separate call centres.

Now all communications are on a single platform and the telecommunications manager, Ian McDonald, says managing and, if necessary, re-routing calls is easy – while keeping the focus on patient care.  He estimates first year savings will be about £100,000.

Both of these systems were installed by my company.

Remember, too, the other benefits UC can bring, such as built in disaster recovery should your network or system fail and, with a virtual call centre, saving on premises costs.

Tom Perry is director of marketing EMEA, ShoreTel. 

Contact him at: tperry@shoretel.com