Friday, December 14, 2007

Global Connect 2008: Where Global Businesses Connect with Technology

The International Nortel Networks Users Association (INNUA) is bringing Global Connect 2008 to Nortel's backyard. Join INNUA in Grapevine, Texas to learn about new products and information, attend powerful educational sessions and network with telecommunications professionals from around the world.


Register Today and Save!


Download the Global Connect 2008 registration form to register by mail or fax today. Register by May 2 and save up to US $180 off the full conference registration fee. Online registration will open in January.


Get a Sneak-Peak at the Global Connect 2008 Exhibit Hall


Tour the Exhibit Hall before you get to Global Connect 2008. The Global Connect 2008 Virtual Expo Center is the one-stop location for all of the information you need on the Global Connect 2008 exhibitors. Not only can you view a list of exhibiting companies and print off the Exhibit Hall floor plan, but there are also a number of special features that give you valuable access to exhibitors before the show ever begins!


Justify Your Attendance


Please check www.innua.orgregularly for updates and details as they become available. Stay tuned for future Global Connect Updates providing you with up-to-date conference information.

Thursday, December 13, 2007

Imporant Notice Regarding Canadian GST/HST Changes in January 2008

Effective January 1, 2008, the GST and the federal component of the HST are proposed to be reduced from 6% to 5%.

Information regarding this announcement made by the Government of Canada on October 30, 2007 can be found here:
http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/E/pub/gi/notice226/notice226-e.html

How does this affect your call accounting?Your call accounting software collects data from your phone system, assigns a cost to these calls and posts this cost to your Property Management System (PMS). These calls may or may not be sent to the PMS with tax applied. If your system sends the calls to PMS with the tax applied, you will need to make changes to your configuration files to accommodate the reduced rate of GST. In many instances the call accounting software sends the calls without tax and the Property Management System applies the tax once the records are received.

Please visit our website (www.telecost.com) or contact your RSI Support Services representative for more information.

Customers with a current Annual Maintenance contract will receive step-by-step email notification. (View document for TELECOST here: http://www.telecost.com/notice_gst_advisory.htm)

RSI Announces New Look Website - www.telecost.com

OSHAWA, ONTARIO - December 13, 2007 -Resource Software International Ltd. (RSI) announced today the relaunch of their corporate website - www.telecost.com. The domain is one of the longest running on the internet and contains volumes of telecom expense management and call accounting information.

Over the years the website has enjoyed excellent Google, Yahoo and MSN ranking due to its quality content. The site has been revamped, reorganized and relaunched to address the changing needs of our customers. New features include industry articles, improved live chat, feedback section, public access webinars and download section.

Visit www.telecost.com.

Monday, November 26, 2007

Nortel Grants RSI Compatible Product Designation for Emergency Notification Software

OSHAWA, ONTARIO, CANADA – November 26, 2007 - Resource Software International Ltd. (RSI) announced today general availability of tools OSN (On Site Notification) software for Nortel SRG and BCM platforms . RSI recently completed a thorough testing in Nortel labs and was granted Nortel Compatible Product status on Nortel SRG 50 Rls 3.0.

“The launch of tools OSN is part of our strategic objective to offer customers the very best compatible solutions for Nortel telephony platforms through mutual co-operation with Nortel, development and strategic acquisitions.”, said Rito Salomone, President of RSI. “We are delighted to offer Nortel SMB customers peace of mind in emergency situations.”

tools OSN is a unique application designed specifically to work with Nortel BCM and SRG environments to watchdog the system. Valuable time is often lost in trying to locate the individual that placed an emergency call. tools OSN can broadcast E911 notification to telephone sets, email or network computers regardless of the type of emergency or crisis. Seconds can make the difference in saving lives, property and money when dispensing critical information and responding to emergencies. tools OSN may be configured with Public Safety Access Point information. The PSAP information can be delivered via email to authorized response personnel.

For more information, visit our Nortel Compatible Products (www.telecost.com/nortel) website.

About RSI

Founded in 1990, Resource Software International Ltd. is a developer, manufacturer and distributor of leading edge computer telephony management solutions. The company offers a wide range of other products including: call accounting, hotel/motel management, carrier comparisons, invoice analysis, telemanagement and rebilling outsourcing services. RSI has distributors in North America, Europe, Caribbean and Middle East.

Information about RSI, its products and the company's maintenance program can be found on the World Wide Web at http://www.telecost.com.

Wednesday, November 7, 2007

RSI Offers Call Accounting by MAC Address

Many call detail logs from modern appliances and communication servers now include MAC Address and IP Address as source and/or destination details. This is a deviation from the extension and trunk line information that was generally provided by traditional digital telephone systems.

RSI offers Shadow CMS with sophisticated data parsing technology which allows the software to store and process new IPDR and IP-like call detail records. Reports can now be processed by Originating IP and/or MAC Address for true accountability. Results can even be rolled up by cost center, department or division.

www.telecost.com

Monday, October 1, 2007

Using Call Accounting For Surveillance and Security

The telephone is the most immediate personal form of communication. It provides a virtually instantaneous method of conversing with a party or multiple parties from anywhere in the world. Wireless technology has blanketed the earth beyond the traditional PSTN hardwired telephone bases.

The use of the telephone is popular amongst all industries for business communication. The telephone is also a means of communication for organized crime, illegal drug traffickers and terrorists. Criminal elements often know how to circumvent telephone systems to cover their trails. Many resort to hacking unsecured PBXs and utilizing out dial features to route free calls over unsuspecting business networks.

Generally, hackers will strike using caller ID spoofing, stolen authorization pin number or cracking techniques to gain access to corporate telephone systems. Once inside, hackers can rack up hundreds of thousands of dollars in charges without an accurate trace. Usually their calls are assigned to the compromised ports, voice mail boxes or extensions. The victim will often have very little recourse other than beg the telephone company for a refund.

Many corporations are adopting systems to combat criminal elements and protect their networks, employees and intellectual property by implementing more secure countermeasures. These tools include intelligent switch management algorithms that plug outbound dialing holes in voice mail boxes and other ports thus securing tandem calling. Emergency notification applications are being deployed to watchdog frequency of calls, call destinations and awkward calling patterns.

Call accounting software is a basic staple in corporate auditing by connecting to PBX station message detail recording (SMDR) and retrieving the records for processing. These SMDR records usually include date, time, duration and calling party and optionally a number of other variables such as authorization code, accessed line and station transfers. Most seasoned call accounting software packages can recognize suspicious calling patterns and highlight misuse and abuse.

Businesses have embraced call accounting as not only a means of security but also for telephone cost allocation, bill reconciliation, telecom expense management and improved productivity. Many businesses are adopting sophisticated total communication management solutions (TCMS) for multi-pronged approach to securing networks and minimizing telecom spend. TCMS includes call accounting, personalized switch administration and automated real time emergency notification.

RSI (www.telecost.com) is recognized as an industry leader in the field of communication management. The communication management product portfolio includes tailored integration to the most popular switching and network manufactures. RSI has been granted Nortel Developer Partner status with recognition for its core portfolio as Compatible Products. RSI is a Cisco Technology Partner, Siemens HiPath Ready Standard certified, Avaya DeveloperConnect Member, Mitel MiSN Member, Adtran Complementary Solutions Provider, ShoreTel Technology Partner, NEC Univerge Partner and Alcatel Applications Partner.

Thursday, September 13, 2007

How to Have A Successful Conference Call

These days with more and more of us working from home, working on the road, and generally dealing with multiple suppliers, contractors and business partners in locations all over the world, the conference call is supplanting the face-to-face meeting. Here are some tips on getting the most out of your conference call...

more...

Tuesday, August 7, 2007

Why Call Accounting Software?

Call accounting is software or hardware that provides metrics for telephony functions such as traffic analysis, toll fraud alerts, network management, E911 notification and cost allocation to various corporate levels.

Historically the software has been an invaluable tool for corporations that required control over telephone usage costs. Call accounting systems generally capture and report on call type, origin, date, time, duration and dialed digits. The system stores the data and utilizes the information to calculate cost and generate desired reports.

Call accounting can generally reduce telecom expenses from 10% to 40% by highlighting misuse and abuse, discovering supplier billing errors and increasing productivity through greater network and workforce efficiency.

Environments that are not monitored tend to have excessive charges for directory services, specialty numbers, personal and overseas calls. The implementation of a call accounting system can pinpoint calls to individual extensions for greater accountability. In fact, simple awareness of the impending installation of a new call accounting package circulated among staff curbs misuse immediately by approximately 10%.

Supplier billing errors can be a costly revelation. A Gartner Group study found 12 to 20 percent of corporate telecom invoices contain billing errors and 85 percent of such errors are in favor of the carrier. A good call accounting system can provide accounting assurance through bill reconciliation.

In this era of heightened security, it is imperative that a call accounting software package monitor suspicious, fraudulent and malicious behavior. Calls to E911, emergency services or to specific calling patterns can be tracked and notified to authorized personnel. In 2002, the United States Congress passed the Sarbanes-Oxley Act following fraudulent operations by companies, such as Enron and WorldCom. Call detail reports can be used to provide documented proof of fraudulent behavior.

Over the years call accounting has evolved from a single processor MS DOS system to elaborate SQL databases with globally accessible browser-based solutions. Web browsers are either pre-installed with the operating system or freely available downloads from the internet. Browsers are popular because they can access information remotely from a public IP address or via a virtual private network (VPN). Therefore an individual can access his stock quotes, read the latest headlines and review call accounting reports through various tabs on the browser. Web browser based systems allow enterprise users to easily manage many sites from a centralized location.

Many corporations are developing total communication management solution (TCMS) strategies to manage their growing communication spend. Call accounting is the core of any powerful communication management portfolio.

RSI (www.telecost.com) is recognized as an industry leader in the field of communication management. The communication management product portfolio includes tailored integration to the most popular switching and network manufactures. RSI has been granted Nortel Developer Partner status with recognition for its core portfolio as Compatible Products. RSI is a Cisco Technology Partner, Siemens HiPath Ready Standard certified, Avaya DeveloperConnect Member, Mitel MiSN Member, Adtran Complementary Solutions Provider, ShoreTel Technology Partner, NEC Univerge Partner and Alcatel Applications Partner.

Tuesday, July 31, 2007

Total Communication Management Software (TCMS) - Call Accounting Is Still The Core

From the early evolution of man, communication has been the essential ingredient in human interaction. The invention of the telephone thrust our world closer together. This instantaneous method of communication transformed the way we collaborate, perform transactions and exchange information.

Communication facilities are rapidly evolving, changing and converging. There are many methods of communication including wireless, VoIP and traditional PSTN. Most companies have an array of communication devices including cell phones, hand held personal devices, instant messaging and the good old receiver.

Communication infrastructure is the mission critical foundation of most businesses. It is imperative that the communication network is running smoothely without obstruction.

The old adage rings true today “you cannot manage what you cannot measure”. Historically, call accounting software was used to monitor telephone activity. The evolution and increased integration of communication devices has increased the complexity and magnitude of communication networks.

Call accounting may no longer be the killer application of current times but it is certainly a necessary component. Modern communication management systems now collect system logs, Internet usage reports, router statistics, voice mail logs, CCR, hunt group information and various device-dependent logs as well as traditional call detail records (CDR).

Total Communication Management Software (TCMS) is now a multi-pronged approach that combines statistics from various facilities. These statistics allow enterprises to identify billing irregularities, misuse, bottlenecks, inactivity, productivity or workforce expense.

RSI is recognized as an industry leader in the field of communication management. The communication management product portfolio includes tailored integration to the most popular switching and network manufactures. RSI has been granted Nortel Developer Partner status with recognition for its core portfolio as Compatible Products. RSI is a Cisco Technology Partner, Siemens HiPath Ready Standard certified, Avaya DeveloperConnect Member, Mitel MiSN Member, Adtran Complementary Solutions Provider, ShoreTel Technology Partner, NEC Univerge Partner and Alcatel Applications Partner

Thursday, July 26, 2007

Productivity Drain at the Workplace Through Misuse of Communication Devices

Wasting time at work? You're not alone: survey
Reuters
Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/lifestyleMolt/idUSN2541395620070725

NEW YORK (Reuters Life!) - Americans who feel bored and underpaid do work hard -- at surfing the net and catching up on gossip, according to a survey that found U.S. workers waste about 20 percent of their working day.

An online survey of 2,057 employees by online compensation company Salary.com found about six in every 10 workers admit to wasting time at work with the average employee wasting 1.7 hours of a typical 8.5 hour working day.

Personal Internet use topped the list as the leading time-wasting activity according to 34 percent of respondents, with 20.3 percent then listing socializing with co-workers and 17 percent conducting personal business as taking up time.

The reasons why people wasted time were varied with nearly 18 percent of respondents questioned by e-mail in June and July said boredom and not having enough to do was the main reason.

The second most popular reason for wasting time was having too long hours (13.9 percent), being underpaid (11.8 percent), and a lack of challenging work (11.1 percent).

"While a certain amount of wasted time is built into company salary structures, our research indicates that companies with a challenged and engaged workforce can expect more productivity in return," said Bill Coleman, chief compensation officer at Salary.com.

While the amount of time wasted at work seems high, Coleman said the numbers have improved, with the amount of time wasted dropping 19 percent since Salary.com conducted its first annual survey on slacking at work in 2005. Then workers reported wasting 2.09 hours of their working day.

"I think (the decline) is really a result of the economy and that there's more business, more work available and less time to sit around wondering what you are going to do with your day," Coleman told Reuters.

Thursday, July 19, 2007

The 10,000 Foot View of the Global PBX market

This month we look the battle of core technologies. In 1990, as in 1980, there was one way to do telecom: TDM. Today we have three major options: TDM, VOIP, or a hybrid of both. Over the decade, Hybrid has emerged as the predominant choice, outselling pure IP systems by about two to one (or more). We see that IP has a stronger growth rate, which we might in part ascribe to having a smaller base. $100 million in sales in the pure IP market provides 9% growth, but $100 million in Hybrid works out to being just 2% growth. Growth is decelerating in the pure IP market, as we would (at least mathematically) expect it would. If we look at the market shares of the three technology models, it would seem that the migration path most companies took was from TDM to Hybrid, which makes sense given that Hybrid offers up some carry over of what an enterprise owns and may require no, or less, re-wiring.


On the other hand we see that pure IP is very strong in the “Greenfield” market, where we have an entirely new enterprise or an entirely new site. But as we the leveling off of pure IP growth, the question becomes whether or not both will converge to the median growth rate of about 11%. If IP continues to out-pace Hybrid, then we will begin to see erosion of Hybrid's share (as TDM migration winds down, and all new growth would become more and more a zero sum game between the two remaining technologies). Most analysts expect both technologies to be growing about the same pace by the early part of the next decade, and for Hybrid to level off at about 60% of market, and IP at 40%.

My thanks to Dell O'ro and the Yankee Group for their excellent research.

Douglas Green publisher@usernews.com
Publisher, Telecom Reseller http://www.telecomreseller.com/

Wednesday, July 4, 2007

RSI Announces Shadow CMS Hospitality Integration With Visual Matrix

OSHAWA, Ont. (RSINEWS), Resource Software International Ltd. (RSI), the industry leader in total communication management solutions (TCMS) for every enterprise, has added Visual Matrix to its comprehensive list of compatible property management system billing integration partners.

Shadow CMS is a call accounting solution for general business, professional and hospitality environments. Shadow CMS is a core component of the RSI TCMS portfolio. RSI is recognized for its robust hotel billing solutions with implementations in many respected global hotel chains, resorts and inns. Visit the website at www.telecost.com for more information.

Visual Matrix PMS is developed by Image Technology Systems. The company has been serving the hospitality industry since 1986, providing scaleable property management software solutions.

VisualMatrix PMS was designed by a dedicated team of hotel professionals with the input of our valued clients and technical support staff. This collaboration ensured that the system delivers the most technically advanced and intuitive property management system on the market today.

VisualMatrix empowers your staff with the tools they need to efficiently manage day-to-day operations and forecast effectively. Technology has changed the way hotels do business. The mere facet of automating a front desk or a “manual” hotel system is far from fulfilling the technology needs of a property. A PMS must bridge the needs of Guests, hotel staff, owners, managers, franchisers, and third party vendors and do it in a manner that maximizes the revenue potential of the property, while reducing labor costs and delivering the highest efficiency output.

Friday, June 29, 2007

RSI Announces Availability of Revolution Web Call Accounting for Avaya one-X Quick Edition

OSHAWA, ONTARIO - July 1, 2007 - Resource Software International Ltd. (RSI), a global leader in total communication management solutions (TCMS) for every enterprise, announced today the general availability of Revolution Web Call Accounting for Avaya one-X Quick Edition.

"RSI is the first vendor to offer a unique solution for one-X Quick Edition customers. Revolution Web is a portable call accounting solution that monitors all one-X Quick Edition phones in real time. The data is gathered, processed and stored for real time retrieval or periodic reporting.", said Steve Cummings, VP Operations. "RSI is proud to offer a powerful, dynamic and affordable solution to this very unique market segment."

Avaya one-X Quick Edition delivers intelligent communications to very small businesses and small branches of enterprises. With SIP-based peer to peer technology, telephone system set up and installation is dramatically simplified; plug the telephones into the local area network, and the system configures itself. In minutes, all users have access to the most commonly used set of features including voicemail, conferencing, auto-attendant and call management.

About RSI

Founded in 1990, Resource Software International Ltd. is a developer, manufacturer and distributor of leading edge computer telephony management solutions. The company offers a wide range of other products including: call accounting, hotel/motel management, carrier comparisons, invoice analysis, telemanagement and rebilling outsourcing services. RSI has distributors in North America, Europe, Caribbean and Middle East. As a proud Avaya DeveloperConnection Gold Member, RSI is focused on providing Avaya customers with insight, training and resources highlighting our tailored product portfolio.

For more information, visit our website tailored for Avaya Customers:
http://www.telecost.com/avaya

Wednesday, June 20, 2007

Total Communication Management Solution (TCMS): A New Approach to Call Accounting

Total Communication Management Solution (TCMS) is the next generation of telecom expense management and its predecessor call accounting. Today the means of communication is not channelled through a single pipe --- the PBX. It is not prudent to examine telecom expense through the single source of call detail records (CDR).

Communication facilities are rapidly evolving, changing and converging. There are many methods of communication including wireless, VoIP and traditional PSTN. Most companies have an array of communication devices including cell phones, hand held personal devices, instant messaging and the good old receiver. Industry giants like Microsoft, Cisco, Nortel and others are feverishly working to forge alliances and integrate technologies and deliver unified communications.

Integrating communications is no small task. Such applications as email, instant messaging, telephony, conferencing, video, web and file sharing will need to be scalable, seamlessly deployed and integrated within the enterprise. The new world unified communications standard will promote greater connectivity encompassing person-to-person, person-to-machine and machine-to-machine communication at a global scale.

The evolution of these new converged communication facilities is spawning next generation total communication management solutions that encompass non-traditional expense management solutions. At the core of every robust system remains a transformed web enabled call accounting system. The new call accounting package now includes tools for consolidating multiple communication expenses under one roof. The new age call accounting system provides management tools for mobile, wireless carriers, conference calls, IVR systems, paging, auto attendant, voice mail, calling card, ACD, internet usage and, of course, CDR. Traditional systems ignore traffic that is not reported in the PBX call detail information.

Shadow CMS by Resource Software International Ltd. (RSI) is a multi-vendor, multi-platform enterprise solution that makes sense of the multitudes of communication facility logs. This information is translated, analyzed and delivered to the appropriate personnel.

Now more than ever call accounting or more accurately TCMS is necessary to ease companies in transition. Communication is the lifeline of every business. It is imperative to attain the proper metrics to assess the health of the network and obtain quantitative results for future network planning.

The continuous innovation of new technologies and adoption of business convergence solutions is fostering greater need for communication usage management. Call accounting is now a single element in a multi-pronged approach to a total communication management solution (TCMS).

Enterprises are still concerned about telephone misuse and abuse but now want to consider a broader range of devices. Here are some of the questions that a TCMS can answer:

How long did Jimmy spend chatting on his business cell phone?
How many times did Jimmy surf the web and visit poker sites?
How many toll calls could have been directed over VoIP or other more cost effective carriers?
Did Jimmy readily return his voice mail messages?
How effective is the corporate auto attendant and CCR Tree?
Who called 911and from where?

There are many vendors that have evolved their call accounting offerings to address the changing needs of telecom and IT managers. Every successful company will seek out a solution that best fits their business requirements. Companies with the foresight in deploying a total communication management solution will undoubtedly be rewarded with a concrete unified picture of communication spend, greater productivity and a more lucrative bottom line.

RSI is recognized as an industry leader in the field of communication management. The communication management product portfolio includes tailored integration to the most popular switching and network manufactures. RSI has been granted Nortel Developer Partner status with recognition for its core portfolio as Compatible Products. RSI is a Cisco Technology Partner, Siemens HiPath Ready Standard certified, Avaya DeveloperConnect Member, Mitel MiSN Member, Adtran Complementary Solutions Provider, ShoreTel Technology Partner, NEC Univerge Partner and Alcatel Applications Partner.

Nortel SCS 500 SMB IP PBX

IT is the end of another annual developer conference held by Nortel. This session like all others offered a glimpse into the future direction of Nortel. Sometimes these presentations are feel good vaporware. This conference gave us a peek at a new Nortel Small Business Communications Server 500 (SCS 500). This is a joint IBM/Nortel offering that was announced this week on Eweek:

The combined offering will be sold through both IBM and Nortel channel partners. Both IBM and Nortel intend to provide training to IBM's System i channel partners on how to market and support IP telephony applications, and they will train Nortel partners familiar with VOIP on how to market and support the System i running VOIP applications. The System i is used most often by SMBs (small and midsize businesses).

Stay tuned.

Nortel to Get Serious About SOTA, SMBs

Nortel to Get Serious About SOTA, SMBs

Jun 18, 2007 - By David Greenfield


We've been saying for some time now that the future of telephony is closely tied to the vendor's ability to embed telephony capabilities within their applications. Of the major telephony providers, Avaya's been the most vocal in this regard with its push towards Communication Enabled Business Processes (CEBP) highlighted by its Ubiquity acquisition. Siemens. Startups Bluenote and Sphere Communications have delivered SOTA environments for generalized telephony and contact center environments.

However, Nortel has been remarkably quiet on this front " until now. The company publicly acknowledged that it will publish a SOA interface to the base functionality of its telephony server September. Nortel also hinted that more sophisticated capabilities namely the ability to insert events within the business process would be forthcoming in that timeframe as well. Executives would not confirm whether this technology would be developed in house or not, but most likely look for them to deliver through one or both of its major partners, Microsoft or IBM.

David Greenfield is the editor of Network Computing. He can be reached at dgreenfi@bezeqint.net

Tuesday, June 19, 2007

Internet Disruption

We are experiencing technical difficulties with our Internet Service Provider.

If you have some emails returned to you, please resend them.

Thursday, May 31, 2007

RSI Announces The Release of MerAssistant Switch Manager for Enterprise Nortel Telephony Platforms

OSHAWA, ONTARIO, CANADA – May 30, 2007 - Resource Software International Ltd. (RSI) announced today general availability of MerAssistant Switch Manager. RSI recently acquired the assets of MerAssitant.com and incorporated the new software into its extensive portfolio of products tailored for Nortel telephony platforms.

"The launch of MerAssistant Switch Manager is part of our commitment to offer the best compatible solutions for Nortel telephony platforms through internal development and strategic acquisitions.", said Rito Salomone, President of RSI. "We are delighted to offer Nortel enterprise customers a truly simplistic approach to switch programming. It has never been easier to perform adds, moves and changes (MACs)".

MerAssistant is a powerful GUI program that allows administrators to perform many of the daily tasks of programming with simple drop down menus and point and click access rather then a command line interface. MerAssistant empowers non-technical users to make safe system changes with ease.

MerAssistant is designed to turn a Maintenance Terminal into a Graphical User Interface (GUI) solution where change actions take place at the click of a button. It allows Nortel Meridian Pbx Managers, Pbx Supervisors, Pbx Administrators and Technicians to easily manage their switch. Enterprise customers with many locations can perform adds, moves and changes (MACs) from a centralized location.

“I've never even logged into a switch before - but with this program, I feel comfortable interacting with our switch. I use it on a daily basis and it works like a charm." - J. Jackson, Pbx Supervisor.

MerAssistant boasts task automation, over 100 pre-defined reports, over 50 pre-defined programming commands, global set changes, dial up capability and much more. MerAssistant was designed to save Nortel administrators time and frustration when performing many of the complex programming tasks needed to maintain a Pbx system.

Many Nortel administrators are finding MerAssistant an invaluable tool, "Straight forward and easy to use. I've changed names of directory numbers, class of service of telephone sets and enabled sets that were unplugged. All actions that I would normally have to wait for the technician to arrive to complete. MerAssistant is a nice program to have." - R. Kessell, Pbx Department Manager.

MerAssistant is perfect for onsite or traveling technicians as well because it allows global and on the fly changes. It also supports direct connect or dial up access to the Pbx. MerAssistant gives you the power to perform moves, adds or changes easily, effectively and efficiently.

RSI is recognized as an industry leader in the field of communication management. The communication management product portfolio includes tailored integration to the most popular switching and network manufactures. RSI is a Nortel Developer Partner with recognition for its core portfolio as Compatible Products.

Information about RSI, its products and the company's maintenance program can be found on the World Wide Web at http://www.telecost.com

Contact:
Rana Banik, Director of Sales
Email: rana@telecost.com
Resource Software International Ltd. (RSI)
40 King Street West, Suite 300
Oshawa, Ontario. L1H 1A4
Phone: 905 576-4575
Fax: 905 576-8836

Monday, May 28, 2007

Did You Know? - Visual Rapport Desktop Productivity

RSI offers an intuitive visual communication console that provides customers with real time employee telephone presence, instant messaging, emailing, screen pops, call logging and file transfers all under one roof?

Our Visual Rapport offers an integrated scripting engine that gives the customer the ability to tailor their system with such features as time logging, account code prompting, URL screen pop and call accounting integration.

Thursday, May 24, 2007

Print Publication Networks Now Highlights Call Accounting Services

Nortel Now is a monthly report focusing on Nortel customers, Nortel products and Nortel technology. It offers news that highlights products and services that enhance Nortel platforms, solve specific industry challenges, or help enterprises migrate into next generation applications, and have a special focus on Nortel Developer Program Members and products (http://telecomreseller.com/nortel) RSI is a regular contributor of industry articles and advertising content.

Wednesday, May 23, 2007

Telecom Call Detail Record (CDR) Databases Among The Largest In The World

There are many organizations around the world that rely on huge databases residing on powerful systems to process information. These databases are filled with trillions of records collected from real time transactions. Some of the world’s most notable organizations made the list of Top 10 Databases as compiled by BusinessIntelligenceLowdown.com.

Here are the Top 10 Databases:
1. World Data Center for Climate
2. National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center
3. AT&T
4. Google
5. Sprint
6. ChoicePoint
7. YouTube
8. Amazon
9. Central Intelligence Agency
10. Library of Congress

Two of the top 5 organizations are US telecom giants that process huge amounts of call detail records in real time. AT&T has a database estimated at 1.9 trillion calling records and growing. The data includes number called, time, duration of call and various other details. AT&T has been retaining billing records for decades (even before the technology to store hundreds of terabytes of data existed).

Sprint is another giant in telecommunication call data collection. The company has a daily volume of 365 million call records and at peak times boasts an insertion rate of 70000 records per second.

Tuesday, May 22, 2007

RSI Announces Call Accounting Compatibility With Latest Nortel Telephony Platforms

OSHAWA, ONTARIO - May 11, 2007 -- Resource Software International Ltd. (RSI) announced today that its core call accounting software applications have again been granted Compatible Product status for Nortel Networks’ latest versions of Business Communication Manager (BCM). RSI has been working within the Nortel Developer Partner Program since the program inception to provide compatible solutions tailored for Nortel platforms including Norstar, BCM, Meridian and CS1000.

The latest Nortel Compatible Product Certificates are available online at:

BCM 50 Release 2
Shadow - http://www.nortel.com/prd/dpp/product/prodpages/certs/cert2054.html
TELECOST - http://www.nortel.com/prd/dpp/product/prodpages/certs/cert2056.html

BCM 200/400 version 4.0
Shadow - http://www.nortel.com/prd/dpp/product/prodpages/certs/cert2053.html TeleCOST - http://www.nortel.com/prd/dpp/product/prodpages/certs/cert2055.html

More products designed specifically for Nortel platforms can be reviewed online at http://www.telecost.com/nortel.

About RSI
Founded in 1990, Resource Software International Ltd. is a developer, manufacturer and distributor of leading edge computer telephony management solutions. The company offers a wide range of other products including: call accounting, hotel/motel management, carrier comparisons, invoice analysis, telemanagement and rebilling outsourcing services. RSI has distributors in North America, Europe, Caribbean, Singapore and Middle East.

Information about RSI, its products and the company's maintenance program can be found on the World Wide Web at http://www.telecost.com/

Friday, May 18, 2007

RSI Showcasing Communication Management Software at INNUA

Resource Softare International Ltd. (RSI) invites you to visit us at Booth 642 in the Nortel Partner Pavilion at Global Connect 2007, June 10-13 in Tampa.

RSI will be featuring our latest communication management solutions for every enterprise including call accounting, hotel billing, unified messaging, desktop console, switch management and traffic analysis solutions. RSI will showcase our latest solutions exclusively for Nortel Networks communication servers.

Global Connect 2007, presented by the International Nortel Networks Users Association (INNUA) is keeping you ahead of the curve with the latest information on Nortel technologies, VoIP, and multi-media, convergence planning, unified communications, business administration and more.
Check out our Virtual Booth or visit our website at www.telecost.com

Thursday, May 17, 2007

RSI to Attend the International Alliance of Avaya Users (InAAU) Conference

RSI is pleased to announce our participation in the 2007 InAAU International Conference being held May 20, 2007 to May 24, 2007 in San Antonio, TX.

As a proud Avaya DeveloperConnection Gold Member, and a member of InAAU, RSI is focused on providing InAAU members and Avaya customers with insight, training and resources highlighting our tailored product portfolio. RSI will demonstrate how our products can add value to customers with Avaya communications environments.

For more information about InAAU's International Conference, please visit www.inaau.org.

Form ore information about RSI and our relationship with Avaya please visit www.telecost.com/avaya.

Wednesday, May 16, 2007

Call Accounting for Cisco Devices

Cisco devices such as Call Manager Express generate a number of syslog event types. These logs include system interface up and down events and h.323 call logging. A Cisco Voice Gateway with PRI lines,will generate an %ISDN-6-CONNECT event when a call connects and an %ISDN-6-DISCONNECT when the call disconnects.

To generate proper call detail records and to generate billing records, which have numbers for both peers, full h.323 connection call accounting needs to be activated. The records from this log type generate a %VOIPAAA-5-VOIP_CALL_HISTORY syslog entry.

Resource Software International Ltd. (RSI) offers call accounting and communication management software for SMB to large enterprise environments with Cisco Call Manager or any Cisco device with an active syslog.

For more information, visit www.telecost.com/cisco

Tuesday, May 15, 2007

RSI Offers Unified Communication Management Solutions for Every Enterprise

Communication is the lifeline of every organization. Imagine the damage to your business without a secure and reliable communication network. Since its invention, the telephone has historically been the centerpiece of communication. People can communicate in real time without physically traveling for face-to-face meetings.

As communication technology has grown, new means of communication are being adopted in every enterprise. Today communication can be achieved using a broad range of facilities including voice, video and data communication through fixed and wireless devices. The instantaneous and critical nature of communication has forced managers to watchdog the health of a network with more powerful monitoring and management applications.

Traditional call accounting software is being revamped and updated to incorporate a complete umbrella of tools to track and analyze traffic from various sources including instant messaging (IM), email, voice mail, call center automated call distribution (ACD), interactive voice response (IVR) and call detail record (CDR) statistics.

Call accounting has given way to more powerful siblings that offer complete communication management solutions (CMS). These new systems consolidate reporting of various facilities into one logical solution. CMS systems are generally web based and SQL database driven to take advantage of remote and multi-user access. Managers are able to get a much better handle on corporate communication network security, performance and misuse. Companies that adopt communication management systems realize up to 30% savings on monthly telecom expenses in addition to enhanced productivity.

Most legacy call accounting systems are reactive solutions. They can only report activity that has already taken place. Modern solutions are completely integrated with manufacturer hardware to provide "as it happens" response for emergency and security notification.

Communication management systems can reduce telecom spend by pinpointing billing errors, identifying network inefficiencies and curbing misuse. Billing errors often account for up to 10% of a corporate telecom budget. If left unchecked, billing errors can eat away at the bottom line.

Corporations concerned about securing sensitive data require monitoring solutions that highlight possible breach from would be spies, hackers and malicious personnel. CMS systems can trace obscure or unusual behavior and alert authorized personnel.

Many corporations can derive huge returns by managing their communication networks properly. Productivity can increase up to 50% by systematic tracking of communication logs. Some estimates have put productivity loss at 20 minutes to 1 and one half hours per day per employee due to abuse of communication facilities such as non business telephone calls, email and internet use. The cost to a corporation can be staggering if left unchecked.

The analysis of communication facility logs can be important in optimizing and provisioning of IP PBXs, VoIP services, wireless equipment, multi-party conference and other call handling applications. CMS systems can act as a means of consolidation with mergers, acquisitions, and new technologies creating non-uniform networks. The “new call accounting” remains a core weapon in the arsenal of all telecom and IT managers. A powerful CMS system can unify communication management under one umbrella.

Shadow CMS by RSI is a powerful system that facilitates communications management from various telephone systems and IP switches. Modules include call accounting, hotel billing, guest tracking, traffic analysis and web call management. The system is completely scaleable from a small office to a global multi-site environment.

RSI is recognized as an industry leader in the field of communication management. The communication management product portfolio includes tailored integration to the most popular switching and network manufactures. RSI has been granted Nortel Developer Partner status with recognition for its core portfolio as Compatible Products. RSI is a Cisco Technology Partner, Siemens HiPath Ready Standard certified, Avaya DeveloperConnect Member, Mitel MiSN Member, Adtran Complementary Solutions Provider, ShoreTel Technology Partner, NEC Univerge Partner and Alcatel Applications Partner.

More information about communication management systems can be found at www.telecost.com.

Thursday, May 10, 2007

How to Secure Call Accounting Data

Call accounting software is a means of tracking, storing and analyzing telephone call transactions usually in a centralized database. The call information can be used for many reasons including cost allocation, network and traffic management, fraud prevention and trend line analysis.

Most telecom managers would agree that examining call accounting reports provides a vivid picture of the health and performance of the entire company. Telephone call records contain information that can often be of a sensitive nature. If call detail information were to fall in the wrong hands a company could be compromised.

Call detail records generally contain call source and destination, authorization codes, account codes, mailbox, credit card, banking pin numbers and many other access codes prompted by voice mail, IVR, ACD and other systems. Unsuspecting companies with open access databases and unsecured data transfers could be subject to security breaches, hacking and fraud. An entire business could be brought to its knees if call detail records (CDR) information is not properly protected.

Many corporations are adopting standards and policies to be in full compliance with Sarbanes-Oxley and HTPAA regulations. Call accounting vendors are responding with solutions that incorporate secure buffer boxes that adopt Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP) and Secure Shell (SSH) for authentication. This form of encryption allows companies with remote locations to transfer their sensitive CDR across the public network.

Resource Software International Ltd. (RSI) recently announced that its product portfolio including --- Shadow CMS and Revolution Web Call Accounting --- would allow companies to secure data collection. RSI offers secure data collection buffers from best in class manufactuers that interface with its software. This eliminates the need for additional expense to secure network connections to get sensitive data.

RSI is recognized as an industry leader in the field of communication management. The communication management product portfolio includes tailored integration to the most popular switching and network manufactures. RSI has been granted Nortel Developer Partner status with recognition for its core portfolio as Compatible Products. RSI is a Cisco Technology Partner, Siemens HiPath Ready Standard certified, Avaya DeveloperConnect Member, Mitel MiSN Member, Adtran Complementary Solutions Provider, ShoreTel Technology Partner, NEC Univerge Partner and Alcatel Applications Partner.

Tuesday, May 8, 2007

Global Connect 2007 Nortel Customer Keynote

Join the International Nortel Networks Users Association (INNUA) at Global Connect 2007, June 10-13 for the largest user-driven Nortel focused training event. Nortel customers from around the globe will meet in Tampa, Florida for education, networking and the chance to explore Nortel voice and data solutions first-hand. Plus, you will have the opportunity to participate in an exclusive Nortel customer keynote presentation from the CIO of the 2010 Olympic and Paralymic Winter games.

This news comes just days after Nortel announced that they have been selected as the Official Converged Network Equipment Supplier for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC).

Nortel Customer Keynote


Ward Chapin - CIO for the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Winter Games
Ward Chapin, Chief Information Officer for the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, is leading the team that will implement and manage all the technology and systems critical for staging the 2010 Winter Games. He will explain how he analyzes key industry trends and plans for his 2010 Games network today, where Nortel will supply the network communications equipment. Don't miss this glimpse into the future of communications networks. For details on Ward Chapin and his role with the 2010 Winter Games,
click here.


Because of this special announcement, we are giving you more time to receive early bird savings!
Register by Friday, May 18 and you can still receive the discounted rate - up to $180 off the price of registration.
Still need approval to attend?

Thursday, May 3, 2007

Call Accounting Transformation

Call accounting software is a system that records, translates and reports on telephone call activity. The software is used by most corporations to control expenses, allocate cost and increase productivity. Hotels, hospitals and other hospitality environments utilize call accounting to resell telephone calls to their clientele.

Over the years call accounting has evolved from a single processor MS DOS system to elaborate SQL databases with globally accessible web-based solutions. Web browsers are either pre-installed with the operating system or freely available downloads from the internet. Browsers are popular because they can access information remotely from a public IP address or via a virtual private network (VPN). Therefore an individual can access his stock quotes, read the latest headlines and review call accounting reports through various tabs on the browser. Web browser based systems allow enterprise users to easily manage many sites from a centralized location.

Various vendors of robust call accounting systems utilize DBMS systems such as MS SQL, MySQL and Oracle. These backend databases are crucial for large enterprises that require rapid consolidated reporting. This method of open standards based architecture allows for third party data access and virtually unlimited scalability.

Closed architecture legacy systems could take hours or even days to produce the same results. These legacy systems are often ill-equipped to store more than a small window of call activity (usually 1 to 3 months). Many corporations require access to many months of data because of corporate policy, audit or adherence to stringent government regulations such as Sarbanes Oxley (SOX). An SQL based system can generally return query results in a matter of seconds.

Call accounting is constantly evolving. The traditional system that studied call detail records (CDR) from the PBX are strictly one dimensional. Call accounting now needs to concern itself with desk phone, hand held devices, VoIP services etc. There is no longer one entry point into an organization. There are many facilities such as auto attendant, IVR, voice mail, wireless etc. that require consolidation into a complete communication management system (CMS). Resource Software International Ltd. (RSI) (News) provides detailed analysis of such services under one umbrella.

The business case for call accounting has generally revolved around the traditional benefits of cost recovery, network analysis and contact center management. There are many creative uses for call accounting. Selecting the proper application requires a proper analysis of the corporate objectives. Some vendors specialize in professional bill back, others focus on the unique requirements of hospitality environments and others offer generic solutions for general business requirements.

There are many choices for an average business. It is virtually dependent on your budget and needs to determine a viable solution. You should keep in mind that whatever solution you select should be backed by a good maintenance program for software updates, tariffs and inquiries. The software should be available to trial. You should consider installing the software before purchase to determine if it fits your needs. This will give you a good idea about the quality of the software and the company providing the solution.

RSI is recognized as an industry leader in the field of communication management. The communication management product portfolio includes tailored integration to the most popular switching and network manufactures. RSI has been granted Nortel Developer Partner status with recognition for its core portfolio as Compatible Products. RSI is a Cisco Technology Partner, Siemens HiPath Ready Standard certified, Avaya DeveloperConnect Member, Mitel MiSN Member, Adtran Complementary Solutions Provider, NEC Univerge Partner and Alcatel Applications Partner.

Wednesday, May 2, 2007

Mitel acquires Inter-Tel, signaling more consolidation to come

By Andrew R. Hickey, Senior News Writer
01 May 2007 | SearchVoIP.com


Mitel late last week acquired Inter-Tel for $723 million, heralding a new trend of consolidation that will better position VoIP vendors to compete against the incumbent big boys like Cisco and Microsoft.

The combination of Mitel and Inter-Tel, a full-service business communications solution provider, allows the two vendors to better target small and midsized businesses (SMBs), which have been gobbling up VoIP solutions as the enterprise VoIP market has started to dwindle. Both vendors offer tools for unified communications, network management and applications such as messaging, contact centers, mobility and collaboration.

According to a statement released by Mitel, the deal positions the merged company to gain traction in the SMB space while also allowing for expansion into enterprises. Mitel is typically known for its global reach, while Inter-Tel has a strong channel and support.

In a statement, Mitel CEO Don Smith said: "By bringing together the unique strengths of each company, this transaction accelerates our growth strategy. Inter-Tel's achievements, particularly in North America, include creating successful managed service offerings that we intend to extend to Mitel's resellers and customers worldwide. Mitel's scalable solutions and broad geographic reach will drive growth in the large enterprise sector, complementing recent moves by Inter-Tel to expand its addressable market."

Yankee Group senior vice president Zeus Kerravala said the acquisition, which he billed "a consolidation play," is a sign of things to come. "It gives Mitel a very strong footprint in the SMB space, although I think Mitel's vision and technology were much better," he said, adding, "Inter-Tel had a decent size channel." Nemertes Research analyst Irwin Lazar agreed, noting that the acquisition's "impact to other players is a more competitive SMB market, with Mitel gaining new channels and visibility."

In the short-term, Mitel users will see little impact, Kerravala said, but Inter-Tel customers will benefit from Mitel's strong vision in the VoIP space. He added that SMBs will be the first to reap the benefits of the pairing.

"They'll get better products faster than if [Inter-Tel] had remained stand-alone," he said. "Mitel has been one of the most innovative companies in the IP telephony space."

Kerravala compared the Mitel/Inter-Tel acquisition to the recent partnership of Microsoft and Nortel Networks -- an innovative company pairing with a struggling company to offer more VoIP options.

"I think we'll see further consolidation between vendors that have vision of where the market is going and ones that don't," he said. "I think Microsoft partnering with Nortel was an example of that. Microsoft has a very unique vision of the market. Nortel was old and tired." The Mitel/Inter-Tel deal also draws attention to the rapid uptake of VoIP solutions in the SMB arena, where deployment has been swift and continues to grow. Most of the larger vendors -- Microsoft, Cisco and now Mitel -- are competing to corner an SMB market that's ready to explode.

In his blog, Lazar noted that both Mitel and Inter-Tel competed in the SMB VoIP market, and both have strong solutions, although there is some overlap that may create challenges when the deal is finalized.

"My guess is that Mitel saw two primary gains with this acquisition," Lazar said. "The first is Inter-Tel's large network of service and support offices throughout the U.S.; the second is Inter-Tel's strength in the SMB market. Inter-Tel also offers managed services that Mitel can build upon."

Kerravala said the acquisition is in line with VoIP vendors setting their sights on SMBs as massive enterprise deployments start to fizzle out.

"All large vendors are targeting SMBs, because VoIP is being adopted by SMBs, where it's sluggish in the enterprise space," Kerravala said. "VoIP is complex. [It's] easier to deploy in small environments and easier to prove the value."

For enterprises, VoIP's complexity is fueling a decline in deployments. It requires many more moving parts and large-scale network upgrades, and it forces companies to split their resources into datacom and telecom groups -- all challenges that are virtually nonexistent in SMBs.

Kerravala said he envisions more consolidation plays in the near future as vendors fight for the growing, but relatively fresh, SMB VoIP market.

"I think you'll see a little more consolidation," he said. "It takes a company with good technology and vision [Mitel] and adds a strong U.S. channel [Inter-Tel]. One plus one equals three."

Thursday, April 26, 2007

Using Visual Rapport's Instant Messaging (IM) to Increase Productivity

At first it seemed to be a teenage fad, with teenagers latching on to Instant Messaging (IM) as a way to network and communicate with friends in real time. However, the growing popularity of IM in organizations is raising questions as to whether IM can be used to maximize the bottom line.


The use of IM in organizations provides users with a tool to discuss ideas and solutions seamlessly without interrupting other activities. IM can be used to discuss projects, exchange ideas, and transfer files unobtrusively. IM eliminates short internal inquiries from cluttering email, and allows users to share information instantaneously in real time.


Instant messaging can also be beneficial where quick and immediate contact is crucial to a project or situation. In reception environments, the benefits of instant messaging are limitless, with the ability to announce callers, or redirect callers as required.


Because IM is intuitive and easy to install, most organizations can be up and running with little training. Instantaneous communication is essential in many organizations that require frequent real time collaboration. IM can minimize the number of times personnel need to get up from their desk and meet face to face.


Visual Rapport removes the security risks that are inherent in peer-to-peer solutions. Visual Rapport is a client/server application therefore organizations benefit from the productivity enhancements that IM enables, while remaining diligent against security risks such as viruses, and the possibility of sending confidential information externally. Implementing a standardized instant messaging environment, with controls to limit IM capabilities, organizations can benefit from the addition of IM as a communications tool.


Visual Rapport provides the added benefit of integrated desktop telephony control in conjunction with instant messaging. Deploying Visual Rapport with IM within an organization assures secured communication, improves collaboration and increases productivity.


RSI is recognized as an industry leader in the field of communication management. The communication management product portfolio includes tailored integration to the most popular switching and network manufactures. RSI has been granted Nortel Developer Partner status with recognition for its core portfolio as Compatible Products.


See: www.telecost.com/nortel

Effective Custom Call Routing Can Produce Big Profits!

A Custom Call Routing (CCR) tree contains paths that callers that navigate through using their telephone sets. By selecting a CCR option, callers can be provided with automated messages, transferred to a particular extension or department, or directed to sub menus for more specific information. A properly defined CCR tree can free up internal resources for other tasks and enhance productivity.

The typical goal in configuring a CCR tree is to be able to handle calls more efficiently, and allow callers to get to their required destination quickly. Setting up a CCR tree involves considerable planning to determine the desired results. Organizations usually take the time to identify frequently called departments and numbers, promote various goods and services and route overflow calls to other call centers.

However, once a CCR tree has been configured it is often difficult to measure its effectiveness. Are callers really getting to their desired destinations, or are they simply opting to exit the tree by hitting a “0” prompt for a receptionist? Are callers being frustrated by an endless loop of prompts? Are callers dropping off and hanging up?

By offering Nortel BCM customers enhanced communication management reporting tools, Resource Software International Ltd. (RSI) is able to give customers the ability to measure the effectiveness of their call routing. The metrics obtained from the phone system allow customers to analyze and fine tune a CCR thus enhancing the customer experience. These metrics are also used to determine how effectively internal resources are being utilized and levels of customer satisfaction.

You cannot manage what you can not measure! By analyzing CCR tree statistics on a regular basis, organizations can adapt to changing trends, and improve customer service levels.

RSI is recognized as an industry leader in the field of communication management. The communication management product portfolio includes tailored integration to the most popular switching and network manufactures. RSI has been granted Nortel Developer Partner status with recognition for its core portfolio as Compatible Products. See: www.telecost.com/nortel

Thursday, April 19, 2007

RSI Proudly Announces participation in Heatwave Durham 2007 For the Sick Kids Foundation

On June 16, 2007 Resource Software International (RSI), will participate in Durham's Largest Beach Volleyball Event for childhood cancer research at SickKids.

For the first time, RSI will participate in the annual event that is being held for the first time in Durham Region. RSI is committed to its customers, and the community. "We're excited to be able to particpate in the Heatwave VolleyBall tournament for SickKids" says Sonia Salomone, Marketing Manager at RSI. The staff at RSI has always committed to supporting the SickKids Foundations through various corporate activities. "We support the SickKids foundation, and the outstanding work that they do."

Heatwave Toronto 13th Anniversary Event on Saturday July 14th and Sunday July 15th attracts over 300 corporate teams from the GTA and surrounding areas while the Heatwave Vaughan 2nd Anniversary Event on Saturday June 23rd and Sunday June 24th attracts over 70 corporate teams from York Region and the GTA. Heatwave Durham in Oshawa First Annual Event on Saturday June 16th will attract corporate teams from Durham Region and the GTA. Teams can compete in 1-day or 2-day Recreational and Competitive Tournaments

The funds raised from these incredible HEATWAVE Events support The James Fund at SickKids. James was 8 years old when he passed away from neuroblastoma, a deadly childhood cancer of the central nervous system. James knew that there was little that could be done for him but was more concerned that no other kids would die of this disease. Before James died, he knew that a Research Fund in his name was established at The Hospital for SickKids. "I will always be fighting cancer!" said James. We hope you will join us in fulfilling James' words.

SickKids is a world leader in research and treatment of Childhood cancer. SickKids is also Canada's premier children's hospital and research centrer.

Resource Software International Ltd. (RSI), is a leading provider of a complete line of communications management solutions (CMS) including call accounting, hotel billing, computer-telephony integration, web based call-accounting, telephone reporting and screen pop applications.

For more information: http://www.heatwaveevents.com/, or www.telecost.com

CTI and Call Accounting for Centrex

Visual Rapport for TAPI can now provide the same call control features available on your PBX on Centrex lines.

Utilizing a Visual Rapport for TAPI.

Wednesday, April 18, 2007

RSI Enhances Call Center Control for Nortel Telephony Platforms

Visual Rapport, a comprehensive desktop productivity console, is a unique solution for unified communication including screen pop, call routing, employee status, instant messaging, email, file transfer and call accounting. The solution is deployable in standard TAPI environment and tailored for Nortel Norstar and BCM through LAN CTE.

Visual Rapport employes dynamic scripting to allow customers the flexibility of popping into web pages, database records or launch other applications. Scripting is now available for all telephony functions including on hold, off hold, call answer, ring, caller id, call transfer and call release. This powerful feature allows Visual Rapport to act manually or automatically on call status. Imagine a call from a specific supplier that is routed directly to purchasing? Perhaps, a call has been on hold too long and Visual Rapport can reroute it back to the attendant.

RSI is recognized as an industry leader in the field of communication management. The communication management product portfolio includes tailored integration to the most popular switching and network manufactures. RSI has been granted Nortel Developer Partner status with recognition for its core portfolio as Compatible Products.

See: www.telecost.com/nortel

Tuesday, April 17, 2007

BCE confirms talks of possible sale

Last Updated: Tuesday, April 17, 2007 10:09 AM ET
CBC News

After weeks of takeover rumours, Bell Canada's parent company said it is "reviewing its strategic alternatives." That could include a possible sale of the company.

Leading the group of pension funds are the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec and Canada's Public Sector Pension Investment Board.

Also in the mix is Kohlberg Kravis Roberts and Co., a New York-based private equity firm.

There was no mention of the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan, which has been frequently mentioned as a possible suitor. Teachers' is BCE's largest shareholder, with just over five per cent of the stock.

BCE said that it will ensure it remains Canadian to meet foreign ownership restrictions. Canadian law requires that the majority owners of telecom companies be Canadian.


The company added that "it will continue to explore all other opportunities" and said there's no assurance that any deal will result.

Taking the company private would mean an end to BCE trading on the Toronto and New York stock markets. It is one of the most widely held stocks in Canada.

Until takeover speculation ramped up in the past few weeks, BCE shares had languished on the stock markets, showing little growth over the previous five years. That was in stark contrast to the shares of rival telecom companies Telus and Rogers Communications.

That poor performance was one of the reasons BCE shareholders were pushing for some action to "enhance shareholder value" — market shorthand for boosting the stock price.

News of a possible deal powered BCE shares to a five-year high on the TSX Tuesday. The stock was at $38.35 in morning trading, up $2.09.

If BCE does do a deal, it would be one of the biggest in Canadian corporate history. Based on its closing price of $36.26 Monday, BCE was worth $29.3 billion. If reports that BCE would be looking for $40 a share are true, that would make a BCE deal worth more than $32 billion.


Monday, April 16, 2007

Nortel Duels with Cisco over VOIP for SMBs

By Paula Musich
April 16, 2007

On the heels of Cisco Systems' launch of new integrated networking products for small businesses, Nortel Networks will follow suit on April 16 with its new My Business campaign.

Both companies in their respective small-business initiatives believe small businesses have the same communications requirements as big business without the IT staff or resources to support the infrastructure. Both also designed products specifically for small business.

But Nortel officials claim Cisco with the initiative it launched at its Cisco Partner Summit on April 3 is "duplicating a strategy we already put in place last year," according to Net Payne, vice president of North American marketing for Nortel, in Research Triangle Park, N.C.

The other difference Payne said he sees is that "the ability to be a profitable Cisco channel partner is difficult. We're focused on partner profitability."

Toward that end the new offerings, which combine VOIP (voice over IP), data networking, wireless and unified messaging functions, will be delivered with "a set of demand generation and partner incentives and promotions for end customers to drive their evolution to IP," said Payne. Nortel also added training for channel partners to help get them up to speed on the My Business campaign.

On the feature front, both companies are offering small-business customers VOIP, data networking options, wireless connectivity and unified communications. How those are packaged differs.

Nortel, for its part, will initially offer five bundles based on existing hardware with software upgrades that set the stage for more unified communications capabilities planned for launch later this year, according to Mike Segura, director of SMB and data marketing programs for Nortel in Richardson, Texas.

PointerTo read more about Nortel's SMB offerings, click here.

And unlike Cisco, Nortel will offer small businesses a choice of using either an IP-PBX hardware base or a digital (TDM) PBX that can be converted to an IP PBX with a software upgrade for VOIP traffic, Segura said.

The five packages include an IP telephony package that supports four to 50 users and includes station licenses, trunks, voice mail and unified messaging for $453 per user. The SMB LAN and WAN Starter Kit is aimed at easily creating a data network with switching for up to 12 users with POE (power over Ethernet), secure routing and WLAN (wireless LAN) support for $1,775.

Two other packages are aimed at Nortel service provider channel partners and are intended to allow them to build out managed LAN/WAN services. They build on the SMB LAN WAN starter kit by using a larger router while still offering switching for up to 24 users with POE and WLAN support. One option includes a virtual private network capability priced at $4,120; the other does not and is priced at $3,320.

Those packages "incorporate our Nortel Secure router product that does [quality of service] monitoring for service provider resellers and SMBs who want proactive QOS monitoring," said Segura.

An SMB Converged LAN and WAN Starter Kit with VPN support for 50 or more users is intended for managed services offerings that support locations with more than 50 users. It is priced at $4,520. All prices are suggested manufacturer's retail prices.

On top of those packages, Nortel will offer its channel partners maintenance, software upgrades, support and installation services for those packages to complement the partner's services.

"What we're trying to do here in creating these bundles is laying a data networking and IP telephony foundation for our unified communications initiative. We have to get foundational data networks adopted by customers and new channel partners in preparation for more to come in the unified communications space," Segura said.

All five of the new bundles are pre-engineered to make it faster and easier for channel partners to sell the technology to small businesses. To further that aim, Nortel also added a new tool to help channel partners that combines the functions of its Web-based sales coaching tool and quote builder tool.

The packages and new tools are due mid-May.

Pointer Check out eWEEK.com's VOIP & Telephony Center for the latest news, views and analysis on voice over IP and telephony.

Friday, April 13, 2007

RSI Offers Nortel Customers Enhanced System Speed Dial

tools CTI Pack Fast Dial allows Nortel BCM and Norstar customers to add up to 10,000 additional system speed dials to their telephone system. Customers can associate a description and/or name with each speed dial number. Calls can then be placed by dialing the Fast Dial feature code on the set and then entering Fast Dial Number or its corresponding description/name (i.e. dial-by-name).

Bell Canada Files for Deregulation of Local Phone Services

Canadian Press

MONTREAL — Bell Canada is applying for deregulation of its local telephone services in six of Canada's largest cities, a move that could lead to price wars.

Canada's largest telephone company, a division of BCE Inc., said Thursday it has filed for “forbearance from regulation” of local phone service in Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa-Gatineau, London, Ont., Hamilton and Quebec City.

The application follows the April 4 announcement by Industry Minister Maxime Bernier that telecom companies can seek relaxation of price regulations and other restrictions in areas where significant competition exists from cable television companies and other emerging providers.

The new rules, effective April 18, enable traditional phone companies to apply to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission for deregulation wherever business customers have a choice between at least two phone providers with their own networks, and wherever residential users have a selection of at least three providers, including cellphone network operators.

Existing price-regulation and marketing safeguards will continue in regions with little competition.

Telus Corp. filed Wednesday for local phone deregulation in Vancouver and Edmonton, and said it intends to file additional applications for other major markets in the near future.

Bell Aliant Regional Communications Income Fund has also applied for deregulation in the Halifax area.

The Conservative government's move last week came against resistance from the CRTC, whose rules were intended to handicap the big phone companies until they lost 25 per cent or more of phone users to competitors.

Thursday, April 12, 2007

RSI Attacks Toll Fraud On Nortel Telephony Platforms

Toll fraud is the fradulent, unauthorized use of a company's telephone system by a third party. Toll fraud can cost companies thousands of dollars in fradulent telephone activity and often occurs undetected until after it has occurred.

RSI offers customers several options to assist in taking a proactive approach in preventing toll fraud. Shadow CMS CAll Accounting can be deployed in virtually any telecommunications environment in order to regulary track telephone activities and identify anomalies.

Norstar and BCM customers can also benefit by deploying tools CTI Pack as a standalone application or in conjunction with Shadow CMS. tools CTI Pack provides user programmable set and line restrictions for maximum cointrol of every telephone call. There are no limits to the number of unique dialing restircions. Restricitions can be programmed to vary by time of day, line, and phone number. Forced and verified account codes can be used together with dialing restricions to assist in preventing toll fraud.

RSI is recognized as an industry leader in the field of communication management. The communication management product portfolio includes tailored integration to the most popular switching and network manufactures. RSI has been granted Nortel Developer Partner status with recognition for its core portfolio as Compatible Products.

See: www.telecost.com/nortel

Wednesday, April 11, 2007

Monday, April 9, 2007

RSI Joins The ShoreTel Developer Network

OSHAWA, ONTARIO, CANADA - April 4, 2007 - Resource Software International Ltd. (RSI), announced today that it had officially become a member of the ShoreTel Developer Network.

The following represent some of the key solutions offered by RSI that function with ShoreTel IP PBX platforms.

Shadow CMS - Fully scalable solution providing sophisticated CDR reports allowing administrators to forecast, monitor and allocate communications management expenses. Shadow gives managers metrics for facility planning, customer service, and has accurate bill back capabilities.

Revolution Web Call Accounting – The most dynamic 100% browser based communications solution available. Revolution Web can be used across many vertical markets including general business offices, hospitals, universities and organizations that need to allocate telecom costs to various individuals, departments or cost centers. It can also be used to monitor telephone productivity of each employee in the company.

Visual Rapport – a PC console that allows users to have a real-time view of employee telephone statuses. Visual Rapport also features desktop dialing capabilities, instant messaging, e-mail, screen pop, call logging and file transfer all under one roof.

About ShoreTel
ShoreTel is a leading provider of IP telephony solutions worldwide and well known for exceptional customer satisfaction. ShoreTel's unique architectural approach to IP telephony delivers unmatched reliability, scalability and manageability, plus a user interface that sets the standard for ease-of-use.

About RSI
Founded in 1990, Resource Software International Ltd. is a developer, manufacturer and distributor of leading edge computer telephony management solutions. The company offers a wide range of other products including: call accounting, hotel/motel management, carrier comparisons, invoice analysis, telemanagement and rebilling outsourcing services. RSI has distributors in North America, Europe, Caribbean and Middle East.

Information about RSI, its products and the company's maintenance program can be found on the World Wide Web at http://www.telecost.com/

Thursday, April 5, 2007

RE: RSI Blog - In VoIP, Cisco thinks small to go big

http://newsroom.cisco.com/dlls/2007/prod_040307.html?CMP=ILC-001

RSI Blog - In VoIP, Cisco thinks small to go big

Cisco VoIP Telephony Solutions Catalog Spotlights RSI

http://www.techguideonline.com/voip/datasheet.php?ds=10

RSI joins the ShoreTel Developer Network to Provide Call Accounting To Mutual Customers.

OSHAWA, ONTARIO, CANADA - April 4, 2007 - Resource Software International Ltd. (RSI), announced today that it had officially become a member of the ShoreTel Developer Network.

The following represent some of the key solutions offered by RSI that function with ShoreTel IP PBX platforms.

Shadow CMS - Fully scalable solution providing sophisticated CDR reports allowing administrators to forecast, monitor and allocate communications management expenses. Shadow gives managers metrics for facility planning, customer service, and has accurate bill back capabilities.

Revolution Web Call Accounting – The most dynamic 100% browser based communications solution available. Revolution Web can be used across many vertical markets including general business offices, hospitals, universities and organizations that need to allocate telecom costs to various individuals, departments or cost centers. It can also be used to monitor telephone productivity of each employee in the company.

Visual Rapport – a PC console that allows users to have a real-time view of employee telephone statuses. Visual Rapport also features desktop dialing capabilities, instant messaging, e-mail, screen pop, call logging and file transfer all under one roof.

About ShoreTel
ShoreTel is a leading provider of IP telephony solutions worldwide and well known for exceptional customer satisfaction. ShoreTel's unique architectural approach to IP telephony delivers unmatched reliability, scalability and manageability, plus a user interface that sets the standard for ease-of-use.

About RSI
Founded in 1990, Resource Software International Ltd. is a developer, manufacturer and distributor of leading edge computer telephony management solutions. The company offers a wide range of other products including: call accounting, hotel/motel management, carrier comparisons, invoice analysis, telemanagement and rebilling outsourcing services. RSI has distributors in North America, Europe, Caribbean and Middle East.

Information about RSI, its products and the company's maintenance program can be found on the World Wide Web at http://www.telecost.com/

Wednesday, April 4, 2007

Visit Resource Software International Ltd. (RSI) at Global Connect 2007

Join Resource Software International Ltd. (RSI) at Booth 642 in the Exhibit Hall at Global Connect 2007, June 10-13 in Tampa, Florida.

RSI will be featuring our latest communication management solutions for every enterprise including call accounting, hotel billing, unified messaging, desktop console, switch management and traffic analysis solutions. RSI will showcase our latest solutions exclusively for Nortel Networks communication servers.

Global Connect 2007, presented by the International Nortel Networks Users Association (INNUA), is keeping you ahead of the curve with the latest information on Nortel technologies, VoIP and multi-media, convergence planning, unified communications, business administration and more. If your company has Nortel installed or is moving to a Nortel voice or data infrastructure, this is an event you cannot miss.

Choose from nearly 200 workshop slots presented over four days, complemented by exciting networking opportunities allowing you to meet and mingle with nearly 2,500 Nortel professionals from around the globe. And if you're looking to explore the latest solutions and innovations in the industry, the Global Connect Exhibit Hall is a one-stop location showcasing technologies from more than 130 leading companies including Resource Software International Ltd. (RSI).In the Global Connect 2007 Exhibit Hall you'll hear all about the latest developments from Resource Software International Ltd. (RSI), Nortel and other top Nortel solution providers. We invite you to enjoy face-to-face time with experts in innovations and solutions compliments of Resource Software International Ltd. (RSI) to learn how you can get the most out of your existing products and others that you could integrate into your Nortel infrastructure.

EXTENSIVE NORTEL TRAINING OFFERED
In addition to the solution packed Exhibit Hall, INNUA's Global Connect 2007 also offers a comprehensive education program where you can learn new tips and techniques from fellow Nortel users and industry experts. Global Connect 2007 also provides numerous opportunities to mingle with other telecom and IT professionals.

Expand your Global Connect experience and register for four career-enriching days, allowing you to:

  • Choose from nearly 200 workshops featuring user-driven Nortel training
  • Share challenges and solutions with other Nortel users
  • Hear Nortel's direction straight from Steve Slattery, Nortel's Enterprise Solutions and Packet Networks Group Lead
  • Add on a certificate program to leave Global Connect with a new credential (additional fee required)
  • Access more than 100 Nortel solution providers in the Global Connect Exhibit Hall

Register today for Global Connect 2007 and learn how to get the most out of your Nortel investment! Review the flexible registration packages that are available to accommodate a variety of schedules and budgets. Plus, if you register by May 4th you'll receive early bird savings of more than $150 USD off registration. Please choose source code EM03 when you register.

REGISTER NOW FOR THE EXHIBIT HALL ONE-DAY PASS FOR JUST US $75
If you can only join us for a day, this is the pass for you! To register for your Exhibit Hall One-Day Pass, please visit http://www.innua.org/global_connect/2007/Registration/. In step 4 of the registration process, enter offer code 73595 where it reads "If you received an offer code from an exhibitor, enter it here." The cost is just US $75 and will allow you to experience all the Exhibit Hall has to offer.

Event Listing:

INNUA's Global Connect 2007

Keeping You Ahead of the Curve

June 10-13, 2007

Tampa Convention Center

Tampa, Florida

Visit Resource Software International Ltd. (RSI) at Booth 642 in the Exhibit Hall at Global Connect 2007.

Register today for Global Connect 2007 and join thousands of fellow Nortel users in beautiful Tampa, Florida. Global Connect 2007 will keep you ahead of the curve with access to top-notch training, Nortel executives and product experts, hundreds of key industry vendors and fellow professionals from around the globe.