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.