Killer Apps

Some telecom and IT specialists use the term “shrink wrapped” to describe software that has been dev- eloped for use with one or more phone systems. If a business has its own IT staff, they should have no problem installing such “shrink wrapped” software—and some IT managers prefer that approach because they like to retain a high level of control over their networks. Other IT managers may wish to outsource the task to a company that specializes in telecom applications. Companies without an IT department usually have to rely on their telecom consulting firm to handle telecom software installation.

A telecom consulting firm also can assist in training employees on a new software application. Marco, for example, offers in-house training, as well as CD-ROMs and webinars.

The Hosted Option

As an alternative to buying and installing their own phone system and software, companies also may want to consider a “hosted” solution. That option allows phones and computers at a location to be connected via a broadband link to a VOIP platform housed in a data center operated by a third-party service provider.

LightEdge Solutions, a Des Moines, Iowa–based telecom firm with an office and data center in Minneapolis, hosts a network-based VOIP solution from Broadsoft that can be configured to interface with Microsoft Exchange and Communicator, and Salesforce.com, a Web-based CRM program.

“They can all work together so that if you’re on your phone, an icon shows as red and if you have a scheduled appointment, Exchange [automatically] pushes to it,” explains Scott Riedel, director of marketing for LightEdge.

As Riedel explains, “If you’re in Salesforce.com and you get a call, the program runs it against your contact list and pulls up the record for that phone number.” The software also lets end users click on a contact name to place a call to that contact, and streamlines the creation of a new activity record based on call history.

The Broadsoft offering supports capabilities such as simultaneous ring—and end users can set their own parameters for such features using a Web-based portal. Companies choosing the hosted solution gain an extra level of security, Riedel says. “The real value-add is the fact that we’ve got a very secure data center with fire suppression systems, backup generators, a dual power grid, and we’re monitored and managed 24-7,” Riedel explains. The company also operates two VOIP systems so that if one were to fail, the other would serve as backup.

Whether companies choose an in-house solution or a hosted one, they’ll find that useful applications integrating telecom and IT will catch on quickly with employees. As Konat notes, “It begins to get ingrained and tends to have a snowball effect.”