CTI and Managed Clients

By Serenity Systems International

Summary: This document makes the case that CTI is an important, if not the most important, technology about to emerge as an important application on today's business computers. At the same time, businesses can derive significant benefits from implementing a Managed Client computing model as they develop their intranet and Internet strategies. Serenity Systems recognizes both CTI and Managed Clients as important technologies and delivers business solutions in both fields. However, Serenity Systems has an overall focus on developing a clean integration of both areas to deliver the most productive desktop computer for business use, and doing this while providing compelling cost benefits to users.

Tremendous user interest
In every place of business where you will find PCs, you will also find telephones. In fact, you will generally find the PC and the phone within inches of each other. So the question arises, how linked or integrated are these two important business tools? Generally the answer is they are not very linked or integrated at all. To a great degree, the telephone and PC exist as parallel universes. But this is getting ready to change. The only questions are how and how fast.

Telephony developed as a proprietary technology. Proprietary tends to mean costly and telephony is not an exception to that rule. But telephony is being irresistably drawn to the functionality and price performance of computers. Particulary to PCs which exist in a much more competitive and open environment. Competition and open standards tend to drive costs down. At the same time, the power of these computers, associated devices, and programs is driving functionality up.

Attractive functions which were once available only to large organizations are now within reach of businesses and organizations of all sizes, even consumers. New functionality is also becoming available. This can even be seen in today's consumer phones and services. First there was three way calling, then caller ID, automatic call back, and so forth. Now some services allow you to see a second call trying to reach you when you are already on the phone. The service can identify the caller and allow you to decide whether to take the new call, or play a message, place them on "hold", perhaps put them into voice mail ... all using your home phone equipment.

While these features may be attractive to consumers, they are critical in the business environment where the main product is information and the main activity is communication. This communication includes face-to-face, phone, e.mail, faxes, and regular mail. It also includes groupware, programs which allow a community of users to communicate by accessing databases, documents, or bulletin boards. Now intranet sites, internal to the company, are becoming well established and familiar tools to support these group activities.

Telephones and PCs may still be separate, but they aren't quite parallel because there will be an inevitable convergence. For reasons of infrastructure, habit, and politics, the convergence will be managed and gradual. And that may be best.

These communications and sharing of information leverage the networked relationship between servers and client systems. This highlights the synergy and advantages of the Serenity Systems Managed Client implemenation, using WiseManager. Serenity Systems utilizes the Managed Client to deliver a CTI suite to the user. This combination of Managed Client and CTI creates a new computing model which delivers control, support, reliability, availability, improved communications, and ease of use unmatched in the industry.

This means that Serenity Systems, with a strategy and product plan which integrates CTI and Managed Client technologies, can deliver the lower costs and improved productivity which have long been promised by industry analysts but seldom realized by users.

Direct productivity impact
A recent study announced that the widespread utilization of PCs has not improved the productivity of most office workers, commercial PC desktop users. In some ways this is not all that surprising. After all, the hours worked hadn't changed and the work itself may not have changed ... so, why would the rate of work change?

For example, an e.mail letter may get the user in one day instead of three. But that may not change the "number" of letters received per day. So productivity, the rate of work, the tasks executed per hour, day, week, month or year, may not have changed. Some changes don't really bring about change.

Something similar has been said regarding leisure time of housewives in 1890 and 1990. After analysis, the conclusion was that both groups had approximately the same amount of leisure time despite the advent of all the labor saving devices which became available during those 100 years. While the leisure time of "housewives" may not have changed, entire industries were created to manufacture, sell, and repair those "labor saving devices". Office PCs might be viewed in much the same light.

PCs took a long time to evolve to the point that they could make a difference for the average office user. Matters of price performance, applications, and attitude all played important roles. Now PC applications and networks allow office workers to communicate more effectively. This is why PCs have become important to business. E.mail is becoming an indispensable part of office communications. The Internet, intranet, and electronic commerice, though still in early stages of development and use, are also helping workers share information and communicate with vendors, suppliers, customers, and each other.

This is why integrating the phone is the next logical and most significant opportunity. This may simply involve having the PC tell the user more about the phone calls, record phone usage, provide options to handle calls, or the PC could actually become the phone. The degree of integration and the timeframe in which it is accomplished are issues to be resolved by the user. The technology is available today.

But significant change always encounters resistance to that change. In this case, the resistance may come from organizations and infrastructure, not simply users. However, there were similar issue relating PCs on the desktop. When PCs appeared as workstations, many organizations had to resolve issues like who orders PCs, the data processing organization or the end user department? Who supports PCs and services them when they break? The data processing organization was mainframe oriented with IBM 370 skills and sometimes ill equipped to support PCs.

The fact was, many of the traditional data processing personnel did not accept the PC as a "real" computer. This was reflected by the axiom of the day "Never trust a computer you can pick up". Organizational politics aside, the emergence of the PC at work raised many organizational issues. But the PC was an irresistible force. So, these issues were resolved and PCs are certainly part of the business landscape today.

Answering machines and voice mail also encountered resistance to change, especially at the user level. Initially, callers would hang up if a machine answered a call. Now a caller feels inconvenienced if some form of answering machine or voice mail is not available when the called party is not available. No one, especially business people, wants to return to the days when "no answer" or busy signals were significant impediments to business communications. Some analysts estimate that 80% of business calls in the United States terminate in a form of voice mail.

So, it is reasonable to speculate that telephony will continue to emerge, delivering new functions. The logical device to "host" these changes in the office is the desktop PC. And it is reasonable to speculate that the time frame for these changes will not be as drawn out as some previous changes. But keep in mind that the change can be drastic or it can be gradual. The user will determine the time frames.

The role of the server
Recent PC business applications and trends emphasize the role of the server because they emphasize communication and sharing of information. Those activities take place on the network, not on the workstation. These channels of communication, the Internet, e.mail, fax mail, and the like, are network and server dependent. Servers manage the flow of this communication. This is the natural lead in to the second part of the equation, the Managed Client.

Servers have not always had this degree of impact. PCs grew up as stand alone computers becoming crudely linked over time. Now the ability to network these computers is greatly improved. But the PC continues to evolve as though it needs to be an automonous, independent, stand-alone computer. In fact, this is a bad design for most business users. It is a legacy no longer required for many users. Today, there is no reason to retain this bad design: the fat client, as the default desktop.

In today's computing environment, most PC users are "overpowered". Let's take a moment to consider who uses the average business desktop and how it is used. The work has not changed significantly since these people got along without computers or used humble "286" and "386" machines. But applications evolved and became more appropriate for these workers.

However, these new applications were much larger and the operating system which supported the applications was much larger. Now these same workers find they are targetted as users of 400MHz, 128 meg RAM, 4 gig drive, tractor trailers. (This configuration was announced as the standard desktop for employees at a large telephone company.) And user are given applications like office suites which are so large that, according to journalist Nicholas Petreley, it's like giving users "a desk the size of Cleveland."

The fact is ... a lot of this is unnecessary. It doesn't help the users meet business objectives and makes them victims of vendor driven upgrade churn. Users need new, powerful hardware to run the latest software. The software doesn't need to be very trim because the hardware is so powerful. This is pretty nice for a lot of vendors and other industry people, but it is a real treadmill for the user.

And what does the user really need in the first place? A computer desktop which provides access to applications they can use to meet their business objectives. That's it. They do not need technology. They need a business tool. And this is part of the value of the Managed Client. WiseManager makes it easy to use trim, responsive applications and to create and manage custom desktop systems for users, leading the way among technologies and applications which facilitate management and operations of users and applications across the networks.

This server managed network is ideally suited for the integration of commercial desktops with CTI technologies because CTI applications engage the network to execute communications.

Voice Mail
Voice mail is perhaps the most commonly recognized CTI application. Almost every organization has some form of voice mail today. Serenity Systems has a joint agreement with TouchVoice to develop and deliver their WiseTalker family of products. This includes WiseTalker Voice Mail Auto-Attendant and Message Central. While traditional voice mail supports telephone access, the requirement to bring voice mail access to the computer desktop is apparent.

Commercial voice mail is not simply telephone messages. Other features include the ability to select important calls, automatic paging options, and the "follow me" option which automatically transfers calls to another telephone for the subscriber. WiseTalker excels in these complex commercial environments. The REXX enabling feature of WiseTalker allows the system to be customized meet specific user requirements in a way that only be matched by expensive systems and services. If the user requirement could be met with an answering machine ... this product may not be required. However, if nothing can quite do what the user has in mind, WiseTalker, with its advanced functions and ability to be customized, deserves attention.

Interactive Voice Response (IVR) - Database transaction
IVR is an example of an application which can be implemented with WiseTalker ApGen. It is truly a simple computer application. Nothing exotic or crossing new thresholds, IVR is normally a straight forward database transaction. The caller becomes the "computer operator", or user, and the phone becomes the terminal, providing the user with the ability to execute a retrieve from the database; an account balance, flight arrival information, movie schedule, claims information, whatever. Users can retrieve, input, or modify information using WiseTalker ApGen and this can be an event which triggers other actions or applications.

The APIs used by WiseTalker ApGen provide robust IVR capabilities at a reasonable cost. And this functionality can be implemented with WiseTalker Voice Mail, Auto Attendant. With this type of implementation, customer records may be brought to the screen when a call is received, allowing the users to see customer records, orders, shipments, even account payable information which would automatically notify the user that the account on the phone is delinquent. Imagine, the ability to avoid shipping additional products to overdue accounts.

This is an example of the power of CTI and the tremendous opportunity available to businesses which implement CTI applications to support their activities and service their customers.

PC based PBX Switches
These are sometimes called UnPBXs. An excellent example of a PC PBX is the WiseTalker PC/PBX product on our web site. PBX switches can be very expensive equipment. PC based PBXs offer some significant advantages over the traditional PBX, not simply with regards to price but also functionality and the ability to upgrade function or simply expand the number of lines and stations supported. Normally, a PBX is "upgraded" by throwing out the old one and replacing the entire switch.

A PC PBX can be upgraded by changing software or by changing or adding adapters. This is the nature of PCs and "open standards". This expandibility, price performance, and functionality mean that PC PBX systems can often bring traditional PBX feature sets down to the expense level of small and medum sized organizations.

Call center environments
Many organizations my have a requirement to speak with volumes of customers, suppliers, vendors and business partners, answering questions about products, shipments, payments, status of claims, and so forth. Generally, a call center with the features needed to support any significant volume of calls can be a large expense, putting this function outside the capabilities of many small and medium sized businesses. Serenity Systems product solutions designed to bring the associated expense of this functionality down to levels within range of many smaller organizations.

Collaborating with a development parnter, Phoenix Software, Serenity Systems is developoing a turnkey call center product called '''WiseCenter(tm). WiseCenter will include WiseTalker VoiceMail Auto-Attendant, WiseTalker ApGen, optional support of the WiseTalker PC/PBX, and integrated with components and technologies of Phoenix Software's database products, like ThinkTool'''. WiseCenter is designed to be very powerful, reliable, easy to use, and easy to set up procedures or "programs".

WiseCenter will be priced to support entry level call center activities but can be upgraded to support very large call centers, as well. In every environment, WiseCenter will provide unmatched functionality and price performance without sacraficing the required reliability and available.

Call center users could be reservation agents for resort hotels. The call may be assigned to an available agent using WiseTalker Auto-Attendant. With Call Control features when an agent takes a call, the caller may already be identified, WiseTalker ApGen may already have collected some information regarding the call, the specific resort, dates of travel, ages of people in the party, credit card number, whatever.

The agent can use the database to provide information to the caller. In the intranet version of this product, this may mean creating web pages on the fly regarding the resort, identifying room types, number of pools, golf courses, and other facilities and activities with links to other pages of services and resorts, to facilitate providing information to the caller. And, of course, the reservation agent can use these intranet pages to enter information and create the reservation in the database.

WiseCenter allows templates to be created for users such as agents, supervisors and managers. Each user template provides access to different applications, collecting information so call center statistics can be collected regarding activities of agents, calls, customers, resorts, whatever information may help the user be more effective and profitable. This is a very attractive model for Managed Clients because of the nature of the users and the transaction oriented tasks being completed.

Call Control
Call Control is going to start getting more attention from the consumer market as a service from phone companies. The features which appear in advertisements directed at consumers include a device with a display to show the identity of the caller, even if the user is on the phone with another call at the time. The user can now make a decision as to how to handle the new incoming call; ignore it, let voice mail handle it, play a message to the new caller, park the caller in queue or "hold".

Call Control may be fine for consumers, but it is strong requirement for business users. There, special attention can be given to important calls, even if the user is taking another call at the time. Without this feature, the user would simply miss the call. And this application can be made available on separate equipment as a fee service, or it could require an expensive, multifunction phone, of it could be a reasonably priced application running on the PC, or Managed Client. Serenity Systems is planning to enter early support programs for WiseTalker Call Control, and provide General Availability in 1Q99.

Unified Messaging
Serenity Systems Managed Client already supports WiseTalker Voice Mail, PMMail Client from SouthSoft or Netscape mail client, Hethmon Brothers Mail Server, and PMFax from Keller Group. A world class set of applications covering the important PC messaging systems. Serenity Systems product plan will integrate these products, word to be done by development partner Phoenix Software, to produce an exceptional includes a Unified Messaging Client, a mail box and directory which allows users to access all messages through one application.

Voice Over IP (VOIP)
Perhaps the hottest topic in CTI today is Voice Over IP (VOIP). This is because VOIP may drive voice/data network convergence, producing the most significant hard dollar savings available to users at this time. VOIP allows voice communications to be carried as packets on a TCP IP network. This could be especially important to organizations which have a WAN connecting multiple sites, most notably when the sites are in more than one country. The data network exists, why not use it?

Well, it may not be used because it requires a degree of cooperation between data processing departments, the telephony counterpart, as well as end-user departments and this cooperation, this working relationship, simply does not exist in many organizations today. A suitable application may exist but may not be implemented because the user account infrastructure to support it does not exist ... yet. And this leads to another point. VOIP can be implemented in modular stages and any one stage can be a termination point, not simply a stage in an overall process.

Consider one of the views of VOIP:
 * a phone call comes in to the organization
 * the call hits a PC PBX which converts the call into VOIP
 * the call is then routed over the LAN to the PC user
 * the user receives the call on the desktop computer using a phone handset or a headset connected to a soundcard in the computer instead of the phone jack in the wall, the user takes the call.

The data network, the LAN, has also become the voice network. Total convergence on that side of the switch.

While technology is now available to support such a scenario, it remains more a direction than an objective. The technology is there to support this but the infrastructure is not. The convergence of voice and data networks is seen as a given, over time, but users are not rushing to implement it.

Serenity Systems recognizes how compelling VOIP will be and has a extensive and pragmatic product strategy developed by TouchVoice Corporation. Station to station (telephone extension to telephone extension) VOIP is part of that strategy, however the first step of the product plan consists of a "server to server" VOIP over the LAN/WAN, leaving the internal telephone network intact, limiting the upheaval. This is great news for two reasons.

One additional comment regarding VOIP and the Internet. Serenity Systems solutions are focused on the needs of business with high quality communications requirements. VOIP on the Internet cannot, at this time, support this requirement because there is no way for the organization to control the quality of the network, and the volume and routing of traffic. The commitment to quality places VOIP for business on the intranet WAN environment at this time.
 * First, the "server to server", or site to site VOIP focuses on the most significant cost savings opportunity which can be achieved with a reasonable investment.
 * Second, because the internal phone system remains intact, this can be implemented in the near term providing an early and measurable Return of Investment.

The Serenity Systems Direction
Serenity Systems recognizes the twin opportunities of Managed Clients and CTI as the most significant technologies and applications emerging in today's business computing environment. We also recognize the tremendous synergy between this two areas. Implementing Managed Clients can significantly improve the business computing model. CTI looms as the most significant application area since PC began networked. Combining the two creates a powerful business tool while reducing the overall cost associated with doing business.