Introducing Xima 911 Notifications

Posted on November 11, 2013 by Don Barber

Xima Software is pleased to announce the upcoming general availability of 911 Notifications/Immediate Emergency Alerts.

Coming in a new release on December 2nd, 2013 will be Emergency Desktop Notification. This new feature will allow customers to be notified if and when any employee calls the local emergency services number. This feature will be one of many tools included in Chronicall Desktop, a software package that can be downloaded onto multiple PCs within the customer’s organization. As soon as the emergency number is dialed, the screen pop will appear, flashing in red, and will display the user and extension who just called emergency services. This feature doesn’t wait for the call to end. It will pop as soon as the number is dialed. And there’s no need to worry about whether Emergency Desktop Notification will be supported in your country or not. Each customer can specify which numbers are emergency numbers for their organization and the country they live in.

This exciting new feature will be part of a Chronicall update. Any customer who has current Xima Care coverage can upgrade and add this feature for free. This will also be a standard feature for all installations after December 2nd. For more information regarding Emergency Desktop Notification, please contact ECS.

To see how Chronicall can make the most of your time and energy while improving the accuracy and efficiency of your call data, contact ECS to sign up for a free 14-day trial today.

For more information please visit www.ximasoftware.com/chronicall or www.GoECS.com

About Xima
Xima Software was formed by a group of telephony engineers and tech support personnel. After several years and hundreds of phone system installations, Xima’s founders identified a growing need for inexpensive, accurate, and easy-to-use call reporting and recording software. They needed a reporting suite that would only take a few minutes to install, would show the details of every event that happened on a call instead of just a vague summary, and could report on all users, groups, and trunks without licensing headaches. With those principles in mind, they developed Chronicall.

In 2007, Xima spun off from its parent company and began aggressive development on Chronicall. The name Xima was chosen as a modern derivation of the romantic word “cima,” meaning “the top” or “pinnacle.” The name Chronicall represents a strategic merger of accurate and detailed time-keeping with call reporting.

About ECS
ECS, located in Auburn, WA & Portland, OR is a team of experts ready to help businesses with the important and often complicated decision of finding the best communication solutions for their company, from voice to data. Servicing Washington & Oregon, ECS is a “one stop shop” for network infrastructure needs. ECS designs & installs flexible cabling infrastructures that support multiple voice, data, video and multimedia systems regardless of their manufacturer.

Introducing Xima Chronicall Agent Dashboards

Posted on November 7, 2013 by Don Barber

Xima Software is pleased to announce the upcoming general availability of the newest Chronicall module: Agent Dashboards.

Agent Dashboards bring Realtime data to every user’s desktop with customizable widgets, pop-up notifications, DND/logout reason codes, CRM integration, user chat, and more.

Agent Dashboards are scheduled to be released on Monday, December 2nd, 2013

With Chronicall’s revolutionary Agent Dashboards module, you can take Realtime data out of the web browser and onto the desktop. Agents can keep track of customized Realtime data with desktop widgets. Pop-up notifications provide information and tagging options for inbound and outbound calls. Chronicall Presence offers an easy way to see the status of other Realtime agents and send them chat messages.

Once an agent logs in to Dashboards, they’ll be able to view live call data with a desktop widget, customized with Realtime values that fit their needs. Agents can monitor statistics about themselves, their hunt groups, or the entire system without opening Chronicall or looking at a wallboard; everything they need to know is available on their own screen at all times. The Dashboards window can be resized or docked for maximum flexibility, while multiple animation settings allow agents to choose the style they like best.

Dashboards also generates helpful pop-up windows for the agent whenever they make or receive calls, set themselves on DND status, or log out of their extension. These windows allow them to see who is calling and where they are calling from, assign account codes and hunt groups to calls, and give a reason why they are stepping away from the phone. All of this information is stored in Chronicall’s database and can be used to generate detailed reports.

Chronicall Presence is another Dashboards desktop utility that lists the current status of each Realtime agent, along with their agent image, extension, and current call details. Through Presence, agents can even chat and send files to each other or to customers throughout the world. Every chat message is stored within Chronicall and can be reviewed or reported on later.

Take some of the work out of teamwork. Turn each agent’s desktop into a powerful and connected Chronicall workstation with Agent Dashboards.

To see how Chronicall can make the most of your time and energy while improving the accuracy and efficiency of your call data, contact ECS to sign up for a free 14-day trial today.

For more information please visit www.ximasoftware.com/chronicall or www.GoECS.com

What do your customers hear when you place them on hold ?

Posted on November 6, 2013 by Don Barber

Your customers should hear – About You, Your Products, Your Services, and/or Your Promotions when you place them on hold !

Most of us are familiar with music on hold playing through phone systems. Playing generic “Music” only or embedded music provides something for callers to avoid irritating silence.

Today, often times our customers prefer to have an on hold program created specifically for their company. This is usually referred to as “On Hold Marketing”.

Having your customers hear on hold marketing has numerous benefits and might not be as difficult or expensive as you would think.

An independent survey was conducted for the “On Hold Messaging Association”. This survey questioned customers that currently have custom on hold marketing messages playing for their callers put on hold. Over 1,500 individual companies responded.

HERE ARE SOME SAMPLES OF THE RESULTS:

From a pure marketing perspective, which of these statements best describes how you feel about the role of your On Hold Messaging Program in your overall marketing mix?

It’s a useful marketing tool that adds value 85%

Why did your company purchase On Hold Messaging?
To build image and professionalism – 74%
To promote the sale of products/services – 72%
To avoid silence on hold – 58%
To provide callers with entertainment or useful information while waiting – 56%
To prevent callers from hanging up – 31%

Clearly, users of on hold marketing feel this is an important part of their business and can see the benefits associated with a custom on hold marketing program over a standard music only option or worse, silence on hold.

About Woodstock Media group
Established in 1987 by a twenty-+ year radio executive, privately owned Woodstock Media Group (for over 24 years known only as On-Hold Concepts), today, includes a team of administrative, media, sales and production personnel, many with over 20 years experience in their chosen field, and some who have been with the company since near its’ beginning over 25 years ago. In addition, our staff includes a senior copywriter with 15+ years experience, and Radio/Music Industry veterans. With our roots in broadcasting, we enjoy relationships with many professionals, some that voice exclusively for us scattered from coast to coast and abroad.
http://www.woodstockmediagroup.com
Toll Free: 800.864.6828
Local: 253.566.1675

Avaya IP Office R9.0 Mobile VoIP client – one-X Mobile “Preferred”

Posted on November 4, 2013 by Don Barber

Mobile VoIP client (one-X Mobile “Preferred”)
The one-X Mobile “Preferred” mobility client that launched with Release 8.0 delivered a rich and unique Unified Communications (UC) experience on mobile devices for IP Office customers. This mobility client worked in call-back telephony mode only i.e., when a user initiated a call from the mobility client, the IP Office initiated a call to the caller’s mobile phone and then dialed the destination. This mode offered cost savings to users where incoming voice calls are free or for users who have cheaper unlimited voice plan as compared with a data plan.

With Release 9.0, Avaya is enhancing the one-X Mobile “Preferred” client to work in a Voice over IP (VoIP) mode. In the VoIP mode, the mobility client can make calls over Wi-Fi/3G/4G data networks. The mobility client using its underlying SIP stack will register with the IP Office over the data network and thus will function as your office extension on the mobile device.

The mobile “Preferred” user can use the mobility client to perform all telephony features including mid-call features such as:
• Incoming and Outgoing VoIP calls
• Supervised/ Unsupervised Transfer
• Hold / Unhold
• Mute/ Unmute
• Multiple simultaneous call sessions
• DTMF

The availability of both Call-back and VoIP modes on the mobility client will enable users to toggle between the modes based on their network connections. This will empower end-users to make a choice of the appropriate mode based on their voice/data plan as well as availability and quality of the data connection (WiFi/3G/4G).

For example:
• The mobile user may choose the Call-back mode when he/she doesn’t have Wi-Fi access and the 3G data connection is not providing good quality for voice.
• The mobile user may choose the VoIP mode when in office/home/mobile hotspots where Wi-Fi data connection is available OR when the 3G/4G data connection is good.

One-X Mobile “Preferred” mobility client will support the VoIP mode on both iOS and Android devices.

The information below explains the one-X Mobile “Preferred” mobility client with VoIP mode for iOS and Android devices:

The following mobile OS versions will be supported:
• iOS 5 and above
• Android 4 and above.

Note that the VoIP mode has been tested and certified to work with acceptable acoustic performance for the following devices only:
• Samsung Galaxy S3
• HTC One-S
• “Best effort” VoIP support will be provided on other devices but may present problems such as echo problems, voice disruption, Difficulty switching between handset, speaker and Bluetooth, inability to change volume levels etc.

The VoIP mode will be available with the “Power User” profile. Users with “Mobile Worker” license can avail of only the Call-back mode in the mobility client.

The following features are available only on the Android mobility client:
• Ring tone selection for the mobility client
• Selection of high-bandwidth or narrowband codecs based on the network connection (WiFi versus 3G/4G)
• Mobility client can be configured to automatically use Bluetooth headset for controlling audio (only) on VoIP calls when available
• Conference screen user experience enhancements

The following features are now available to align iOS client with the Android client:
• Ability to select the contacts phone number
• Voice mail priority indicator
• Swipe support for IM on home screen
• Group action support
• Emoticons
• CLID lookup in contacts for calls
• Send voice mail as WAV in email
• User interface changes for easier access to commonly used functions

In addition to the VoIP mode, the following enhancements have been made to the call-back mode:
• Ability to do call transfer (unsupervised) to another contact or arbitrary phone number.
• Ability to Enable/disable mobile twinning (simultaneous ring)
• Ability to Enable/disable DND (send all calls)
• Call log information (incoming/outgoing/missed calls) is shown for both modes. Call log information is combined with Voicemails in the Event history tab.
• Call monitoring on the mobility client gives the user ability to see and interact with all calls the user makes or receives through IP Office.
• Addition of Dial Plan for the VoIP mode for iOS to align with Android.

About Avaya
Avaya is a global provider of business collaboration and communications solutions, providing unified communications, contact centers, data solutions and related services to companies of all sizes around the world.

About ECS
ECS, headquartered in Auburn, WA, is a team of experts ready to help businesses with the important and often complicated decision of finding the best communication solutions for their company, from voice to data. Servicing Washington & Oregon, ECS is an Avaya SME Expert Business Partner focusing on the IP Office platform and specializing in Voice over IP. For more information contact ECS at (253) 886-5400 or visit us on the web at www.GoECS.com

Want to learn more?
www.avaya.com/sme
www.youtube.com/user/Avaya
www.GoECS.com

Avaya one-X Mobile “Preferred” for IP Office R9.0

Posted on November 1, 2013 by Don Barber

Overview

Avaya one-X Mobile Preferred for IP Office R9 is an application that works with the IP Office R9 suite to provide enterprise communications on mobile phones.

The one-X Mobile Preferred client provides enterprise dialing, transferring, and conferencing capabilities, which the corporate communication network uses to seamlessly extend services to the mobile phones of employees.

The one-X Mobile Preferred client provides a number of additional features that include:

• Presence information for users and for the contacts of the users.

• Geo-location presence and tracking using the on-board GPS of the mobile phone.

• Instant messaging with contacts and user groups defined on the IP Office server and also with external contacts.

• The capability to play voice mail messages, pick-up incoming voice mail messages, view current presence of the voice mail caller, and return calls.

• Rich conference controls with click-to-conference for users and groups, entry and exit notifications, and the capability to view and manage conference participants.

• Integration with Microsoft Exchange Server to provide information about the availability of users.

• Real-time notifications of communications arriving on the server, such as new voice mail or instant messages, changes in the availability of contacts, and conference participants dialing into a conference bridge.

System Architecture:
The Avaya one-X Mobile Preferred client leverages corporate infrastructure with IP Office and IP Office applications to deliver enterprise communications to mobile phones.

The IP Office server pushes the Contacts list to the mobile phone. Users need not configure the Contacts list.

The one-X Mobile Preferred client architecture uses the XMPP server that integrates with Avaya one-X® Portal and Microsoft Exchange Server and offers the following advantages to the mobile user:
• Corporate instant messaging and presence information through integration with the XMPP server.
• View calendar information of contacts and share calendar information with other contacts by integrating with Microsoft Exchange Server.

Related documentation:
Because Avaya one-X Mobile Preferred integrates with IP Office and IP Office applications, you must gain access to the IP Office documentation suite to administer this application. The following related documents are available on the Avaya Support website at support.avaya.com:
• IP Office Manager
• Administering Avaya one-X Portal for IP Office
• Implementing Avaya one-X Portal for IP Office
• Implementing Voicemail Pro
• IP Office Application Server Installation and Maintenance for Linux deployments

System Requirements:
Avaya one-X Mobile Preferred integrates with IP Office and IP Office applications. When you deploy one-X Mobile Preferred as part of an IP Office solution, the system requirements depend on the server where the IP Office applications, such as Avaya one-X Portal and Voicemail Pro, are installed. With the appropriate licensing, you can deploy IP Office applications on Windows Servers 200x and also Linux servers.

Following is the licensing and application requirements for the one-X Mobile Preferred client.

Licensing:
The Avaya one-X Mobile Preferred client for IP Office has the following licensing requirements:
• Preferred Edition system license
• One Mobile Worker or Power User license per client

Application requirements
IP Office Release 9.0+ supports the Avaya one-X Mobile Preferred client. The system requires trunks that support clearing supervision, which include the following:
• PRI
• SIP

Preferred client network requirements
The Avaya one-X Mobile Preferred application must be able to connect through the Internet to Avaya one-X Portal and to the IP Office system, using either a 3G network or an external Wi-Fi service. Your network setup must support this capability and cellular voice connectivity.

Supported Platforms:
The one-X Mobile Preferred client is available for most Apple and Android mobile phones.

About ECS
ECS, headquartered in Auburn, WA, is a team of experts ready to help businesses with the important and often complicated decision of finding the best communication solutions for their company, from voice to data. Servicing Washington & Oregon, ECS is an Avaya SME Expert Business Partner focusing on the IP Office platform and specializing in Voice over IP. For more information contact ECS at (253) 886-5400 or visit us on the web at www.GoECS.com

Want to learn more?
www.avaya.com/sme
www.youtube.com/user/Avaya
www.GoECS.com

Why do I see “Waiting for Line” on my Avaya phone display when I try to make a call ?

Posted on October 31, 2013 by Don Barber

Question:
Why do I see “Waiting for Line” on my Avaya phone display when I try to make a call ?

Answer:
With SIP dial-tone (telephone service) “Waiting for Line” can mean several things.

For instance, if the number you called is busy, invalid, disconnected, not in service, all circuits are busy, etc. you will see “Waiting for Line” on your Avaya phone display. Or, if your call is rejected by any carrier along the call path for any reason, you will see “Waiting for Line” on your Avaya phone display.

With Analog or T1/PRI (traditional) telephone services, you would normally “Hear” one of the following; a busy signal, all circuits are busy message, the number you have reached has been disconnected or is no longer in service message, etc.

With SIP dial-tone (telephone service) you will see a “Waiting for Line” message on the display of your phone. You “may” not hear any of the messages stated above. In today’s telephony environment, all Carriers (dial-tone service providers) do not provide audio messages. Some Carriers send electronic signals/control information (data packets) to your IP-PBX (Avaya IP Office), and it is up to your IP-PBX to provide you with some indication that the call you are trying to make is not going to go through. If an Audio message is provided by a carrier, then your IP-PBX will pass that through, and you will “hear” the message. If not, then you will only see what your IP-PBX provides, which in the case of the Avaya IP Office, is the visual message “Waiting for Line” on your Avaya phone display.

“Waiting for Line” can also mean all of your SIP Trunks (telephone lines) are in use. We/ECS normally set up your IP Office so that if that happens, we/ECS receive an alert email from the IP Office and will notify you that an “outbound” call was rejected because all of your SIP Trunks (telephone lines) were in use at the time. (this may indicate it’s time to add an additional SIP Trunk (telephone line)

About ECS
ECS, headquartered in Auburn, WA, is a team of experts ready to help businesses with the important and often complicated decision of finding the best communication solutions for their company, from voice to data. Servicing Washington & Oregon, ECS is an Avaya SME Expert Business Partner focusing on the IP Office platform and specializing in Voice over IP.

ECS should be your Preferred Vendor for Voice/Data Cabling

Posted on October 30, 2013 by Don Barber

ECS provides solutions-based design, analysis, and installation of voice/data cabling infrastructures to meet the growing needs of any business. We can install cabling systems in virtually any environment to address the needs of companies that are moving, expanding or that need to meet specific building codes.

We specialize in installing structured cabling for both data and voice systems (coax, fiber optic, Cat5e, & Cat6e). We provide racks, patch panels, cable management systems, and we ensure that all cabling is run in a neat, orderly manner. By using industry standard products, designs, and installation practices, we ensure your cable infrastructure can keep up with the demands of changing technology for years to come.

Voice & Data Cabling Services Include:
• Rewiring existing jacks
• Troubleshooting existing cabling
• Repairing existing cabling
• Activate new service
• Add new jacks
• Test cabling
• De-Install existing cabling
• Pathway and copper/fiber splicing
• Clean-Up existing data rack
• Clean-Up existing punch downs/wall-field
• Clean-Up existing telecom/data room
• Obtain low voltage permit
• Schedule low voltage inspection

Network Cabling Installation

Posted on October 29, 2013 by Don Barber

A structured cabling system is an integral piece of any well designed network. ECS is a “one stop shop” for all your organization network infrastructure needs. We design, install and maintain flexible cabling infrastructures throughout Washington & Oregon.

Many times the decision of finding a cable contractor is left to the General Contractor and many times the General Contractor chooses to let the electrician pull all the wire. Because, it’s just wire, correct? Wrong! You wouldn’t let your dentist perform brain surgery would you?

ECS understands the intricacies of even the most complex networks. We will help you evaluate, design and install the optimum structured cabling system for your company.

Specialty Cabling
ECS offers Copper and Fiber (fiber) solutions for diverse and environmentally demanding applications such as Automotive, Aerospace, Mass Transit, & Marine, that typically require adherence to strict performance criteria.

Our ECS team of technicians can install and certify cables per ANSI/TIA/EIA standards to ensure consistent performance for all installed cables. ECS can, install, de-install and maintain your structured cabling system for optimum performance.

Copper Infrastructure Cabling
ECS installs verified cabling solutions, providing ultimate performance and reliability for your copper infrastructure requirements. Our Cat 5 (Cat 5e) or Cat 6 (Cat 6e) solutions will meet or exceed TIA Cat 5e/Cat 6e standards.

Fiber Optic Cabling
ECS installs conventional fiber cabling solutions that enable & compliment the deployment of optical solutions deeper into the network delivering you a future-proof infrastructure.

About ECS
ECS, located in Auburn, WA & Portland, OR is a team of experts ready to help businesses with the important and often complicated decision of finding the best communication solutions for their company, from voice to data. ECS designs & installs cabling infrastructures that support multiple voice, data, video and multimedia systems regardless of their manufacturer.

Structured Cabling

Posted on October 28, 2013 by Don Barber

Structured cabling is building or campus telecommunications cabling infrastructure that consists of a number of standardized smaller elements (hence structured) called subsystems.

Structured Cabling falls into five subsystems:

• Demarcation Point – the point where the telephone company network ends and connects with the on-premises wiring at the customer premises

• Equipment or Telecommunications Rooms – house equipment and wiring consolidation points that serve the users inside the building or campus

• Vertical or Riser Cabling – connects between the equipment/telecommunications rooms, so named because the rooms are typically on different floors

• Horizontal wiring – can be IW (inside wiring) or Plenum Cabling and connects telecommunications rooms to individual outlets or work areas on the floor, usually through the wireways, conduits or ceiling spaces of each floor

• Work-Area Components – connect end-user equipment to outlets of the horizontal cabling system.

Overview:
Structured cabling design and installation is governed by a set of standards that specify wiring data centers, offices, and apartment buildings for data or voice communications using various kinds of cable, most commonly Category 5e (CAT-5e) Copper, Category 6e (CAT-6e) Copper, and Fiber Optic Cabling and Modular Connectors. These standards define how to lay the cabling in various topologies in order to meet the needs of the customer, typically using a central patch panel (which is normally 19 inch rack-mounted), from where each modular connection can be used as needed. Each outlet is then patched into a network switch (normally also rack-mounted) for network use or into an IP or PBX (private branch exchange) telephone system patch panel.

Lines patched as data ports into a network switch require simple straight-through patch cables at each end to connect a computer.

It is common to color code patch panel cables to identify the type of connection, though structured cabling standards do not require it except in the demarcation wall field.

Cabling standards demand that all eight conductors in Cat5/5e/6/6e cable are connected, resisting the temptation to ‘double-up’ or use one cable for both voice and data. IP phone systems, however, can run the telephone and the computer on the same wires.

Standards:
Network cabling standards are used internationally and are published by ISO/IEC, CENELEC and the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA). Building Industry Consulting Service International is a recognized independent trainer of structured cabling installers with manufacturer independent design and installation best practice documents, it also plays a major role along with industry leaders in developing and designing the US standards:

• ANSI/TIA-568-C.0 – Generic Telecommunications Cabling for Customer Premises, 2009
• ANSI/TIA-568-C.1 – Commercial Building Telecommunications Cabling Standard, 2009
• ANSI/TIA-568-C.2 – Balanced Twisted-Pair Telecommunication Cabling and Components Standard, published 2009
• ANSI/TIA-568-C.3 – Optical Fiber Cabling Components Standard, published 2008, plus errata issued in October, 2008.
• TIA-569-B (2004; Amd 1 2009) – Commercial Building Standard for Telecommunications Pathways and Spaces
• ANSI/TIA/EIA-606-A-2002 – Administration Standard for Commercial Telecommunications Infrastructure.

Avaya Aura Collaboration Environment

Posted on October 25, 2013 by Don Barber

The Avaya Aura Collaboration Environment enables speedy, simple development and deployment of collaboration-enabled applications.

The Avaya Aura Collaboration Environment:
● provides a hub for integrating multi-channel unified communications and contact center capabilities into new applications built by customers and ISVs

● Eliminates need for specialized communications technology skills to develop secure, highly available, repeatable, cloud-ready applications

● makes it easy to tailor collaboration applications to support virtually any role, any task, any vertical.

Highlights of the new Avaya Aura Collaboration Environment include:
● Applications deployed are automatically scalable, highly available and secure

● Applications are cloud-ready – Collaboration Environment is completely virtualized

● A snap-in model that enables rapid, more cost-effective solution development and repeatability

● A common set of methods are used for voice, video, email and SMS

● A cloud-based development environment – Avaya Aura Collaboratory™ — that allows developers to build and test applications on a virtual instance of the Avaya Aura platform

Avaya Aura Collaboration Environment is delivered on the Avaya Aura core unified communications platform. The latest release of Avaya Aura goes even further to simplify management, provide higher levels of security and lower total cost of ownership in a foundation that allows customers and partners the flexibility to grow and add value through innovative capabilities. Recent advancements of the Avaya Aura core platform that offer centralized licensing and a virtualized, lighter footprint continue Avaya’s commitment to simplify implementation and improve operational costs for even the most complex environments.

About ECS
ECS, headquartered in Auburn, WA, is a team of experts ready to help businesses with the important and often complicated decision of finding the best communication solutions for their company, from voice to data. Servicing Washington & Oregon, ECS is an Avaya SME Expert Business Partner focusing on the IP Office platform and specializing in Voice over IP. For more information contact ECS at (253) 886-5400 or visit us on the web at www.GoECS.com

Want to learn more?
www.avaya.com/usa/about-avaya/newsroom/news-releases/2013/pr-131015a
www.youtube.com/user/Avaya
www.GoECS.com