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June 24 2024

Brace Yourself: The Next Microsoft Teams Outage Is Inevitable – Are You Prepared?

jtowner@townerkc.com Blog, mobility, Technology Tips, Unified Communication Business Communications, cloud, Customer Experience, Growth, Microsoft Teams, Productivity

Microsoft Teams outages happen, and when they strike, they can disrupt entire organizations, especially those that heavily rely on the platform. Recent outages have shown us that being unprepared can spell disaster for businesses. But don’t worry—Towner is here to help you brace for impact. In this blog, we’ll guide you on how to expect the unexpected, with insights on early detection, strategic planning, and how our Microsoft Teams Monitoring Solution can keep you ahead of the game. Ready to safeguard your business? Let’s dive in.

KEY POINTS:

Outages Are Inevitable: Microsoft Teams outages will and do happen due to the scale of digital services. Preparation is essential.
Importance of Being Prepared: Instead of scrambling during an outage, having a proactive plan in place will help manage the impact effectively.
Early Detection is Crucial: Tools like Towner’s Teams Monitoring provide early alerts and detailed insights, enabling organizations to respond quickly to outages.
Detailed Monitoring and Alerts: Towner’s monitoring offers precise information on affected services, impacted locations, and specific features, aiding in targeted responses.
Proactive Problem Management: Early alerts from Towner allow businesses to execute backup plans immediately, reducing downtime and maintaining productivity.
Strategic Planning: Businesses should have contingency plans to maintain operations during outages, ensuring alternative communication lines and processes are ready.
Free Readiness Assessment: Towner offers a free 20-minute Microsoft Teams Outage Readiness Assessment to help businesses identify and address potential challenges during downtime.

Microsoft Teams Outage Monitoring and Dictation

When Teams isn’t working, it’s not always their fault. There are countless reasons. So, how does your company prepare for an inevitable outage that’s beyond your control? Don’t scramble to fix things on the fly—that never ends well. Instead, expect the unexpected. It sounds simple, and with the right approach, it can be. Here’s how you can stay ahead of the next Teams outage:

Understand the potential causes of Teams issues.
Implement proactive network monitoring to catch problems early.
Have a contingency plan in place for unexpected outages.
Use detailed performance metrics to quickly identify and address issues.
Communicate effectively with your team during downtime to minimize disruption.

Microsoft Isn’t Perfect

Microsoft Teams outages do happen. When they do, it can be a serious challenge for organizations, especially those heavily reliant on the platform. On July 21st, 2022, and again on January 26th, 2024, significant outages impacted Teams and other Microsoft 365 services. For businesses that depend on these tools, being unprepared can spell disaster.

We’re here to make sure that doesn’t happen to you.

Outages are inevitable. It’s not a question of if, but when. With digital services operating at Microsoft’s scale, regular Teams outages are bound to occur over the next few years. Now that you know it’s going to happen again, what are you going to do about it? Don’t wait for an outage to disrupt your entire organization—get ahead of it.

Brace for Impact

Think of it like bracing for impact. You can’t fix Microsoft’s problems, but your team can be ready to manage the fallout. Identify who will be immediately impacted and establish alternative communication lines. Your business systems and processes will dictate how you create cover for Teams.

Having a plan in place is crucial, but early detection is key. That’s where Towner’s Teams Monitoring comes in. It helps organizations not just react to outages but anticipate them. With detailed alerts specifying affected services, impacted locations, and specific features, your IT team can respond quickly and effectively. Towner customers were alerted to the latest outage a full half-hour before Microsoft announced it, allowing them to execute their backup plans without wasting precious time troubleshooting.

Outages might be unexpected, but that doesn’t mean you can’t be prepared. Get the coverage you need to react fast and protect your business. It’s that simple.

Do you have a contingency plan for when Teams goes down? Is your company ready for the next Microsoft Teams outage?

Microsoft-Teams-Down-Funny-Memes-and-Jokes-784x441

Get a free 20-minute Microsoft Teams Outage Readiness Assessment to identify your challenges during downtime and address visibility gaps.

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June 17 2024

5 Powerful Ways to Leverage AI For Customer Service

jtowner@townerkc.com Blog, Cloud Communication, Contact Center, Technology Tips Business Communications, cloud, Cloud Communications, Customer Experience, Productivity

Studies show that the most common application of artificial intelligence (AI) is in customer service, with 56% of businesses already utilizing it. If you haven’t taken the plunge yet, how can you benefit from AI for customer service?

Discover the advantages of AI-powered customer service in contact centers and the key features you should be leveraging.

common-ai-usage-min

Key Points:

Save Time and Money: Implementing AI for customer service streamlines operations, cutting costs and improving efficiency.
Consistent, Personalized Service: AI ensures consistent and personalized customer interactions while reducing agent burnout.
Automate and Enhance: Integrate AI into your contact center to automate workflows and enhance agent training.
24/7 Multilingual Support: AI enables you to offer round-the-clock multilingual customer service.

Why You Need AI-Powered Customer Service in Your Contact Center

Maybe your contact center is already running smoothly. So why consider enhancing it with AI-powered customer service?

In business, there’s always room for improvement and opportunities to get ahead. With AI, you can:

Lower your costs
Present a consistent and reliable brand
Increase customer satisfaction and loyalty
Reduce agent burnout

Like whipped cream on a shake or sprinkles on donuts, AI can take something great and make it even better. Remember, automated solutions allow you to do more with less.

5 Effective Ways to Integrate AI-Powered CX

Aim to implement at least a few of these AI-powered customer service strategies—if not all of them!

1. Automate Workflows

One of the primary benefits of AI is its ability to automate time-consuming tasks, freeing employees to focus on high-value assignments that require a human touch.

For instance, consider a high-volume customer needing to return a product. Previously, they would have to call your company, wait for an available agent, and go through the return process—wasting everyone’s time.

With AI-powered customer service, a virtual agent responds instantly, guiding the customer through accessing the return form and tracking the process without human assistance. If a request needs human interaction, AI receptionists efficiently route calls to the appropriate individuals.

AI assistants also provide easy access to your company’s knowledge base. Human agents can quickly find information by simply requesting it from the AI. Since you’re using an internal system that doesn’t train itself on your data, there’s no need to worry about security or compliance.

During a call, a human employee might realize that AI can handle most of the work with a bit of guidance. With prompts, the AI assistant can generate content and even write code to resolve issues.

workflow automation

2. Personalize Your Service and Support

Imagine your customers seeing your brand as the friendly local spot “where everybody knows their name.” Personalized interactions are now a customer expectation, especially for service and support.

AI-powered customer service works tirelessly, collecting data to tailor interactions. For instance, it can remind a customer about an abandoned cart and even address any concerns they might have. If the customer hesitates at checkout, the AI can offer a discount or promotion to seal the deal.

While AI personalizes interactions, it also supports your human agents by sharing relevant information. Through sentiment analysis, AI assesses a caller’s mood and provides insights before connecting them to an agent. This way, agents start the conversation prepared to address the specific issue.

If the agent can’t resolve the situation immediately, AI records all details for future interactions, ensuring your contact center operates seamlessly and efficiently. Your customers will appreciate the smooth and personalized service experience.

3. Be Available 24/7

Serving customers around the clock is crucial, but paying human agents to do so isn’t always practical. AI-powered customer service is available 24/7, handling basic requests and reassuring clients that a human will follow up during business hours.

4. Reach a Multilingual Audience

With advanced conversational AI, real-time language detection and translation become possible. Multilingual support enables you to expand your market and reach a broader customer base.

5. Enhance Your Onboarding and Training

Your staff is the backbone of your customer service. AI-powered solutions empower them the most by automating evaluations and quality control on a large scale. Managers gain practical insights to improve training and onboarding, while agents can frequently review their performance through dashboards, allowing them to quickly adapt to feedback.

Harness AI-Powered Customer Service with Towner’s World-Class Cloud Communications Platform

Wondering how to get started with AI-powered customer service? Towner’s expert support team is ready to assist.

Contact our agents to explore how our cloud communications platform can help you fully leverage AI-powered customer service.

Request A Demo

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June 3 2024

Enhance Customer Experience and Employee Engagement with Contact Center Integrations

jtowner@townerkc.com Blog, Cloud Communication, Contact Center, Phone Systems, Technology Tips, Unified Communication Business Communications, cloud, Collaboration, Customer Experience, Growth, Productivity

Tech enthusiasts and industry experts know the value of enhancing a great product. In the realm of customer service, seasoned pros achieve this through contact center integrations.

At Towner, we share this vision. That’s why we offer a wide range of integrations for our cloud communications solutions in our App Marketplace.

Discover how you can streamline your workflows with our contact center integrations, creating a superior platform for your team and delivering enhanced service to your customers.

Key Points:

Software integrations allow two different programs to automatically share information seamlessly.
Contact center integrations boost productivity, enhance analytics, and improve the customer experience.
Towner offers numerous pre-built integrations with popular applications.
Developers can create custom APIs to integrate your preferred business software.

Understanding Contact Center Integrations

Software integration connects two different applications, enabling seamless data sharing and real-time updates. In the context of contact centers, this means linking your cloud contact center platform with other business software to handle various tasks.

This connectivity is achieved through application programming interfaces (APIs), which set the rules for real-time communication between the two programs.

Many top-tier solutions, like Towner’s, come with pre-built integrations for popular industry software, offering immediate functionality.

But what if your preferred software doesn’t have a pre-built integration? No problem! With an API platform, developers can integrate any software into your contact center for complete functionality.

How Integrations Benefit Your Business

Contact center integrations combine the power of distinct software for enhanced efficiency and productivity. Your agents spend less time on data entry and information verification as systems automatically update each other. This frees up your team to focus on critical problem-solving tasks that require a human touch.

For instance, 74% of companies use customer relationship management (CRM) software. With contact center integration, agents can call customers directly from the CRM. As client information is collected in the contact center software, it seamlessly populates the CRM with relevant data.

Faster data collection leads to better analytics. More information is gathered, and business programs process it quickly to provide insights that optimize your contact center operations.

Ultimately, this results in a superior customer experience. Enhanced service drives customer retention and increases opportunities for cross-selling and upselling, leading to higher revenues.

Towner’s 6 Favorite Integrations

1. Salesforce

Salesforce holds a dominant 20% share of the CRM market. If you’re already using Salesforce, you can integrate it with Towner Contact Center to make calls directly from the app and automatically log call details and other important data in your client records.

2. Slack

Many hybrid and remote teams use Slack and seek to enhance its functionality by integrating it with their contact center. This integration enables real-time alerts, allowing you to quickly deescalate issues and maintain smooth operations.

Slack

3. Zendesk

Zendesk is a widely-used CRM known for its user-friendly interface, making it one of our top contact center integrations. A standout feature is the screen pops, which automatically display customer information when you receive an incoming call.

Zendesk

4. ServiceNow

If you manage your workflows in ServiceNow, enhance customer journeys with contact center integration. Effortlessly log call details and maintain records of interactions within client files.

5. NextGen

Medical facilities require contact center integrations that streamline communications while adhering to regulatory compliance. Towner’s contact center integration with NextGen accelerates patient verification by automatically displaying a secure dashboard with relevant information for each incoming call. This saves your agents time by eliminating the need to search for patient details.

NextGen

6. ConnectWise

Managed service providers can leverage the pre-built ConnectWise integration to enhance customer service. This integration requires minimal training and implementation costs, allowing agents to quickly improve efficiency while supporting clients.

Choose the Platform with the Best Contact Center Integrations Today

Elevate your team with Towner Contact Center integrations. Contact us today to learn how our platform can help you deliver the ultimate customer experience.

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May 24 2024

10 Effective Ways to Leverage AI Chatbots for Your Business

jtowner@townerkc.com Blog, Cloud Communication, Technology Tips, Unified Communication Business Communications, cloud, Cloud Communications, Customer Experience, Productivity

As artificial intelligence becomes more advanced and conversational, the aversion to “talking to a machine” is steadily diminishing. In fact, 73% of consumers now expect websites to incorporate AI chatbot programs as a self-service option.

Whether you’re already leveraging chatbots and seeking to maximize their value, or you’re new to these tools and looking for ideas on where to begin, we’ve got you covered.

Explore practical ways to utilize AI chatbot applications to boost customer service and enhance employee efficiency.

Key Points:

Strategically decide when to use proactive chatbots that initiate conversations and reactive ones that respond to user interactions.
Key chatbot applications include customer support, reservations, surveys, and lead qualification.
AI chatbots can also function as virtual assistants, enhancing employee productivity.

Proactive vs. Reactive: Choosing the Right AI Chatbot Strategy for Your Business

Proactive chatbots initiate interactions with users without any prompting, often popping up to offer assistance or share reminders.

On the other hand, reactive chatbots respond to user actions or requests. When a person seeks help from your team, the chatbot attempts to address the issue before escalating it to a human agent.

Deciding Which One To Use

Just as you wouldn’t want to be overly pushy in person, avoid having proactive chatbots pop up too frequently, disrupting the user experience. Place proactive chatbots in locations where they are likely to be necessary or welcomed by users.

For example, an AI chatbot could appear shortly after a visitor lands on your homepage, asking them what they’re looking for and directing them to the appropriate sections of your site.

On a blog post, the user’s primary intent is usually to read the content, so a chatbot appearing at the start could be intrusive. Instead, place a proactive chatbot at the end of the post to serve as a call to action, encouraging further engagement or conversions.

Reactive chatbots are generally suitable as an initial response to user requests. If the user prefers to interact with a human, they can request it specifically from the system.

Key AI Chatbot Application Use Cases

There are countless ways to utilize AI chatbots, but these examples are a great starting point.

1. Customer Support and Experience

Customer support is often the first application for an AI chatbot. The main goal is to ensure customers feel promptly attended to whenever an issue arises.

The chatbot can begin by answering common questions or directing users to helpful resources such as videos or articles. For more complex issues, it can escalate the matter to a human agent or create a support ticket for a quick callback.

Additionally, chatbots can facilitate basic account management in a secure environment. With natural language processing, customers can easily handle tasks like payments and transfers using simple conversational inputs.

2. Tailored Discounts and Special Offers

When a customer browses your site, they might also be checking out your competitors for the best deal. If the person is a returning customer, the chatbot can analyze their browsing and purchase history, along with other interactions, to determine if they qualify for a special discount.

This personalized approach is often more effective than generic, time-limited promotions or coupons that appear when users are about to leave.

3. Lead Qualification and Customer Surveys

For significant purchases that involve a longer sales cycle and multiple interactions, AI chatbots can effectively engage prospects in the early stages of the buyer’s journey. Users are often more willing to respond to chatbot queries than to emails or phone calls, leading to higher conversion rates.

Additionally, chatbots can gather valuable insights through quick polls or surveys, helping you understand customer preferences and improving your marketing and sales strategies.

4. Personalized Product Recommendations

When a customer repeatedly searches your site for similar items without making a purchase, the chatbot can step in with personalized product recommendations. This approach is often more helpful and engaging than a generic abandoned cart notification.

5. Simplifying Reservations

Even with a well-designed website, some users may find it challenging to navigate the reservation process. An AI chatbot can serve as the perfect virtual assistant, guiding users step-by-step to make reservations effortlessly.

6. Secure and Confidential Interactions

Some customers prefer not to discuss sensitive information with a human agent. Your AI chatbot can handle inquiries and provide account details while adhering to strict privacy and data protection regulations, ensuring secure and confidential interactions.

7. Timely Notifications and Updates

Keeping customers informed with relevant news updates can add significant value, especially in the B2B market. If you’re in an industry where timely information is crucial, such as finance, a proactive chatbot can share important bulletins and reminders with your clients.

8. Streamlining Hiring, Training, and Work Tasks

AI chatbots aren’t just for customer service; they’re valuable tools for your employees too. In human resources, chatbots can interact with and qualify prospective hires, making the recruitment process more efficient.

Additionally, employees can use AI assistants to handle repetitive tasks, answer questions, translate information, summarize text, and manage various other assignments, boosting overall productivity.

9. Reducing Costs

By automating customer interactions and routine tasks, AI chatbots can reduce the need for a large support team, leading to significant cost savings. This makes them a cost-effective solution for businesses of all sizes.

10. Improving Data Collection and Analysis

Chatbots can gather valuable data on customer preferences, behavior, and feedback. This information can be analyzed to gain actionable insights, helping you make informed business decisions.

Integrate Your AI Chatbot with a World-Class Contact Center

Whatever AI chatbot application you choose, it should be part of a robust contact center solution. For a cloud-based service that enables smarter customer engagement, reach out to us at Towner Communications to learn about our world-class software.

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May 16 2024

Elevate Your Customer Experience with Intermedia Contact Center for Microsoft Teams!

jtowner@townerkc.com Blog, Contact Center, Unified Communication Business Communications, cloud, Cloud Communications, Customer Experience, Productivity

In today’s fast-paced business environment, effective communication and seamless collaboration are crucial for success. We’re thrilled to announce Intermedia Contact Center is now Certified for Microsoft Teams, enhancing our service offerings!

Contact Center for Microsoft Teams

Why This Partnership Matters

Intermedia a leader in cloud solutions, has been a trusted Microsoft Gold Certified Partner for over 15 years. This new certification signifies our commitment to delivering reliable, scalable, and high-performance solutions that meet Microsoft’s stringent standards. Teams users can now access Intermedia Contact Center’s innovative features confidently from anywhere with this certification.

Advanced Features That Set Us Apart

Towner’s Intermedia-powered Contact Center offers cloud-based features to enhance business communication and customer service.

Omni-Channel Design: Manage customer interactions through multiple channels, including phone, email, and SMS, ensuring you never miss an opportunity to connect with your customers.
Advanced Call Routing & Automated Workflows: Optimize efficiency with intelligent call routing and automated processes that streamline operations and reduce handle times.
Quality Control & Reporting: Leverage extensive analytics to monitor performance and implement improvements, ensuring top-notch service quality.
SPARK AI Technology: Enhance your service with AI-driven insights, including AI Transcription for calls and voicemails, AI Transcription Redaction, AI Interaction Summary View, AI Agent Evaluator, AI Chatbot, and AI Sentiment Analysis.

How This Will Improve Your Business

Increased Productivity: Equip your team with intelligent tools to handle customer interactions more efficiently, reducing handle times and improving first contact resolution. This leads to higher productivity and better use of resources.

Enhanced Customer Experience: Ensure every customer touchpoint is exceptional with advanced analytics and AI-driven insights. By understanding customer sentiment and providing timely, accurate responses, you can significantly boost customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Seamless Integration: With our solution Certified for Microsoft Teams, you can trust in a seamless, reliable integration that enhances your existing Teams capabilities. This means smoother transitions, fewer disruptions, and a more cohesive communication strategy.

Recognized Leadership

Towner’s dedication to working with the most innovative partners has not gone unnoticed. Recently Intermedia was recognized by Aragon Research as a Leader in The Aragon Research Globe™ for the Intelligent Contact Center for SMB 2024, Intermedia and Towner continue to lead the way in providing advanced communication tools to businesses. This recognition highlights our commitment to excellence and our ability to deliver cutting-edge solutions that meet the evolving needs of businesses today.

Empower Your Team

“Intermedia is dedicated to revolutionizing workplace collaboration and customer service excellence,” said Irina Shamkova, EVP of Product Management at Intermedia. “Our certified Contact Center solution powered by SPARK AI empowers Microsoft Teams users to achieve new heights of productivity and customer satisfaction.”

Discover More

To learn more about how Microsoft Teams integrated with Towner’s Contact Center can transform your business, visit Towner Contact Center for Microsoft Teams.

Stay ahead of the curve and enhance your business communication with the trusted solutions from Intermedia and Microsoft Teams. Your journey to improved productivity and customer satisfaction starts now.

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May 13 2024

Towner: Your Premier Microsoft Teams Certified Partner for Unmatched Business Solutions

jtowner@townerkc.com Blog, Contact Center, News Business Communications, Cloud Communications, Customer Experience, Growth, Microsoft Teams, Productivity

In today’s fast-paced digital landscape, staying ahead of the curve means leveraging the best tools and partners available. We at Towner are thrilled to announce that our partner, Intermedia, has achieved a significant milestone, solidifying their position as a leader in delivering top-notch customer experiences. With their latest Microsoft Certification, Intermedia continues to prove why they are an industry frontrunner, and we, as their premier partner, are excited to bring these unparalleled solutions to you.

What Being A Microsoft Teams Certified Partner Means for Your Business

As Intermedia’s premier partner, Towner now offers you the best-in-class solutions that are Microsoft Teams Certified. This certification is not just a badge; it’s a testament to the rigorous standards and exceptional capabilities that Intermedia brings to the table. Here’s why this matters:

Seamless Integration:

Microsoft Teams Certification ensures that the solutions we provide integrate flawlessly with Microsoft Teams, enhancing your business communication and collaboration.

Reliability:

Certified solutions provide you with robust, reliable, and secure tools, all tested and verified by Microsoft.

Enhanced Customer Experience:

Intermedia’s certified solutions streamline your customer interactions, making them more efficient and ensuring better satisfaction and loyalty.

The Power of Partnership

Partnering with Intermedia allows Towner to offer you a comprehensive suite of solutions that are both innovative and trustworthy. Our collaboration means you benefit from:

Cutting-edge Technology:

Access to the latest advancements in customer experience management.

Expert Support:

Our teams are trained and equipped to support your business needs, ensuring you get the most out of your technology investments.

Scalability:

As your business grows, our solutions can scale with you, providing the flexibility needed in today’s dynamic market.

Why Choose Towner?

At Towner, we pride ourselves on being more than just a service provider. We are your partners in success. Here’s what sets us apart:

Industry Expertise:

With years of experience and deep industry knowledge, we understand the unique challenges businesses face today.

Customer-Centric Approach:

Your success is our priority. We work closely with you to tailor solutions that meet your specific needs.

Proven Track Record:

Our partnership with Intermedia and Microsoft Teams Certification speaks volumes about our commitment to excellence.

In a world where customer experience can make or break a business, having the right tools and partners is crucial. With Towner and Intermedia by your side, you’re not just getting certified solutions; you’re getting a team dedicated to your success.

Ready to take your business to the next level with Microsoft Teams Certified solutions? Contact us today and discover how Towner can help you deliver exceptional customer experiences

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May 6 2024

VoIP Bandwidth Requirements: Unpacking Data Needs for Smooth Communication

jtowner@townerkc.com Blog, Cloud Communication, Phone Systems, Technology Tips, Unified Communication Business Communications, cloud, Cloud Communications, Growth

If you’re considering switching to a phone system powered by Voice over Internet Protocol, you’re likely excited about the advanced features VoIP offers. But you might also be wondering if your internet connection is up to the task.

The last thing you need is poor audio quality or dropped calls. These issues don’t just impact your team’s efficiency—they can also lead to unhappy customers and lost revenue.

Before making the switch, make sure your internet bandwidth can handle your VoIP requirements. This guide will help you understand the data needs of VoIP and how to assess if your current setup is sufficient.

Key Points:

A stable internet network with enough bandwidth is essential for clear and consistent VoIP calls.
A reliable communications provider uses the Opus codec to deliver clear calls without consuming excessive bandwidth.
Each VoIP line typically needs 100 Kbps for both upload and download speeds.
Choose a provider with user-friendly troubleshooting tools and responsive customer service to help determine when to upgrade your bandwidth.

VoIP Audio Quality: Bandwidth and Data Usage:

In the context of the internet, bandwidth represents the amount of data a connection can transfer in a given time. The greater your bandwidth, the faster data moves across the line. Smooth data transfer is crucial for clear VoIP calls.

While bandwidth isn’t exactly the same as internet speed, it directly influences how fast your networked devices can operate. Heavy online traffic on a connection with low bandwidth can cause congestion, resulting in sluggish and unreliable service.

Think of it like this: a multi-lane highway enables smoother and faster traffic flow compared to a narrow, two-lane road. To support your team’s VoIP usage and other online activities, ensure that your internet plan provides ample data caps.

How Does VoIP Work

VoIP enables voice and video calls and text messaging over the internet. It relies on Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) to ensure your connections remain secure and stable.

One way to make calls is through a dedicated IP phone, connected to your network via Ethernet or Wi-Fi. This device converts audio signals into compact data, which it transmits through your IP network for internal calls. For external connections, the data is routed to your provider, which links it to other VoIP networks and traditional telephone systems (POTS).

You can also use smart devices for calls. By downloading a softphone app on your mobile device or computer, you can make calls with a speaker and microphone, and a connected camera will allow you to make video calls as well.

Impact of Audio Compression and Codecs on Call Quality

Your VoIP service and devices use codecs to compress your audio into smaller files for fast transmission. Once received, the files are decompressed back into understandable audio. Imagine it like vacuum-sealing clothes into a compact bag for delivery. It’s important to understand this because the quality of your calls depends on the codec your provider uses. Each codec has a bitrate that determines how much data a call uses. A good codec ensures high-quality calls without consuming excessive bandwidth.

Many VoIP providers stick to G.711, which is the same codec used by traditional telephone systems (POTS). It reliably transmits voice signals at 64 Kbps but only offers lower-quality narrowband audio.

Intermedia, a leading VoIP provider, has chosen Opus as its primary codec. This allows it to deliver CD-quality audio that surpasses MP3 quality, all while using less data. Intermedia also supports other codecs, including G.722, G.711u, G.729, and G.711a, for carriers that can’t yet support Opus. With Intermedia, you’ll always get the best balance between quality and data usage.

Calculating VoIP Bandwidth Requirements

To ensure clear calls, each VoIP line requires at least 100 Kbps for uploads (sending audio) and downloads (receiving audio). With a 64 Kbps rate for high-definition calls, a 10-minute call consumes about 102 MB of data, and an hour-long call uses approximately 613 MB. With this data, you can estimate the bandwidth needed for your VoIP service.

For instance, if you operate a contact center where each agent spends half of each hour in phone conversations, they’ll clock in four hours of talk time during an eight-hour workday. This translates to 2.452 GB of data daily for each agent. Multiply that by 20 days, and you get roughly 49.04 GB of data per month per agent.

Since usage varies across organizations, you’ll need to calculate your specific requirements using recent internet bills, data on talk times, and stats on video calls. Don’t forget to include other internet activities in your calculations.

Fortunately, once your VoIP service is set up, it becomes easier to monitor with built-in analytics. Troubleshooting apps also help address quality issues. And with Intermedia, if you encounter unresolved problems, their award-winning support staff is available around the clock to determine whether the cause is a device, a service issue, or the need for more bandwidth.

A Dependable VoIP Partner Takes Care of Data and Voice Quality Concerns for You

Fortunately, many internet service providers offer business plans that can provide the necessary bandwidth for VoIP. To ensure reliable communication, it’s crucial to have a dependable provider.

Towner simplifies this process. You can receive personalized assistance in choosing the right plan and understanding your data requirements by requesting a callback from one of our representatives today.

Contact Towner

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May 1 2024

How Cloud Communications Fuel SMB Growth

jtowner@townerkc.com Blog, Cloud Communication Business Communications, cloud, Cloud Communications, Growth, Productivity

In today’s digital age, small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) need nimble communication solutions that scale with their growth. Cloud communications have become the secret sauce, offering flexibility and powerful features that empower businesses to stay competitive and agile.

Main Takeaways

Scalability and Flexibility: Cloud communications adapt effortlessly as your business grows, ensuring your infrastructure always fits your evolving needs.
Cost Efficiency: Pay only for what you use, saving significantly on upfront and maintenance costs compared to traditional systems.
Remote Work Enablement: Seamless collaboration across dispersed teams with features like video conferencing, virtual phones, and instant messaging.
Integrations: Advanced features like AI analytics and integrations with key business tools enhance productivity and customer service.
Disaster Recovery and Reliability: Keep your communications running, even during emergencies, with secure data storage and failover capabilities.
Data Analytics for Informed Decisions: Gain actionable insights from call volumes and customer interactions to refine strategies and support growth.

Scalability and Flexibility

With cloud communications, expanding to new users, offices, or features is a breeze. No more rigid infrastructure—just easy scaling to meet changing demands and support your growth.

Cost Efficiency

Traditional systems are costly, but with cloud communications, you pay as you go, managing budgets effortlessly while benefiting from the provider’s maintenance and upgrades.

Remote Work Enablement

Cloud communications enable remote work with ease, keeping teams and clients connected through virtual phone systems, video conferencing, and instant messaging.

Integrations

Integrate with your favorite business tools and leverage AI analytics, video conferencing, and more to streamline workflows and improve customer service.

Disaster Recovery and Reliability

Stay resilient during unexpected events with robust disaster recovery capabilities that keep your communications running, even in emergencies.

Data Analytics for Informed Decisions

Leverage cloud analytics to uncover insights that refine your strategies, optimize customer experiences, and align your communication with business goals.

Empower Your Business with Cloud Communications

Ready to supercharge your communications? Cloud communications provide the flexibility, cost efficiency, and powerful features SMBs need to thrive. Get in touch for a personalized consultation to discover how our solutions can be tailored to your business, driving scalable growth and success.

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April 24 2024

Understanding SIP Trunk Port Numbers: How Many Do You Really Need?

jtowner@townerkc.com Blog, Cloud Communication, Phone Systems, Technology Tips Business Communications, cloud, Cloud Communications, Growth

Lots of people are familiar with VoIP—Voice over Internet Protocol, which allows you to make affordable calls over the internet. For years, this technology has provided the benefit of low-cost, high-quality conversations.

Yet, there’s another technology that has become just as vital, particularly for businesses. Since 1996, Session Initiation Protocol, or SIP, has revolutionized the way VoIP is accessed, making it a staple in today’s tech landscape.

Considering a cloud-based private branch exchange using VoIP? You’ll probably need SIP trunking. Let’s explore the role of SIP trunk port numbers and determine how many SIP trunks you actually need.

Key Points:

Towner SIP trunking facilitates VoIP for both voice calls and multimedia communications.
With Towner SIP trunking, you gain access to unlimited business lines at a low cost because the system operates virtually.
The crucial SIP trunk port numbers are 5060 and 5061, which manage the majority of your VoIP communications; however, with Towner’s world-class support, managing these details becomes hassle-free.

What Is SIP, and What’s Its Role in VoIP?

VoIP was the breakthrough technology that made digital calling over the internet possible. However, there was a challenge in enabling these calls to connect across different systems and providers.

SIP technology provided the solution and has since become the standard for facilitating VoIP communications. Think of it this way: if a VoIP call is like a subway car carrying your messages, then SIP is the station and tracks that guide each car to its destination.

SIP manages the initiation of calls, maintaining the connection, and disconnecting calls when finished.

Moreover, SIP has enabled the integration of video and text messaging into your VoIP systems. This is why you can upgrade your cloud-based PBX into a comprehensive unified communications service without needing extra devices or hardware.

What Exactly Is a SIP Trunk?

Trunking is the process that links your PBX lines both internally and with the external world, facilitating calls. Ever wonder where the term “trunk” originated? Historically, an analog PBX was connected to the outside world using a physical trunk device.

Here’s an easy way to picture it: Imagine a PBX as a tree filled with separate extensions or branches. These branches would connect to the outside world of public switched telephone lines through a trunk.

So, a trunk essentially acts as a central hub connecting a group of lines. In the past, due to the limitations of physical hardware, a traditional T3 trunk could handle only up to 28 lines. If more lines were needed, additional trunks were required.

However, the advent of SIP technology has revolutionized this setup. With everything being virtual, a single SIP trunk can support virtually unlimited lines.

How Many SIP Trunks Are Necessary for Your Business?

You might have already guessed the answer to this question: You only need one SIP trunk! This is because these virtual solutions allow you to host unlimited lines (or “channels”) on your system.

So, the real question becomes: How many channels do you need for SIP trunking?

Although the system is virtual, the calls, conferences, and messages your system handles are still transmitting data. Your provider manages this data securely from their data centers, which is why professional VoIP and SIP trunking services still come at a cost.

Additionally, consider that the number of channels and the volume of calls you manage will require adequate internet bandwidth to ensure smooth and clear connections. It’s wise to discuss your needs with your communications service provider to determine if you need to upgrade your internet to a service that can adequately support a business line.

What Is the Purpose of a SIP Trunk Port Number?

Talking about SIP port numbers can dive deep into technical jargon pretty fast. You don’t need to grasp all the details unless you’re an IT professional.

What’s important to know is that these ports are virtual pathways that manage the flow of data for various activities. The two main port numbers used for SIP traffic are 5060 and 5061.

Port 5060 facilitates the majority of your VoIP calls through quick, non-encrypted connections. In contrast, Port 5061 is designated for traffic that requires transport layer security.

Previously, knowing these port numbers was crucial for troubleshooting. However, with today’s advanced cloud-based VoIP business lines, these details are often handled by your service provider. They should provide 24/7 support to monitor your system and guide you through any troubleshooting steps as needed.

What Advantages Does SIP Trunking Offer?

If you’re still using a legacy PBX, you might be wondering if it’s worth making the switch to the cloud. Here’s why it definitely is:

Cost Savings: Virtual systems are generally cheaper to start with, and you won’t have to pay for extra lines. You can easily scale your system up or down as needed without additional costs.

Remote and Hybrid Work Capabilities: With a secure communications system that only requires internet access, you can maintain reliable communication with your team, no matter where they are.

Reliable, Future-Proof Technology: Your service is supported by multiple data centers through your provider, ensuring business continuity even during outages or disasters.

For more insights, consider the experiences of customers who have successfully transitioned to a cloud-based phone service.

Ready to Upgrade Your PBX to the 21st Century with SIP Trunking?

Towner SIP trunking simplifies the process of setting up a virtual business line more than ever before. Many companies can even have their cloud-based PBX up and running within just a few days, or sometimes even on the same day!

To tap into the advantages of SIP trunking, reach out to us at Towner. Whether you’re modernizing an old system or building from the ground up, we’ll help you boost flexibility and cut costs with a contemporary business phone service.

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April 17 2024

Boost Your Business Communications with Effective Automated Call Routing

jtowner@townerkc.com Blog, Cloud Communication, Contact Center Business Communications, cloud, Cloud Communications, Customer Experience, Productivity

Customer service automation is an excellent tool to simplify processes and free up your team to concentrate on customer interactions. In fact, Gartner forecasts that by 2025, 85% of companies will ramp up their use of automation.

If you haven’t yet integrated automation in your contact center and communication strategies, you might be missing out. A key component of this automation is automated call routing.

Why might this technology outperform human operators in delivering personalized customer service? Let’s explore how automated routing functions and why it’s essential for your business.

Key Points:

An automated call routing system ensures calls are directed to the right agents in your contact center.
It operates on preset rules to assess, queue, and assign calls effectively.
Today’s contact center technology allows effortless setup and customization of your call routing system.
Implementing automatizations leads to more satisfied customers, reduced call abandonment, and a boost in team productivity.

Understanding Automated Call Routing: What It Is and How It Works

How Does Automated Call Routing Work?

The process of automated call routing involves three key stages:

Call Qualifying First, your system has to determine your callers’ reasons for contacting you. The automated call routing service can do this with an interactive voice response system. With IVR, callers select an option from a menu using either their keypad or a vocal response. Additionally, you can also qualify calls with information from the caller ID, your customer relationship management software, and which business number the person called. For example, a call from a certain area code might indicate a caller is more likely to speak a specific language.
Call Queuing Once the call’s purpose is clear, the system places the caller in a relevant queue. They remain on hold until an agent from the appropriate department is available to take the call.
Call Distributing Automated call routing does more than direct calls to the right department. Using the information gathered in the qualifying phase, the system uses predefined rules to transfer the call to the agent best equipped to handle the caller’s needs.

What Types of ACR Rules Can You Implement?

The rules you establish dictate which agents receive calls, enabling you to deliver superior customer service.

Round-Robin Routing This method distributes calls evenly among your agents. Automated call routing software cycles through a list of agents, assigning each one a caller in sequence before starting the cycle anew.

Uniform Routing Similar to round-robin, uniform routing aims to balance the workload fairly. However, it directs calls to the agent who has been idle the longest or who has the least amount of talk time, helping to prevent team burnout.

Time-Based Routing This approach routes calls to agents in the same or a nearby time zone as the caller. Ideal for businesses serving national or international markets, it ensures that callers interact with agents who are likely awake and available.</p>

Skills-Based Routing Enhance your first-contact resolution rates with skills-based routing. This system routes calls to agents with the specific skills and authority needed to resolve more complex issues, reducing the need to transfer the call multiple times.

VIP or Relationship-Based Routing VIP routing prioritizes certain high-value customers, ensuring they receive prompt attention. Additionally, you can assign dedicated relationship managers to specific customers who merit extra care, optimizing service for those who contribute the most to your profits.

AI-Assisted Predictive Behavior Routing Leverage artificial intelligence to refine how calls are routed. Using machine learning algorithms, your system can predict which agent is best suited for a caller based on live and historical data. This insight also helps in recognizing and rewarding top-performing agents.

What Are the Benefits of Automatization

Automated call routing offers several key advantages for your organization.

Happier Customers Automated call routing helps resolve customer issues faster and enhances overall interactions with agents. This results in shorter wait times and often leads to higher customer satisfaction ratings.

More Productive and Efficient Workforce Automated call routing alleviates common problems like idle agents and overworked team members, which can lead to employee burnout and high turnover rates. By optimizing workflows with this technology, you can foster a more engaged and productive workforce.

Additionally, your contact center software continuously records performance stats and provides an intuitive dashboard for easy analysis. Insights gained from this data help you refine your call routing rules and schedule your team more effectively, boosting overall operational efficiency.

Reduced Call Abandonment Rates Callers who hang up due to long wait times might seek services from your competitors. By enhancing the customer experience with automated call routing, you can decrease the number of abandoned calls, reduce the need for callbacks, and ultimately lower customer churn.

How Can You Quickly Implement Automated Call Routing?

Automated call routing comes packed with features your customers will appreciate. Thankfully, you don’t need to search for new software to integrate into your contact center to enjoy these benefits. Leading cloud contact center solutions already include advanced call routing capabilities.

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