Just a few years ago, the focus of the contact center industry was to move the call center to a multichannel environment in order for all customers to have options. Today, the customer service environment continues to evolve, embracing the deployment of conferencing, mobile applications, Web conferencing, social media engagement and much more. For a number of call centers, the premise-based PBX (News - Alert) cannot handle the migration to new platforms and internal IT may not want the responsibility of implementing a new system that requires more attention.

The alternative is found in a business VoIP solution that can meet the specific requirements of the organization without significant capital investments. For OTI America, such a solution presented by 8x8 (News - Alert) addressed the organization’s growing communications needs while also providing a phone system that required very little internal attention.

A recent 8x8 case study explored the events that led to the implementation of the contact center software provider’s solution for the contactless smart card solutions company. OTI is focused on payments, homeland security, electronic passports, petroleum payments, national IDs and other applications.

“Our previous system was behind the times and expensive,” said Allan Berkovitz, director of technical support for OTI. “And since it didn’t offer conference bridges or web conferencing, we had to obtain those services from other providers at additional cost.”

Berkovitz’s memories of OTI’s premise-based PBX fall short of fond as it failed to support key business features, including audio conference bridges and Web conferencing. The platform also failed to integrate with Gmail or Outlook contacts, complicating communications. Plus, basic maintenance each day took an hour at least, with more required when repairs or updates had to be completed. The wasted time and resources and lack of communication channels for an evolving client base demanded a change. 

In partnering with 8x8 for its call center solutions, OTI replaced its premise-based phone system with the Virtual Office Pro, eliminating multiple communications services. By migrating all telephone and conferencing services onto one provider platform, OTI estimates a monthly savings of $500 - $600. The company now also enjoys the added features afforded by the platform, including Web conferencing, 15 extensions, Internet faxing, mobility features, conference bridges, auto attendants, call recording and more.

At the same time, OTI was provided with a solution that would meet its needs for business continuity. The promised benefits were put to the test when OTI’s Iselin, New Jersey office was without power for a week when Hurricane Sandy hit the East Coast in 2012. 8x8 services were easily accessed by employees using cell phones and laptops from homes and hotel rooms. In the wake of disaster, OTI was able to continue key initiatives and meet client expectations.

“8x8 is the easiest of all the business phone systems I’ve had to deal with,” added Berkovitz. “Installation was just a matter of activating the phones and configuring our firewall. 8x8 also has a great interface that’s very user-friendly.”

Want to learn more about the latest in communications and technology? Then be sure to attend ITEXPO Miami 2013, Jan 29- Feb. 1 in Miami, Florida.  Stay in touch with everything happening at ITEXPO (News - Alert). Follow us on Twitter.