Voice and Data Solution Manufacturer Helps Customers Increase Revenue, Productivity

Situation

Founded in 2004 as a wholly owned subsidiary of Interactive Intelligence, Vonexus Inc. develops Internet Protocol (IP) telephony—also referred to as Voice over IP (VoIP)—solutions to integrate with Microsoft® software. The Indianapolis-based company has 30 employees and counts healthcare agencies and law firms among its customer organizations. The typical Vonexus customer is generally a business with 25 to 250 employees that is already using the Microsoft Windows® operating system or is planning to migrate to it.

Interactive Solutions International (ISI) is a partner of both Vonexus and Microsoft. The company develops custom software applications that integrate the Vonexus system with Microsoft software. ISI also acts as a reseller of Vonexus products and has successfully implementedmore than 120 solutions. It has 25 employees and is located in the Springdale suburb of Cincinnati, Ohio.

Access Technologies is a full-service technology consulting firm that provides Microsoft business management solutions to midmarket organizations throughout the United States. Founded in 1989, the company has 20 employees and is located in Naperville, Illinois.

Access Technologies had been using a private branch exchange (PBX) telephone system that switched calls between its users on local lines while still allowing all users to share some external phone lines. The solution was supposed to keep the company from having to pay for a phone line for each employee. However, half of Access Technologies employees work in the field or remotely, and the company needed a solution that was cost-effective. The company looked to Vonexus and ISI for a solution that would more effectively support the use of mobile communications for collaboration, conferencing, and messaging.

Solution

Vonexus, a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner, is in the business of streamlining and integrating its customers’ business management and communication applications. It knew that it could help Access Technologies as well as other companies with similar situations. Vonexus offers its customers an IP telephony solution— Enterprise Interaction Center (EIC)—which integrates with Microsoft software including Microsoft CRM, Microsoft Business Solutions–Great Plains®, both now part of Microsoft Dynamics™and the Microsoft Office Outlook® 2003 messaging and collaboration client.

Typically, small and medium-size businesses do not have the resources to buy a VoIP system. However, a company can purchase EIC for a more affordable price because traditional, and sometimes costly, telephony hardware is not necessary. Instead, the customers need a license for the Intel Host Media Processing software, which replaces the telephony board hardware that would normally be in a server. It does this by making use of the host machine processor—the machine sending or receiving the message. Because the software imitates a chip that would be on the telephony board, the board hardware is not required. As a result, EIC is less expensive than traditional IP telephony solutions.

With EIC and its integration with Outlook 2003, an employee can manage all of his or her contacts from the main interface. When a voice activity occurs—either inbound or outbound—the solution automatically populates the information from that call in a window called the Vonexus Interaction Client.

For example, an employee at a company with EIC is able to make a phone call from his or her computer without the use of a phone. When the person makes or accepts the call, the solution presents information about that contact on the screen in front of the employee. The employee does not have to open an additional window or go searching for the contact information; instead, it is available automatically.

The solution also records all of the information about the call, including the date, time, who was involved, and the length of the call. Additionally, the employee can enter notes about the call—such as what was discussed and what the next step will be—right where all of the other information is stored.

EIC is also available for remote users to keep in contact with business opportunities while traveling or working from home. With EIC, remote workers can access all of their information just as they would if they were at their desks, regardless of location.

Benefits

Access Technologies implemented EIC in January 2004. Since then, the company has had complete VoIP integration with its Microsoft Windows operating system. It has been able to increase its productivity by 60 percent, improve its mobile access for remote workers, and has significantly increased its communication quality. As a result, Access Technologies has improved its relationships with its customers. “My whole job is technology, and even I get extremely excited about EIC, its integration with Microsoft software, and what it can do,” says Robert L. Potthoff II, Director of IT Services for Access Technologies.

Increases Productivity by 60 percent

EIC has several different forwarding options for when someone is away from his or her desk. That employee can select the “follow me” option, and all phone calls made to the employee’s phone number will be forwarded to a number he or she designates. With that option, the employee can choose to have all callers announced, and therefore, can decide whether the phone call needs to be answered immediately or if it can wait.

In addition, callers can decide if they want their calls to be forwarded, or they can choose to leave a voicemail. “EIC has basically helped us become more productive than we were with the old phone system,” explains Potthoff. “We live and die by the phone, so we have seen a 60 percent increase in productivity due to what the system now does for us automatically.” Because caller information is automatically populated when an incoming or outgoing call is initiated, employees also save time by not having to look in several places.

EIC is built on the Microsoft Windows operating system, and, therefore, it integrates completely with Microsoft software. “It isn’t a proprietary system that is cumbersome to work with; it appears to be a part of the regular Microsoft network,” says Terry Grabowski, Solutions Consultant for Access Technologies. “That in itself is a huge strategic advantage.”

Improves Mobility for Remote Workers

Consultants at Access Technologies spend 70 to 80 percent of their time traveling. Their job is one of the most important at the company as far as clients are concerned. “We are the client’s virtual IT department,” states Potthoff. “It is imperative that we are available by phone at all times. Because of that, consultants use the forward function on their phones all the time because we are rarely at our desks.”

EIC keeps remote workers connected with the rest of the office. “The features make it so there is just one single phone number at which anybody can reach them,” says Grabowski. “It’s simple because there is only one point of contact.”

Strengthens Customer Relationships

Despite the fact that half of the employees are constantly in the field, EIC keeps them connected with their customers. As a result, the relationship between Access Technologies and its customers has improved. “We are responsible for the maintenance of a lot of our clients’ networks, so if the network goes down, our clients have to be able to get a hold of us,” explains Potthoff.

“Because we have such a high level of response with EIC, our customers are now more confident in what we can do for them,” says Potthoff. “With the follow-me function, calls are forwarded to the employee’s phone number of choice. We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for our customers.”

Enhances Communications Quality

With EIC, Access Technologies employees have more effective phone conversations and conference calls than they ever had with the previous solution. “VoIP is extremely clear, and we can have more people in on the conference calls than we were previously able to have,” says Potthoff. “I could never hear a word anyone said on the old phone system, and now I can hear everybody clearly.”

Simplifies Data Access

With EIC, voice mail and faxes reside on the server. Access Technologies employees can listen to their voicemail or retrieve their faxes from their computers. They also can transfer voicemail messages from one e-mail inbox to another, which is frequently done at the company. “Previously someone would call the phones at our desks,” says Potthoff. “If we were away, the person calling would leave a message, and then we would get a call on our forwarding number telling us we had a voicemail that we had to call in to retrieve. Now, the voicemail is in our inboxes. Overall, EIC just helps us do our jobs better.”

Microsoft Dynamics

Microsoft Dynamics is a line of integrated, adaptable business management solutions that enables you and your people to make business decisions with greater confidence. Microsoft Dynamics works like familiar Microsoft software such as Microsoft Office, which means less of a learning curve for your people, so they can get up and running quickly and focus on what’s most important. And because it is from Microsoft, it easily works with the systems your company already has implemented. By automating and streamlining financial, customer relationship

and supply chain processes, Microsoft Dynamics brings together people, processes and technologies, increasing the productivity and effectiveness of your business, and helping you drive business success.

For more information about Microsoft Dynamics, go to: