Your customers are now connected. They communicate using mobile devices, on social networks, email, instant messaging; whatever channel they are most comfortable with and is convenient at the time. However, this doesn't mean that they've suddenly stopped making phone calls.
As communications have moved online, businesses have been able to cater to the increasingly demanding connected customer. But the humble on-premise phone system hasn't quite kept pace.
Contact centre managers know this. That's why they're switching to cloud-based systems in droves. But the benefits of a truly cloud-based phone system do not stop at the contact centre. Here are five cloud PBX features that better serve your connected customers, and that your entire business can benefit from.
The concept of unified communications gets talked about a lot, but truthfully it is a structurally difficult thing to achieve with a traditional phone system. By putting your entire infrastructure to the cloud, it is possible to achieve truly unified communications with much greater ease, at lower cost. We know the benefits for employees: presence, IM, easier web meetings. But true UC benefits the customer too – it means that your employees are accessible wherever they are, and however your customers want to reach them.
Hunt groups are one of the first steps towards contact centre level inbound call technology. Set up intelligent groups in your business to ensure calls get distributed to the right people or teams. Then if calls aren't answered within a set limit they can be queued, diverted to voicemail or another team. This introduces an element of personalisation to the customer's experience of communicating with your business.
With your hunt groups set up you can monitor call volumes and wait times in real-time. This allows you to ensure that customers are being served satisfactorily, while giving you insight into how efficiently your teams are operating.
Using a cloud-based phone system, an extension number is more like an email address than a static phone line. Employees can take it with them wherever, if they wish to hot desk from elsewhere in the company it's a simple case of logging in. They can set up dual ringing or 'find me follow me' features allowing them to be contacted anywhere, on a mobile, desk in the office or even home phone.
This means that wherever your employees are, your customers can get hold of them without even needing to be aware of whether they're calling a mobile, landline or VoIP into a computer. Employees can also use a choice of devices to make outbound calls, while the number that appears for customers will still be the same.
For customers calling your company, the answer they get is like walking through your front door or visiting the home page of your website. It is what they first encounter of your business, and as everyone knows, first impressions count.
If you have receptionists answering the phone, then an adaptable attendant console gives them the power to answer and manage multiple calls in real-time using simple drag and drop. Or, with a cloud-based phone system you can adapt your auto attendant system to a personalised response. Adapt messages according to time of day, or play different menus for different types of customer calls. It helps make for a better experience for customers calling your company.
The connected customer is driving the future of business. Communication is moving online, and in order to continue to offer the service customers expect, the phone system must too.
If you want to read up more, you can download "The Truth About Cloud PBX" guide.
One of Microsoft Garage’s many efforts to cross-pollinate with other mobile platforms is Bing Torque, a program originally created for Android Wear watches that attempts to replace the “OK Google” search command with a simple flick of the wrist. It comes complete with voice recognition and the capacity to launch any number of actions, and, naturally, replaces Google with Bing in the process. With today’s smartwatch market still finding its footing, though, the Garage team has now updated the Torque app and made it available to Android smartphone owners.
Torque: Bing Search Assistant for Android
Like its predecessor, the newly improved Torque: Bing Search Assistant — which officially released in December but recently underwent significant improvements — requires you to have a Microsoft account in order to use it. If you don’t already have an account, signing up for one is free and easy.
Once you’ve keyed in your credentials, you’re taken to a setup screen where you can choose from a number of settings. This includes the “shake anytime” option which, as you might guess, launches Torque on your Android whenever you shake your smartphone. The name is a bit misleading, however, since “shake anytime” only works if the phone is unlocked.
But once you’ve accessed Torque, it works well – launching a small widget roughly a quarter the size of your screen that listens to voice commands and is capable of performing a surprising number of tasks. The most basic function is Bing search, which brings the widget up over any app or browser activity you’re currently embroiled in. This makes it possible to seek additional information without having to back out of an app.
From within the Torque search results box, you can tap search results for more information, swipe up and down for more results, or press the “b” button within the widget to speak additional search parameters. Exiting the widget is accomplished by tapping anywhere outside the window.
Search isn’t all Torque is capable of, though — it can also launch any number of applications you have installed on your device. In testing, we were able to successfully access apps through voice commands — i.e., “launch Gasbuddy app,” or “launch camera” – with consistency.
The app can also place calls or send text messages to people on your contacts list. Unfortunately, the functionality isn’t always reciprocal. For example, attempts to speak the command, “Read message from Uncle Bob” were wholly unsuccessful, leading to the conclusion that we may have to wait awhile longer before a truly hands-free application is upon us. Most of Torque’s other functions are what you’d expect, using Bing to provide things like note and email dictation (in Outlook and OneNote), info on nearby businesses, and current sports scores.
Although well equipped for speech to text functionality, the app still encounters a few hiccups if it misunderstands what you’ve spoken. Of course, this is something that even the likes of Siri still struggle with. It’s an imperfect science, to be sure, but one that holds a good deal of promise as the technology continues to come of age and more nuanced speech patterns and accents become recognized.
Settings are limited, but include a few useful tools. Aside from enabling shake functionality, you also get options like enabling voice output, which occasionally (but not always) reads found data back to you. You can also click “use bigger window” to expand the aforementioned smartwatch-sized window to a size slightly smaller than half your screen. Language settings are limited to English and simplified Chinese. You can also toggle search results to read back using the metric system, if you prefer Celsius to Fahrenheit or kilometers to miles.
Torque probably isn’t going to replace standard Google Now for Android users anytime soon, and there still aren’t many compelling reasons to use Bing over Google. But it’s functional enough, and flicking your wrist feels much less awkward than addressing your smartphone as if it was another person. The app is currently available as a free download from Google Play, and requires Android 4.0 and up.
The post Best Android Apps — Torque: Bing Search Assistant appeared first on Brighthand.com.
Latest Update: The Xperia Z4 has now been officially announced for the rest of the world, under the name Sony Xperia Z3+.
It might not seem that long since the Xperia Z3 was released, but with Sony's rapid release schedule for its flagship smartphones we now have Sony Xperia Z4 and Sony Xperia Z3+.
For those in Japan the handset is known as the Xperia Z4, because Sony's huge following means it can get away with a new name for such an incremental upgrade.
It's not trying to pull the wool over the eyes of the rest of us however, with the Japanese firm opting for the more subtle "Sony Xperia Z3+" moniker for the handset's global launch.
While Sony's six-monthly reboots seem rather excessive, it does mean it has a fresh new handset in the Xperia Z4 (and Xperia Z3+) to give the Samsung Galaxy S6, HTC One M9 and LG G4 a run for their money.
The Xperia Z4 will be launching in Japan this summer, while international availability of the Xperia Z3+ is pegged for June 2015.
Now that we've seen the final products, we know the devices aren't too big a departure from previous iterations of the Xperia Z line up - with Sony sticking with its distinctive Omnibalance style.
At just 6.9mm thick, with a 144g glass-and-aluminium body, the Z4 and Z3+ feature the same water-and dust proof features the Xperia Z line up has become famous for in a slimmer body than the Xperia Z3.
The really good news here though is the fact the Xperia Z3+ and Xperia Z4 don't have a cover over the USB port - making them at lot easier to charge.
Both the Xperia Z4 and Xperia Z3+ have a 5.2-inch 1920 x 1080 display, despite early rumors hinting the screen would be 5.5 inches.
Sony hasn't changed anything in terms of the rear facing camera on the Xperia Z4 and Xperia Z3+.
Both handsets continue to use the firm's 20.7MP lens which has been present in Sony's flagship phones as far back as the Xperia Z1.
The front facing camera is actually slightly better, with a 5.1MP resolution and a 25mm focal length for better wide-angle selfies.
One of the main upgrades for the Xperia Z4 and Xperia Z3+ comes under the hood, with the new flagships benefitting from an octa-core Snapdragon 810 processor.
This is backed up by 3GB of RAM, providing a top notch level of power, which should mean Android 5.0 Lollipop runs nice and smoothly.
Slightly disappointingly the Xperia Z4 and Xperia Z3+ pack smaller, 2930mAh and 2900mAh power packs respectively, while the Z3 boasts a 3100mAh battery.
Technically the Snapdragon 810 is a more power efficient chip, and with screen resolution and type staying the same we're hoping the drop in battery size doesn't have too much of a negative effect.
Sony's biggest challenges come from the Samsung Galaxy S6, HTC One M9 and LG G4. Three big name, high spec devices which have a head start on the Xperia Z4 and Z3+.
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Plus the OnePlus 2 - which is due out later this year - could be a tempting alternative, as it's likely to offer similar specs at a lower price.
There's been no information on how much the Xperia Z4 or Xperia Z3+ will cost, however as flagship smartphones (and Sony ones at that) we'd expect them both to ship with a high price tag.
The Xperia Z3 launched at £549 ($630, AU$849) and we'd expect the Z4 and Xperia Z3+ to launch at around the same price.
We spoke to Thorsten Trapp, CTO and co-founder of tyntec, about how the growth in popularity of OTT services has affected the mobile operator space, and what operators can do to survive.
TechRadar Pro: How has the rise in the popularity of OTT services affected operators?
Thorsten Trapp: The most damaging impact is undeniably revenue loss, particularly in the messaging space. In a recent study by Mobilesquared, 80% of MNOs cite this as their most pressing concern. One third (33%) of mobile operators have seen up to a 10% decline in revenue, up from 21% of mobile operators in 2013.
This rise in popularity of OTT services is driving down ARPU and consequently, operators are starting to rethink their business models and reinsert traditional telecom services into the communications equation.
TRP: How have operators reacted to this? Will they ever be able to compete with OTTs?
TT: The initial reaction was defensive with many MNOs both blocking OTT services and launching their own competitive "OTT-like" services such as Telefonica's free-to-download TU Go app. This approach has limitations, however, as it is isolated to existing subscribers reducing usage potential for customers and doing little to connect the operator with new customers.
The Joyn initiative was another defensive play. It was originally proposed as a collective initiative for legacy organisations to combat OTT services but its delayed time-to-market and integration complexities caused operators to lose interest.
Now, operators are starting to realise that partnering with OTT players is the most beneficial way forward. This approach offers advantages to both parties and provides an opportunity for combined future growth.
TRP: What are the benefits for operators in partnering with OTTs?
TT: According to Mobilesquared, OTT communication will be worth $43 billion (around £28 billion, AU$54 billion) by 2018 as long as partnerships are formed. This is down to:
To truly take advantage of these benefits, enlisting the help of third parties who understand both business models can make the partnering process much more streamlined for all involved.
TRP: It appears that these partnerships may be an operator's only survival strategy – are there any benefits for OTT players?
TT: OTTs can start to build a truly global user base by integrating traditional telco services. Using SMS-backup connection for their IP-based services in new markets where there's no sufficient internet connectivity is one such example.
Beyond this, depending on which business model OTTs have (ecommerce, marketplace, social network, etc.) virtual mobile numbers can also provide new opportunities to engage their users through seamless two-way communication and/or provide added protection for private transactions and interactions when used as temporary numbers.
TRP: How can operators form these partnerships? Are there any successful examples?
TT: MNO-OTT partnerships are still in their infancy. The first step is for operators to examine their core competencies as well as their limitations and work out which opportunities make the most business sense for them. Mobile operators can use OTT brands to drive data usage by including these services as part of their standard data bundle. Alternatively, they can monetise the partnership via advertising and marketing, selling content or charging for a monthly subscription.
For example, WhatsApp announced a partnership deal with German MVNO E-Plus, offering a special data tariff for WhatsApp messages, videos and pictures to subscribers. This is a limited example of what one carrier has done to offer OTT services but it gives us a glimpse of what OTT-MNO partnerships could look like in the future.
TRP: Why are some operators still struggling to form partnerships?
TT: This is still uncertain ground. In the recent survey, 64% of mobile operators said that business reasons were the primary motive for not forging a partnership with an OTT provider, followed by infrastructure complexities (26%) and regulatory issues (23%). Many also expressed concerns about the contract itself with almost a third of MNOs unsure what such an agreement would look like.
Third parties who understand the business models of both MNOs and OTTs and have already invested time in forming and implementing these agreements are often well placed to help address these concerns. OTTs need global access, and that's not something MNOs can easily provide given the international fragmentation of the telecom industry.
For many operators it would make better business sense to work with overlaying international network providers rather than to enter into separate agreements with a myriad of partners.
TRP: Is the next step a pure data offering? What would this mean for carriers?
TT: For the foreseeable future, there will be opportunities for operators to monetise the use of messaging and voice as well as data services.
Mobile phone numbers still remain one of the most valuable assets that an operator owns and can be used as unique identifiers to enable much needed seamless communication between telco and web.
In addition, the increased use of SMS-based two-factor authentication provides operators with another revenue stream, as a growing number of enterprises use the technology to verify customer data and keep information secure.
The real challenge for operators is to become agile enough to exploit the emerging opportunities becoming available to them.
TRP: Do you foresee any change in attitudes in the near future?
TT: We are already beginning to see operator attitudes towards OTTs change, as last year we saw over half of operators expecting to have formed a partnership with an OTT partner by the close of the year, compared to only 36% in 2013.
Pace is crucial, however. OTTs have displayed an innate ability to rapidly innovate and to date, operators have not been able to match this. Only by embracing innovation can MNOs carve out a new role in the modern telecommunications ecosystem.
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The upcoming Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge is set to stand out from the crowd with a screen that curves around not one, like the Galaxy Note Edge, but two sides.
However before you go dreaming up all the ways in which this dual-edged screen could benefit you, it's been reported by BusinessKorea.co.kr that these edges might not be all that useful after all.
As we've seen with the recently leaked images of the Galaxy S6 Edge, the side screens aren't as sloped or as long as the one found on the Galaxy Note Edge.
According to the Korean website, "the size of the [Galaxy S6 Edge] is smaller than the Galaxy Note Edge. So, it was presumably difficult to enlarge its dual-edge screen. I think that there will be no message alarm or information storage functions owing the narrowed screen."
Where the Galaxy Note Edge displayed notifications, controls, app shortcuts and more along its side screen, it looks like the side screens of the Galaxy S6 Edge will be reduced in functionality, mainly in part due to their smaller sizes.
If true then this will be a disappointment. Hopefully we'll get a better idea of what the curved screen will be used for if Samsung shows off the Galaxy S6 Edge alongside the Galaxy S6 at its event on March 1.
The hype surrounding the soon-to-be-announced HTC One M9 is reaching fever pitch and even Qualcomm has got in on the act by teasing – and then confirming – that HTC's upcoming flagship will feature its newly released system on a chip, the Snapdragon 810.
This is excellent news as the Snapdragon 810 brings a host of new top of the range features including an octa-core processor, improved Wi-Fi and LTE connectivity, and better 4K support.
When we benchmarked the Snapdragon 810 we saw huge performance improvements compared to previous versions such as the Snapdragon 801, which the HTC One M8 runs on, so the HTC One M9 should be markedly more powerful than its predecessor.
In a bid to get in on the excitement for the HTC One M9, which will be revealed on March 1, Qualcomm posted a Vine video on Twitter with a clock that prominently shows 8:10.
The video also displays the time as 10:08, which HTC uses in all of its press renders for its devices.
If that wasn't clear enough, Qualcomm also tweeted "It's almost time for a new #Snapdragon 810 powered smartphone. #MWC15"
In only a few days we'll see the Snapdragon 810-toting HTC One M9 in all its glory – a great way to kick off MWC 2015.
The Samsung Galaxy S6 is just days away, but the cat may be entirely out of the bag when it comes to the design.
A handful of images supposedly showing the handset have been uploaded to XDA by two separate posters going by reefur and graaler, giving us a good view of what appears to be the real deal.
The Galaxy S6 is pictured from the front and back with the screen both on and off, and it doesn't look a million miles from the Samsung Galaxy S5, with a similar overall appearance, albeit with slimmer bezels.
The main difference though will come in the build materials, which according to the accompanying information includes a metal frame and a glass back, much like Sony used for the Xperia Z3.
While the fact that the phone seemingly isn't full metal may disappoint some it should at least be well built, with one of the leakers claiming it "feels solid as heck."
One of the leakers also claims that there's no microSD card slot and that as previously rumoured the battery isn't removable. Those two things are a bit of a surprise, since they're two features that many people liked about Samsung phones.
We're also told that it runs Android 5.0.2 and has a new fingerprint scanner, which can read your fingerprint with a tap rather than a swipe. This is another thing that we'd heard whispers of and would certainly be good news, since Samsung's current fingerprint tech is way behind Apple's.
Alongside the Samsung Galaxy S6 the photos also include a couple of glimpses of the Samsung Galaxy S Edge, which seems to have two curved sides rather than just one, - but otherwise looks a lot like Samsung's flagship.
As with any leak, especially from unproven sources, you should take this with a healthy helping of salt, but the images don't look photoshopped, so there's a good chance Samsung's reveal won't hold too many surprises.
We'll know for sure on March 1.
LG has decided that smartwatches weren't hard enough to understand, so has launched the Watch Urbane LTE… without Android Wear.
Instead, it'll run on LG's own 'Wearable Platform', which is likely to be a mutant version of the WebOS system it purchased from HP. It's also going hard on the improved design front again, like the LG watch Urbane released a few days ago, trying to fool your friends into thinking it's a real life watch.
The screen is similar in size to LG's Android Wear range, with a 1.3-inch OLED screen plus a 320x320 resolution, which gives a 245ppi sharpness.
The big change comes with the ability to make and receive calls on your wrist, as well as get 4G data to the device without a phone tethered.
There's a heart rate monitor on the back, and it's IP67 rated for workouts in the wet… although sadly there's no GPS involved so it still can't work properly when out running.
The battery expansion is interesting, as compared to the 410mAh power pack on the LG G Watch R, the Urbane is coming with a 700mAh unit, and combined with its proprietary platform could result in multiple days of battery life compared to the short term time away from the charger today.
Getting into the specs and, well, it's very similar to Android Wear, with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 1.2GHz CPU, 1GB of RAM, 4GB of internal memory and Bluetooth 4.0 and NFC.
LG is talking heavily about the fact you'll be able to use the watch for mobile payments thanks to the beepy NFC tech, as well as Push To Talk allowing you to use the watch as a walkie talkie. The sad thing is both will have to be enabled in your region, whether your network carrier or bank, so it probably won't work out of the box.
We've still not got news on when the LG Watch Urbane LTE will be released – or if it will be available outside of South Korea – but it certainly won't be cheap when it does step blinking into the light.
The Mobile World Conference (MWC) will kick off in Barcelona next week and unsurprisingly, the biggest 'mobile' tradeshow in the world will coincide with the launch of a number of new phones.
Aussies will be able to get their hands on the first Microsoft branded smartphones in early March.
The Lumia 435 and 532 are entry level smartphones that will have the latest Windows 8.1 operating system, with the Lumia Denim update. The 435 and 532 will have a dual/quad core Qualcomm Snapdragon 1.2GHz processors and cost $129 and $149 respectively.
These phones will also be the first Lumias to have dual-sim variants available from the major retailers.
If you're after a bit more power and a big screen the latest in the HTC Desire line will hit Optus stores on the 2nd of March.
The 5.5" HTC Desire 820 received a decent review late last year, featuring Qualcomm's first 64-bit octa-core processor and impressive 13MP rear and 8MP front cameras.
With a display the size of the iPhone 6 Plus the Desire 820 is more affordable than the large top tier smartphones at $499. It is a good price considering the power but there is some sacrifice on screen quality.
A few days later, on March 5th, Samsung will release their slimmest phones to date – The Galaxy A5 and Galaxy A3 measure just 6.7 and 6.9mm thick respectively.
Samsung had design and affordability in mind with the A5 and A3 models. Both have all metal unibody exteriors, 1.2GHz quad-core processors and will cost $599 or $449 apiece.
Motorola have said that they plan to release the new iteration of their entry level phone the Moto E in the coming months. Though the company is yet to outline the exact release date and price, the Moto E (gen 2) will have the latest Android Lollipop software and 4G connection speeds -- impressive for an entry level smartphone.
The last Moto E had a RRP of $179 and though the new model has upgraded to a 1.2GHz quad core processor with 1GB of RAM, it should be only fractionally more expensive.
If you are looking to pick up a entry level smartphone or value for money Android you will have a few more options in the coming weeks, as these phones start rolling out.
