Picking the Right Call Recording Solution in a Mobile Environment
November 17, 2014
By Susan J. Campbell
TMCnet Contributing Editor
Keeping track of the details in business helps you keep tabs on expenses, project revenue and operate efficiently. In some departments, that means leveraging call accounting to ensure the costs associated with communications are rightly allocated. Beyond this capability, firms are also implementing call recording as a means to demonstrate compliance, improve training and gather a little business intelligence.
Now that the mobile phone is playing a larger role in the operation of the business and the supported communications, mobile call recording is gaining more attention. This presents a challenge to those who are charged with making a purchase decision on the right solution. With the evolution of the supported technology, how do you select the right option to promote your business initiatives?
Finextra recently posted a blog with insight on five common questions asked in the buying process. In examining their list, we gain access to five points to consider when shopping for your call recording solution. The first is to consider whether or not you want the mobile call recording solution to integrate with your existing voice recording infrastructure. There are a few benefits to having one system to manage instead of two. If you want an integrated system, that will narrow your options.
Next, consider whether or not you want all voice recordings located in one centralized area. This is an important question to answer if you’re planning to have several call recording solutions in place. You’re going to need the data from each for call accounting purposes, so the natural next step is to decide whether the recordings should be housed together. If users will access recordings from multiple platforms, a single destination may be ideal.
How will you deploy the call recording solution? Do you want to pay a hosting provider or do you want to store the information in-house? If you have to keep call recordings for multiple years, does it make sense to store it offsite or should you implement your own server to keep the information at the ready? The long-term costs may prove that going with a hosted provider isn’t the most efficient, so don’t be afraid to cost it out against your retention policy.
The quality of the experience should also be considered as you’re getting ready to make a purchase decision. If your users will be roaming when they need to access the platform, will that cause problems with the quality of the recording? Talk to current users and ask the bidding vendor to provide trial handsets to test the platform.
Finally, you have to consider how the solution fits into your call accounting and mobile device management plans. If a vendor’s solution fits all other areas, but makes it harder to manage device usage, you won’t get enough benefit to offset the loss. Security measures must be robust and remote management must be supported.
Overall, call recording can lend considerable value to the organization. The key is to find the solution that supports your current communications strategy for optimal outcomes.
Edited by Stefania Viscusi