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A primary focus in the contact center industry just a few short years ago was moving communications to multi-channel environment, where customers could send an e-mail, engage in live chat or even send a text message to get their desired result both quickly and efficiently.

However, now that multi-channel environments are a pervasive element in customer service, today, customer relationships continue to grow and evolve, which has given way to even more innovative approaches for customer to contact center interaction. For example, many embrace the deployment of conferencing, mobile applications, Web conferencing, social media engagement and more. For a number of call centers, a 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 even 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 industry leader 8x8 (News - Alert) addressed its 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,” explained 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, which complicated communications even further. Plus, basic maintenance each day took at least an hour, with more required when repairs or updates had to be completed.

Bottom line: The wasted time, 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 of its telephone and conferencing services to one provider platform, OTI estimates a monthly savings of $500 to $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, the company 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, where 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.”

Today, OTI is enjoying the time savings, streamlined communications and the convenience of mobile features. Plus, the fact that 8x8 is hosting the solution and taking the burden of maintenance away from Berkovitz is the standout feature, making his job much more enjoyable.

To learn more about all of 8x8’s contact center offerings, visit www.8x8.com.

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