Call recording used to be a pretty straightforward process, particularly in the call center. Companies either chose to record all calls – which were, of course, conducted via POTS (plain-old telephone system) – or they recorded selectively, with the agent or manager manually turning on the recording solutions. Fast-forward a few decades, and with the rise of voice over IP (VoIP) and unified communications (UC), enterprise call recording became a much trickier prospect.

Luckily, a number of companies that specialize in VoIP and UC have chosen to solve the call recording problem, integrating recording functionality designed to operate in more complex environments right into their solutions. The latest is Lod, Israel-based AudioCodes, a provider of VoIP technologies, has announced that it has added an IP-based call recording solution to the company’s Microsoft (News - Alert) Unified Communication product portfolio.

The solution, called SmartTAP for Microsoft Unified Communications (UC), is a secure call recording solution designed to enable the recording of key business interactions within the Microsoft UC environment, including Microsoft Lync and Office Communications Server R2. SmartTAP, an established product with a years-long reputation for reliability and usability, can be easily configured by users via an intuitive, Web-based interface. This helps simplify system deployment and reduce the need for support, according to AudioCodes (News - Alert). SmartTAP is compatible with VoIP, TDM and hybrid telephony environments.

SmartTAP enables recording of calls for compliance, liability, quality assurance, security and sales verification. The system allows users to select who to record, and when to record. SmartTAP is easily configured to record calls by individual users or by specific device, says AudioCodes. Using XML, SmartTAP can be configured to start and stop recording based on the customer’s specific requirements.

“As more Enterprises adopt Microsoft Lync as their unified communications platform, the need to record critical voice conversations is increasing rapidly,” said Nimrod Borovsky, VP of Marketing at AudioCodes. “We are pleased to now offer a call recording solution as part of our overall Microsoft Unified Communications strategy.”

“As the providers of the prairieFyre Contact Center for Microsoft Lync, we have found the SmartTap solution compelling for our Lync-based contact center solutions,” said Chris Courneya, CEO of prairieFyre Software. “SmartTap records calls without consuming valuable resources, such as conferencing services. Instead, it deploys a certified plug-in on the Lync server that decrypts SRTP [secure real-time transport protocol] signaling, thereby preserving data integrity, conversation quality and ACD performance.”

Within the SmartTAP environment, voice conversations are recorded in Microsoft’s native RTA codec, and require no additional PBX (News - Alert) (private branch exchange) setup or configuration. Because of the solution's security features and ability to preserve the integrity of a recording, SmartTAP is designed to work well for companies in the financial services sector, as well as other highly regulated industries. In addition to compliance recording, SmartTAP is a complete call recording solution for mitigating liability, customer disputes, and quality assurance.

SmartTAP can be installed on stand-alone servers, or alternatively integrated into the AudioCodes Mediant 1000 platform, that is also qualified as a Microsoft Enhanced Gateway (News - Alert) and Survivable Branch Appliance. SmartTAP supports up to 300 concurrent calls on a single server, and compliments the existing line of AudioCodes products for the Microsoft Lync environment, which include support for Lync connectivity into existing TDM PBXs, IP-PBXs, PSTN networks, SIP Trunks, existing IP phones, smartphones and more, says AudioCodes.

Want to learn more about the latest in communications and technology? Then be sure to attend ITEXPO West 2011, taking place Sept. 13-15, 2011, in Austin, Texas. ITEXPO (News - Alert) offers an educational program to help corporate decision makers select the right IP-based voice, video, fax and unified communications solutions to improve their operations. It's also where service providers learn how to profitably roll out the services their subscribers are clamoring for – and where resellers can learn about new growth opportunities. To register, click here.