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TouchStar Acquires FacetCorp, Gains Feature-Rich, Cost-Effective IP-PBX System

TouchStar Acquires FacetCorp, Gains Feature-Rich, Cost-Effective IP-PBX System

October 10, 2008
By Michael Dinan, TMCnet Editor

Acquiring a cost-saving product at a critical time for many organizations, a Denver-based provider of call center software today announced that it’s purchased another company and gained access to its software-based business VoIP phone system.

 
Officials at TouchStar say their acquisition of FacetCorp’s IP-PBX (News - Alert) system – which includes features such as unified communications, an optional call center module and is both VoIP and analog-compatible – will save businesses money by reducing purchase, upgrade and maintenance costs.
 
The Linux OS-based system also is expected to reduce businesses’ long-distance and travel costs, TouchStar (News - Alert) officials say.
 
TMCnet today had an opportunity to interview Brian Smits, the global director of marketing for TouchStar, a company that serves more than 2,500 businesses on six continents.
 
The company’s offerings include not only call center software and traditional and VoIP telecom systems, but also predictive dialers, automated voice messaging, advanced ACD and IVR and compliance management.
 
We talked to Smits about the company’s acquisition and how its expanded portfolio may serve businesses reeling in these turbulent economic times. As you’ll see, Smits leaves us with a cliffhanger about a strategic plan that TouchStar is preparing to unveil next year.
 
Our exchange follows.
 
TMCnet: How important is the cost-savings aspect of the FacetCorp (News - Alert) business phone system that TouchStar has acquired, particularly given today’s economic climate?
 
Brian Smits: Businesses are looking for every way possible to reduce costs and increase revenue. TouchStar has provided communications solutions for 10 years that increase business productivity and reduce costs. We’re well known for our world class Predictive Dialer that increases outbound productivity by 400 percent. However, TouchStar has grown to be much more than a dialer over the last five years. TouchStar’s call center system is a fully blended inbound and outbound call center with on site or hosted options to match any business budget. TouchStar is able to offer a significantly lower cost than the traditional telephony providers.
 
The Facet IP-PBX, “Facet Phone,” is as cost-effective as any solution out there, even Asterisk. It is not an Asterisk-based system. Facet Phone runs on a Linux operating system on a Dell server. It includes Microsoft (News - Alert) Outlook click to call and we can integrate with any CRM as well as the TouchStar call center system. We chose Facet Phone over an Asterisk solution for our IP-PBX of the future because we were very happy with the responses we received from Facet customers regarding the reliability and functionality of Facet Phone. So, the bottom line is that Facet Phone is a critical cost saving tool for businesses because of its ability to reduce technology costs, increase productivity, and enable remote workers to reduce facilities and travel costs.
 
TMCnet: One part of those cost-savings appears to be calling long-distance with VoIP, yet some would say that businesses have been relatively slow to embrace IP telephony. How will today’s financial situation change that hesitation, if at all?
 
BS: Let’s be frank, businesses must become more cost efficient to survive this economy. In addition to VoIP as a means to reduce long distance costs and intra-office communications costs, there are many ways that TouchStar can help immediately reduce costs and drive sales.
 
Enabling remote workers is one way businesses can reduce operating costs through Facet Phone. I just spoke with a well respected industry analyst that said their business closed every office with less than 20 employees and sent their employees home to work on an IP-PBX. With an IP-PBX, support and maintenance costs are reduced by only having one data network for voice and data to maintain. Annual support contracts from TouchStar are lower cost than the traditional telephony providers. Facet Phone can also eliminate costs related to having multiple vendors for things like conferencing and recording. Facet Phone’s integration to TouchStar predictive dialing can immediately increase sales. TouchStar automated messaging can also help increase services revenue by sending messages like appointment confirmations and suggested maintenance notifications.
 
TMCnet: TouchStar CEO Rick Morris mentions that demand for the company’s IP-PBX product increased last year. Can you quantify that increase for us?
 
BS: TouchStar had just entered the IP-PBX market in 2007 so it didn’t take much for us to dramatically increase sales in 2008. We found an opportunity to add a great team of experienced business phone system experts in Dallas to provide the sales, development, and support services we needed just to keep up with demand from our account base of 2,500 call centers and businesses around the world that are looking to reduce costs with an IP-PBX for their non call center departments.
 
TMCnet: What distinguishes this phone system from other offerings?
 
BS: Facet Phone is the sensible solution for businesses that want to reduce costs immediately. Operating on Linux and a Dell (News - Alert) server, it is reliable and offers all the functionality that a business really needs. It integrates with Microsoft Outlook and CRMs to enable click to call productivity. It integrates with TouchStar’s predictive dialer and automated messenger to drive sales. Our business model is what dramatically distinguishes TouchStar in this economy. TouchStar offers “rent to own” financing, hosted solutions, and fair prices for purchasing, support, and upgrades. Bottom line, TouchStar is able to reduce operating costs for businesses faster than our competitors.
 
TMCnet: What is new in TouchStar’s value proposition after acquiring FacetCorp and its flagship product?
 
BS: Facet Phone greatly expands TouchStar’s potential market. I can not yet reveal what our 2009 strategic plan is but I can tell you that Facet Phone is an important part of it. The market will greatly benefit from what TouchStar is going to announce in 2009.
 
Don’t forget to check out TMCnet’s White Paper Library, which provides a selection of in-depth information on relevant topics affecting the IP Communications industry. The library offers white papers, case studies and other documents which are free to registered users. Today’s featured white paper is The Compelling ROI Benefits of Contact Center Quality and Performance Management Technologies, brought to you by Voice Print International.

Michael Dinan is a contributing editor for TMCnet, covering news in the IP communications, call center and customer relationship management industries. To read more of Michael�s articles, please visit his columnist page.

Edited by Michael Dinan



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