April 1999

Selling To Government Markets

BY KIMBERLY FOLEY

In the early '90s, MultiLink identified a growing need to supply multi-point teleconferencing technology not only to service bureaus, but to Fortune 500 companies, government agencies, and educational institutions as well. After conducting extensive research, MultiLink identified government agencies as one of the largest potential growth opportunities for it to pursue, since many government agencies rely on some form of teleconferencing as their main means of communication. In many government agencies, teleconferencing is a way to drastically limit travel expenses, to maintain consistent and clear lines of communication, and to provide a tool for assisting in crisis management. To meet this demand, MultiLink began selling into all sectors of the government with great success.

When selling to the government, MultiLink first identifies the need for an in-house audio-conferencing solution. Whether it is for linking offices with field personnel, conducting press conferences, developing emergency procedures, or holding public forums, government agencies need a reliable and cost-effective system. MultiLink also identified several key factors to promote the benefits of government bringing audio conferencing in-house: total control, complete security, and cost savings.

TOTAL CONTROL
Audio-conferencing technology is utilized daily, in all government sectors, through third-party providers. However, many times when setting up conference calls, the number of participants or the duration of the call is unknown, so to be safe a user might overbook the number of lines and extend the window of time for the call to take place. This safety net increases costs when scheduling and conducting the conference call through a service bureau, and charges often accrue for each line and minute scheduled. If audio-conferencing services were in-house, government users could expand the parameters of the call without the large expense.

COMPLETE SECURITY
When highly confidential information is disclosed in conference calls, it is important to have complete call security. Third-party vendors require an operator to facilitate and monitor each call, compromising such critical requirements. An in-house system reduces the risk of security breaches and gives the facilitator greater control of the call.

COST SAVINGS
Government organizations that invest in MultiLink's solution notice significant cost savings and increased efficiency almost immediately. Perhaps the best way to demonstrate this is through example: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) relies on audio conferencing for communication between its headquarters and employees in the field. However, the EPA became increasingly frustrated with the combination of high prices and scheduling difficulties from its service provider. On many occasions, managers waited days before being able to schedule non-critical conference calls, and they experienced noise and volume fluctuations due to the outdated systems the service provider used.

After exploring their options, the EPA purchased and installed an audio conferencing system from MultiLink and set up a teleconferencing center dedicated to scheduling calls and providing technical assistance. Installation of the new equipment eliminated service bureau charges and provided improved service at a fraction of the cost of an external service provider.

OTHER CONSIDERATIONS
There are other elements that must be taken into consideration when selling to the government. These include:

Evaluation: MultiLink evaluates the existing telecommunications infrastructure and determines what hardware is required to implement our audio conferencing solution. We also develop a payback model, which shows estimated payback time for an agency engaged in moderate to heavy teleconferencing activity.

Demonstration: Government needs vary - from securing conferences to ensure that intruders cannot access the call, to obtaining record/playback features for legal purposes and re-broadcasting. MultiLink's audio conferencing features fit the needs of government agencies perfectly, and demonstrations of MultiLink's System 70 highlight the appropriate tools for government agencies to conduct the most productive and successful multi-point meetings possible.

Procedure: Finally, the government sales approval is not an overnight process - sometimes it can take three to six months. As a solution provider attuned to government agency needs, MultiLink can immediately assess and implement a solution once the funding is approved.

Kimberly Foley is the marketing communications manager for MultiLink, Inc. MultiLink's unique teleconferencing architecture adheres to industry standards and has a flexible software based-design to accommodate future teleconferencing requirements. For more information, please visit their Web site at www.multilink.com.

BY W. THOMAS KRUSSMAN

Most people involved in the federal government procurement process need to know that CTI is not just an add-on feature for a communications system. CTI should be application-driven. For each procurement, the federal government should have a firm understanding of CTI's capabilities before developing the specific application that best meets its needs. This results in a procurement for the desired application, not for a communications system, which should actually speed up the procurement cycle by ensuring that the CTI application is not hindered by a full-scale telecommunications upgrade.

With the government, CTI is often viewed as a small part of a large voice communications system - usually a PBX. Voice and information systems organizations are more aware of CTI and what it can do, but often, the organization that would benefit the most from CTI is unaware of it.

Generally speaking, the federal government is quite advanced technologically in comparison to the business world. In the case of CTI, the primary challenge we're seeing is in the procurement process. The procurement dollars tend to be in the hands of traditional voice communications or information systems departments, and CTI requirements are often fed through these departments because of the implied impact on their hardware and software systems. This kind of centralization and standardization can stifle the internal development of application-specific systems like CTI, and may be a factor in the outsourcing trend. While government has many options for purchasing hardware and software, they are becoming more likely to outsource a turnkey solution for call center applications, including people and programming.

However, federal government procurement processes have been overhauled over the last few years and, generally speaking, things are getting easier. We're seeing shorter procurement cycles, even though there are still some tough hurdles for new technologies. The government has been moving toward standardized, COTS (commercial off-the-shelf) solutions. Difficulty does arise, however, as CTI becomes a more effective solution, since it frequently becomes more customized at the same time. Custom solutions are often more difficult for the government to procure.

W. Thomas Krussman is business development manager of Bell Atlantic Federal. For more information, please visit their Web site at www.bellatlantic.com.