Call Recording Featured Article

When it comes to installing call monitoring services, two points immediately leap to the head of the line in terms of consideration: do it right, and do it quickly. To that end, there are several key facets to look for in terms of finding the right call monitoring system, but making the installation happen in a sufficiently rapid fashion is a whole different matter.

One important attribute is the capability and support for virtualization. This allows companies to not have to invest in additional hardware. According to the Wikipedia, a virtual server is defined as a method of server hosting using virtual machines.  A virtual machine (VM) is a "completely isolated guest operating system installation within a normal host operating system". Modern virtual machines are implemented with either software emulation or hardware virtualization. In most cases, both are implemented together. Popular supported virtual server software programs include VMware, Microsoft (News - Alert) VM and Citrix.

Next is scalability. Being able to add on features, capacity and functionality as needs change is an important part of the system. It ensures that the system will have the best chance of being useful, even as the organization's needs change. No one wants to buy a system with a short shelf life, and while all systems eventually become obsolete, prolonging the time between purchases is a smart move. When purchasing an enterprise-class call monitoring system such as Virtual Observer, one of the main benefits is being able to activate recording in satellite centers as they are added, or in scaling to accommodate spikes in seasonal agent levels.

Security is obviously of critical concern to enterprises. Controlling access to confidential data and being PCI (News - Alert) or HIPAA compliant should be a checkoff and not a customized professional service endeavor. Compliance is vital to ensure customer confidence. Having granular security controls are important as well. Administrators should be able to lock down all features and buttons down to the user level, and there should be comprehensive audit logging included with the system.

Cost is likely to be one of the more important deciding factors in choosing the right call monitoring system. If the previous points mentioned are all handled properly, the IT footprint should be small and costs optimized. As enterprises expand, managing these kinds of costs is paramount to the success of the organization. Having a web-based architecture lends itself well to deployment and training costs also being reduced.