Open Source and IP Telephony: Myth Busters, Best Practices and Real Life Application in the Contact CenterKelly Duerr, Senior Product ManagerTom Chamberlain, Director Business Process Marketing

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Agenda• Myths about open source• Best practices for leveraging open

source software• Applications in the Contact Center

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Open Source ConceptOpen-source software

is software that is built and enhanced through public collaboration.

It is free and it gives the user access to the source code.

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Open Source Advantages• Economics – lower costs to try and implement

• “Free market” analogy:– Minimal central planning– “Community” of self-interested developers– Necessity is the mother of invention– Features and fixes follow community (market) needs

• Quick time to market, short development cycle

• User Transparency results in quick fixes to problems– “Given enough eyeballs, all bugs are shallow” (E. Raymond)

• Open Standards

• If supporting company dies, software lives on

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Separating the Myths from the Realities of Open Source software

Myth or RealityOpen Source projects are

chaotic environments, loosely managed by hackers

The facts are…Open Source is another means of developing software

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Community

OS ProjectVersion ControlTesting Tools

Bug / Error/ DefectCommunication

Users

FeedbackO

ther

s

Blo

gs

CoreManager(s)

Evaluate

Developers

Contributions

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Separating the Myths from the Realities of Open Source software

Myth or RealityOpen source projects are

free

The facts are..Open source projects are not free

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Separating the Myths from the Realities of Open Source software

Myth or RealityOpen source applications

are not secure

The facts are…Count the eyes

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Separating the Myths from the Realities of Open Source software

Myth or RealityFinding support is a problem

for open source projects

The fact is…Support contracts is one of the key means of generating revenue…

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Separating the Myths from the Realities of Open Source software

Myth or RealityThe only driver of open

source adoption is cost

The fact is…•Cost is a factor•Flexibility•Control

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Myth or RealityOpen source projects

typically lack documentation

Separating the Myths from the Realities of Open Source software

The fact is…•Formal Documentation can be an issue•On the other hand…

Open Source Telephony is Changing the Way Customers Think About Contact Centers

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Very dynamic processes and practices

Very consistent processes and practices

Drivers of IP Adoption in the Contact Center

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Choosing the Appropriate Voice Transport

Very dynamic processes and practices

Very consistent processes and practices

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VoIP Investment Indicators

•Business will invest it’s scarce resources, in areas which generate the greatest return (value)•PBX technology has become a commodity(Multiple suppliers of essentially the same product)•Flexible, cost effective infrastructure alternatives exist in the form of Open Source IP PBXs•Open Source IP PBX is changing the way customers think about investing in the contact center

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Disruptive Technologies Have Been Beneficial to the Contact Center

FIRST ACDAutomated customer service and incoming sales

FIRST ACDAutomated customer service and incoming sales

FIRST WFMAgent forecasting and scheduling

FIRST WFMAgent forecasting and scheduling

FIRST DIALERAutomated collections and telemarketing

FIRST DIALERAutomated collections and telemarketing

FIRST CTI IMPLEMENTATIONIntegrated data and telephony

FIRST CTI IMPLEMENTATIONIntegrated data and telephony

FIRST VIRTUAL OUTBOUNDBusiness ContinuityFIRST UNIFIED ARCHITECTUREReduced Complexity

FIRST VIRTUAL OUTBOUNDBusiness ContinuityFIRST UNIFIED ARCHITECTUREReduced Complexity

PERFORMANCE OPTIMIZATIONIntegrated WFM and KPIs

PERFORMANCE OPTIMIZATIONIntegrated WFM and KPIs

19961981

1973

1980 19832000

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Open Source IP PBXs Have Gathered Momentum

• Over 2,500 Asterisk downloads per day• Estimated over 1 million Asterisk installations• Competitive replacements• Support by major corporations

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Common Characteristics in Each of These Disruptive Events

Bigger,Better,Faster,Lower Cost

Contact Center Myths and Realities

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What Do World Class Contact Centers Really Need to Be Successful?

• Myths?

– Customers Want a Totally Open Flexible Solution– Customers Want a Really Powerful Application

Programming Interface– Asterisk Can Solve Any IP PBX Business Problem– Asterisk Is Free

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The Role of Open Source IP PBX in World Class Contact Centers

“Customers Want a Totally Open Flexible Solution”

… And no wonder!– Inflexible infrastructure– Slow to react– Costly implementation– Specialized expertise

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The Role of Open Source IP PBX in World Class Contact Centers

•Flexibility is not enough– Consumer emphasis on agent empathy and advocacy

skills– Leverage automation and standards to deliver a

consistent customer experience– Minimal delays and agent empowerment tools improve

efficiency

•Reality: Customers need a standard feature set the optimizes customer contact

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Myth Busters: The Role of Open Source IP PBX in World Class Contact Centers

“Customers Want a Really Powerful Application

Programming Interface”

… And why shouldn’t they?

– Long lead times– Complexity– Business Continuity– Extensibility

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Myth Busters: The Role of Open Source IP PBX in World Class Contact Centers

•Powerful can be dangerous…– Technology solutions must be predictable– Time to market critical to stay competitive– Change management and repeatability

•Reality: Customers Need to Bring Products and Services to Market Quickly While Maintaining Solution Stability

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Myth Busters: The Role of Open Source IP PBXs in World Class Contact Centers

“Asterisk Can Solve Any IP PBX Business Problem”

… Can you be more specific?

– Many PBX features are seldom used

– Proprietary solutions are expensive

– Lack flexible alternatives

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Myth Busters: The Role of Open Source IP PBX in World Class Contact Centers

•Must leverage existing investments where appropriate

– Target common components and vendor neutral standards (SIP)

– Tie innovation to tangible business goals– Increase investment in features that drive customer

satisfaction

•Reality: Customers Need Solutions that Integrate Well With Legacy Business Environment

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Myth Busters: The Role of Open Source IP PBX in World Class Contact Centers

“It is Free!”

… Is it really free?

– Getting the technology setup– Managing the technology– Repeatability

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Myth Busters: The Role of Open Source IP PBX in World Class Contact Centers

Our customer’s business depends on it!– Validated solutions with zero downtime– Training and ongoing support critical– Utilize rapid/agile development to speed time to

market

•Reality: Customers Expect Products that Are Enterprise Ready and Fully Supported

Bottom Line

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Myth Busters: The Role of Asterisk in World Class Contact Centers

• Realities… – PBX functionality has become a commodity– Open Source IP PBX is another beneficial disruptive

technology– Open Source IP PBX provides businesses control

and flexibility at a reduced cost– It’s about having the ability to choose– Open Source IP PBXs can change the way you think

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Myth Busters: The Role of Open Source IP PBX in World Class Contact Centers

“Asterisk helps world-class contact centers utilize open source telephony to balance consumer demands with the realities of the bottom line.”

– Differentiate products and services to drive customer loyalty

– Deliver basic reliable telephony at a cost-effective price– Address gaps in consumer satisfaction vs. key interaction

criterion– Consistently deliver consumers to knowledgeable

empowered agents

Myth Busters: The Role of Asterisk in World Class Contact CentersKelly Duerr, Senior Product ManagerTom Chamberlain, Director Business Process Marketing