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A Phone for Every Need:
Managed Services Monthly
On Thanksgiving Day, we reflect on the many ways we have been blessed. We at Appia give particular thanks for you, our customers, for your support over the years. Have a very Happy Thanksgiving, and thank you for being an Appia customer.
In This Issue
Last Days for 2009 Customer Survey
A Phone for Every Need
Better Customer Service Looks Like This
TecHint: Personal Video Communication Tips
Featured Customer
Managed Services Recap
$500 Customer Referral Program
Appia Contacts
Last Days for 2009 Customer Survey
More thanks to all of you who have already participated in our brief customer survey. If you haven’t already, time is running out!
The survey will close on Tuesday, December 1, so please log in to Customer Care and take a minute to be heard. We value your feedback and we’ll use it to serve you better. While you’re there, enter for a chance to win a $250 Visa gift card!
Last month we touched on the instant “hotline” connectivity Appia can provide for a number of uses.
Here are a few more unique phone capabilities at your disposal:
Offsite phone
- With this service, you can take your IP phone anywhere, plug it into an Internet connection, and it will work just like you’re in the office
- Home users don’t need a router or other special equipment, and road warriors can set up shop wherever there’s an Internet connection
Courtesy phone
- Enables calls over your internal network (and to 911)
- Perfect for public areas like a lobby, where internal calls would be handy, but you don’t necessarily want users dialing out
Common area phone
- Enables users to dial internally and externally, but usually forgoes individualized services such as voicemail and a direct inward dial (DID) number
- Useful for conference rooms, extra workspaces, and other shared settings
Duplicate phone
- We can duplicate a user’s profile on additional phones
- Convenient for people who split time between different locations, such as satellite offices, home offices, or even different workspaces in the same building
We have a phone option for nearly any need. If you’re not sure, just ask your Appia Partner or your Regional Manager.
Better Customer Service Looks Like This
Appia’s Call Center solution delivers the sophisticated features larger call centers use, but at a price smaller organizations can afford.
One of the most popular features is the online wallboard (above), which gives your customer service team the insight they need to keep everything humming. Click here to see the whole image (and you may have to click the image again to zoom in).
- Web-based interface allows you to monitor and manage the call center from anywhere, whether you’re in the office or on the go
- Queues customized to your needs and specifications
- Real-time agent and call stats for each queue and overall
- Display to call-center staff on a centralized monitor, or individual users can simply pull it up right on their desktop
Whether you have five or 200 agents in your call center, we can design a solution that provides all the tools you need to offer timely, professional service.
For more information or to schedule a demonstration, contact your Appia Partner or your Regional Manager.
TecHint: Personal Video Communication Tips
One of the best features of Appia Video Communicator (AVC) is the ability to deploy it with just a free download to a PC.
This gives you the flexibility to utilize video communication right from your desk, and to extend it to anyone inside or outside your organization, from coworkers to customers.
Conference room packages (like our 300 and 400 Series) come with all the audio, video and processing power you need for a good experience. On the other hand, personal video communication is more user dependent, and each user’s environment may be different.
Here are a few tips for optimum personal use:
Bandwidth
- Even though Appia’s compression technology is second to none, video is still a very bandwidth-intensive application
- We can help you understand your needs and customize a solution accordingly. If you're curious, you can check these bandwidth requirements and use the calculators on the same page to get an idea
- If you're offsite and can't access enough bandwidth, turn off the video streams you don't need to see, or simply join the meeting by phone instead
Network
- To use AVC with other organizations, their networks will need to communicate with Appia’s secure servers, and not every network will be ready to do that without some simple configuration first
- Running the automatic system compatibility test will tell the network administrator if anything needs to be adjusted
Processor
- Most modern PCs have all the processing power you’ll need for video communication, but some older machines will struggle
- Following the system requirements makes video communication a lot easier
Audio
- Feedback occurs when audio from a speaker reenters a microphone, usually because the mike is too close to the speakers
- In a group setting, there is usually plenty of room to correct feedback, simply by increasing the distance between the mike and speakers
- However, in the close confines of a personal setting, it’s a lot more difficult to correct feedback, especially when using the mike that’s built in to a web cam, or the mike and speakers that are built in to your PC
- The best and easiest way for personal users to ensure good audio quality is to use a headset with an integrated microphone
If you haven’t tried video communication yet, free demos are available online at www.appiavideo.com. Questions? We’re happy to help. Contact Mike Pfannenstiel at 877-277-4297, ext. 174.
MNJ Technologies Direct is a leading provider of hardware and software for business and government. MNJ’s electronic systems enable its customers to easily evaluate and purchase a wide variety of technology products.
People say that lightning doesn’t strike twice, but MNJ has proof that it does! See how Appia helped MNJ quickly recover from one disaster and plan against future ones.
Miss an issue of Managed Services Monthly? Visit our archives anytime. Here are some links to last month’s issue:
Audio Conferencing Now 5.9 Cents or Less
TecHint: Video Tutorials for Your IP Phone
Featured Customer: Dorman Products
$500 Customer Referral Program
Appia Customers: Do you know a company or organization that would benefit from Appia’s services? Let us know right away. If your referral results in a new customer, you get a $250 VISA gift card and your organization gets $250 off its next monthly Appia invoice!
To qualify, you must send your referral’s name, organization, phone number, and email address to referral@appiaservices.com.
Twitter users can check us out @AppiaServices. We post the latest Appia news and keep track of a few things we find interesting. If you're out there, let us know, and we'll keep track of you too!
To learn more about how Appia's products and services can benefit your organization, please contact your Appia Regional Manager:
Illinois, Wisconsin and Iowa
Frank Beltrano
312-893-6403
frank@appiaservices.com
Philadelphia and Houston
Tim Mahan
630-406-6590
tmahan@appiaservices.com
Michigan, Indiana and Ohio
Dan Swain
574-707-7788
dan@appiaservices.com
New York and the Northeast
Odila Rivera
646-825-2137
odila@appiaservices.com
California and All Other Regions
Jason Ulm
317-715-9507
jason@appiaservices.com
