Telecom Industry to Boost Sales With Business Intelligence

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Author: Vinod Plakkal

Telecom industry to boost sales with Business Intelligence :

Telecom industries are faced with the huge challenges of ever changing market conditions. They therefore need information to anticipate these Changes and quickly make informed Smart decisions.
Decision-making in the telecom industry today demands high-quality intelligence. This is where business intelligence (BI) solutions play their critical role.

Any business can be successful only if the sales end is strong.
The same holds good for telecom industry, especially with telecom service providers.
Here with telecom service providers Business intelligence plays a large role in making profit because it deals with large amount of customer data .
Hence getting this customer data in a useful format is "Business intelligence".

As mentioned previously for any business to be successful sales plays a very prominent role and sales always is supported by strong marketing practices.

Well next question would be how is this possible?

Some of the focus areas are:

· Providing strong marketing support.

· Sales Analysis

· Improving customer loyalty services.

· Building customer retention models.

1.Providing strong marketing support:

To give a good marketing support it is necessary to understand the market well. Having a good strategy is the foundation for a strong marketing.

Two basic Strategies, which can be pursued, are:

. General strategy
. Customer strategy

General strategy

Companies here comes up with a product, which is common, and try marketing to the masses. Advertising plays a major role here. Even though this has been a major practice, profit margin out of this has been very low, because individual needs of the customers are not taken into account.

Customer strategy

Basically understanding the customer needs and tailoring to their individual needs have overcome the disadvantages in general strategy. Thus business intelligence plays a major role here by analyzing the customers that optimize profits by nurturing value added customer relationships.

Thus strong customer relationships are attained by customer centricity: Customers drive business, thus understanding the customers plays a very important role.

· Customers’ requirements
· Customers’ expectations.
· Customers’ changing behavior pattern

Thus by understanding the above points it is possible to build a strong customer strategy model.

This customer strategy model directly influences

· Product pricing / tariff plans

Product pricing plays a key role in pushing business, by understanding
the customers it possible to categorize them into different groups based on their needs . Thus pricing can be decided by striking a balance between customers group needs and profits to the company.
This can also be easily tested with help of business intelligence – by implementing the model for a trial period and comparing the sale figures it is possible to get the profit margin.
By business intelligence useful information can be provided to different departments for making the right decisions with in very little time thus analysis becomes easier and designing the product pricing(tariff plans)becomes efficient.

· Advertising plans

Advertising plays major role because major money is involved in this.
Thus channeling advertising according to customers is very important. Since it conveys the right message to right mass and this can be achieved by profiling the customer’s data and checking their behavior patters.

This can save lot a revenue, thus any saved revenue is profit for the company.

2. Sales Analysis

Analysis can be in terms of

· Customers
· Performance
· Revenue
· Volume
· Margin

This can be viewed in terms of reports or charts thus competitive plan can be developed .
By this analysis any strategic decision taken by management will be based on proof and not by just guessing and thus can also predict the performance of the company for the next quarter or so.

Improving customer loyalty services.

· Fraud control
· Call records
· Billing and other services

Fraud control

With Business intelligence it is possible to track the pattern of calls their duration etc thus any abnormalities in call pattern can be detected.
Thus timely intervention can reduce the loss to the company.

Call records

With Business intelligence it is possible to view call pattern and possible to understand their call history. Thus it becomes easy to get any records of particular customer or a group of customer with common call fashion.

Billing and other services

With Business intelligence it is possible to send e-bills to customer on related dates without any much manual intervention and get customer billing of web will also help customers view their own bills and analyze the same.

Thus by getting in more related services it is possible to get more customer satisfaction thus improving business.

Building customer retention models.

Customer retention is one of the major challenges faced in any industry.
In case of any business it is said that retaining a customer is always cheaper than getting a new customer.
Here with help of business intelligence it is possible to build certain customer retention models basically looking customer data and their call behaviors.
A well-designed customer retention model can reduce customer churn to greater extend .The positive impact of this can be huge ie a small increase in customer loyalty can deliver a large increase in profitability. Businees intelligence can also identify the behavior looking at the customer data and business analysts can say who are customers likely to leave and take the appropriate action in advance.

On a conclusion we can say that business intelligence if properly implemented and used in the telecom industry it can help in boosting the profits to greater extent.

Source: ArticleBase.com

New Rules for the Telemarketing UK Industry

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Author: rene1

In the past few years, we saw a significant boom in the telemarketing UK industry. From the multi-million dollar corporations to small businesses, and even to political campaigns, telemarketing is used by people all over UK. However, certain telemarketing rules were recently passed which to some extent makes this year, 2006, a tougher year for telemarketers. The new rules I'm talking about is the sudden rise in Telephone Preference Service (TPS) registrations.

According to some reports, the diagnosis for the T. UK industry is critical as TPS registrations recently passed the 10 million mark. The registration was passed for the people to be able to avoid receiving cold calls or those unsolicited telemarketing UK calls by registering their phone numbers on a statutory list that bars the calls.

However, this new rule has caused some consternation in the telemarketing UK industry. It has been reported that the TPS registration leaves a significant impact on the UK business, perhaps for the reason that many UK companies rely on cold calling as a primary means of winning new customers, and if that route is no longer available because of the TPS registrations their business will under threat, so does the telemarketing UK industry.

Despite all those cries, several reports and surveys have made it clear that the future of the cold call is really under attack. First, the new and stronger regulation is allowing the consumers to avoid those unwanted calls. At present, the TPS registration has attracted 5.25 million members, which is equivalent to 24 percent of the UK population. It is further interesting to now that this summer, the TPS was extended to allow business numbers to be registered. Several industry specific regulations are even starting to emerge. One of those is perhaps the Financial Services Authority's ban on the cold selling of mortgage products, which according to some reports will be introduced in October this year.

Another support for the claim that the telemarketing UK industry's cold calling is currently under attack is the fact that most people in UK these days are using technology to control those unwanted calls. To put it simply, the consumers today are using answer calls to vet calls and avoid those they don't want. Finally, many telemarketing UK consumers are simply refusing products that are marketed through telephones. This is what led the telemarketing UK industry further into their doomsday.

Because of those facts, the telemarketing UK industry is now calling the companies to take action as early as possible. Experts said that companies should start planning for a future which they may not be able to win new customers by phone. They should start on counting the cost of bad practice, which is one of the major factors that trigger the passage of the TPS registrations. Also, the companies must adopt best practices in all telemarketing activities to stave off further legislation, as well as to lessen customer frustration. There are also some who recommends minimizing the telemarketing UK companies dependency on cold calling, and win customer trust by treating them with respect and consideration.

Today, although the UK industry somehow felt a sort of despair over TPS, the newly passed legislation should be seen as just the latest development in the information privacy not only in UK, but in Europe.

Source: Free Articles

A Guide To Buying A New Business Phone System

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Buying a new business phone system is one of the most important purchases any business will ever make. The selection of a phone system can either bring a business closer to its customers and clients or, cause confusion and chaos amongst all that use or interact with it.

It is therefore essential that you choose the right phone system for your business needs. The telephone is quite often the fastest and easiest way to reach customers and clients. It should also be the fastest and easiest way for them to reach you. It should be flexible enough to be able to cover all of your company's needs and handle all calls appropriately. The last thing any business wants is for its important business callers and customers to be routed incorrectly, disconnected, or faced with a long list of confusing automated options.

There are lots of factors that need to be taken into consideration when choosing a new business telephone system. Below are a few of the main ones:

1. You need enough capacity to fulfil your current business needs.

2. Assess your potential future growth and select a compatible phone system accordingly.

3. Ensure compatibility with any equipment you already own (headsets, handsets, conferencing equipment, cabling etc).

4. What features does your business phone system need to incorporate?

Fulfilling all the factors above and any more you can think of can be an expensive challenge for any business. The aim of this guide is to help you understand what decisions you need to make in order to choose the right phone system for your business.

Types of business phone system

There are three major types of phone system available: KSU- Less phones, Key systems and Private Branch Exchange (PBX) systems. Which type of phone system you choose will depend on the amount of extensions you require and the features your telephone system needs to have installed.

KSU-Less systems

KSU-Less systems are usually more suited to companies that typically have less than ten employees, or require less than ten extensions. That isn't to say that all companies requiring less than ten phone extensions can make do with a KSU-Less system. It may be that you require more features which are only available through either a PBX or Key phone system.

Requiring a far lower initial investment than the other types of business phone systems, KSU-Less phones are specifically designed to include many of the features usually only available through the implementation of a full small business phone system.

KSU-Less systems can be easily unplugged and relocated, because they are not permanently wired into your office. This portability allows you to treat a KSU-Less phone system, much the same as any business machine, rather than a lost permanent investment.

You will need to ensure that any KSU-Less system you choose is compatible not only with the type of wiring you have in your office, but also with any accessories you may already have, such as: headsets, answering & fax machines and modems. Because KSU-Less phone systems are relatively inexpensive, they are not usually sold, installed, or maintained by telecoms vendors.

All of this means, you have to go out there and do not only the shopping yourself but, also the installation and support. This is one of the two major drawbacks of KSU-Less systems. The last thing any business needs is to be concerned with the reliability and maintenance of its phone system. Another drawback of KSU-Less systems is that they are more prone to something known as crosstalk. This is where separate conversations may blend into each other. With PBX, Key systems and Hybrid systems falling in price, it sometimes makes more sense to invest in a full business phone system, rather than become susceptible to the risks of a KSU-Less system.

Private Branch Exchange (PBX) systems

If your business typically requires more than forty extensions, or your needs dictate you need advanced functions from your business phone system, then PBX systems are often the solution. PBX systems used to be extremely expensive and only affordable by huge corporations with hundreds of extensions. Though this is still the case for larger installations, the development of the technology required has progressed to the point where a powerful, fully functional PBX office phone system for a small business is able to fit on the top of a desk.

Nearly all these compact PBX phone systems come with all the features you might want as standard. You pay a premium for the programmability and flexibility that a PBX offers, but in most cases the price difference is not as much as you may imagine between that of a less flexible phone system.

Key Systems

Key phone systems are more typical in businesses that require five to forty extensions. This type of phone system uses a central control unit called the Key System Unit (KSU) to provide features and functions that are not available using ordinary phones. An example of this is: key systems using a KSU allow one extension to call another in house extension, and prevents any other users from picking up a line that is already in use. Key systems usually come as standard with most features any business would expect, but in some cases they are often less flexible than a PBX phone system.

PBX & Key Systems (hybrids)

Though Key and PBX systems have some different technical features, these differences have become somewhat blurred over the past couple of years. Many Key systems now offer features that were once only available to those who chose to install a full PBX phone system. Some systems also operate internally as either a PBX or Key system depending on the software installed. Sometime these systems are often referred to as "Hybrid" phone systems.

Installation & maintenance of PBX and Key phone systems

PBX and Key phone systems require installation by fully trained and qualified telecoms engineers. All outside and inside lines must connect to the PBX or KSU cabinet. The installation and maintenance of one of these types of phone system can be just as expensive as the phone system itself. In many cases you may be able to use the existing phone lines available in your office, but unless the phones you have been using are relatively new, they may not be compatible with your new system, requiring you to purchase new handsets as well as the system itself.

The Right Size System

It is important that when buying a new business telephone system, that you know your requirements in advance. Knowing what features need to be included with your new telephone system will stand you in good stead when it comes to negotiating with potential suppliers. When considering buying a new telephone system for your business, there are two major factors that determine the size of the system you require:

Lines. These are sometimes called trunks. The number of lines a system has denotes the number of outside lines being used by a company.

Extensions. Most extensions will be made up of handsets. Though any equipment that requires a phone line is classed as an extension. This includes fax machines, modems, and credit card equipment etc.

It is important that you make a list of all the extensions and lines you may need for your new phone system. Not forgetting some users may need more than one line and multiple extensions.

With key systems, the size of a phone system is indicated as a combination of both lines and extensions. For example a system that has 10 lines and 30 extensions will be shown as a 10 x 30 system.

With PBX phone systems, size is defined as a combination of lines and extensions, called "Ports". The number of "Ports" is the maximum number of connections that can be made to the phone system. These include outside lines and inside extensions, as well as any other telephone system accessories.

When planning for a new business phone system, you should take into account the future expansion of your company, by foreseeing any extra needs at an early stage. Even if your current telephone system is handling calls well for the time being, this may not be the case when any future expansion or improvements are fully implemented. A good business phone system should be able to handle expansion easily and in a cost effective manor. PBX phone systems allow you to expand their capabilities, by adding new expansion cards, thus increasing the number of ports available for use. A few key systems can be expanded by the addition of another cabinet that is identical to the first.

When planning your new system it is important that you enquire about the potential cost for the addition of more extensions or ports. It is important that when choosing a new business phone system, you ensure expansion will come not only easily but as affordable as possible for your company.

Telephone System Dealers and Installers

Finding a good reliable dealer is the most important part of buying a new business phone system. A good reputable dealer will not only be able to sell you the system you require, but will offer excellent, guaranteed installation and service as well as always be on hand to answer any questions you have when problems arise. To put it simply they will be there to hold your hand and guide you through the process, from the planning and selection of a suitable system, to the implementation of you new system and training of staff. Any potential supplier will be more than happy to talk to you about any aspect of a new business phone system, and offer testimonials as to the quality of their systems and installation service.

It is not uncommon for buyers to require a demonstration of potential new phone systems. Any reputable dealer will be more than happy to offer a full demonstration of any phone system they supply. It is better for the dealer to visit your site, that way they can get a proper view of your existing system and evaluate your future communication requirements and cabling needs.

Service Level Agreements (SLA's) specify how quickly a dealer responds to a problem with your phone system. A good dealer will offer a range of SLA's to cater for most business needs and budgets. Expect to pay more if your business requires 24/7 support or response times shorter than normal.

Below are some questions that you could ask a dealer when looking for a supplier of a business phone system:

1. Can I have a system demonstration?

2. Who will install the system and cabling?

3. What range of Service Level Agreements (SLA's) do they offer?

4. Who will provide system training and what are the costs?

5. Can the dealer provide remote maintenance facilities?

6. What guarantees and warranties do they offer?

Check List

1. Decide which type of phone system best suits your businesses needs.

2. Plan the size of your new system by evaluating the amount of lines and extensions you require. Don't forget to plan for any future expansion.

3. Decide what extra features you might require from you new business phone system (voicemail, door phones, etc).

4. Contact a few reputable dealers.

5. Arrange for a demonstration of suitable phone systems.

6. Work with your chosen dealer to select and purchase the correct system for your business.

7. Don't forget to sort suitable training and an adequate service level agreement.

Final

The purchase and installation of the correct telephone system for your business is a very important decision. It is imperative that you get it right first time, as the functionality and prosperity of you business could heavily depend upon it. Remember to follow the few simple guide lines outlined in this report, and you will be more prepared than most.

Thanks for reading my article

Jason Morri

Article Source: www.ArticlesBase.com

Types of Telecom Products

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Author: John Hampton

Welcome to the Internet Revolution, the Age of Technology, and the Era of Telecommunications. Telecommunications (tele-translated from the Greek to mean “distant” and Latin communicare- to participate) is defined as the transmission of information over a line of communication, like that of a telephone, which is carried over a long distance. It may or may not use a modem. The information may be communicated through voice, text, images, or even video via any product that will work, like a fax machine. Any product that enables telecommunication is classified as a Telecom Product.

Since Alexander Graham Bell invented his “electrical speech machine” (now known as the telephone) back in 1876, the telecommunications industry has evolved to include a wide array of products for both business and personal use. Below you will find several different types of telecom products and brief explanations of their different usage.

We’ll begin our mission with the originator- the telephone. Since it’s invention, the device has gotten smaller, portable, and even wireless. Accessories such as answering machines can attach to your phone or phone line for friends, family and/or clients and customers to leave you an important message when you’re unavailable to take a call. All-in-one answering machine/telephone contraptions have gained substantial popularity in recent years as the price dropped with the advancement of technology. Multi-line telephones for busy offices are also becoming more affordable for those who didn’t have the extra funding for such a telecommunications device.

Facsimile machines, also known as “fax” machines for short, take text or images from a piece of paper and transfer the data to another fax machine anywhere in the world via telephone lines. Much like the recent popularity of answering machine/telephone combinations and other telecommunication devices, technology has advanced to bring the price and size down and the convenience of all-in-one equipment for the average consumer. Phone/fax/copy/printer combinations are in a growing number of households across the country and around the globe.

If you have your own business that requires a combination of telecom products, it might be in your best interest to invest in a Voice/Data Line Sharing Device. This port-switching mechanism will allow you to run telephones, fax machines, modems, answering machines, climate control, security monitoring, credit card terminals and poll cash registers without needing a separate line for each.

Finally two-way radios, commonly referred to as “Walkie-Talkies”, are yet another device that falls into the category of telecom products. And yes, just like all of the other products we’ve covered, the price and size have dropped while the technology expanded. In fact, there are two-way radios that can communicate with each other from as far away as 6 miles depending on the area and terrain. Multiple units that run on the same frequency work quite well for large fleets after they are cloned for synchronization. LCD screens make for some easy programming by all.

Article Source: www.ArticlesBase.com

Remote Telemetry Monitor

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Autor: infoserv

Telemetry is the study and measurement of the transmission of data over certain mediums, such as telephones or computer networks. Communication channels are a major part of any telemetry system. When telemetry was still at its nascent stage, data was transmitted over wires. One of the limitations of this monitoring system was the restriction of the subject to the confines in the laboratory. Recent advances in technology have overcome these restrictions. GSM (Global System for Mobile communication), wireless computer networks and miniature devices allow continuous data transmission from moving vehicles such as cars, aircrafts, missiles and satellites, to a central source. Despite the wealth of applications the primary purpose of any telemetry system is to collect data at a place that is remote, inconvenient or dangerous, and relay the data to a point where telemetry monitor or data evaluation takes place.

Major applications of telemetry monitor include monitoring electric-power plants, remote meter reading, gathering meteorological data, logistics management, tracking endangered land and marine species, and monitoring manned and unmanned space flights. Telemetry monitor technology is expected to replace bar coding when the price point reaches an affordable level. Product information can be stored on specialized telemetry tags that will track the product along the supply chain and keep track of important information. Combined with local technology, the company assets can be located at any point in time. Thus, telemetry monitor will allow companies to wirelessly access information and monitor status levels at all times. For instance, electricity meters can be read through wireless technology, eliminating the need for a person to read each meter manually. This provides a great savings in salaries once paid to employees that walked around from house to house collecting readings.

Layers of labor costs can be eliminated with some applications providing additional cost savings. Even machines can be monitored at a distance and alerted when there are problems detected. For example, a toner in a printer can be remotely monitored and the suppliers notified to place an order without the intervention of a human. Biomedical telemetry or biotelemetry provides a means for transmitting physiological or biological information from one site to another for data collection. This telemetry monitor technology is used for monitoring of the electro-physiological state of the patients who are at risk of abnormal heart activity. This technology has even reached the small towns in the USA. Both my water and electrical meters are monitored in order for billing, and I live in a small town in Iowa.

Source: Free Articles

How To Buy The Right Telecom Equipment For Your Small Business

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Autor: bizavings


Telecom companies have flooded the junk boxes with their campaigns and commercials, making every offer look even more lucrative than the last one. Innovation and creativity seems to rule the market. Every promotional campaign has a new outlook promoted by various stars. However, in the entire bargain, it is extremely difficult for the end consumers to analyze the offerings of different telecom equipment, especially for small businesses whose entire operations rely on these communication channels. This expensive equipment needs diligent checks before making the purchase, as ignorant decisions might create endless problems. Even a minor problem can lead to huge losses. An hour's delay on the part of these carriers can result in bad deals. Telecom equipment has taken up such an important place in the every day lives that even a small technical problem seems unbearable.

Tools and Services
Telecommunication tools entail two aspects: the equipment and the service. Both must be opted in a way that one acts as a complement to the other. The equipment opted for must support the desired services subscribed for. When choosing the desired telecom equipment, there are various factors to be accounted for.

Budgeting
It is essential to start the exercise by devising the budget and basic requirements. Make a list of priorities. Do not be led on by the promotional campaigns. You might like them all, but need only a few. So, before dividing your finances, among the available options, be clear of what the urgent requirement is.

Chart out the functionalities required. For instance, do you require an intercom system or direct phone line? These decisions are interlinked with other factors like, do you intend to hire a receptionist to man your phones? The optimality of any equipment depends upon the services offered for a specified price. A few features like recording facilities and multi calling could be more desirable than video coverage.

Make sure to opt for user friendly equipment. Any complicated instrument though loaded with the latest technology offerings, could be difficult to operate or of no use.

After selecting the appropriate combination, cabling takes up the second most crucial slot in the in the consideration list. The cabling must be done in a manner to avoid any loose wires hanging out. This is even more important, if you are operating from home. Cabling should be in a manner so that small kids do not have access to any wires.

Another crucial aspect to be studied while making the purchases is the guarantees or warrantees offered by various telecom equipment manufacturers. Try opting for equipment that provides more safety by way of replacement and regular servicing.

Additional Help
There are various consultants who offer professional advice in this arena and can design the requisite telecommunication chart depending upon your requirements and budget.

Source: Free Articles

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