employees are often asked to fill in for their colleagues, and thanks to NEC Philips’ Business ConneCT, they can now do so from virtually any location. This all-in-one communications suite allows employees to assume various roles and switch effortlessly between them.
Business ConneCT brings call features associated with a PBX, and more, to the PC. Its suite of simple and effective communication tools enhances contact with customers, improves employee reachability and reduces costs. With integrated employee, contact centre and operator functionality, Business ConneCT guarantees that each customer call reaches the right person; first time, every time. Every employee, wherever he or she is, can act as an operator or virtual agent while carrying on with their other tasks.
Business ConneCT gives employees control over how and when to be contacted, via a choice of devices – in the office, at home or on the move. In this way, operators, contact centre agents and other employees can combine and interchange their responsibilities to create an efficient workflow. Employees maintain control over their own calls and can route them to the operator or voicemail when necessary. At the same time, they can automatically provide valuable information to the operator and other colleagues about where and when they can be reached, thus avoiding unnecessary waiting.
Employee features
Business ConneCT provides vital information to all employees, including operators and contact centre agents, such as the name, number and photo of the caller (if available). In addition, a call log provides information on all calls, as well as the last number dialled and voicemail messages. Calling back is a simple matter of clicking on an entry in the contact list and voicemail is also just a click away. And by redirecting calls to a mobile phone, employees can be available for customers 24/7.
Any incoming call is instantaneously displayed in a pop-up window, enabling employees to handle the call efficiently via their computer screen. Standard features, such as hold, transfer and end call, are just a mouse click away, while setting up a three-party conference call is equally simple. When employees are away from their desks, Business ConneCT allows their calls to be redirected to a colleague and also provides a brief explanation of the reason. Presence information allows users to check whether colleagues are present or busy, and when they will be available again, before transferring a call.
Business ConneCT gives users access to various directories. In addition to the company directory, employees can create their own personal list of contacts. Furthermore, external and web-based directories can also be integrated.
Voicemail is sometimes the best option available to callers and Business ConneCT has built-in voicemail. Activation of voicemail and multiple greetings can either be controlled through the Business ConneCT calendar and reachability settings, or through the Microsoft Outlook or Lotus Notes calendar.
Operator features
With Business ConneCT, any authorised employee can act as a telephone operator, connecting callers, handling messages and locating staff. The single user interface makes it easy to combine operator tasks with other work.
Business ConneCT’s combination of intuitive icons, an extensive name directory and various messaging facilities, offers professional operator functionality to any user. Different queues show at a glance where a call is coming from: externally, internally, rerouted, etc. Because operators can see which person the caller wants to reach and which colleagues with similar skills are available, calls are always routed to the right person.
Contact centre features
In contact centre mode, Business ConneCT automatically guides callers to the most appropriate employee, thus reducing waiting times. Contact centre agents are also provided with additional information, such as the language in which to greet a caller.
Business ConneCT’s contact centre features help companies to manage their call centre’s staffing and service levels. Group performance statistics enable companies to improve customer service, while an extensive reporting tool provides insight into performance, costs and trends. Business ConneCT supports skill-based routing, transferring calls only to those agents with a predefined skill. Calls are always routed to the agent with the best matched skill set to be of service to the caller. If no agent with the required skill set is available, an automated attendant provides callers with a choice of alternative options. 
Cost effective
Business ConneCT is now compatible with all NEC Philips platforms and supports both IP and TDM voice connectivity. Simple and cost-effective to deploy, its three user modes — employee, operator and contact centre agent — use a single server, single database, single installation point and single user interface.
“This makes it easy for employees to switch between roles and reduces training time,” says Peter Grothauzen, Product Marketing Manager at NEC Philips Unified Solutions. “The administrator only has one system to manage and Business ConneCT’s powerful communication features ensure employees work more efficiently, enabling companies to boost productivity and realise a fast return on investment.”
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