FrontRange has rolled out a revitalized version of an IP-based contact center product it had previously marketed only in overseas markets.

Called IP Contact Center 3.7, its features include the ability to work with SIP VoIP gateways, as well as application integration with FrontRange's HEAT and GoldMine products.

It is a good offering for customers that are interested in becoming, or already are, Goldmine or HEAT shops, says Gartner research director Drew Kraus. "The most practical aspect is that companies do not have to customize the integration, which can be expensive for SMBs," he tells CRM Daily.

SMB Contact Center Needs

For the SMB space in particular, Kraus adds, such integration has become almost a necessity.

"Having a complete contact center and CRM package is far more important to smaller contact centers than larger ones," he says. "The larger contact centers want more freedom in pulling together the various modules, while smaller companies get more value out of lower cost, pre-integrated packages."

Many SMB-specific contact center applications are moving in this direction, Kraus finds. "There is a strong demand for packaged applications that can deliver good-enough functionality, as opposed to highly customizable applications. Smaller contact centers need to be able to compete against larger competitors, while not breaking their infrastructure budget."

Feature Set

IP Contact Center can be deployed either as part of the existing communications infrastructure or as a stand-alone system, the company said.

Other features include real-time and historical reporting; an agent dashboard that is based on a software-based SIP phone; advanced skills-based routing; a virtual agent, which provides self-service options; a Web-based application builder, which includes a graphical interface to build new call treatment and IVR schemes; HEAT and GoldMine integration that streamlines workflow by transferring live calls and screen pops.

Finally, the product's single point of administration saves telephony infrastructure costs, the company said, as does its IP-based platform.

"The key to productivity gains is the ability to integrate the voice and data platform enabling calls to be routed according to pre-defined criteria, such as agent skills or the customer's last interaction with the organization," said Kevin J. Smith, FrontRange vice president of products.