Instant Messaging
IP Agent integrates Instant Messaging
with telephony contact handling.
The user's IM and phone presence
can be made visible (or hidden) to
other presence-enabled IP Agent and
IP Softphone users (unless the IM-only
mode is used). The Contact list also
integrates phone and IM contacts
showing their status (Available,
Away, Busy, On the Phone, or Offline).
The Contact History includes a log
of IM transcripts and indicates whether
the session was inbound or outbound
in origin.
Facilitates first call resolution
by enabling agents to find expert help
within or beyond the contact center.
Instant Messaging requires registration
with the Avaya SES (SIP Enablement
Server) and does not support either
the Callmaster VI endpoint configuration
or the Terminal Services / Citrix configuration.
Screen Pops
Screen pops provide a way of displaying
information related to a telephone
call on a terminal screen before,
as, or right after the call arrives.
The information, usually a customer
record, is popped by a customer application
in response to a trigger from IP
Agent. The trigger (e.g. prompted
digits, calling party number) to
the customer record will be sent
to the application using dynamic
data exchange (DDE). A wizard greatly
simplifies screen pop set-up.
Screen Pops shorten talk time and
improve agent productivity. Customer
satisfaction is increased as the caller
does not have to wait for the agent
to do a database lookup.
Launch Toolbar
This new feature allows up to 20 icons
to be added to the IP Agent Tool
Bar. Any item that can appear on
the Window Desktop, including command
line parameters, can be added. Additionally
two dynamic parameters, Registered
Extension and Agent, can be added
to the command line string as separate
parameters or embedded in a text
string parameter.
This new feature helps to cut call
time and after call work time by allowing
users single-click access to commonly
performed functions such as launching
desktop applications, launching browsers
to a specific page or even executing
command line executables such as the
ipaDialer.exe speed dial button included
in R7.
Integrated Contact History
Avaya IP Agent records a complete call
history of incoming and outgoing
calls, even calls that are missed
when the caller does not leave a
voice message. When Instant Messaging
is deployed, the Contact History
includes a log of the IM transcripts.
A notes entry can be added to each
contact. Entries can be redialed
or messaged, and added to the Contact
Directory.
Improves both agent productivity and
first call resolution. Agents can quickly
find recent phone contact numbers and
notes as well as instant messaging
transcripts containing relevant information.
Contact Directory and Public Directory
Search
The IP Agent Contacts window provides
the user interface for creating, editing
and deleting contact and group information.
In addition, Instant Message tracking,
blocking, and other related contact
and presence management features are
provided. Agents can dial a call or
start an IM from the Contact Directory.
Improves agent productivity by enabling
rapid retrieval of contact information.
MSI Installation
The IP Agent installation now utilizes
the standard Microsoft Windows installer
package supporting both MSI and SMS
Technology. There are two ways to
install IP Agent using MSI:
1. Use the standard installation (.msi
configuration file) supplied with IP
Agent R7
2. Modify the MSI file.
All configuration and installation
parameters are now documented, mostly
as registry settings, so you can customize
the installation as required. Microsoft
SMS technology is a systems management
software product by Microsoft for managing
large groups of Windows-based computer
systems. SMS provides remote control,
patch management, software distribution,
and hardware and software inventory.
Either the standard Avaya installation
or a customer transformed MSI file
can be integrated with Microsoft SMS
technology, then pushed to the desktop
This feature provides customers the
best of both worlds: the ability to
deploy a standard installation easily
executed by an end-user, and the flexibility
and options inherent in Microsoft MSI
technology. This feature is particularly
valuable to those customers involved
in mass deployments and those interested
in tuning the installation to meet
their particular deployment needs.
When used in conjunction with the new
configuration utility, newly documented
registry settings provide administrators
the ability to generate custom registry
configuration files for any user, simplifying
the process of setting parameters such
as program options and feature access.
Use of these new tools and technologies
not only enables a more customized
user experience, but also simplifies
installation, configuration and administration,
serving to reduce overhead and the
total cost of ownership.
Speed Dialing
The IP Agent interface supports speed
dialing. Agents dial stored numbers
by selecting them from the list.
Additionally, telephone numbers can
be mapped to keyboard function keys.
When the key is pressed, the related
number is dialed automatically. Again,
the focus remains on the interface,
and the agent's attention is not
divided between the PC and telephone.
Improves agent productivity.
Agent Greetings and Agent Greeting
Selection
Avaya IP Agent supports agent greetings.
The agent can record, play, stop or
erase greetings through an easy to
use menu. In IP Agent R7, up to 60
different greetings can be recorded,
each with a length of approximately
30 seconds. An option allows for the
agent greetings to be stored on a network
drive rather than on the local agent
PC, which is ideal for call centers
who utilize "hot seating" arrangements.
Improves agent satisfaction by eliminating
repetitive work.
Screen Pops with Advanced Segmentation
Advanced Segmentation (AS) Screen Pop
provides a new capability to the
voice call center market by presenting
agents with appropriate caller information
collected from internal and external
data sources without the need for
a traditional desktop CTI component.
Facilitates first call resolution
by providing customer-contextual data
to assist with each call. Avoids the
complexity and expense of a conventional
CTI desktop application and hardware.
Configuration Utility
The Configuration Utility is an intuitive
tool for administrators to use to
generate custom registry configuration
files for any user. The Administrator
can prepare configuration files for
export to a user desktop. All capabilities
of the standard user Program Options,
including restricting feature access,
can be controlled.
This feature reduces administrative
costs and eliminates a number of non-value
add functions previously performed
by the agent by allowing remote configuration
of program options and feature access.
Customizable Interface
IP Agent has an easy to use and easy
to learn user interface. It uses
standard Microsoft Windows conventions.
The toolbars can be toggled on and
off or they can be arranged in any
order. Most of the windows can be
resized. A simple user interface
is used to transfer or conference
calls. Agents can use the shortcut
icon to make and receive calls from
any application.
Provides productivity enhancements
that complement rather than compete
for precious desktop real estate.
iClarity Administrator Controls
This configuration tool, developed
originally for Softphone, has been
added to IP Agent R7. It allows for
GUI configuration of iClarity configuration
options that are stored as registry
settings. With a separate GUI and
input paradigm this tool separate
from, but a useful companion to,
IP Agent Configuration Utility.
This tool reduces administrative costs
by allowing administrators to set local
options, or save the options to a .reg
file without effecting the current
user configuration.
Alternate User Interfaces
IP Agent provides three alternate user
interfaces that can be used in place
of the standard interface. These
alternate interfaces use much less
space on your desktop, and then can
eliminate the problem of the Avaya
IP Agent interface being hidden behind
other applications or requiring too
much space on the desktop.
Provides productivity enhancements
that complement rather than compete
for precious desktop real estate.
VuStats Monitor
Agents and administrators can check
the VuStats Monitor window for information
on Contact Center operations, such
as the number of calls waiting for
a particular skill. The information
is updated periodically, based on
user-selectable refresh rates.
Improves agent productivity by providing
call center status that agents can
use to guide their talk and wrap-up
times.
Program Options
Almost every feature provided by IP
Agent can be configured using the Program
Options window. Administrators can
set up and maintain program options
for all agents by providing a configuration
file to all agents using a menu driven
import/export option. Some of the program
options include:
- Automatic Station Login and Agent
Login
- Location of program database, enabling
agent to have same information on
multiple PCs
- Administration for voice messaging
access
- Enabling and viewing of program
event logging
- Feature restriction and deactivation
- CALLMASTER VI phone settings
- PASTE feature access code
Provides enormous flexibility in customizing
the agent desktop. The administrator
will be able to deactivate IP Agent
features that will not be used by agents.
The features that can be deactivated
include: screen pops, screen pops administration,
phone directory, public search directory,
call history, phone features configuration,
personal phone features, program options
and agent greeting selection. |
IP
Agent is a PC-based softphone application for improving
agent productivity in call centers, remote offices
and work-at-home agents. It is the only agent desktop
application capable of providing multiple connection
modes all from the same application.
