Contact center: What is it? How does it work?

It is common for the concept of contact center to be confused with that of call center, but in reality their objectives are different. While both directly manage communication with the customer or user, the contact center is a more comprehensive concept.

At JSC Ingenium,  provider of turnkey Network Infrastructure services and solutions for MNOs and MVNOs, we want to inform you about the best ways to improve the user experience and facilitate a more fluid relationship with customers. Discover below the characteristics of a contact center and its operation.

What is it? Definition of contact center

In general, a contact center is a customer service that, in addition to responding to specific queries, integrates the different channels and the multiple tools that allow creating and maintaining communication with customers. 

In short, the ultimate purpose is to develop more real, direct and lasting ties with users and customers, in order to optimize business communication and commercial management. Usually this contact center works as a department (internal or external) of the company and requires the support of a CRM (Customer Relationship Management) system, which allows managing the relationship with the client. 

In addition to solving the specific problems of customers, the contact center also accumulates information about purchase habits, the status of business processes and any data that may be useful to improve and streamline transactions. 

How does a contact center work? 

First of all, we must consider that the work of these centers is omnichannel, because it integrates all the communication tools: telephony, social networks, chats, messaging, video calls… 

For this reason and due to the great boom of new technologies, it is a task strongly related to technological changes. That is why certain trends, such as Artificial Intelligence or 5G, for example, have a strong impact on the operation of these centers.  

In most cases, a central is responsible for comprehensively managing all contact channels, and other complementary tasks such as recording calls, creating reports or integrating content into all social networks. 

Benefits

Some of the main advantages of using a contact center are:

• Increase customer satisfaction.
• Resolve queries and incidents at first contact.
• Customer retention.
• A more positive perception of brands.

At JSC Ingenium we are aware of the needs of good customer service, and we offer several solutions that complement each other for better support to MVNOs customers:

• MINOS: An intelligent help system for mobile operators. When you have to open a task or report any incident, they allow you to do it in a comprehensive and structured way, centralizing all requests, streamlining the diagnosis and resolution of incidents, optimizing the work of the teams involved, etc.
• BRAIN: It is an intelligent advanced support that collects information in seconds to look for any incident, speeding up and simplifying the support tasks of MVNOs as much as possible at the time of identifying the initial cause of incidents. 
• PHAROS: A real-time core monitoring and analysis system, which visualizes and identifies any type of incident in real time. 

From JSC Ingenium we offer turnkey solutions to MVOs and MNOs for a better support to their customers in an agile, fast and flexible way, thanks to our constant commitment to R&D.

IoT Ecosystem: What is it? Components and benefits

Both the Internet of Things and the IoT ecosystem are profoundly changing the corporate and commercial world, as they allow multiple devices to be integrated through the Internet and cloud services. All this opens up endless possibilities to optimize management processes and to improve computer security, among other applications. 

From JSC Ingenium, provider of turnkey Network Infrastructure services and solutions for MNOs and MVNOs, we bring you a comprehensive management of the IoT ecosystem, which can take your company to another level; but to take full advantage of the Internet of Things and its environment, we first need you to understand in depth its concept and characteristics. Keep reading and you will find out.

IoT Ecosystem… What is it?

New technologies related to the Internet of Things allow connecting all kinds of devices, artifacts, software and applications, making it possible for them to interact in real time using automation processes and machine learning techniques. 

In this way we will be able, for example, to remotely manage all the mobile devices of a company from a central location, obtaining important advantages in terms of security and work dynamics. 

Components of an IoT Ecosystem

Some of the most important components and elements of the IoT ecosystem are:

Sensors and actuators

Sensors are devices used to capture information and data, through which actuators subsequently perform an action, as their name suggests. For example, an intelligent HVAC system includes sensors that measure the ambient temperature and send that information to the actuators, which, based on that data, will modify the power of the equipment when necessary.  

Connectivity

It refers to the tools that are used to transfer and process the data that enable the integration and communication of the devices. 

IoT Cloud

It provides a virtual and secure location for the data collected, also allowing quick access to that data when they must be analyzed and used in decision-making processes.

IoT Data Management

It is the process of transforming the large volume of data obtained into valuable information: gives them meaning, establishes meaningful relationships with each other, and gives them concrete use for making decisions.

Devices and interface

It is the component that allows to controlling smart devices, such as a control panel, a remote control or an application integrated into a smartphone.

Benefits

Among the most important advantages of the IoT ecosystem, we can highlight:

New revenue streams and new business models

Home automation, intelligent industrial systems and other processes, all of them open new opportunities to generate business and income, energizing the entire Telco sector.

Increased efficiency

Automation, device integration and Artificial Intelligence tools lead to greater efficiency in corporate management. 

 Improved customer experience

Companies “learn” due to the benefits of the IoT ecosystem, and at the same time there is an improvement in the experience of users and customers, with faster and more accurate answers, simpler procedures, etc.

At JSC Ingenium we invest in future-proof technology by offering a set of modular and scalable offerings.  Thanks to our M2M/IoT ecosystem for mobile operators, we offer MVNOs an option to securely, cost-effectively and flexibly meet the growing demand for integrators and device manufacturers, both in M2M services and in terms of connectivity.

What is digitalization? How does it improve customer experience?

The world has changed drastically in recent decades, particularly since the emergence of new information and communication technologies. In this context, digitalization is one of the most profound changes because it involves the profound modification of a series of daily habits and historically established practices.

JSC Ingenium, Network Infrastructure solutions for MNOs and MVNOs, tells you how digitalization improves the customer experience and what the future is.

What is digitalization?

Generally speaking, digitalization is a process through which digital technology is incorporated into the economy, social life, cultural practices and the entire scenario of human experience. 

The use of this concept began in the mid-1990s, to define the change that the arrival of the Internet would bring to all areas of social and economic life. 

Digitalization in companies

In companies and organizations, the transition from an analog to a digital world was a real challenge. Even today we can see problems and shortcomings in some firms and entities, which apparently do not want to fully join the digital economy.

In reality, the decrease in costs in companies was one of the most positive and transcendent consequences of the digitalization of the economy. The deep digital revolution has decreased spending in areas such as labor, production or corporate travel.

This already means multiplying the productivity of companies, but also digital services themselves are cheaper than analog ones, consequently opening up an unlimited number of possibilities for new businesses and ventures. 

How does it improve the customer experience?

At JSC Ingenium we are starring the change towards the digital universe. From the users and customers side, the benefits have also been transcendent.

First, digitization provided free access to a set of information that was previously impossible to integrate: now customers can decide their purchases using a dataset they previously couldn’t access quickly. 

On the other hand, digitalization also significantly simplified the operation and administrative procedures, something that was very evident during the last coronavirus pandemic, when all the procedures became digital “by force”.

The future of digitalization and telecommunications

In a scenario in which money becomes more digital every day and paper seems to expire, the future allows us to glimpse even deeper changes, thanks to new mobile technologies, augmented reality or Artificial Intelligence, inter alia. 

In the field of telecommunications, the revolution generated by smartphones could lead to a total integration of communications and digital devices in everyday life, for example through home automation and the so-called Internet of Things. 

Virtual SWITCHBOARD: What is it? Types and prices

Business communications are increasingly complex, platforms are multiplying, a large number of lines must be managed, 3G, 4G and 5G networks coexist… At JSC Ingenium, Network Infrastructure solutions for MNOs and MVNOs, we want to inform you about what a virtual switchboard is, what are its types and its prices.

What is a virtual switchboard?

A ‘virtual switchboard’ or ‘virtual PBX’ is a cloud communication system using IP telephony, which provides telephone lines to companies and handles calls related to those lines. It is very useful in the field of teleworking and allows a company to concentrate all its communications in one place: calls, messaging, enabling new lines…

Types of virtual switchboards

There are different types of these communication centers, which use the Internet for their operation:

Basic Virtual PBX

Companies working with this kind of virtual switchboard have different telephone lines, which are operated through IP phones. The system may also include the use of applications and webphones, using mobile devices and computers.

Mobile Virtual PBX (native)

The difference of this variant is that the communications of the switchboard can be specified from mobiles, and without the requirement of the Internet. They are common in companies that operate with corporate teams and seek quick and easy communication between the members of the work team.

Multi-site Virtual PBX

They focus on the communication and integration of the different headquarters of a company: in this way, it is possible to unify the entire corporate system and simplify internal communications.

Virtual PBX for freelancers

This virtual switchboard is designed for a specific type of user: the freelance workers. This equipment allows them to receive calls in the switchboard and thus improving their image before customers. Typically includes unlimited calls and a data plan on a mobile line, landline and PBX with full functionality.

Price of a virtual switchboard

What is the price of a virtual switchboard? Everything will depend on several factors, such as: 

• The equipment to be used.
• The number of extensions connected to the switchboard.
• Whether or not calls are included.
• Wether or not complementary services are contracted.

Depending on these factors, average prices are as follows:

• Basic virtual switchboard with 8 extensions, 49.99 EUR / month.
• Mobile virtual PBX, with 8 mobile plans and a fixed line, 89.99 EUR / month.
• Unlimited virtual SWITCHBOARD, 119.99 EUR / month.

OCS: What is it and how does it work?

Today on JSC Ingenium blog, provider of turnkey Network Infrastructure services and solutions for MNOs and MVNOs, we want to tell you what an OCS is and how it works.

An OCS allows you to carry out inventories of computer equipment either through the client or through SNMP, Simple Network Management Protocol. Keep on reading to find out everything you need to know about this software and its features.

What is an OCS?

The OCS, Open Computer and Software Inventory Next Generation, is an open source software that allows the IT department to scan and inventory all devices. 

It can deploy both hardware and software packages to keep your environment secure. Numerous add-ons are available that provide great flexibility to adapt OCS Inventory to your own system. FactorFX is the main contributor and publishes the software daily. This French company guides companies in the integration and support of OCS Inventory.

Among its advantages we will find that the bandwidth used through its agent is very low, only 5 Kilobytes. Another advantage is the number of available plugins that are developed for this software, which will allow us to obtain information about printers, system configurations, and processes that are running on a computer.

How does an OCS work?

Being an inventory system, through its agent it offers all the information of the computer where the agent or equipment is installed, such as installed software, hardware, memory, processor, storage…

It not only works on Windows and Linux systems, but also on Mac or OS systems, Android, iOs…

The agent can be installed both manually and via GPOs on Windows systems, or through Scripts on Linux systems. We can develop a script to make a massive deployment of the agent on a Linux computer, or, through a GPO, perform an MSI with the configurations such as the name of the server, the server IP and the configurations we want to send via MSI.

Before making any deployment it is important to make a demo. This can be done through the same Inventory page. With the Modem credentials we can see the different characteristics of the OCS.

Kubernetes: What is it and how does it work?

Today at JSC Ingenium, network infrastructure solutions for MNOs and MVNOS, we want to talk to you about a platform that has revolutionized the way of managing jobs and services: Kubernetes.

Keep reading our today’s post to understand how it works and what advantages entails

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What is Kubernetes?

Kubernetes is a software platform to deploy services in production for different clients, both for large companies and start-ups.

A portable, open-source platform that allows you to manage both services and workloads.

It is a container-centric management environment with a storage and networking infrastructure able to free up user workloads. 

Docker created a system that allows to easily deploying applications on any type of machine. What Kubernetes has achieved is a platform for deploying containerized, but production-ready applications, ensuring the security and availability of applications in multiple ways. We will examine it throughout this article.

In short, Kubernetes is a layer “above Docker” that offers standards and tools to facilitate the effective deployment of applications.

Lifting a Docker container is relatively simple, but lifting multiple coordinated replicas that are resistant to errors on machines or on the network, that are updated without losing the capacity of services, etc., is more complicated. Thanks to Kubernetes, all this can be done easily. 

Kubernetes starts from the experience of the Google system in cutting Borg containers, which has been in production for more than 15 years running all Google services.

How did Kubernetes come about?

The first version of Kubernetes was released to the public in 2015. Since then the project has grown a lot thanks to the Open Source community. Today a large number of companies contribute to the development of Kubernetes, being in total more than 2,400 individual collaborators. In this way a huge ecosystem of tools has been created around Kubernetes and many of these projects are managed, along with Kubernetes itself, through the Cloud Native Computing Foundation.

As a curiosity, Kubernetes in Greek means “ancient helmsman”, that is, the one who controls the ship that transports the containers.

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So why is Kubernetes having such success?

There are many reasons, the main one being that it is not a technology to experiment or for enthusiasts, but a technology designed to deploy very large projects in production.

The other big reason is that Kubernetes gives us standardized methods to put containers into production. Any type of application can be built on any Kubernetes cluster, from your local computer to your data center, or from the Cloud.

This creates a large ecosystem of software vendors that have their applications ready to deploy.

These and many other advantages have made Kubernetes one of the fastest growing software projects in recent years. Although the internal mechanics of the platform is complicated, it is very easy to interact with it.

For JSC Ingenium, its cloud-native architecture is one of the aspects that provide flexibility and cost-effectiveness due to its wide variety of cloud capabilities. This complements the power of the JSC Ingenium approach; we achieve an unprecedented business agility, allowing the MVNO to take control of business changes.

GSM: What is it and how does it work?

The first GSM-based mobile services were started in 1991 in Finland and the acronym changed to Global System for Mobile Communications. Its main objective was to provide a uniform international standard for wireless mobile communications.  At the same time the first digital mobile system based on GSM recommendations was created, which later became known as GSM-1800.

At JSC Ingenium, network infrastructure solutions for MNOs and MVNOS, we explain exactly what they consist of and how they work.

What is GSM?

GSM or Global System for Mobile Communications is the most popular wireless mobile communication technique used for public communication. The GSM standard was developed to establish protocols for second-generation digital mobile networks (2G).

Initially it began as a circuit-switched network, but later, following the integration of General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) technology, it was implemented packet switching. The most commonly used GSM frequency bands are 900 MHz and 1800 MHz.

In Europe and Asia GSM operates in the frequency range of 900 to 1800 MHz, while in the United States and other countries of America it operates in the frequency range of 850 to 1900 MHz. Uses a digital air interface which converts analog signals into digital signals before transmission. Transmission speed is 270 Kbps.

Today, approximately 80% of mobile phones worldwide use the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM). There are more than three billion users of this technology.

How does it work?

The Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) uses a combination of time division multiple access (TDMA) and frequency division multiple access (FDMA).

Frequency Division Multiple Access:

It involves dividing a frequency band into multiple bands, so that each subdivided frequency band is assigned to a single subscriber. FDMA in GSM divides the 25 MHz bandwidth into 124 carrier frequencies, each with a separation of 200 KHz. Each base station is assigned one or more carrier frequencies.

Time Division Multiple Access:

It involves assigning the same frequency channel to different subscribers by dividing the frequency band into multiple time intervals. Each user gets its own time interval, allowing multiple stations to share the same transmission space.

In GSM, each subdivided carrier frequency is divided into different time intervals using the TDMA technique. Each TDMA frame has duration of 4.164 milliseconds (ms) and contains 8 time intervals. Each time interval, or physical channel within this framework, has duration of 577 microseconds and data is transmitted in that time interval in the form of bursts.

Evolving technologies

Although the GSM or 2G communications network is still the preferred network for many subscribers, especially in developing countries such as India, due to its availability and economy, there are different communication technologies, such as the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) and the Long Term Evolution (LTE). While UMTS provides third-generation wireless communication standards, LTE provides fourth-generation wireless communication standards.