Storacall Guide to Call Recording
Table of Contents What is a Call Recorder? 3 Who Needs to Record Calls and Why? 4 Extension Side Recording 5 Trunk Side Recording 6 Recording Calls from an IP System 7 Storacall Support 8 About Storacall-ST Recording Solutions 9 Features at a Glance 10 Aspire Agent Training Software 11 Integrations 12 2
Methods of Call Recording Storacall-ST supports trunk-side, extension-side IP, SIP, SIP Trunks, hosted, cloud and radio recording providing a highly flexible reliable solution. Trunk Side Recording For trunk recording the Storacall-ST interfaces directly with the trunks before they reach the PBX system. Trunk side recording is best suited to applications where a blanket recording solution is required. Extension Recording For extension recording the Storacall- ST records calls direct from the handsets via a connection in the PBX room, no desktop wiring is required. Sample Search Criteria Basic search date, time, channel, user name or extension Advanced search call duration, CLI, dialled digits, notes and many more Saved Searches saved searches allow you to create templates for easy call search and playback What is a Call Recorder? Over the last few years Call Recorders have become an increasingly commonplace piece of equipment in offices across the UK. Most call recorders are delivered to customers in a similar format, as tower or rack mounted PCs comprised of mainly off-the-shelf hardware components and proprietary third party software. It is increasingly the case that modern call recorders have some kind of network capability, allowing users to search for calls across the LAN or internet. Systems may come in a wide range of shapes and sizes, ranging from single line analogue boxes that record directly from handsets on the desktop to industrial strength 4U chassis that straddle multiple PRIs and capture thousands of calls a day. It is important that you choose the right recorder for your clients requirements and that means understanding how their needs might change they might for example add more extensions to their PABX or swap out their traditional telephone system for a Voice Over IP (VoIP) solution. However large or small the system, certain requirements remain the same call recorders must be robust, easy to use and must provide the user with a range of call data by which to search and archive their calls. These include: Calling Line Identifier (CLI) Called Number Time and Date User or Extension Information Call Duration Group, Team or Department Manual or Automatic Custom Fields via API 3
Who Needs to Record Calls and Why? Not so long ago the use of call recording was largely restricted to banks, financial institutions and government agencies. While these still form a large part of the call recording market, the use of recorders has grown significantly over the last few years into other market areas such as retail, insurance and healthcare. There are many reasons why an organisation might decide to record their calls, here are a few; FCA Recent changes to FCA regulations have meant that call recording is becoming increasingly commonplace within all companies subject to FCA regulation. This extends now to mortgage and insurance brokers. PCI DSS The PCI DSS is a set of comprehensive requirements for enhancing payment account data security, developed by the founding payment brands of the PCI Security Standards Council, including American Express, Discover Financial Services, JCB International, MasterCard Worldwide and Visa Inc. International to help facilitate the broad adoption of consistent data security measures on a global basis. Compliance: recent changes to FSA regulations have meant that call recording is becoming increasingly commonplace within all companies subject to FSA regulation. This extends now to mortgage and insurance brokers. Telephone transactions: it has long been the case that any organisation taking financial transactions over the telephone have recorded their calls. The recent growth in telephone sales has been a major driver to call recording. Performance: the growth of the call centre has been another major driver for call recording. Most mid-large call centres will have a call recorder (and possibly adjunct evaluation software) in place to help with training and development of call centre agents. Security: many public institutions, particularly those with a high profile or controversial reputation opt for call recording. In short there are a huge number of reasons why an organisation might consider call recording if there is an opportunity for fraud, compensation or illegal activity, there is a need for call recording. In all circumstances it is crucial that calls are securely encrypted for storage, this means that calls cannot be tampered with or amended. Call recorders that do not provide secure encryption cannot be used for evidence. 4
Storage and Archiving Another important considerations when considering a call recording solution is storage and archiving media. Most modern mid-high end recording systems come equipped with a dedicated hard drive for call archiving and provide an alternative medium for redundancy purposes (usually a NAS/SAN). One of the most common questions we get asked is how long will my HDD last? The answer to this question depends on a huge number of variables; number of agents, call traffic and the length of calls all have to be taken into consideration. For this reason there is no definitive answer to this question the best we can do is offer an approximate answer in call hours, based on the compression rates used to store the voice data and the storage available on the system. Extension Side Recording Sometimes known as station recording or handset recording, this kind of system records calls direct from the PBX handsets. In an extension recording configuration, calls are recorded from behind the PBX. This allows the recorder to record internal as well as external calls. There are three main extension variations namely Analogue, Digital or VoIP. If you opt for an extension recording system you are not likely to require any other kind of integration to the PBX such as SMDR or CTI. Extension devices are wide and varied with a multitude of vendors and devices that may be handsets, headsets, analogue phones, turrets, dealerboards, microphones and speakers. Details of devices supported by the Storacall recorders can be found on our website or a member of the sales team will be happy to discuss your requirements. The diagram below illustrates the basic configuration of an extension recording system. Note how the recording device interfaces directly with the PBX handsets (or headsets, turrets etc), rather than the PSTN trunk. Please note that no wiring goes directly to the handset, all connectivity is done on your PBX patch panel. In most environments you will require the ability to archive all calls, this is done automatically by the archive policy and usually backs the calls up on a NAS/SAN effectively offering almost unlimited storage capacity. All archived calls are encrypted and compressed and can even be sent to FTP storage for added security. 5
Trunk or Extension Side Recording: Which is most suitable for your client? This is usually the key driver behind which solution you look to purchase, the following advantages and disadvantages that need to be carefully considered when deciding your requirements: - In terms of functionality, recording at the extension offers a more comprehensive solution than trunk recording. Extension recording will allow you to record internal calls, track holds and transfers and will also provide a more complete set of data on which extension took the call without the need for further integration with the PBX. The disadvantage of extension recording when compared to trunk is cost digital extension recording tends to be slightly more costly than trunk recording when compared on a channel for channel basis. Trunk Side Recording Sometimes known as line side recording, a trunk recording solution interfaces directly with the analogue, SIP or ISDN PSTN trunks before they reach the PBX system. Trunk side recording uses high impedance passive tap technology to interface to the incoming trunks without terminating the line or impacting on the strength of the signal. In these kind of configurations the incoming trunks are fitted with T splitters or RJ45 doublers, small pieces of kit fitted to the lines which divert the E1 signal directly into the recorder. Unlike an extension recording system, trunk recorders do not always interface with the PABX. This means that a basic trunk solution will not provide the recorder with details such as extension/agent data and will only present the recorder with basic information from the D-channel such as time/ date and CLI. It is usual therefore when implementing a trunk solution, to perform integration with the PABX in order to gather this missing agent/extension information. This is usually achieved by integrating with the SMDR or CTI ports on the PBX. Such integration would also allow specified extensions to be excluded from recording. The diagram below illustrates the basic configuration of a trunk recording solution. Note how the recorder interfaces directly with the incoming lines rather than the extensions. Trunk recording allows you to capture all calls that use the recorded trunks so tends to be better suited to environments where organisations need a blanket recording solution. The downside of this is that without some form of PBX integration there will be no information on the handsets presented to the recording system, and all handsets, including those of management and HR will be recorded. Most phone systems offer an SMDR port free of charge, Storacall can integrate with these phone systems via Euclid and provide the handset information as well as optional recording on Management and HR phones. 6
VoIP/SIP The deployment of VoIP is becoming increasingly prevalent and is changing the way companies communicate and do business. The new Storacall IPST recorders are suitable for the entire range of users from the smallest contact centre to large, multi-site, multi-branch, high-end environments whether for legal compliance management, dispute resolution, staff training or simply to improve the customer experience. The Storacall IPST range of call recorders are able to record industry standard VoIP protocols providing compatibility and integration with most leading VoIP telephony platforms. The IP protocols supported by Storacall IPST are RoIp, VoIP, SIP plus IP protocols used by the major manufacturers including Cisco Skinny, Avaya H323, H323, Nortel Unistim, Ericsson H323, Siemens, Alcatel, NEC Protims, Intertel, Shoretel MGCP, Aastra Matra, LG Nortel, NEC Sip, Panasonic MGCP, Mitel, Samsung, Aastra SIP. Integration is also available for TAPI, Nortel CMS, Microsoft Lync, Avaya CMS, Alcatel ACD and most PABX SMDR/CDR. Recording Calls from an IP System There are a number of ways in which this can be done and the methods vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. The information given here should not be considered valid for all call recording systems and relates only to recording IP calls on a Storacall system. The first thing to establish when considering a VoIP recording solution is whether or not the system is IP throughout. It is quite common for an organisation to have an IP enabled switch running standard TDM digital telephones, this is particularly common with Avaya IP office, where the relatively high cost of IP extensions leads many people to keep their existing handsets. If this is the case the solution should be treated exactly the same as any other digital extension implementation for our purposes, it is NOT a VoIP recording system. Storacall s IP recorder works in a very straightforward and cost-effective way. Unlike digital extension recording where a physical connection needs to be made to each recorded extension, VoIP recording on Storacall interfaces directly with the IP-PBX via a SPAN or mirrored port. A mirrored port is simply an ethernet port on the IP switch set up to replicate the voice traffic, implementation of this is the responsibility of the PBX vendor and is usually a straightforward and low-cost exercise. It should be noted that IP Recording usually requires integration of some sort, usually TAPI as this seems to be a standard port on most IP-PBXs. IP calls can be recorded without this but will usually only pick up date/ time. 7
Pay as You Use Call Recording Storacall have introduced a new concept for paying for your call recording requirements, Storacall-MR is a revolutionary way to get a high level call recording solution at an affordable monthly price. Just like your gas and electricity bills, with Storacall-MR you ONLY pay for what you use, if you record 5 calls or 500,000 calls you pay accordingly. The software is fitted with a Meter Reading function which provides the units used, each quarter Storacall will raise an invoice based on your clients call usage. A unit is an hour of recorded conversation, you will have a fixed price per unit so you can easily budget for your quarterly bills. Storacall Support All our solutions are installed and maintained by our own highly skilled team of field engineers, you can choose from the level of cover to suit your business, we can even provide bespoke support contracts to fit your business if required. Care Cover Standard 9.5% Retail Price Year 1-11.5% Retail Price Thereafter The Company will provide support and service during normal working hours, 9.00am - 5.30pm Monday to Friday excluding Bank Holidays. Care Cover Extra 12% Retail Price Year 1-15% Retail Price Thereafter The Company will provide support and service during normal working hours, 9.00am - 5.30pm seven days per week excluding Bank Holidays. Care Cover Super 18% Retail Price Year 1-25% Retail Price Thereafter The Company will provide support and service during normal working hours, twenty four hours per day, seven days per week excluding Bank Holidays. Care Cover from Storacall provides the following: - Telephone Helpdesk Support Remote Support On-Site Engineer Support All Recording Hardware and Software Covered 8
Storacall-ST has a range of advanced features including: Fast Search and Retrieval The advanced design lets you search, retrieve and playback calls with simplicity and speed. Flexible Call Archiving Fully configurable archive module giving you total control of call storage either locally or remotely. Full API Integration Module Enables integration of external systems. Notes Fields Add notes to calls and use those notes as searchable fields. Full Audit Trail Searchable audit trail so you can see who has done what on the system. Automatic System Health Checks Automatic heartbeat monitoring application to give you total peace of mind. Business Units and Groups Split your business calls into groups, teams and/or departments then search on this information. User Profiles Fully customisable user profiles allow you to see the information the way you want to see it. About Storacall-ST Recording Solutions The Storacall-ST recorder is a highly featured, cost effective and reliable recording solution providing from 2 to 240 channels of recording per box. The ability to have distributed architecture (realms) along with multi-site support allows your solution from Storacall to grow with your business. Storacall-ST has been developed using our vast experience in the telecommunications market, Storacall Voice Systems have been trading for over 45 years, we know the issues you face and are here to help every step of the way. Storacall-ST is a proven call recording solution and has the ability to record calls via handset, trunk, hosted / cloud based or any mixture of this technology. We integrate to analogue trunks / extensions, IP trunks, SIP trunks, Basic Rate ISDN, Primary Rate ISDN, Hosted VoIP and the majority of digital, IP and SIP handsets. Storacall-ST works with businesses of any size and across multiple sites and blends of telephony. The unique architecture of Storacall-ST means that it runs just like any other web page and all a user requires in order to use Storacall-ST is a browser. What this means is fewer maintenance overheads for system administrators and no clashes or problems with conflicting desktop applications. Passwords are fully encrypted providing total security, you can set password expiry and the system administrator has a password recovery option. Storacall-ST has been developed using Microsoft ASP.net development & application environment with Silverlight multiple browser media manager & player. Security Profiles Fully customisable security profiles. Export Search Results Allows you to export your call recording data to csv or word for report generating. 9
Features at a Glance Storage and Backup Automatic call archive Ability to archive off-site FTP archive with password protection Choose how long to archive calls Archive calls for different departments/teams Security FCA compliant PCI DSS compliant - credit card masking 256 bit call encryption Fully customisable security policies Black list recording rules Searching for Calls Date, Time and Duration Caller ID (if available) Dialled Number Extension Number Call Direction (Inbound or Outbound) Notes (add searchable notes to calls) Agents Name Team and/or Department Saved Search Filters Connection Types Available Digital, SIP and IP Extensions Analogue Extensions and Trunks ISDN-30, ISDN-2, DASS, DPNSS or SIP Trunks Hosted/Cloud Recording Modules System Details Fully scalable from 2 to 240 channels per box Ability to have multi-sites Pro-Active heartbeat monitoring Unlimited replay clients Mix analogue, digital and IP in a single solution Agent Evaluation Module Speech Analytics Module (AudioSearch) Full API Available Excellent Audio Compression Export and Email calls Ability to export to CSV, Excel and Word Full Audit trail with ability to export results Ability to have multiple servers Data collection via database integration Agent Free-seating and Hot-desking support Storacall's Agent Evaluation Module enables you to ensure calls are evaluated objectively and consistently so that the performance measurement is credible in the eyes of all the stakeholders i.e. agents, team leaders and managers, and comparisons are meaningful between agents and teams. Storacall AudioSearch is a speech analysis package using unique phonetic technology which allows quick and accurate search, review, list, categorisation and tagging of large volumes of call recording audio. It can also be used to search voice mails, video and other audio sources. Storacall s API is a collection of functions that allow end user programs to extract call data, and/or export calls from the Storacall Recorder without recourse to the web interface. Storacall s PCI DSS Module allows the sensitive credit card information of any telephone call to be masked from being recorded. 10
Aspire key features Contact Handling Templates Unlimited number of templates can be developed Multiple scoring options available Weightings applied to each question Applied to calls, email, correspondence etc Evaluations Easy to use Each question includes evaluation guidelines Use audio clips and comments with each question to support assessment rating. This simple to use function is invaluable in reinforcing evaluation and generating advisor understanding of areas for improvement Reports League table reports Trend reports for individual, team and all other levels Drill down question analysis for individual, team and all other levels Evaluator Learning and Accreditation Create evaluation skills learning modules Use with all advisors to develop self-assessment skills Evaluation skills accreditation Behavioural Learning Create behavioural learning modules using real-life calls Learning undertaken at desktop Create library for systematic learning by new advisors Aspire Agent Training Software As we have seen, there are many reasons why an organisation might require call recording. One further significant value call recording can add to your business is in helping to improve the performance/ call handling skills of your call centre agents. Evaluate from Storacall is a fully featured software application designed to facilitate training and development in the call centre environment. Evaluate allows you to design and create scoring templates, report on your agents current/historical performance and produce graphical reports to identify the strengths and weaknesses within your teams all in a single, easy to use software package. Unlike most reporting applications, Evaluate allows you to build an on-line assessment sheet with minimal effort. So that you can provide an objective scoring system Evaluate allows you to add scoring guides so that all supervisors/ assessors are using the same criteria to score calls. You can even highlight specific sections of the call using the bookmark feature allowing you to provide your agents with detailed feedback on their performance and training needs. 11
Integrations If your equipment is not listed please give us a call Storacall Voice Systems Ltd Unit C1, The Dolphin Estate Windmill Road Sunbury on Thames Middlesex, TW16 7HE t: 01932 710710 e: sales@storacall.co.uk 12 www.storacall.co.uk