storm INTEGRATE Service Release: v5.01.30.00 Feature Overview Document Revision: v1.1
storm INTEGRATE storm INTEGRATE TM is a family of tools that leverages SOA (Service-Oriented Architecture) principles to allow disparate software systems to communicate with one another. Customers existing systems and business processes can be evaluated, and the INTEGRATE toolset deployed in order to enhance these processes, enabling existing systems to communicate with one another while adding powerful value-added monitoring and control capabilities. Using our custom INTEGRATE APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) employing secure HTTP, secure file transfer and web protocols including TCP and SOAP, cloud-based storm services can be integrated into any existing data infrastructure, allowing information to flow between the platform and third-party systems. INTEGRATE allows clients to customise, configure and personalise storm services so that they fit within their existing systems. INTEGRATE TM APIs connect the various elements of storm to the outside world and to each other. Feedback events generated from VIEW, the real-time service monitoring dashboard, can be used to trigger changes in your FLOW service logic so that workflows can be adapted proactively, in real time. Alerts, updates and notifications can be triggered and escalated automatically, based upon threshold conditions defined in your services. Data can be collected and manipulated in one service and passed to another, either within storm, or presented to an external API in order to push information into remote systems. Using FLOW s web services capability, your workflow can be integrated seamlessly with external services, passing data into external systems via HTTPS, and accepting responses that can feed back into your service logic. Using FLOW, storm services can be configured quickly and simply to perform queries on remote databases in real time, and use the retrieved information across any service. Integration capabilities storm supports over 100 database engines (including Oracle, SQL Server and MS Access) and can use many different channels for linking to external systems, including: Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) queries and responses SQL and Oracle requests and responses SFTP - secure FTP file transfers HTTPS - secure HTTP requests and responses SOAP requests and responses for XML-based queries and data acquisition TCP/IP services PHP and AJAX for dynamic web applications 1
SNMP Simple Network Management Protocol for system alerting SMTP and SMPP for email and SMS messaging Web services using the INTEGRATE API to query remote data sources Using these channels, storm can seamlessly interact with any source of data to provide real-time access to third-party systems, adding value to a client s existing capabilities by providing powerful automated workflow management tools. storm s cloud-based solutions can sit above a client s existing data management systems, abstracting data from their legacy network infrastructure, and feeding it into our communications integration architecture. Integration to users' desktops can be provided in a number of ways, including via the DTA (Desktop Telephony Assistant) and ipath products. DTA (Desktop Telephony Assistant) The DTA (Desktop Telephony Assistant) is a software module that runs on an agent s PC and allows information gathered from customers or retrieved from remote databases to appear directly on an agent s display as a screen pop. DTA runs in conjunction with ipath, or as a stand-alone module, and integrates with FLOW to enable variables such as data entry captures to be sent to an agent along with incoming calls. As soon as a call is routed to an agent s desk phone or ipath, the DTA module pops up to display related data: Used in combination with the web services capability in FLOW, the DTA can display information retrieved from a third-party CRM system, such as a customer s name or address, and display this information alongside data related to the current call or session. For instance, using an automated IVR system developed in FLOW, a customer can be prompted to enter an account number, which can then be used to retrieve the customer s name from a remote database. The name is sent back to the FLOW service via HTTPS, and saved as a variable. Using your automated IVR, the customer can, for example, request a service and key their payment details using the storm LOCK secure payment system. If the customer then wishes to speak to an agent, the call can be routed into a CONTACT ACD (Automatic Call Distribution) queue. As soon as the call is sent to an agent, all these details will appear instantly on the agent s screen, allowing the agent to greet the customer personally and see the details of the transaction performed using the automated IVR. The DTA itself can be used to connect with third-party CRM systems via the web, over a network or on a local machine. Customer data can be pulled from third-party systems and displayed as a screen pop via a dynamic web interface using AJAX or PHP, or on the DTA panel itself. Using the macro scripting capability available on the DTA and ipath, the software can be integrated with other Microsoft Windows applications. For example, based on incoming CLI, DDI or captured customer data passed into the application, a macro script can be configured to perform a custom look-up on a database system. The program can then present relevant information, such as a customer s full contact history, or an appropriate contact centre script, on an agent s screen as soon as they answer a call. 2
ipath A centrepiece of the CENTREX VoIP (Voice over IP) architecture, the ipath is storm s soft-client IP phone that runs on a user s PC, providing additional end-user integration capabilities. ipath can be paired with a hardware IP phone or used standalone, and integrates by default with all storm services, sending data on current user activity and status via a SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) connection. ipath provides instant feedback on the current status of agents to the real-time Wallboard application, keeping contact centre managers in the know about the current availability status of their staff. ipath also integrates with CONTACT and the MATRIX Switchboard and Conference Manager applications, feeding back live presence status, ensuring everyone in the organisation can see who is currently logged on, available or busy, and allowing the system to route calls intelligently. Availability and presence status can be pushed in real time to third-party applications, allowing clients to incorporate this live data into their existing workforce management systems. Once calls are completed, agents can select from a set of configurable call completion codes, which are written against the call record and can be shipped to a third-party database via an INTEGRATE API. FLOW web services integration capability Your API can be configured using FLOW s intuitive graphical interface. The web service module provides a standardised interface that can be used to query remote data sources such as a CRM database, and incorporate returned data into a live service. A FLOW web service connects to remote servers using an HTTPS (Secure Hypertext Transport Protocol) or SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol) interface, and sends variables, data or database queries as an XML structure containing a series of parameter/value pairs. Multiple items of data can be sent, allowing you to use FLOW to perform custom look-ups on your data network or to pass customer information directly into your back-end systems. storm publishes its own WSDL (Web Services Description Language), containing the data connection specification that allows a client to accept connections from the FLOW web service and pass data back into the system. The web service operates within an isolated DMZ ( Demilitarised Zone ) and uses secure web connections to ensure network integrity. FLOW web services allow remote communications systems to interact seamlessly and securely. 3
storm VIEW TM VIEW is a powerful statistical reporting and data analysis package which can be used to present management information from any data source and monitor performance at a glance, in real time. VIEW s real-time Dashboard and historical Report Builder modules allow you to create flexible and fully customisable live and historical report screens using an intuitive drag-and-drop interface. VIEW is integrated by default all storm services, such as RESPONSE and FLOW for interactive service creation, CENTREX and CONTACT for intelligent call distribution and contact centre management, and DIAL for outbound multichannel services. Service threshold levels can be defined, allowing trigger events to feed back into your workflow automatically, sending notifications and escalation alerts, and proactively adjusting your service logic. Using INTEGRATE, a VIEW service can be configured to report on any source of data, allowing you to create complex service analysis reports and display management information from multiple, diverse systems on a single screen. For example, management information from third-party ACD systems can be pulled into the platform and displayed live on the Dashboard, while historical service analysis reports can be created and distributed automatically with a few clicks. storm LINK TM LINK provides the multi-channel communications facilities on which INTEGRATE services depend. While INTEGRATE provides data paths to remote stores of information, LINK provides pointto-point communications between people, using email, SMS, MMS, Fax, voice, voicemail and video. LINK also provides the ability to communicate with remote devices such as pagers, smart meters, remote alarms and sensors, location devices as well as devices used for telemedicine and health monitoring. Each channel of communication uses its own protocols and means to establish a communication path. LINK therefore supports a range of media types and related communications protocols, including: FTP File Transfer Protocol used for exporting files such as call recordings and CDRs to remote servers H.323 - defines a set of call control, channel setup and codec specifications for transmitting realtime voice and video over networks that do not offer any formal Quality of Service H.263 & H.264 Video - videoconferencing standards for the compression, distribution and storage of video streams. H.264 supports High Definition MPEG-4 HTTP Hypertext Transfer Protocol the standard protocol for sending and receiving data over the Internet HTTPS Secure HTTP, typically uses SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) or TLS (Transport Layer Security) to provide secure communications over public networks ODBC - Open Database Connectivity a standardised software interface for accessing databases in a manner that is independent of the programming language, database system, and operating system used RTP Real time Transport Protocol transports VoIP audio and video over IP networks S-FTP Secure FTP SIP Session Initiation Protocol used to establish and manage VoIP communications (phone calls and conferences) over IP networks SMPP Short Message Peer-to- Peer protocol used to send and receive SMS and MMS messages 4
SMTP Simple Mail Transfer Protocol for the sending and receipt of email messages SNMP - Simple Network Management Protocol, used for system alerting T.38 the standard for transmitting fax over an IP network TAP - Telocator Alphanumeric Protocol used for sending data from automated systems to radio paging devices TAPI - Telephony Application Programming Interface a Windows API that allows a PC to control telephony services TCP Transmission Control Protocol manages the reliable transfer of data streams across a packet-switched network UDP User Datagram Protocol part of the Internet Protocol suite, allows a datagram to be sent to a remote host without having to first define a channel or data path LINK provides protocol handling for circuit switched networks: Digital (T1/E1/SS7) and analogue (2/4-wire). Over 100 protocols and their variants are supported. In addition, protocol handling for packet switched networks, includes support for both IP and ATM. LINK controls the resources used for call routing and switching, voice processing, Fax processing, audio conferencing, call recording and media conversion. Voice processing includes both Text to Speech and Automated Speech Recognition. Data compression includes support for G.729A, G723.1, GSM, ADPCM formats. With such versatility, LINK enables all types of communication to be handled in the digital domain. Media and format conversion allows, for example, Voicemail to be delivered by email, SMS to be sent as Fax, or the results from remote monitoring to be fed into client s databases. When INTEGRATE data structures, FLOW workflow management and LINK communication channels combine, the possibilities are truly unlimited. Case study: UK Power Networks UK Power Networks is the UK s largest producer of electricity, delivering supplies to around 8 million homes and businesses. The client s challenge was to deal with large volumes of enquiries from customers when unexpected power outages occur across the network. UKPN were faced with the option of having to maintain a call centre with a massive but rarely-used redundant capacity that would be capable of handling mass call scenarios, but would be overkill for their everyday business. Instead, they elected to deploy storm s LOSS (Loss of Supply Service) and SHIELD solutions, integrating these with their existing contact centre and fault reporting systems. The LOSS service uses an INTEGRATE module to provide real-time monitoring of the power network for faults reported by the national ENMAC (Electricity Network Management and Control) database. storm connects to ENMAC across resilient and secure IPVPN links via SOAP and TCP (Transmission Control Protocol), receiving real-time data on the current status of the energy grid as a series of XML strings. This data is fed directly into the LOSS interface, giving agents an instantaneous, at-a-glance view of current faults and repair work across the system. LOSS uses ENMAC s fault data proactively, sending SMS messages to those who have subscribed for updates, keeping affected customers up to date, and preventing high call volumes from overwhelming the call centre. Meanwhile, SHIELD uses data from the ENMAC database to adapt and update the client s automated IVR service in real time, fielding calls from affected customers and playing them an automated message 5
informing them that engineers are aware of the fault, letting them know the current status of repair work and providing an estimated restoration time. In order to provide this information to customers automatically, storm uses the caller s CLI (Calling Line Identity) or postcode collected via ASR (Automatic Speech Recognition) to identify their geographical location and match them to the affected region. Callers from affected locations are then played the systemgenerated message and offered the chance to speak to an agent or to subscribe to automated SMS updates. The integrated LOSS solution, combined with storm s vast capacity for handling incoming calls and sending mass outbound messages, provides UKPN with an instantaneous, resilient and high availability service, seamlessly integrated with their existing network and systems. Case study: salesforce.com THUS is a telecoms carrier focusing on providing communications solutions to the SME (Small and Medium Enterprise) market. Their challenge was to provide VoIP connectivity for remote agents using the cloud-hosted sales and customer service system, salesforce.com. The online salesforce contact directory had to be integrated with their telephony solution so that agents could make calls directly from the web interface, and agent activity could be fed back to an online database. Using an INTEGRATE API, the ipath soft client connects to a custom call centre adapter module running on an agent s PC. Using this module, ipath connects to the salesforce website via a browser connection, sending and receiving data through HTTP requests. ipath allows distributed agents to log in to the website, and to make and receive calls directly from an online contact database using a click to call function. Agents can use the interface to set their availability status, trigger outbound calls from their soft client, and store notes and comments against calls by typing them into the web interface. Using custom INTEGRATE adapter modules, the ipath and DTA can be hooked into any third-party infrastructure and used to push or pull agent and customer data as required. 6
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Case study: IEX TotalView Scottish Power is an energy provider with a contact centre running on a legacy CPE (Customer Premise Equipment) PBX system. The client wanted to enhance their service by adding intelligent call routing capabilities and feeding agent performance statistics into their existing workforce management system, without replacing their existing telephony infrastructure. Using the CONTACT system, storm routes calls to the Scottish Power contact centre via the PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network) using intelligent ACD rules, and delivers agent status data to a remote IEX TotalView server via an INTEGRATE API. The storm platform stores data related to the current status of agents in a resilient and scalable data source. Through an INTEGRATE module, this data source exposes a secure interface through which IEX s remote software can subscribe to receive real-time updates on the data, storm INTEGRATE: TotalView allowing the client to use this information in their own management analytics software. The current status of agents in the contact centre is monitored in real time by the system, and this status data is served live to the secure API, which feeds the data to TotalView via a TCP/IP connection. Once a subscription is established, the connection is kept alive via a regular heartbeat packet. As soon as an agent state changes, an event is triggered that is immediately sent to the TotalView API, updating its agent statuses instantaneously. In addition to the real-time statistics pushed to TotalView, storm generates regular historical reports on agent activity at 15 minute intervals, and makes these available by SFTP (Secure File Transfer Protocol) to be downloaded by the client. These reports are generated 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, providing the client with continuous real-time and historical statistics on their storm-enabled service. 8
Communications integration INTEGRATE allows you to create services that respond automatically to events pulled from any live service or source of data, harnessing the power of storm to trigger multi-channel notifications and alerts via LINK. storm LINK handles inbound and outbound multi-channel communications, connecting the platform with end users via any device, using SMS, MMS, email, web, red button, automated voice services or wireless technologies. The storm platform can handle up to 30,000 simultaneous connections, and is able to handle burst scenarios so that clients do not need to maintain redundant capacity: storm s scalable, reliable network capacity is always available, in the cloud, on demand. storm INTEGRATE connects businesses with each other, and LINK connects them with end users, via any channel. storm s suite of communications products includes inbound call handling and routing, Automatic Call Distribution for contact centres, voice conferencing, outbound multi-channel and predictive dialling services, call recording and powerful realtime and historical management reporting capabilities. Combining these services and storm s massive capacity with its INTEGRATE capabilities allows clients to use the platform with total flexibility to pull or push data as required, adding value to their existing systems. About storm storm is Europe s largest multi-channel mass call handling platform, capable of delivering full interactive communications integration on a mass scale, with a proven record of five nines service availability. storm offers a range of powerful, resilient and scalable cloud-hosted services, and constantly brings the latest advances in technology to the marketplace, removing the need for companies to invest in costly infrastructure. With its vast capacity and versatility, storm s systems and applications work and keep working, which is why they are used for broadcast charity appeals, mass voting systems, emergency communication services and a host of other services in which capacity and reliability are critical. Contact us For further information please contact us at: Content Guru Ltd. The Redwood Building, Broad Lane, Bracknell, Berks, RG12 9GU UK Registered in England No. 5653869 T: +44 (0)1344 852 350 F: +44 (0)1344 852 351 W: www.contentguru.com E: sales@contentguru.com Copyright and Disclaimer We reserve the right to make changes to the information in this document at any time without notice. Information published in this document is believed to be reliable. However, we assume no liabilities for inaccuracies or omissions in this document, or liability arising from the use of such information. Furthermore, we assume no liability for the infringement of patents or other intellectual property rights owned by third parties which may result from the application of this information. Content Guru and STORM are registered trademarks of Content Guru Ltd. CENTREX, CONTACT, DIAL, FLOW, INTEGRATE, LINK, LOSS, RESPONSE, RECORDER and VIEW are trademarks of Content Guru Ltd. ipath and Redwood Technologies are registered trademarks of Redwood Technologies Ltd. No part of this document may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic or mechanical, for any purpose, without our written permission. Copyright 2011 by Content Guru Ltd. Document Revision: 1.1 9