If any one name in the telecoms market is synonymous with call analytics, it is Tollring. For more than two decades, the UK-based software developer has built its entire business around products which, to borrow its own phrase, “turn communications into insight.” In the process, it has become a market leader in call analytics and recording software.
In the time Tollring has been in existence, of course, telecoms has changed dramatically. Driven by the digital revolution, systems and technology have become more sophisticated and complex, creating vast streams of data unlike anything ever previously available. Demand for products which can effectively mine these enormous reserves of data and turn it into useful business intelligence has soared.
Tollring’s iCall Suite, also known as iCS, is the company’s current flagship platform for call analytics and recording. A modular solution available on multiple devices, iCS aims to make a very complex job as simple and as flexible for end users as possible.
In this review, we will assess how well iCS takes the complex task of call analytics and makes it something intuitive and usable for all business users. Please bear in mind that the opinions expressed in this review are those of the author only. UC Today provides a uniquely independent news and insight service to the Unified Communications industry in the UK and plays no role in the promotion or marketing of any particular brands or products.
How Does It Look?
iCS scores highly on the visual appeal of its GUI. The interface has been designed to be easily scannable, making intelligent use of layout, bold colours, graphics and clear, easy to read segmentation. This applies to the mobile clients as well as desktop. The wallboard, which also appears within the main user console, is a very simple table of coloured rectangles. Depending on the module being used, other information displayed ranges from quick reports to in-progress call details.
What Can It Do?
Tollring iCall Suite is a modular software platform available as two distinct products, iCS Online and iCS Desktop. ICS Online is a cloud service hosted by Tollring itself, and is browser based so it can be accessed from any suitable device. ICS Desktop is an on premises software solution, which can either be run in the data centre or virtualised as a private cloud option.
Both versions offer easy scalability from just a handful of users to thousands, and can be configured for multisite telephone networks.
The iCall Suite is built around six core modules which are subscribed to or purchased according to the needs and wishes of the individual customer. Different modules are available depending on whether you opt for iCS Online or iCS Desktop, with the hosted service offering the most basic package available, and the desktop version a full contact centre solution.
The most straightforward module available as part of the hosted cloud service, iCS Insight, is designed to provide visualisation of call activity and performance via a predefined dashboard. The Insight console shows a wallboard displaying key call metrics, an hourly call distribution chart, a calls answered percentage ‘barometer’, and access to quick reports. Data is updated automatically every 15 minutes.
The next module up, iCS Report, is also the first module available as an on premises software solution. It offers customisable dashboards so you can display the data most relevant to your business, in depth inbound analytics for users, hunts groups and ACD, plus the ability to schedule and configure reports, set threshold alarms and build executive reports from multiple data points.
As an optional extension to the iCS Online service, iCS Report Premier provides all reporting features in real time. This includes traffic flow and real time capacity management, plus smart staff resourcing predictions which extrapolate future capacity requirements from historical data. These functions are all bundled in with the main iCS Report desktop module.
Of the remaining three modules, iCS Record is available both as a cloud and on site option. The cloud module provides permissions-based supervisor playback with a full audit trail, but there is also an end user console so individual agents can easily listen back to their own calls. It includes built in analytics for performance monitoring with integrated dashboards. As a desktop solution, the recording software can pick up any type of telephone line used – ISDN, digital, analogue as well as IP and SIP. All recordings are stored in fully compliant encrypted format.
For larger contact centres handling high volumes of inbound calls, the desktop only iCS Contact module provides an advanced range of supervisor and agent management tools. The analytics tools provide a greater range of performance data in real time, with the option for supervisors to adjust agent status and group allocation live. Agents get an additional platform for call control and call preview, with integrated details from other points of contact displayed. Outbound progressive and predictive diallers can also be added.
Finally, the iCS Detect cloud module provides protection against call fraud based on profile limits. It offers live alerts which can be customised according to need, self-learning profiles based on call trends and automatic call barring. These features are all built into the Desktop Report module.
What do we like?
The modular system makes iCS hugely flexible and suitable for a wide range of businesses, from an SME just wanting to gain some visibility on how its telephone-based customer service operations are working, to large enterprises wanting to drive performance and efficiency across multiple contact centres. As noted above, the clarity and organisation of the interface is a major strength, and the fact that iCS Online is browser based means you are always have live analytics, reports or recordings available at your fingertips.
Who is it for?
Not only does having the cloud and desktop versions make iCS very flexible in terms of deployment, but is also seems as if Tollring is aiming at two different markets. ICS Online is perhaps more geared to the SME market, offering the benefits of cost, flexibility and hassle free deployment associated with SaaS solutions. The slightly more in depth range of features available with iCS Desktop and the iCS Contact option aim more for the middle to enterprise markets.
Where to buy and for how much?
Contact your Tollring channel partner for pricing details.
UC Today Opinion
Call analytics, reporting and management platforms offer many benefits to any business where telephony is a key part of their customer contact and service provision. As Tollring itself argues, the faster and more efficiently you can answer customer queries, the more you will retain. And by driving better resourcing and contact centre management, you can reduce your communications overheads.
The key is how you access the huge volumes of data created by a telecoms system and turn it into intelligence a business can use to improve. Data processing and analysis is complicated – businesses need simple solutions. With the iCall Suite, Tollring delivers on this. Everything about the product is geared towards usability and providing useful, actionable insight. Whether you simply want visibility on your call handling, or want to empower agents and supervisors to improvise performance enhancements in real time, the iCall Suite provides an intuitive, powerful solution.
Have you used iCall Suite, or are you a Tollring reseller? Do you agree with our thoughts? If you have any of your own insights to add, please feel free to post in the comments section below. And why not share this article with friends and colleagues on social media too?
If you’re thinking of buying Call Reporting & Analytics, or still deciding whether your business needs it, please take a look at our comprehensive, independent buyer’s guide.
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