Inova's New LightLink Edition Lights Up Desktop Presenter Displays

Real-time visual messaging -- such as when corporate announcements are sent in real-time to contact center agents and supervisors via digital signage and the desktop -- has just gotten better. Inova Solutions has released a new version of its Inova (News - Alert) LightLink middleware that is lighting up its Inova Desktop Presenter, a desktop application that displays real-time metrics and messaging with enhancements.

The new Inova Solutions LightLink version, 5.7.404, enables Desktop Presenter to be preconfigured, thereby making installation even simpler. When users such as an agent or supervisor logs in, Desktop Presenter applications are ready to go; they do not have to be individually configured on each machine.

LightLink now ties authentication and messaging to Microsoft (News - Alert) Windows user names rather than IP addresses. Authenticating by user name provides added security by only allowing users to see messages tied specifically to individual log-ins. Users can also log in remotely for access to desktop applications and messages. This direct-connect mechanism allows for Desktop Presenter applications to connect from subnets other than the one on which the LightLink server is running without requiring router configurations to propagate multicast packets.

Both of these new LightLink features are especially important for enabling and supporting home-based staff. Preconfiguration avoids having them to make the changes on their machines; being at home there are no helpful IT staff to look over their shoulders to assist them. The authentication and messaging functionality ensures that it is the employee rather than someone else like a family member who gets on the machine while the staffer is on a break that has access to messages, thereby protecting confidential data.

More contact centers are ‘going home’ because they have found that it saves money through facilities cost reductions, higher productivity and lower turnover; the Telework Coalition, a Washington, D.C.-based telework advocacy/educational organization estimates this at $20,000 per employee/year. Home working also enables center to hire a higher quality employee by widening the labor pool including tapping people who prefer to work from home. It also cuts down on commuting and resulting pollution. Yet IT issues like configuring software by remote staff and security concerns in home offices have likely braked home agent adoption; concerns that Inova Solutions is addressing.

Desktop Presenter’s three desktop applications — Inova Marquee, Inova DataLink and Inova TaskLink — are all powered by LightLink middleware. The three applications are fully customizable and provide platforms for messaging and data while providing efficient network use and improved productivity.

“This new LightLink release is the culmination of much research within contact centers, both large and small,” said Tom Muccia, Director of Product Management at Inova Solutions. “We discovered a disconnect between existing agent desktop tools and remote agents’ needs for security. LightLink 5.7.404 enables Desktop Presenter to solve those previously unmet needs.”