Contact Center Solutions Featured Article

October 28, 2009

Aspect Makes InformationWeek 500 List for its Global Unified Communications Rollout

By Patrick Barnard

Group Managing Editor, TMCnet

If you’re a contact center solutions provider, one good way to give your customers greater confidence in the technologies you provide is to use them yourself, in your own organization.

Aspect, which offers a full suite of contact center applications, including Microsoft (News - Alert)-based unified communications, as well as workforce optimization and performance management, recently announced it has been ranked in the top 100 of the 2009 InformationWeek 500 list for its successful deployment of Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 R2 throughout its corporate offices.

Specifically, Aspect (News - Alert) was ranked number 74 on the list as a result of its global unified communications implementation, which was completed at the end of September. The list recognizes companies that make innovative use of information technology – in this case, unified communications technology – to improve operations.

“We are honored to be recognized within the top 100 on the InformationWeek 500 with so many innovative and forward-thinking companies,” said Jim Foy, president and CEO, Aspect, in a release. “This is a great proof point for organizations to see the benefits and savings that they, too, could experience as a result of a well-planned unified communications deployment. It also highlights that Aspect is a leader in this space and fully understands the challenges of converging infrastructures and what it takes from a planning and deployment perspective to bring value.”

Aspect offices in Beijing and Dalian, China; Tokyo, Japan, and Bangalore and New Delhi, India are now using Office Communications Server 2007 R2 and Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 for all voice and voicemail services, audio and Web conferencing, instant messaging and presence.

"This demonstrates how a large company can plan and execute a global deployment of Office Communications Server 2007 R2 and see productivity and cost savings success almost immediately," said Gurdeep Singh Pall, corporate vice president for the unified communications group at Microsoft Corp., in a previous release. "Aspect was able to use its knowledge of mission-critical voice applications and professional services to become a model example for businesses looking to bring the benefits of UC to their organizations."

Aspect began the company-wide implementation of Office Communications Server 2007 R2 in the first quarter of 2009. The company has reportedly already realized numerous benefits including over $1 million in savings on annual conferencing costs. The company has also eliminated multiple PBXs, which has brought down annual support costs by $300,000. An additional annual saving of $250,000 has been achieved in telecommunication charges through the deployment of SIP trunking.

Analyst firm Frost & Sullivan recently named Aspect a leading workforce management vendor in its 2009 North American Agent Performance Optimization Market report.

Patrick Barnard is a senior Web editor for TMCnet, covering call and contact center technologies. He also compiles and regularly contributes to TMCnet e-Newsletters in the areas of robotics, IT, M2M, OCS and customer interaction solutions. To read more of Patrick�s articles, please visit his columnist page.

Edited by Patrick Barnard

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