AnswerStat News

February 2004

California 909 Area Code to be Split

The California Public Utility Commission approved a two-way geographic split of the 909 area code.  The area code split is needed to counter the threat of number depletion and to ensure sufficient phone numbers to accommodate projected future growth.

The 909 area code includes the southwestern portion of county, the western part of county, and a small portion of Los Angeles county.  The northern portion of the region will retain the 909 area code after the split; the southern portion will be assigned the new 951 area code.  The dialing of phone numbers within and into the northern section, retaining the 909 area code, will remain unchanged. 

All phone numbers in the southern area will eventually be changed to the new 951 area code.  It will be phased in over time.  Starting July 17, 2004 the new 951 area code may be used, but it will not be mandatory as either the old 909 code or the new 951 code will work.  Beginning October 30, 2004 dialing the 951 area code will be required for calls to go though when calling from other areas.  When placing a call within either area code, seven digit dialing will continue to function, with 10-digit dialing being optional.

Montreal to Get New Area Code

The North American Numbering Plan Administration has assigned available area code 438 to overlay the existing 514 area code.  This is to follow-up on the similar approval already made by the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) in December of 2000.

Since 438 is an overlay, it will serve the same geographic area as the current 514 code.  Once the overlay is complete, 10-digit dialing will be required on all calls.  Optional (or "permissive") 10-digit dialing is scheduled to begin June 4, 2005.  During the permissive dialing period, callers may dial either 7 or 10 digits, but are encouraged to dial all ten digits.  Mandatory 10-digit dialing will be required on September 24, 2005.

New Audio Book Aims To Inspire Exceptional Call Center Performance

Call center specialist Dan Coen gives practical and mission-critical advice for call center managers in his new audio book, "Inspiring Call Center Performance."  The book's objective is to provide call centers and managers at all levels with techniques, strategies, and inspiration to turn any contact center into an excellent performance machine.  Topics include designing a communication culture, methods for motivating call center agents, easing agents into new technologies, and more.

"This book demonstrates how to build management roles and responsibilities," explained Dan Coen.  "It teaches how to create a dynamite, people-first culture.  It's about inspiring your agents to do better."

Inspiring Call Center Performance is sold for $24.95. It can be purchased from Amazon.com. 

SwedishAmerican to Use Amcom Speech Recognition Applications

Amcom Software announced that it has installed speech-activated directory, paging, and meet-me-paging software at SwedishAmerican Health System, Rockford , IL .  The new Smart Speech™ applications will automate directory call routing and paging, reducing connect time for physicians and medical staff.

"Smart Speech is an excellent opportunity to improve our customer service by allowing callers to gain access to the right individual or department in the least amount of time," said Dick Marsh, Director of Engineering, Biomedical and Telecommunications, SwedishAmerican Health System.  "We are excited about the system's ease of use and the way it ties seamlessly into the directory information we already have."

 The speech recognition system will handle thousands of phone calls every day.  Health system employees will be able to connect without operator assistance by dialing the speech system and saying a person's first and last name, the department name, or the health system clinic name.  For calls needing special attention, callers can say "operator" to be transferred automatically to the operator center.

In addition, a speech-enabled meet-me paging line will enable authorized personnel to page each other without operator assistance and without hanging up and waiting for a callback.  Users will simply say the name of the person they wish to page, provide their own name, and stay on the line to be connected.  If the recipient accepts the call, the system automatically connects both parties for a conversation or can provide coverage/transfer options if the recipient is unavailable.

Amcom Software provides speech, attendant console, and web-based call processing applications including directory, paging, on-call scheduling, and event notification.  For more information call 800-852-8935.

Special Hospital Sessions Planned for NAEO

The 1Call Division of Amtelco announced that this year's NAEO (National Amtelco Equipment Owners) conference will include special breakout sessions specifically designed for hospital call centers.  The annual 2004 NAEO conference will be held March 7-10, at the Francis Marion Hotel in , South Carolina .

At this conference, dedicated hospital sessions are included to investigate ways to enhance services in the hospital environment.  The hospital sessions will be presented by 1Call customers, along with Amtelco personnel.  Hospital topics include:  "Increasing the Value & Visibility of Your Hospital Call Center," "eCreator in the Hospital Environment," "Hospital How To...," "Customizing Your Accounts," and "Follow-Me in a Hospital Environment."  General sessions will also include "Disaster Recovery Options," "Disaster Recovery Forum," "Making the Grade -Setting Standards with Your Staff," "Call Distribution," and much more.  Attendees will also have a chance to network with other 1Call and Amtelco customers as well as meeting with 1Call Sales Managers and Amtelco personnel. 

Specialty Disease Management Services Cited in Award-Winning Program

McKesson Health Solutions, the primary contractor for the State of Washington 's award-winning Disease Management Program, today cited one of its partner firms, Specialty Disease Management Services Inc., for its role in the program that has saved an estimated $2 million during its first year of operation.

The Disease Management Association of America recently honored 's Medicaid Disease Management program as the nation's "Best Disease Management Program - Medicaid." McKesson Health Solutions, the program's primary contractor, is in its second year of operating the bulk of the Washington Disease Management Program.

As one of McKesson Health Solutions' sub-contractors, Specialty Disease Management provides a field-based team of registered nurses and health professionals throughout the state. The nurses locate and visit hard-to-reach or complex needs Medicaid clients who may be suffering from congestive heart failure, asthma, or diabetes and ensure they receive timely and proper medical care for their condition. The Specialty Disease Management nurses are fully linked into the same disease management software platform that McKesson's nurses utilize, thereby allowing the state to have real-time access to the clients being managed and their health status. 

"Specialty Disease Management Services is an integral part of our program and their dedication and ongoing involvement with clients is one of the reasons the program in Washington has been so successful," said Sandeep Wadhwa, M.D., vice president, Medical Management Services at McKesson.

"We are delighted that McKesson Health Solutions continues to view us as a key, partnering firm in their state disease management programs," said Frederic S. Goldstein, who founded Specialty Disease Management.  The company is also working with McKesson on similar disease management programs in the states of Mississippi and Oregon .  It has a separate contract with Colorado to work with Medicaid patients with schizophrenia and other chronic diseases.

"We expect more and more states will turn to disease management programs as a way to reduce the rising costs of Medicaid spending. In fact, nearly two dozen other states are currently considering disease management programs," said Goldstein.

IntelliCare to Provide Demand Management Services for Postal Workers

IntelliCare, a provider of medical contact center services and technology, announced an agreement to deliver nurseline services to the American Postal Workers Union (APWU) Health Plan.  The APWU Health Plan provides health management services to approximately 130,000 members nationwide.  The American Postal Workers Union, the world's largest postal union, represents approximately 314,000 employees of the U.S. Postal Service.

According to Craig S. Russell, CMO of IntelliCare, "We are pleased and honored to be selected to provide a comprehensive patient relationship program; including 24 x 7 IntelliNurse services, access to extensive healthcare topics via an audio library, and a health information portal, as well as referrals to appropriate disease and medical management programs."  In addition, IntelliCare will implement a targeted communications program designed to educate members about health issues and to drive appropriate utilization of the nurseline.

According to Rocky Midgett, Chief Operating Manager at APWU Health Plan, IntelliCare's solutions and technologies as well as its extensive network of medical contact centers and highly-trained nurses will ensure that APWU Health Plan can provide its members with access to comprehensive health information in the most efficient way possible.  "By using IntelliCare's innovative technology and clinical expertise, we're able to maximize benefits to our valued members."

The APWU Health Plan provides health benefit programs that are open to employees and retirees covered under the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program.  The Health Plan is a department of the American Postal Workers Union, AFL-CIO.

IntelliCare, Inc., provides services and technology for intelligent patient and provider healthcare communications.

FCC Modifies Rural Universal Service

The Federal Communications Commission has changed provisions of the universal service program for rural health providers to encourage greater participation in the program. The Telecommunication Act of 1996 expanded the nation's universal service program to enable certain rural health providers to receive subsidized telecommunications service. The act provides for $400 million in annual subsidies, but providers only use about $14 million or 3.5% of possible discounts.

The FCC now has expanded eligible health care providers to include emergency departments of rural for-profit hospitals and not-for-profit entities that function as health care providers on a part-time basis. Further, rural providers now are eligible for a 25% discount on the monthly cost of Internet access and are eligible for discounts on satellite services. The FCC also modified other provisions, such as extending the maximum allowable distance to receive subsidies for distance-based charges.

1Call Receives Siemens Certification

The 1Call Division of Amtelco is pleased to announce that Amtelco has received certification with the Siemens HiPath 4000, with Cornet-NQ, and the 1Call Infinity system.  This integration was accomplished using the Amtelco XDS T1/E1 PRI ISDN board, which can accommodate either four or eight spans.  This board supports the Q Signaling Interface Protocol (QSIG), allowing it to integrate with QSIG-compatible switches.

QSIG is an international, vendor-independent signaling standard for logical signaling between two private switch nodes, such as PBXs.  QSIG links multiple vendors' PBXs while retaining feature transparency.  Supplementary services offered by QSIG include name identification, call intrusion, do not disturb, path replacement, operator services, mobility services, and call completion on no reply. 

The Amtelco XDS T1/E1 PRI ISDN board provides digital connections with a PBX or central office switch.  These digital connections offer high port volumes, fast call processing, and sophisticated features.  The 1Call Infinity system features seamless integrations with existing legacy systems at hospitals, giving easy access to overhead paging systems, PBXs, and paging terminals.

For more information on Infinity and the Siemens QSIG certification, contact 1Call at 800-356-9148 or info@1call.com.

Phones and PCs Will Eventually Connect, Says META Group

The traditional business PC is changing to reflect the demands of the business, according to META Group, Inc.  Some of the major changes will be in the design and type of systems used to outfit end users.  One area that continues to be contentious is the integration of the personal computer with end-user telephony.  For most users, the telephone and computing infrastructures remain disconnected.  However, there is renewed interest in combining both of these end-user communication points, partly due to the growing interest in voice over IP and desktop conferencing.

"Although we are skeptical that most users will actually end up combining their trusty telephones with their PCs, there are definite areas for synergy, particularly in the access to complex voice mail and conferencing features," said Steve Kleynhans, vice president with META Group's Technology Research Services.  "We expect PC access to dialing as well as integration of voice mail and email inboxes to become commonplace by 2006."

User environments are growing increasingly complex.  Unified inboxes, real-time information feeds, and instant messaging require information displays that are continually available, which drives a need for more screen real estate.  Increasing screen real estate through multiple monitors has been common in high-value environments such as traders' desks or operations consoles.

"Web conferencing is an example where multiple monitors could be immediately beneficial to a large number of users," added Kleynhans.  "A user often has a presentation displayed on one screen, while taking notes or chatting with participants on another screen.  Arranging multiple windows on a single monitor is awkward and limiting, whereas having dual monitors would make it much easier.  By 2006, we expect 40% of new information worker environments to include dual monitors."

"Organizations must begin to take a more holistic view that puts an increased emphasis on the items that surround the PC," concluded Kleynhans.  "They need to look beyond traditional desktop configurations and embrace new options to enable a rich information worker platform."

HHS Awards Grant for Alzheimer's Call Center

The Administration on Aging (AoA), part of the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), has awarded the Alzheimer's Association $993,500 to establish and operate a national call center for 24-hour access to information about Alzheimer's disease and related dementias, counseling, and support.  The national call center grant is part of the AoA's multi-year commitment to improving consumer services dedicated to helping older Americans and their caregivers. 

The Alzheimer's Association will use the grant to expand its current 24-hour nationwide contact center.  It will collaborate with the AoA Eldercare Locator program and other programs for a coordinated national network of community-based organizations.

"The national call center is all about connecting people with Alzheimer's, families, and caregivers with professionals who understand the disease and its impact," said Sheldon Goldberg, president and CEO of the Chicago-based Alzheimer's Association.  "Callers also can receive confidential care consultation with master's level clinicians providing decision-making support, crisis assistance, and education on issues people with dementia and their families face every day."

"The National Call Center will serve as an information, counseling, and assistance program coordinated through a national network of community-based organizations that have the capacity to serve persons affected by Alzheimer's disease," said Josefina G. Carbonell, Assistant Secretary for Aging.

"More and more people are seeking information about Alzheimer's disease," Goldberg said.  "To meet those needs and be available whenever and wherever people living with Alzheimer's need help, our contact center is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and offers translation and interpretation service in as many as 140 languages and dialects."

For more information about the Alzheimer's Association, call 800-272-3900.

McKesson Achieves URAC Certification

McKesson Health Solutions, a business unit of McKesson Corporation, has received URAC Core Accreditation, as well as URAC Certification for three of its CareEnhance care management workflow solutions.  This marks the first time a healthcare software vendor has achieved these distinctions of quality.  McKesson achieved certification under three URAC categories: Case Management, Disease Management and Health Utilization Management.  McKesson also holds URAC Health Call Center Accreditation for its CareEnhance 24-hour nurse advice line.

URAC is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting healthcare quality and accountability through accreditation and certification programs.  The URAC designations mean that healthcare organizations using McKesson's certified software programs will be in compliance with URAC standards.

"It is critically important for healthcare organizations to make a commitment to quality and accountability," said Garry Carneal, URAC president and CEO.  "McKesson should be commended for meeting strict quality standards."

 To achieve URAC Certification, McKesson first needed to demonstrate a high-quality work environment in compliance with URAC's Core Standards.  The Core Standards cover areas such as organizational structure, staff qualifications, training and management, oversight of delegated activities, quality management, and consumer protection.  Following this evaluation, McKesson demonstrated that its software meets the rigorous standards for URAC Certification. 

"Receiving URAC Core Accreditation for key organizational functions and Certification for our software is an important milestone for McKesson as we lead the way in delivering high-impact, innovative medical management solutions," said A. Jacqueline Mitus, M.D., senior vice president and general manager for CareEnhance Products.  "The ultimate value of this endorsement is that it enables our clients to simplify their own pursuit of URAC accreditation."

CadCom Releases New AccuCall Version

With the release of AccuCall v1.6 from CadCom, AccuCall now supports Caller ID capture on T-1 lines.  If caller ID is available and enabled by the customer's central office exchange carrier, AccuCall can automatically populate a text field within the customizable message ticket form with the caller's telephone number.  The telephone number can then be confirmed or edited, saving call center agents keystrokes and reducing errors.  Caller ID support has been available in previous versions for PRI-ISDN service.

Also included is a new reporting module, allowing managers to create, save, and print a variety of customized reports.  It also displays data in several different chart formats including pie charts, bar charts, and point charts for quick and easy analysis of call flow and other statistical data.  Custom queries can be created, allowing the manager to compare specific account, time frame, and agent data to generate a report using only the criteria chosen.  Unwanted data is virtually eliminated, saving the manager valuable time that is usually spent writing or sorting through lengthy reports. 

2003 IT Security Budgets Increased Despite Flat Overall Spending

Despite tight spending, a complacent economy, and the perceived commoditization of IT, 66% of surveyed companies made room in their 2003 IT budgets to dedicate more financial resources to security programs and little else, according to META Group, Inc.  This year, companies spent an average of 8.2% of their total IT budgets on security, up from 7.6% in 2002 and only 3.2% in 2001.

These security programs primarily emphasized employee education, business continuity, and disaster recovery.  Security professionals agree that current employees still pose the biggest threat to companies' technology infrastructures, and their biggest concern is malicious attacks from viruses and unauthorized access to systems.

"We also saw an increase in development activity," said META Group executive vice president, Dr. Howard Rubin.  "Because of tightened budgets, more emphasis was placed on integrating and extending existing applications rather than implementing new applications."

Surveyed CIOs report the reason spending was so tight in 2003 is due to weak profits and current financial conditions.  A substantial number say that IT infrastructure and capacity are currently sufficient, so only limited spending is required.  In general, however, there is optimism that investment will increase in 2004, especially in the insurance and manufacturing sectors.

Branded Websites Attract More New Patients

A recent survey conducted by NeedMyDoctor revealed that branded websites had a statistically greater propensity to increase patient acquisition.  The study included the message utilization for NeedMyDoctor. The data tracked included all messages from April through mid November 2003. The messages were broken down into four basic categories:

• medical questions or issues of medical care (42%)

• appointments (36%)

• billing (11%)

• prescription (11%)

The usage ratios were within norms of traditional patient telephone communication call flow.  Doctors rely on new patient acquisition to grow their practice and income.  With this in mind, NeedMyDoctor compared the ratio of new patient appointment requests to total messages for two cohorts:

• Messages from 'branded' custom websites.

• ‘NeedMyDoctor' website originated messages.

The result sends a strong signal that patients are 4 times more likely to request an initial appointment from the doctor's own website if the process is easy for patients to use.

• 13% of NeedMyDoctor messages submitted through all sources combined (branded custom sites plus NeedMyDoctor) requested a first appointment from a new doctor (new patient appointment request).

• 58% of all NeedMyDoctor messages for branded sites were identified as new patient appointment requests.

For more information call 888-633-3693.

Quintum Announces New VoIP Switch/Gateway Product

Quintum Technologies, Inc. announced the newest addition to their Tenor VoIP MultiPath Switch product line.  The new Tenor DX Series of VoIP products addresses the needs of larger enterprises and service providers' smaller locations, extending Tenor's capabilities and "transparent installation" to support larger PBXs utilizing multiple digital trunks. 

Included with the new Tenor DX Series is a Configuration Manager with a simple, easy to use Graphical User Interface (GUI).  The Configuration Manager runs on a PC and can remotely configure a Tenor anywhere IP access is available.

The newest Tenors, available with 2, 4, 6 or 8 T1/E1/PRI spans, support H.323 and SIP, and scale from eight to 120 simultaneous VoIP calls.  This new VoIP product will be available in a variety of configurations that include both traditional gateway configurations and Tenor's MultiPath architecture providing easy integration with existing voice and data network infrastructures.  The Tenor DX Series of MultiPath Switches all offer intelligent call routing between the PBX, PSTN and IP network to assure the optimization of cost and voice quality.

Also included is SelectNet™, Tenor's patented QoS feature, which ensures carrier-grade calling at all times.  VoIP calls that fall below a tuned QoS threshold are routed automatically to the PSTN in mid-call.  "Quintum has been building a strong track record helping enterprises IP-enable their branch offices," says Jon Arnold, VoIP Equipment Program Leader at analyst firm Frost & Sullivan.  "Their MultiPath architecture provides both carrier-grade voice quality and service reliability - two must-haves for IP in the enterprise."

The Tenor DX is currently available.  The list price starts at $3440 and will be sold through Quintum's channel of resellers.  For more information, call 877-773-2547 .

Sennheiser Introduces New Telephone Headsets

Sennheiser Communications, a division of Sennheiser Electronic Corporation, has introduced five new headset models.  Fully compatible with all conventional telephone systems, the headsets' lightweight design delivers superb speech clarity. 

The flagship SH 330 headset features a noise-canceling microphone, which filters out high levels of background noise-ideal in noisy environments.  Another feature of the SH 330 is the active anti-shock system, which protects the user's ears from excessive volume and interference.  This technology measures the output volume in milliseconds and reduces it automatically if it rises above a certain threshold level.

The model includes a clip headset, two monaural headband headsets (one of which can double as a clip headset), a binaural headset, and a three-in-one solution.  Each monaural headset can be used with either a headband or a dummy ear cushion, or can be converted to a clip headset.  Robust light metal clips make the headsets quick and easy to convert.  Extra-light design and interchangeable ear cushions offer outstanding comfort. 

Alliance Voice Recording System Now Available

Creative Switching Designs, Inc. of Houston , announced the release of a new digital voice recording system, the Alliance Express and Alliance Enterprise.  The Alliance recording systems are designed to reach small to medium sized organizations with a need to record critical communications.  Examples include requests for emergency services or financial transactions, or recording all communications for legal compliance or dispute resolution.  The graphical user interface simplifies the process of recording, researching, and playing back those voice interactions. 

The Alliance Express can record from 8-20 simultaneous voice interactions, while the Alliance Enterprise can record up to 72 simultaneous conversations.  The Express comes standard with 5,400 hours of on-line voice storage, while the Enterprise has 12,600 hours of on-line storage.  Both units are configured on a Windows 2000 Pro operating system and are equipped with DVD-RAM archive capability, designed to operate in stand-alone or networked environments.  Stephen Russell, Creative Switching Designs' Vice President of Sales and Marketing said, "The overwhelming majority of the Alliance recorder's features and functionality are a result of input from existing recorder users."

For additional information on Alliance Digital Voice Recorders, please contact Creative Switching Designs at 281-579-1600. 

TruStar Solutions to Enhance Job Posting Product

TruStar Solutions (formerly IIRC) announced it has joined the PeopleSoft Partner Connection Program.  Associated with this announcement, TruStar Solutions intends to build an interface between its IIRC Postmaster and PeopleSoft Recruiting Solutions.  

When completed, the interface will offer clients an easy and intuitive user interface to post, edit, manage, and remove job postings from job boards.  This will enable users to post jobs to 258 domestic boards and 124 international boards through a single interface, maximizing job advertisement distribution while dramatically reducing the time and costs to manage job postings.

IIRC PostMaster also includes the ability to track media source effectiveness, provide business unit and user reporting metrics and helps clients meet their OFCCP and EEOC requirements for government contractors.  IIRC PostMaster supports the English, French, German, Dutch, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Danish, Finnish, and Swedish languages.

"PeopleSoft has a well-earned positive reputation among HR professionals worldwide," said LeRoy Robbins, CEO of TruStar Solutions. He continued, "On our part, we will bring PeopleSoft clients our best-in-class blend of technology and services to help our shared clients maximize their recruiting investment."

A job posting product, IIRC PostMaster, was developed by TruStar Solutions as a compliment to their Internet recruiting consulting services.  For more information, contract TruStar Solutions at 888-547-4472.

TeleDevelopment Services Launches New Website 

TeleDevelopment Services, providers of call center solutions and services, has launched a new and updated website containing expanded and useful information including:

• Domestic and international job openings in the call center industry along with resume and interview tips, relocation links, and a recruiting case study.

• Information about agent and supervisor training programs, including a sample training curriculum.  Courses cover both inbound and outbound, as well as customer service and telesales; they are in modular form and include a scripted leader's guide.

• A free call center assessment tool to benchmark call centers in seven different performance areas against a database of best practices.  TeleDevelopment's ‘Quick-Strike' assessment can help identify areas of the call center that can be improved or made more efficient, as well as providing a comparison to the best practices utilized by other centers.

Since 1991, TeleDevelopment has been assisting clients with global contact center solutions through their four operating divisions: consulting, training, outsourcing, and management recruiting.

For more information about TeleDevelopment Services, call 330-659-4441.