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Amcom Software News
Amcom Software provides enterprise-wide systems for
organizations needing to automate, centralize and standardize mission
critical communications. The company's technology solutions support both
day-to-day business operations and emergency or event-driven communications
with speed, accuracy, and productivity.
Amcom was founded in 1984. They were acquired by 2ndWave
Software in March 2007. They then acquired XTEND Communications in November,
2007 and the Telident E911 products of Teltronics, Inc. in 2008.
Amcom works with leaders
in healthcare, hospitality, education, government and other large
businesses, who are searching for strategies to cut communications costs and
improve productivity while ensuring business continuity and the safety and
security of their customers and staff.
For more information about
Amcom Software call 800-852-8935.
Also, look at the
Amcom Software newsfeed for the latest updates.
Amcom Software Solutions Now Rated “Avaya
Compliant” (June 2010)
Amcom Software, a provider of mission-critical
communications solutions, announced that its contact center applications are
compliant with Avaya Aura™ Application Enablement Services (AES). Avaya is a
leader in enterprise communications systems.
The Amcom contact center applications, a
foundational element for its unified communications solutions, help
organizations create safer and more efficient environments through fast,
intelligent information sharing. The applications now are compliance-tested by
Avaya for compatibility with Avaya Aura AES 5.2.
“Amcom is committed to ensuring seamless integration
with Avaya solutions so we can continue to be a single source for customers’
end-to-end unified communications requirements,” said Chris Heim, CEO of Amcom
Software. “The fact that Avaya’s innovative solutions are based on open,
standards-based platforms enables our customers to incorporate new technologies
alongside their Amcom solutions easily and cost-effectively. This helps them
create forward-thinking communications infrastructures based on fast, accurate
data exchange.”
Amcom Software is a member of the Avaya DevConnect
program, an initiative to develop, market, and sell innovative third-party
products that interoperate with Avaya technology and extend the value of a
company’s investment in its network.
Amcom Expands Hospital Smartphone Messaging with
Android Support (June 2010)
Amcom Software’s Amcom Mobile Connect now offers
smartphone messaging for the Android. This enables staff members at
technology-driven hospitals to receive all messages on a single smartphone,
negating the need to carry multiple devices. The solution provides a full audit
trail of activities, including date and time stamps for messages sent, received,
and acknowledged. The result is improved patient care and staff efficiency
through a highly streamlined unified communications process in which it’s clear
how to reach the right staff members at all times.
With smartphones as the basis for their pager
replacement strategy, healthcare organizations are able to tap devices already
in widespread use to simplify the process of contacting highly mobile staff.
This gives hospitals the flexibility to incorporate smartphones without worrying
about which telecom carrier provides service. This Amcom solution is already in
place at several hospitals using BlackBerry smartphones.
Hospital operators and others can use Amcom Mobile
Connect to deploy critical messages to staff members through a variety of
inputs, including a simple Web portal. In addition to this stand-alone
deployment option, the solution also integrates seamlessly with Amcom’s unified
communications suite.
For more information, call 800-852-8935.
Amcom
Software Provides Next-Gen 911 IP Technology (February 2010)
Amcom Software Inc. announced that Adams County,
Indiana, is successfully fielding 3,500 calls monthly with the Amcom 911 call
center solution. Running the Amcom system on an underlying next-generation 911
(NG911) IP network now enables Adams County to shave precious seconds off the
connection time for each call, speeding response times.
The team at Adams County incorporated an Internet
protocol (IP)-based network not only to handle 911 calls from wireless and IP
phones, but also to accept calls from landlines. This forward-looking
infrastructure effectively prepares them to handle anticipated changes in the
way people contact 911, including the use of 911 text messages and videos.
“The combined Amcom 911 call center system and
underlying IP network has taken the inefficiency out of the process for managing
and responding to 911 calls,” said Patrick Norton, IT manager, Adams County,
Indiana.
“With the advances in IP and wireless technology
taking place, there is a seismic shift happening in the way 911 calls need to be
handled,” said Chris Heim, CEO, Amcom Software. “The technology behind the
scenes has to exchange information quickly to allow for fast response to the
caller’s exact location.”
Amcom
Releases Enhanced Smart Console (August 2009)
Amcom
Software, Inc. released its enhanced Smart Console call center software.
Highlights in the latest version include:
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Enhanced user interface
improves both look and feel and ease of use.
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Enhanced operator
efficiency and communication tools allow faster phone number editing,
on-call scheduling from the console, faster global search, and team chat
capabilities.
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Expanded platform
capability and support allow integration with new telephony devices and
the ability to run on Microsoft Vista. Also, in the event of a network
outage, communications can be maintained using a local copy of Smart
Console.
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Timesaving administration
and improved configuration: Software updates to be tested on a single PC
and then automatically distributed to all PCs, ensuring everyone has the
latest software.
“Organizations that rely on our call center software every day, as well as those
considering this type of solution, will see tremendous benefit in the ease of
use and solid functionality this latest version provides,” said Chris Heim, CEO,
Amcom Software. “Our development team was able to incorporate customer feedback
into their process and truly appreciate the time our customers took to provide
their candid input.”
Amcom Software Acquires SDC
Solutions
(April 2009)
Amcom Software
announced the acquisition of SDC Solutions, Inc. of Manchester, N.H.
The combined companies further strengthen Amcom's
position in the market for
call center and emergency
management software, increasing their customer base
and expanding customer solutions.
SDC Solutions' products handle critical communications at
healthcare, hospitality, higher education, government, and corporate
organizations in the United States. Said Amcom CEO, Chris Heim, "SDC Solutions
has earned a strong presence in the same markets we already serve and excels at
providing solutions in the small to mid-sized market. We're impressed with SDC
Solutions' well-regarded software and anticipate remarkable demand for these
products from Amcom customers, as well as the market in general. SDC Solutions
enjoys the loyalty of some of the country's finest organizations, and those
customers can rest assured that we intend to continue serving their needs as our
number one priority."
This acquisition comes at a time when demand is increasing
for mission-critical communications solutions for small to mid-sized
organizations, especially in the healthcare and hospitality markets. Regardless
of size, hospitals, hotels, and other organizations are finding they need to
make sure critical communications are carried out quickly, efficiently, and
accurately.
Amcom Releases New Version of
Commtech Messenger
(April 2009)
Amcom Software
announced the next generation of its Commtech Messenger wireless messaging
system. This enhanced version improves users' ability to connect virtually all
crucial alert systems, including nurse call, fire, security, and building
management, to mobile staff via their wireless communication devices, such as
SpectraLink phones, Vocera badges, and pagers. This speed of information
sharing improves response time and safety. In particular, many leading
healthcare organizations will save lives and improve patient care every day with
the system's ability to deliver critical updates to nurses, doctors, and other
staff.
Highlights in the latest version:
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Certified interface with
Vocera devices
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TAP Gateway supports telephony call-back for nurse call integration
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Connection to the
Alcatel IP Gateway
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Ability to view messages
dispatched by other users
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Integration with Amcom
products
"Commtech Wireless continues its dedication to
industry-leading communication device interoperability with the release of our
latest version of Commtech Messenger," said Nathan Buzza of Commtech Wireless, a
Division of Amcom Software. "A key focus in this release was providing
customers with new and better ways to link equipment from different vendors to
ultimately improve productivity and safety."
Amcom Software Adds RFID to
Call Center Capabilities
(March 2009)
Amcom Software has added radio
frequency identification (RFID) capabilities to its call center suite. With
this update, Amcom offers precise, automated staff location and management using
RFID. The RFID technology works with the Amcom system to automatically update
where hospital staff is located so they can be contacted more quickly. This
helps hospital call centers by speeding response, eliminating manual update
processes, and improving patient care.
"The addition of RFID
technology to our suite is another example of how we listen to our customers'
needs and develop new ways to serve them," stated Amcom Software product
management director, Ed Hixon. "We've seen a lot of interest in having
up-to-the-minute information about the availability of hospital staff."
Amcom uses Time Domain
Corporation's PLUS line of ultra-wideband (UWB) real-time location system (RTLS)
tags, readers, antennas, and software. When personnel enter, leave, or move
within the facility, their contact records within the Amcom system are instantly
updated. When a call center activity is initiated, precise information
regarding their whereabouts makes it easy to use the individual's preferred
messaging technology to reach them wherever they are.
Amcom Software Acquires
CommtechWireless (Dec
08)
Amcom Software has acquired CommtechWireless, a provider of
technology that connects critical data sources, such as nurse call alarms and
patient monitors, to people via their preferred communication devices. The
addition of CommtechWireless will enable Amcom to meet the growing demand from
customers - especially in the healthcare, government, and hospitality industries
- to further streamline communications, improve response time, and enhance
effectiveness.
Said Amcom Software CEO Chris Heim, "For 40 years, our
customers have relied on Amcom as their mission-critical communication
backbone. Today, we have extended this backbone to integrate data from devices
and instantly connect these islands of critical information to the people that
need to know about it and act on it."
CommtechWireless has operations in the United States,
Australia, Hong Kong, and Europe. Its employees and operations will remain in
their current locations, forming a new division of Amcom Software.
CommtechWireless CEO Nathan Buzza and President Zane Lewis will join Amcom
Software to lead the division. "We are thrilled about this acquisition and how
it will benefit our customers and employees," said Buzza. "It's a perfect match
in terms of products, industries, and company culture."
Amcom Software and Altura
Announce Partnership
(Dec 08)
Amcom Software and Altura Communication Solutions have
established a partnership under which Altura will distribute Amcom's
communications software products. The primary focus will be on Altura's
extensive customer base of Fujitsu and Avaya customers, as well as on their
existing procurement channels for government agencies. Amcom will provide
mission-critical solutions for enhanced 911, emergency notification, and call
center management to Altura's voice-over-internet protocol (VoIP) customers.
According to Amcom CEO Chris Heim, "Altura's strong
reputation as a nationwide provider of end-to-end communications solutions makes
them a great partner for Amcom. We've had great results working with Altura and
with this agreement; we're making it even easier for their broad customer base
to benefit from our full communications and emergency management suites of
solutions."
"We've enjoyed a good relationship with Amcom over the years
and are impressed with their momentum in call center and emergency
communications solutions," said Bob Blazek, president and CEO of Altura.
"Together, we will continue to help our customers enable mission-critical
communications with Amcom's broad footprint of solutions."
Amcom
Launches Next-Generation "Mass Notification 2.0" Solution
(Oct 08)
Amcom Software has released Amcom
e.Notify 4.5, a next-generation advance in mass notification and emergency
management technology. This release continues and expands on the company's
platform of solutions for managing safety and health issues. As mass
notification has matured, organizations are finding that they need to surpass
simple blast notifications and want new capabilities.
"Customers are telling us they want to
do more than simply ‘ring the bell' to tell their employees, guests, patients,
students, or response teams that there is a problem," said Amcom CEO Chris
Heim. "They need to know if the victim or caller is safe or in trouble. They
need a focused dialog with emergency teams to ensure situational awareness,
coordinated response, and risk management. They need to escalate and
communicate in many different ways in order to make sure teams are handling
assigned tasks via standardized procedures and are aware of dependencies. This
release of e.Notify takes the next step into ‘Mass Notification 2.0' to help
connect everybody involved in managing an emergency so they can work quickly,
with better information and coordination, to solve the problem at-hand."
Amcom Software Introduces New WebXchange Platform
(Oct 08)
Amcom
Software introduced Amcom WebXchange 7.0, the latest version of its platform for
directory, paging, and on-call scheduling. The new version of WebXchange
features a completely redesigned user interface that takes all the functionality
of earlier versions of WebXchange to new levels, making it easier for
individuals across entire organizations to perform directory searches, send
email and pager messages, and manage staff schedules.
Organizations with large staff scheduling challenges, such as those in the
healthcare and hospitality industries, are quickly finding that a browser-based,
self-service scheduling platform is the preferred alternative to sending
"scratchpad scheduling" updates to already overloaded call centers. "When
customers try the online, calendar-format scheduling tools in WebXchange, we
don't think they'll want to return to their old ways of handling things," said
Amcom Product Manager Gerard Shallo. "It's so much easier to manage schedules;
they'll have a hard time believing they ever got along without it."
Amcom Software
Receives Department of Defense Security Approval
(Oct 08)
Amcom Software received approval from
the Joint Interoperability Test Command (JITC) of the U.S. Department of Defense
for their communications software suite. By achieving JITC approval, Amcom's
Smart Center, Smart Console, Computer-Telephony Integration (CTI), Smart Web,
Smart Speech, and e.Notify applications have been shown to provide the highest
levels of Information Assurance (IA) security as required by the U.S. government
and military.
"This is great news for Amcom and for
all our customers," said Greg Stinson, Amcom vice president of development. "No
other provider can match our extensive range of applications with
government-approved security and interoperability." To qualify for JITC and IA
approval, Amcom Software completed rigorous federal government testing and
compliance processes under real-life conditions.
"We're thrilled to have again achieved
this high level approval." said Chris Heim, Amcom CEO. "We view JITC and IA
approval as a key way to prove our capabilities to all our customers, both
inside and outside the government."
Greenwich
Hospital Adds E911 to Its Amcom Suite (Aug 08)
Greenwich Hospital has selected
Amcom Software's Site Alert E911 emergency call identification software to
automatically provide information about 911 caller locations for their
multi-facility, multi-community organization. The new addition to the
hospital's suite of Amcom call center capabilities will enable responding
agencies to quickly send emergency medical system (EMS) teams to the caller's
location. "If someone in our facilities has a problem, we need to get them help
as quickly as we can," explained Mirela Weeks, telecommunications manager for
Greenwich Hospital. "Our phone system automatically transfers 911 calls to the
Greenwich public safety answering point." Since the hospital's PBX system could
only identify the call center as the source of a 911 call, the PBX vendor
recommended Amcom Software.
Amcom will enable Greenwich to
use their in-house database to update the Connecticut public automatic location
information (ALI) database. The system will also continuously update the
information for each of the hospital's 3,800 phone numbers, connected through
their PBXs. Now 911 calls, with accurate caller's location information, will
automatically be routed to the correct public safety answering point for
response.
Amcom Acquires Telident 911 Solutions
from Teltronics (Apr 08)
Amcom Software acquired Telident
911 Solutions™ from Teltronics, Inc. to integrate with and complement their
suite of emergency communications and management products. Chris Heim, Amcom
Software CEO said, "The addition of the Telident solutions to our product suite
will expand our E911 capabilities and help an even broader range of customers
protect people by pinpointing the source of 911 calls within their facilities
with greater speed and accuracy."
At one time, organizational
emergency response was thought to involve simple, mass notifications. Today,
however, organizations realize increasingly that effective emergency management
requires quick action and mass notifications via numerous channels, as well as
ongoing direction of and communications with diverse action-teams.
"We are proud to add the
impressive Telident brand to our company, said Dan Mayleben, Amcom Software CFO.
"Not only does this software help protect people, but it allows organizations
to ensure compliance with national, state, and local emergency communications
requirements."
Amcom Software
and Xtend Communications Announce Merger
(Feb 08)
Amcom Software and Xtend
Communications have reached an agreement to combine the two companies. "The
combination of Amcom and Xtend will provide the broadest suite of mission
critical communications solutions for organizations in healthcare, government,
education, hospitality, public safety, and corporate markets," said Chris Heim,
Amcom Software CEO.
The company will offer an
expanded product suite to a broader market while focusing on serving the needs
of all current customers. Going forward, Amcom will support and enhance both
companies' product lines.
"The merging of our forces will
essentially give both product development teams a wider audience from which to
draw the challenges, ideas, and direction for the next generation of our
business," said Bill Schwartz, founder and CEO of Xtend Communications.
The combined company will operate
under the corporate name of Amcom Software and will maintain the complete Xtend
product suite. Minneapolis will become the headquarters for the combined
organization; the former Xtend Communications headquarters in New York will
retain a sizeable staff devoted to support, development, implementation, and
sales.
Amcom Rolls Updates Smart Web 4.5
(Dec 07)
Amcom Software announced the
availability of Smart Web™ 4.5, a Web-based self-service portal for on-call
scheduling, directory look-up, and messaging. Medical staff can access and
manage their own calendars from any Web browser, connect with others with the
click of a button, and avoid administration headaches and delays. Smart Web
provides secure access to Web-enabled directory features, including messaging
and paging, on-call status and exceptions, personal profiles, and call
assistance.
Smart Web 4.5 features
productivity enhancements, including a redesigned graphical user interface.
Also, scalability and user configurability are improved through new system
architecture.
"Today, information access is
critical," said Chris Heim, Amcom's chief executive officer. "We're committed
to continually developing better solutions for mission-critical communications.
For organizations dependent upon timely information, tools like Smart Web can
not only improve productivity and reduce costs; it can potentially improve
patient safety and save lives."
Smart Web 4.5 is available
immediately as an optional module for the Smart Center V4.0.6+ suite of
applications.
Amcom and Partners
Kick Off "Don't Miss A
Beat" Seminar (Apr 07)
Amcom Software announced a
series of regional seminars for leaders in healthcare and communications. The
first invite-only event was held in Houston, Texas on March 22; it will be
followed by seminars in Anaheim on May 3 and Chicago on June 28. A morning
seminar format features high-level healthcare industry speakers, customer
presentations, and panel sessions. Amcom is working with USA Mobility and HigherGround to co-sponsor the event.
"We know that healthcare leaders
are in the hot seat," said Sean Collins, Amcom's VP of Sales. "Lawsuits,
liabilities, and the safety of patients are often directly linked to
communication. Yet, many hospitals still have disconnected technology systems
and outdated processes as opposed to an enterprise-wide communication system.
The goal of this event is to shed some light on the problems and to facilitate
discussion around recommended solutions." The format is
designed to be interactive to facilitate discussion and collaboration around
these key issues.
Cambridge
Health Alliance
Selects Emergency Notification System (Dec 06)
Cambridge Health
Alliance announced that it selected e.Notify™ emergency notification
software from Amcom Software to automate its emergency communications procedures
for managing disasters across its multi-hospital network. The new system
is HICS-compliant (Hospital Incident Command Center-compliant) and supports
emergency planning processes for this multi-hospital healthcare system,
headquartered in Cambridge, Mass.
"We needed an
automated process to help us manage our organizational communications," said
Bob Lewis, Director of Networks and Telecommunications for Cambridge Health
Alliance. "With e.Notify, we will have the tools for training and
drilling, which will prepare us for various types of critical events, such as
weather-related emergencies, bomb threats, or a health-related crisis. In
the event of a disaster, we'll be ready to communicate quickly and effectively
to a mass audience and monitor and measure response."
Cambridge Health
Alliance will install e.Notify in all three of its hospitals and will
roll out emergency communications procedures across its entire organization.
Eight
of 16 Top Hospitals Use Amcom Solutions (Aug 06)
Half of the hospitals ranked in the
annual "Best Hospitals Report" published by U.S. News & World Report
use Amcom software. Eight out of the top 16 "America's Best
Hospitals" have installed Smart Center, Smart Web, Smart Speech, Smart
Console, and/or Amcom's e.Notify automated event notification system.
"The most highly respected
hospitals in the world depend upon Amcom software," said Jack Collins, CEOof Amcom Software. "These organizations have eliminated manual
processes by automating call-center functions with Web-based applications,
speech technologies, and automated event notifications. Our software
enables the consolidation of facilities, processes, and personnel, proving to
save hospitals millions of dollars in operating costs and efficiencies."
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