| alue added to any VoIP offering by adding applications | | | | environment for developing applications, these |
| is clear. Many VoIP providers are opting to outsource | | | | applications are far superior then those provided in the |
| this application development by purchasing ready to | | | | traditional telephony space and therefore make VoIP |
| use applications packages that are developed | | | | service far more enticing to the enterprise customer. |
| specifically to integrate with their switches. Along with | | | | And this is where the service provider has the chance |
| eliminating research and development costs, this | | | | to provide the top of the line applications to their |
| generally results in a better product by allowing the | | | | customers. The quality of applications available in the |
| service provider to focus on providing service and | | | | VoIP market is just so feature-rich and robust that it |
| allowing the applications provider to focus on | | | | really does behoove the service provider to provide |
| developing the most robust, integrated applications | | | | the best solutions possible. |
| possible. It’s a win/win. | | | | The long term benefits of integrating feature-rich |
| The key component that many service providers are | | | | applications into your VoIP product portfolio are |
| missing in this equation is that the most successful | | | | immeasurable. Enterprise customers are hesitant to |
| applications are those that are directly integrated at | | | | change systems once they have integrated a system |
| the switch level. Sure, there are multitudes of | | | | into their work processes, so once the service |
| inexpensive, plug-and-play applications out there that | | | | provider has integrated their applications into the |
| can be added onto a service provider’s | | | | operations of their business customers, they can all but |
| platform, but if the application is not developed | | | | guarantee those customers as long term customers. |
| specifically to integrate with the switch, there will be | | | | Once a service provider integrates into a |
| issues. Some issues that can arise are dropped calls | | | | customer’s business practices, it can depend |
| and entire system outages due to call flow paths, | | | | on that revenue for years and maybe even decades |
| incomplete switch communication with the application | | | | to come. |
| resulting in incomplete data, and security issues due to | | | | By adding robust and feature-rich applications to a |
| lowered integration integrity. These are just a few of | | | | VoIP product portfolio, a service provider can instill long |
| the issues that service providers experience when | | | | term customer loyalty. Since VoIP is such a perfect |
| they try to take the easy way out and add an | | | | architecture for creating the best and most robust |
| application that has not been sufficiently integrated at | | | | applications, these applications can be such a |
| the switch level. | | | | differentiator for getting customers to switch to VoIP. |
| By layering applications that are integrated with the | | | | Then, once they have switched to the new VoIP |
| switch, the service provider is able to provide the | | | | service, they are able to integrate these much |
| applications that their customers need to run their | | | | improved VoIP applications into their operations. These |
| business while also maintaining the security and service | | | | applications become such an integral part of the |
| integrity that they are so well known for. Applications | | | | customer’s every day business practices that |
| offerings is quickly becoming the real differentiator in | | | | they are unwilling or unable to move…thus, |
| the VoIP service provider market. Since the VoIP | | | | instilling customer loyalty. |
| architecture provides such a unique and optimal | | | | |