Consider this scenario: Your company's existing voice communications system is so antiquated that you can no longer buy replacement parts when something fails. The manufacturer no longer supports the products. Numerous servers are spread across multiple facilities. Due to company acquisitions and other expansions, disparate Interaction Voice Response (IVR) systems have left the company with an inconsistent company presence when callers hear several different voices when routed through one call flow. Your company is nowhere close to implementing the latest and greatest technologies like Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP).

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Now, you're tasked with consolidating these disparate systems onto one platform, migrating to voice over IP/IP telephony, and designing it for easy scalability. A key strategy some organizations have chosen is to leverage a trifecta of resources, an alliance between AT&T, Avaya Inc., and Gold Systems to lay the groundwork for their IP telephony infrastructure. Large organizations with multiple locations can often benefit from designing and migrating to one enterprise-wide system with centralized voicemail and contact management system (CMS). The imperative goals: Reducing administrative costs and migrating to an Internet Protocol (IP)-based system.

Under the trifecta, Avaya IP telephony products, including the Avaya IP Office converged solution for small and medium businesses, have been integrated into the global AT&T Solution Center Lab Network, which helps businesses quickly assess, plan, design and implement new network solutions. AT&T's global IP network, network design, and management expertise—with Avaya's enterprise IP communications technology—deliver end-to-end managed solutions for comprehensive migration to IP telephony and the associated local area network (LAN) and wireless LAN infrastructure. With a single point of contact for nearly every aspect of migration, including design, implementation, operation, ongoing management and maintenance, the trifecta can accelerate global VoIP and IP telephony deployments and simplify the integration with traditional circuit-switched enterprise voice networks.

The Migration
Using the AT&T infrastructure, Avaya's Interactive Response (IR) telephony platform, Avaya's Communication Manager (CM)—and VoIP software design tools, and applications written by Gold Systems, large organizations can design a virtual environment for its telephony and networking platforms across their businesses. In some scenarios, replacing antiquated IVR systems with Avaya's IR systems is in order.

In one scenario, two applications originally written in ScriptBuilder were duplicated on the Avaya platform. One of them, a claims application for a large insurance company, originally written in ScriptBuilder to run on an Edify IVR platform, was duplicated on Avaya's IR platform in IVR Designer. This is a crucial, primary application for this industry in which customers often are able to request individual status reports for one or more claims and summaries of reports. Open claims can be accessed, and the system often provides the ability to transfer to a customer support center if necessary. Another application was rewritten in IVR Designer, using an MQ Series plug-in for Vonetix, allowing standard database access and improved performance. A fourth application was written in IVR Designer. In any organization, with all applications rewritten in one language and residing on one platform, maintenance is easier and less costly, new parts are available if necessary, and new ports are easily added.

Large company IP migration strategies often include adding Avaya's Communications Manager (CM), which is Avaya's Private Branch Exchange (PBX) switch, Avaya's standards-based IP voice and fax messaging platform, Modular Messaging; a S8710 servers; survivable gateways; and Contact Management System (CMS).

A new system with this configuration can provide companies with the benefit of having a single IP telephony provider; a secure high-speed integrated network; and an IP virtual private network (VPN), allowing organizations to deliver any service, anywhere. The system also replaces disparate voice and data networks; supports mission-critical applications; and expands companies' range of services both internally and externally.

Tricks of the Trade
Now that you've seen a real-world example of IP telephony migration, here are a few tricks of the trade you need to consider if you want to migrate your existing IVR system.

First remember the PBX. It probably needs to be updated to be compatible with newer switches and applications. Next, remember that as applications change, you need to keep up with changing call flows. In fact, every six months to a year be sure to make sure your call flow is serving the business needs of your company and your company's customers.

Also every six months to a year, go over the terminology used in your IVR system. Terminology changes routinely, so be sure you add new terminology and delete obsolete terms from your IVR system. Migrate your speech, as well, to be sure your IVR speech is consistent and in synch with the latest call flow.

As companies grow and acquire other companies, they need to consider that their disparate networks pose maintenance problems. Also, the applications written in different languages need to be addressed. Pick one platform and migrate your applications to that platform. You'll save money on maintenance and scalability. Plus, it can be maintained by a smaller group of people at lower maintenance costs.

Finally, as a first impression and direct customer contact point, your new system will be able to portray a consolidated and professional company image.

Consolidating It All
In a nutshell, you benefit from a single source for the integration of an IP-based voice and data network. Migrating your existing telephony system to an IP-based system doesn't have to require your company to staff up with telephony experts. You can bring the experts in for the migration and follow-up support without disrupting you existing organization's structure. Outsourcing with a trifecta like that of Avaya, AT&T, and Gold Systems, provides your company with the benefits of reduced total cost of ownership; flexibility and control to deploy IP telephony; and visibility and management control over your enterprise VoIP network and IP telephony infrastructure. You can review reports, such as call flows and records, to home in on your customers' needs, ultimately improving the customer experience.