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Cloud and Software as a Service (SaaS) Questions

What is meant by the cloud?

The cloud is a very flexible solution designed for today’s rapidly changing business environment that enables a company to utilize applications (e.g. contact center) on a “pay as you go” basis. Managing applications on a cloud-based platform provides quick scaling up or down with business demands without the need to acquire, design, implement or manage those applications. Instead of on-premise hardware and software solutions that must be continually managed, updated with patches, upgraded periodically, and supported with business continuity solutions, the cloud allows Echopass clients to focus on their core business while Echopass manages the infrastructure in our datacenters and delivers the calls and interactions to our clients via the Internet and corporate data networks.

How does Echopass provide Software as a Service?

We provide a software delivery model in which contact center agents, supervisors and administrators (wherever they may be located), access the Echopass contact center applications through the Internet or dedicated access to the Echopass datacenter which is managed by Echopass.

Why is the cloud-based Software as a Service model better than having the contact center on premise?

There are many powerful benefits to the cloud-based model that distinguish and improve it from legacy on-premises or managed service approaches including the following:

  • Game changing business transformation opportunities through re-deployment of IT resources, energies, and focus on innovation rather than managing expensive and complex on site telephony infrastructure
  • Faster speed to market and improved return on investment with the quicker adoption of new technology and immediate business benefits, as most solutions can be delivered in 120 days or less
  • Substantial improvement in business agility by providing greater flexibility and scalability to meet unplanned changing business requirements, without capital expense necessities
  • Substantial cost reduction of up to 40% vs. on premises systems through lower total cost of ownership and utility based pricing models (Software as a Service delivery) rather than costly ongoing system upgrades, patches, technology refresh cycles and maintenance costs
  • The ability to maintain currency in software and hardware releases, patches, and updates without any additional cost or local IT support
  • Flexible monthly usage based pricing models that allow users to only pay for what services they use in any given month
  • More cost effective business continuity protection and solutions due to shared infrastructure
  • Access to complex technical skills and expertise when there is no interest in developing and maintaining currency for skill sets in house.
  • The ability to easily consolidate contact centers across vast worldwide geographies into virtualized environments. Employees at different company sites can act as agents without need of a physical contact center infrastructure at each site. All distributed agents can be easily managed and viewed in a virtualized environment from a single management console regardless of agent location, including those working from their home based work locations using standard data and telephony circuits.

What is Echopass' cloud-based architecture?

Echopass developed a proprietary multi-tenant multilayer distributed software architecture where each layer manages specific tasks to ensure maximum security, performance, and scalability. The architecture is comprised of both Echopass proprietary software stacks as well as best-in-class applications from our technology partners which we have integrated. Examples include partner applications from Genesys, IBM, Verint, eTalk and Microsoft which are delivered by Echopass and supported in a 100% SIP environment.

What open standards does Echopass support?

Our contact center platform is an SOA standards-based and open services integration architecture developed on Microsoft .Net, SQL, Visual Studio, and Web services. Echopass has also developed open APIs to aid in integration to other existing client solutions, back office applications, and as a tool enabling outside developers to build more specific industry application integration.

The Echopass contact center platform supports the following industry standards (in alphabetical order):

  • CCXML
  • HTTP
  • JAVA (in the form of Java scripts and APIs)
  • JSON/XML (supported data protocols in Web APIs)
  • Media Resource Control Protocol (MRCP)
  • Microsoft .Net framework
  • POP3/SMTP
  • SOAP/REST (Standards for Web Services/Interoperability)
  • Session Initiation Protocol (SIP RFC3261)
  • SNMP
  • TCP/IP
  • TXML
  • VXML 2.1 (VoiceXML)

What is multi-tenancy?

Multi-tenancy is the ability to serve multiple clients, lines of business, and sites from a single platform instance. Multi-tenant applications are developed to ensure high levels of privacy and security by the logical separation of tenants. Our solutions are provided through a multi-tenant platform that includes a multi-tenant abstraction layer. Echopass’ proprietary multi-tenant abstraction layer is based on data segregation, physical segregation and a highly secured permissions model. These combine to securely isolate clients from each other. 

A key benefit to multi-tenancy is that each client's solutions software can be upgraded and configured independently of other clients, allowing for very quick response to changing businessconditions and maximizing client’s business agility. The pre-provisioning of the multi-tenant software enables Echopass to deploy rapidly, as well as make subsequent adds/changes on demand as client needs evolve.

Does Echopass integrate with existing contact center technology?

Yes. Echopass integrates the solution with on-premise telephony systems (including Cisco UCM, Nortel and Avaya) and IVRs. We also integrate with existing legacy contact center applications and complex back office systems including customer relationship management (CRM), Workforce Management (WFM), Business Process Management (BPM), billing, ticketing management and other applications as needed for a complete solution.

How much can Echopass scale to handle increasing agent requirements?

There is no upper limit for the Echopass contact center infrastructure. Echopass is designed to support the complex large enterprise client needs in the contact center market and is designed to scale gracefully into environments with many thousands of agents.

Can I start with my initial contact center of less than 200 agents and grow with Echopass over time?

Yes. Many of our clients with complex operations began with only 200-300 agents and have expanded dramatically with Echopass over time to thousands of agents in virtualized environments.

How many locations can Echopass serve for any single client?

The Echopass cloud-based solution can provide services for an unlimited number of locations. Many large Echopass enterprise clients have multiple physical contact center locations across the world plus remote and at home agents. Supervisors can view and manage all agents, regardless of the number of locations or geographic distribution, as one virtual contact center regardless. This is one of the key benefits that our Echopass clients rely on with a cloud-based model. While the client contact centers may be physically located in multiple locations, the Echopass solution allows them to be managed as if they were virtually in the same site. One administrator can manage all of the agents regardless of their location, and any agent can be delivered an interaction based upon pre-established criteria from across the enterprise.

If we choose Echopass and our company grows rapidly, will there be growth limits in the Echopass solution?

There are no limitations or restrictions as client companies grow. Almost every Echopass client has grown from their initial number of agents, and many also have substantial seasonal spikes. The Echopass datacenters have been designed for scalability and client growth. Client expansion is anticipated, expected and engineered directly into every solution that we design for our clients.

What lead-time is required to provision for more growth in a client’s contact center?

Most changes can be made by the client themselves using Echopass administrative tools. As an example, agents and IVR scripts are added on demand. Larger expansion projects can be typically completed with 60 days.

How does Echopass connect its service to its clients?

The Echopass SIP based solution is delivered to our clients' Local Area Network through high-speed communication channels such as T1-T3 broadband connections. These are used to transport and secure service delivery to the client site.

Service is delivered to the agent through EchoContact, the Echopass soft phone which runs on an Internet connected computer, with voice quality backed by either a customer owned or Echopass provided IP/SIP phone. Echopass provides end-to-end network connectivity from its three datacenters to the client sites. If a client's contact center staff includes work at home agents, the service is delivered to the agent home via broadband.

What hardware would I need to use Echopass?

Echopass clients typically reduce their contact center infrastructure and hardware footprint in their facilities to a basic set of routers and T1-T3 broadband connections that are used to enable the Echopass service. This helps further improve ROI by eliminating existing infrastructure, high server power requirements, critical HVAC needs, emergency generator backup devices(and periodic testing) and costly facilities that are no longer required. Agents only need to use the existing client LAN, phone, and PCs to connect to Echopass.