Toshiba unveils small call centre application
Firm targets SMEs with cut-price SmartApplications offering
Toshiba has launched an informal contact centre application for SMEs. SmartApplications for the Strata IP-CTX offers some of the functions of more expensive contact centre products, but without the heavy integration costs normally associated with such offerings.
"We want to move more into the application side of the market," said Tim Webb, general manager of the business communications division at Toshiba. "Anything we are releasing now will be forward-compatible."
Toshiba plans to release several hardware and software products this year as it moves further towards voice over IP (VoIP). In July the company announced IP upgrades to its DK280 PBX and launched the IP CTX platform.
The firm's push towards SME contact centres echoes moves made early last year by other vendors, notably Alcatel, Avaya and Cisco, which rushed to release very-small-business versions of their IP telephony (IPT) platforms.
Several commentators noted that the SME market had been missed by some of these vendors' IPT offerings, while firms such as Panasonic, Samsung, Siemens and Toshiba made hay with older systems.
"I don't think [Toshiba is late to market]. This product is ahead of its time," Webb said. "We had a larger, more powerful contact centre product that fitted between the SME and enterprise spaces very early."
Peter Hale, senior analyst at consultant MZA, said there is some potential for growth in the SME market.
"Until recently, there weren't that many companies about with products that address the need for [very small] contact centres," Hale said.
"This part of the market is really about educating the customer. Most people think of contact centres as 100 people answering calls, but that's not always the case. It could be a few people supporting a small product."
Hale said SmartApplications does not necessarily fit into MZA's definition of a contact centre - which includes a large number of features - but that the product has a lot of potential. He described the application as a good solution for very small companies that want to link their contact database with their telephony system.
"This is an area that can bring in revenue for resellers," Hale said. "Applications are always good for sales, but resellers will need the right skill sets."