Fonality Launches Mobile Unified Communications, Contact Center App

The app offers a contact center environment to provide managers with a view of all communications activities.

Business communications specialist Fonality unveiled Heads Up Display (HUD) Mobile, an application designed for small and midsize businesses. Through the flexibility of Apple or Android platforms, HUD Mobile delivers access to cloud-based voice over IP, unified communications (UC) and contact center solutions with a single, secure and user-friendly interface. Based on the desktop version of Fonality HUD, the mobile solution is designed to deliver the same information and communications experience on the go.

According to an upcoming SMB study on mobility trends by Webtorials, 49.2 percent of SMB employees are mobile at some point during their day, spending approximately four hours working while away from the office. This creates the potential for productivity drain among SMB knowledge workers, who, as concluded in a January 2011 Webtorials study, waste nearly two days per month attempting to contact customers, partners and colleagues, or trying to find related information. This gap in efficiency can be bridged with an effective UC solution, Fonality said.

Fonality HUD Mobile offers a contact center environment to provide managers with a 360-degree view of all communications activities, including color-coded agent status, call types and duration. Agents can log in and out of queues, regardless of location, while call managers can quickly record calls or interact through barge, monitor and whisper modes to improve customer service.

"Our employees are constantly in the field, and maintaining consistent communications has always been a major challenge," said Ty Sturdivant, CIO of Whirlwind Steel, who beta-tested the application. "With Fonality HUD Mobile, we are no longer impeded by the inability to access and share information in a timely manner. Now, we're more productive and can meet the needs of our customers faster than ever, regardless of our location. Plus, we're lowering our expenses by using a voice over WiFi connection whenever possible. This has become an invaluable tool for supporting our business and growth objectives."

Features include voice over WiFi calling to preserve minutes and reduce mobile costs by approximately 56 percent, real-time presence and collaboration capabilities, instant access to company directory, visual voice mail and virtual conference rooms, and "find me/follow me" functionality for seamless connectivity between desktop and mobile devices. Among other features are unified messaging and Microsoft Outlook integration; advanced call management, allowing managers to monitor, whisper or barge contact center calls; seamless call transfer to and from mobile and office phones; and additional tools, such as secure chat, photo caller ID and on-the-fly call recording.

"SMBs cannot afford to be out of touch with customers and colleagues for extended periods," said Fonality's chief technology officer Rick Bushell. "For fast-growing companies, it's imperative to make important decisions at a moment's notice. Fonality HUD Mobile empowers businesses to work smarter and faster by sharing the right information with the right person at the right time. Users can not only be more responsive, but more effective in their response, which can dramatically improve customer satisfaction and profitability."