Calibree : Calibration-free Localization using Relative Distance ...
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41 w w w . h o m e b u s i n e s s j o u r n a l . n e t 40 January/February 2004 z HBJ I n tough economic times businesses rush to decrease costs to weather the storm. All too often the cost-cutting leads to a direct decrease in productivity. The savviest managers find ways to reassess many core operational expenses, leading to the selection of new technologies and services to reduce expenditures and gain productivity. One way to do this, surprisingly to many business owners, is by taking advantage of innovative and produc- tivity-enhancing toll-free services now on the market. Toll-free services are nothing new. For decades companies have offered 800, and its 866, 877 and 888 derivatives, allowing cus- tomers, partners and employees to call without incurring long-distance charges. What makes toll free servic- es more cost effective and productive now is the ability for non-technical employees to route, track and manage options in real-time via the Web. Instant routing without expensive equipment It became apparent in the marketplace that there was a real need for a cost- effective service that allows companies to instantly change where an incoming toll- free call is routed. For example, if calls are coming to an office that is not manned at a particular time, routing them to an off site line, cell phone or another employee can help a business increase sales and provide better service without missing a beat. But the reality of today’s business climate is that com- panies no longer have the time to wait for a telephone company to make a cen- tral change or the funds to buy and maintain large amounts of equipment that brings routing in-house. At the heart of a small number of these innovative toll-free services is a simple set of Web pages allowing authorized users to manage all of their toll-free numbers. Routing rules can be established based on time, state, area code and even individual number. The rules can be changed at a moment’s notice to meet emerging needs. Since the system allows for different levels of access, employees can be granted access to change and view only the elements pertinent to their job functions. These features have already proven immensely beneficial to companies of all sizes. In the case of a service’s large corporate clients, enhanced toll-free service has enabled sales, customer service and alliance management teams to publish a single toll-free number, yet route calls to appropriate employees based upon the caller’s telephone number or region. Most importantly, the routing is done without the cost of a receptionist or the always- annoying endless automated phone-tree system. When a specific employee is out of the office, a simple visit to the Web page can have the incoming toll-free calls routed to another location. Assessing program success Many toll-free services now feature an advanced call tracking system. A call detail database with predefined reporting by toll-free number, source geography and time period allows cor- porate leadership to make important business decisions based upon call vol- ume, such as expansion, reduction or changing business hours to meet demand. Marketing departments in large cor- porations utilizing these services have already found the service irreplaceable in terms of managing advertising and promotional campaigns and assessing campaign success. Marketing people used to have to jump through hoops to gain the statis- tics necessary to assess the success of promotions. Instead of paying for mul- tiple numbers and engaging consulting companies to mine data from special- ized telephone systems, enhanced toll- free service enables non-technical mar- keting personnel to access call detail. Since this detail is stored to a database, it can be linked to CRM and eCommerce data sources for purposes of campaign return-on-investment and sales-lead time analysis. Many corporations fear needing to change routing parameters to handle unexpected results during a campaign, as it would require costly equipment programming or weeks of time for a telecommunications service provider to complete necessary changes. This is no longer the case, as they may simply meet challenges by altering routing on- line in real time. Cost-effective for any size business Large corporations are not the only businesses currently utilizing these newer toll-free services to increase pro- ductivity and sales leads. Since you can get such a service for as little as $2 for setup and $2 per month plus usage for a single toll-free number from a compa- ny such as Kall8, it is affordable for companies as small as one-person oper- ations. Kall8 offers one of the most flexible toll-free services available, allowing businesses to receive, route, track and manage incoming calls. While benefiting sales, marketing and customer service departments, it does so without any costly equipment or spe- cially trained technical support person- nel. Toll-free services allow small compa- nies/home businesses to operate like their larger corporate counterparts. Without the expenditures of a recep- tionist or costly in-house equipment, a business can always take important calls and send others to voice mail or to another employee. Business people who used to hand out office, cell and home phone numbers, or risk missing impor- tant calls can use one toll-free phone number that follows them throughout the day. Among the most popular benefits of such services is the ability to choose who is allowed to use the toll-free numbers. As is the case for call rout- ing, calls can be immediately and auto- matically accepted or rejected based on state, area code or full phone number, an essential tool for keeping costs down. Toll-free numbers can be programmed so that they can be accessed only by the partners, sales leads, customers and employees the numbers are designed to support. By significantly reducing toll- free number use by unwanted callers, companies find they have more money to use toward improving the position- ing of core business operations. When businesses are looking for bet- ter ways to increase revenues and man- age costs, while at the same time stimu- lating sales, it makes a lot of sense to evaluate these affordable and results- oriented toll-free services. Barbara Silverman-Hauke is Vice President, Marketing for Kall8 (www.kall8.com), a Seattle-based compa- ny that is quickly gaining popularity as a low-cost, high-productivity telecommuni- cations service provider. Inroads in Toll-free Phone Service Cut Costs While Improving Business Efficiency by Barbara Silverman-Hauke R
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Transcript of Calibree : Calibration-free Localization using Relative Distance ...
41w w w . h o m e b u s i n e s s j o u r n a l . n e t40 J a n u a r y / F e b r u a r y 2004 z HBJ
In tough economic times businesses rush to decrease costs to weather
the storm. All too often the cost-cutting leads to a direct decrease in
productivity. The savviest managers find ways to reassess many core
operational expenses, leading to the
selection of new technologies and
services to reduce expenditures and
gain productivity.
One way to do this, surprisingly to
many business owners, is by taking
advantage of innovative and produc-
tivity-enhancing toll-free services now
on the market. Toll-free services are
nothing new. For decades companies
have offered 800, and its 866, 877
and 888 derivatives, allowing cus-
tomers, partners and employees to
call without incurring long-distance
charges. What makes toll free servic-
es more cost effective and productive
now is the ability for non-technical
employees to route, track and manage
options in real-time via the Web.
Instant routing without expensive
equipmentIt became apparent in the marketplace
that there was a real need for a cost-effective service that allows companies toinstantly change where an incoming toll-free call is routed. For example, if callsare coming to an office that is notmanned at a particular time, routingthem to an off site line, cell phone oranother employee can help a businessincrease sales and provide better servicewithout missing a beat. But the realityof today’s business climate is that com-panies no longer have the time to waitfor a telephone company to make a cen-tral change or the funds to buy andmaintain large amounts of equipmentthat brings routing in-house.
At the heart of a small number ofthese innovative toll-free services is asimple set of Web pages allowingauthorized users to manage all of theirtoll-free numbers. Routing rules can beestablished based on time, state, areacode and even individual number. Therules can be changed at a moment’snotice to meet emerging needs. Sincethe system allows for different levels ofaccess, employees can be granted accessto change and view only the elementspertinent to their job functions.
These features have already provenimmensely beneficial to companies of allsizes.
In the case of a service’s large corporateclients, enhanced toll-free service hasenabled sales, customer service andalliance management teams to publish asingle toll-free number, yet route calls toappropriate employees based upon thecaller’s telephone number or region. Mostimportantly, the routing is done withoutthe cost of a receptionist or the always-annoying endless automated phone-treesystem. When a specific employee is outof the office, a simple visit to the Webpage can have the incoming toll-free callsrouted to another location.
Assessing program success
Many toll-free services now featurean advanced call tracking system. Acall detail database with predefinedreporting by toll-free number, sourcegeography and time period allows cor-porate leadership to make importantbusiness decisions based upon call vol-ume, such as expansion, reduction orchanging business hours to meetdemand.
Marketing departments in large cor-porations utilizing these services havealready found the service irreplaceablein terms of managing advertising andpromotional campaigns and assessingcampaign success.
Marketing people used to have tojump through hoops to gain the statis-tics necessary to assess the success ofpromotions. Instead of paying for mul-tiple numbers and engaging consultingcompanies to mine data from special-ized telephone systems, enhanced toll-free service enables non-technical mar-keting personnel to access call detail.Since this detail is stored to a database,it can be linked to CRM andeCommerce data sources for purposesof campaign return-on-investment andsales-lead time analysis.
Many corporations fear needing tochange routing parameters to handleunexpected results during a campaign,as it would require costly equipmentprogramming or weeks of time for atelecommunications service provider tocomplete necessary changes. This is nolonger the case, as they may simplymeet challenges by altering routing on-line in real time.
Cost-effective for any size business
Large corporations are not the onlybusinesses currently utilizing thesenewer toll-free services to increase pro-ductivity and sales leads. Since you canget such a service for as little as $2 forsetup and $2 per month plus usage fora single toll-free number from a compa-ny such as Kall8, it is affordable for
companies as small as one-person oper-ations. Kall8 offers one of the mostflexible toll-free services available,allowing businesses to receive, route,track and manage incoming calls.While benefiting sales, marketing andcustomer service departments, it doesso without any costly equipment or spe-cially trained technical support person-nel.
Toll-free services allow small compa-nies/home businesses to operate liketheir larger corporate counterparts.Without the expenditures of a recep-tionist or costly in-house equipment, abusiness can always take important callsand send others to voice mail or toanother employee. Business people whoused to hand out office, cell and homephone numbers, or risk missing impor-tant calls can use one toll-free phonenumber that follows them throughoutthe day.
Among the most popular benefits ofsuch services is the ability to choosewho is allowed to use the toll-freenumbers. As is the case for call rout-ing, calls can be immediately and auto-matically accepted or rejected based onstate, area code or full phone number,an essential tool for keeping costsdown.
Toll-free numbers can be programmedso that they can be accessed only by thepartners, sales leads, customers andemployees the numbers are designed tosupport. By significantly reducing toll-free number use by unwanted callers,companies find they have more moneyto use toward improving the position-ing of core business operations.
When businesses are looking for bet-ter ways to increase revenues and man-age costs, while at the same time stimu-lating sales, it makes a lot of sense toevaluate these affordable and results-oriented toll-free services.
Barbara Silverman-Hauke is VicePresident, Marketing for Kall8(www.kall8.com), a Seattle-based compa-ny that is quickly gaining popularity as alow-cost, high-productivity telecommuni-cations service provider.
Inroads in Toll-free Phone Service Cut Costs While
Improving Business Efficiencyby Barbara Silverman-Hauke
R
