Technology to save call centres money and improve efficiency

UK call centres could benefit from free or cheaper calls with the launch of a new service.

Nominet, the national registry for .uk domain names, has  announced that ENUM, a new registry service that combines UK telephone numbers and the Domain Name System (DNS) to simplify the way that VoIP calls (telephone calls made over the Internet) work, is live.  It will allow companies and their customers and suppliers to make free or cheaper calls.

In addition to the cost savings, ENUM has the potential to offer a range of other value-added features to corporate communications such as a ‘follow me’ type function that will allow an individual to choose how (voice, fax, mobile, email, text messaging, location-based services and  websites) and when they would like to be contacted throughout the day. For example, users could direct everything to their mobile device between 9am to 5pm and then re-direct all communications to email after 5pm.

The core principle of ENUM is to translate a telephone number into a domain name. This allows users to continue to use the existing phone number formats they know, whilst allowing the device to route the call using a DNS lookup. Using the DNS makes the service a quick, stable and cheap link between telecommunications systems and the Internet.

And because the platform is based on standard DNS functionality it is an open platform, allowing for the development of exciting new applications.

Phil Kingsland, director of marketing and communications at Nominet comments: “Making cost savings and improving operational efficiency is at the top of the agenda for most organisations in the current economic climate. ENUM has come at just the right time as it cuts telecommunications costs and enables companies to build better relationships with suppliers and customers in a more cost effective manner.”

“For example, if a large organisation and its suppliers used ENUM – all calls between them would be free every time. Equally, smaller organisations, for example in customer service environments, could set up an ENUM number – allowing customers to call for free, without incurring any call receiving costs themselves. Essentially, from today ENUM is set to extend the benefits of VoIP for UK businesses.”