Traditional TDM communications are being replaced by the rapid growth of VoIP, a technology used to send audio signals over electronic networks. Larger companies need voice recording systems that incorporate both.
Recording initiation must be a flexible user-defined process. Start triggers should be configured independently for each channel’s unique purpose and recording environment.
Among others, three common triggers, connect, VOX and external, are available. Connect start recording when a connection between two parties is established, VOX when the audio volume rises for an extended time span, and external are tied to other applications including programs analyzing screen activities. These programs may start recording based on specific events such as pressing a pre-defined button or the appearance of messages on the screen. External triggers may be activated manually via applications or automatically via CTI. Other triggers such as ring-tone detection, on/off hook detection or start/stop via function keys on a telephone provide customer-specific recording initiation for almost any situation.
In larger companies with hundreds of phone lines, selective recording is used to preserve calls from specific channels or to limit recording to defined time spans or user groups. Planners employ pre-defined prioritized rules to build complex scenarios.
Playback Methods
Call playback for larger companies may be complicated for security considerations or because recording units are used in multiple branch locations. Therefore, it should occur directly on the centralized recording solution through a dedicated server. To provide access from any company site, recordings should be transmitted via network through browser-based replay applications without any additional software. In addition, when web access is unavailable playback should be accessible by phone. This requires an API running on the telephone system so the user can search and replay calls directly.
To protect recordings from unauthorized replay, the system must enforce user rights to control access, perhaps limiting it to specific channels, phone numbers or time spans. This access must be configured independently for different users or groups.
Archiving Methods
Due to the number of recordings, larger companies need a solution for long-term storage. Archiving on DVD must be supplemented by other methods using internal archive tape, removable disk drives, external hard disks or USB devices to allow storage of large amounts of data.
For online, networked attached storage (NAS) may be used as an extended hard disk. In addition, larger companies may need to store important calls separately so a solution should allow selective archiving.
Conclusion
To meet the requirements of large companies, a recording system must provide flexible configurations and different methods for call storage and replay. New technologies must be integrated for high-volume recording. To control recording of hundreds or thousands of calls each day, planners must provide definable rules for each channel to determine how to handle a call.
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