Instant business phone bill reductions - dream or reality?

Whether running a large corporate organisation or a small business, decision-makers face a constant challenge in keeping pace with the rapid evolution of communications technologies.

From ensuring a reasonable number and duration of personal calls through to guaranteeing call costs are as low as possible - through strategic use of least-cost routing (LCR) or VOIP (voice over Internet Protocol) - the range of options and opportunities can be bewildering, even for seasoned business leaders.

The reality, however, is by forming a partnership with the right telecommunications service provider, companies are in fact able to conduct an instant assessment of over a year's worth of phone records, and plot an immediate path forward to ensure cost savings and increased operational efficiencies in the office.

Illustrating the point is the release of an enhanced offering from telecoms specialist, Multimatics. The new release of Multimatics' Xtel system features significantly improved speed of report generation and processing, a private and business number predictor and generally enhanced versatility.

The new Xtel release continues to be supported by Multimatics' Telesentry service, which allows clients to fully outsource the management of their PABX management at a cost lower than in-house management. Clients are now offered a five-minute turnaround time on report generation and a choice of four-hour or 24-hour service level agreements, supported by the services of a professional key accounts manager and a money-back guarantee that savings will exceed the cost of the solution.

"Xtel automatically tags numbers that meet the criteria for assumed business use," says Steven Brown, Multimatics Managing Director. "The frequency and duration to telephone numbers is measured, in conjunction with call patterns, to determine if a call is for business or private. This enhances the business' ability to proactively manage staff call patterns, and as a result, keep a grip on costs and productivity."

Through Xtel and Telesentry, Multimatics delivers a full site summary and analysis to clients, which offers a complete breakdown of the last 13 months of calls, including business and private calls. "Unanswered calls and ring time information are also reported on, but now include a summary on whether the organisation's ring times are too high," adds Brown. "Another key feature of the system is the inclusion of industry data, which allows clients to measure their performance against industry norms."

Crucially, Multimatics is able to aid clients in interpreting the reports generated by the Xtel system. The ability to plot a strategic path forward in dealing with key infrastructure and human resources issues means that companies are able to act decisively to bring down telecoms costs and improve productivity.

"The offering has grown as fast as it has because we are able to guarantee significant cost savings, without any capital expenditure from the client, and with immediate, seamless integration of Xtel with any PABX system," says Brown.

Add to this the objective advice of industry professionals and the equation is simple for companies trying to deal effectively with telecommunications costs. The new release of the Xtel system means decision-makers can gain true insight into the strengths and weaknesses of their telecoms status quo, while being able to access records as far back as 24 months, means the analysis and strategic work around the results can begin immediately.

So, despite appearances, businesses are actually able to negotiate the often-muddy telecommunications waters and achieve an average 40% reduction in telecommunications costs, with relative simplicity. The trick, of course, is knowing who to speak to.

* Please see attached PDF file for a sample 'site summary' document, produced by the Xtel system