8 OKI Technical ReviewJanuary 2003/Issue 193 Vol.70 No.1

An Office Communications Model using CTstage4i

Taisuke Nakayama

With the rapid growth of the Internet, personalcomputers, and portable telephones in recent years, theinformation communication market is experiencingdramatic changes. IT infrastructure, in fact, is beingoverturned from its very roots. With the steady trendtoward broadband Internet, through the proliferation ofhigh speed networks, such as xDSL, broadband Internet,and wireless LANs, new broadband services, exemplifiedby EC (electronic commerce) and music and videodistribution, have appeared.

CTstage4i is one of the newest CTI&IPcommunication systems. From a Computer TeleponyIntegration (below, CTI) server, which melds information(the computer) and communications (telephony),achieving great advances in affinity with broadbandInternet, it integrates all the key elements: infrastructure(telephone circuits and Internet), media (voice, images,data), tools (telephones/ mobile telephones/IP phones,FAXs, PDAs), and locations (intra-enterprise systemsand mobile).

In particular, the field of “office communications,”which centers around IP-PBX+UMS, is a new area forCTstage4i solutions. These solutions, which havebecome feasible through the maturing of newtechnologies for available media, devices (terminals),presence, IP network, etc., are ideally suited to thebroadband, ubiquitous era.

In conducting market development and creating userproposals for an Office Communications Model usingCTstage4i, we created and used a system at our company.In that way, we gained know-how about systemconstruction and learned what issues to be careful of.That, in turn, became feedback for determining productspecifications.

In this paper we introduce CTstage4i, including itsfunctions, and describe aspects of system construction(such as security, network configuration, etc.) In doingso, we will refer to the actual system being operated atour company, Oki’s Multimedia Messaging Company(below, MMC), for the purpose of improving officecommunications.

System Models Provided by CTstage4i

CTstage4i provides the following three systemmodels: (Refer to Fig. 1.) • Achieving improved knowledge-worker productivity -

“Office Communication”By means of an IP-PBX function, implementedthrough open architecture, and a unified messagingfunction that completely integrates telephones, FAX,

and e-mail, a real-time communication environmentsuitable for the broadband IP era is provided. Itenables significant improvement of knowledge-worker productivity.

• Building customer relationships - “Customer ContactCenter”By means of a UnPBX model / softswitch model, amulti-channel contact center is achieved whichintegrates customer access from both the Internetand telephone networks. This system supports froma few operator seats to 300 operator seats perserver.

• Achieving voice portals, IP Centrex, etc.-”Carrier/Provider Value-added Services”Through adoption of softswitch architecture, thissystem may be used as the infrastructure for large-scale value-added networks, not only for switchingprocessing, but also for other processing, such asmessaging. Additionally, by supporting the multi-tenant function, the system can serve asinfrastructure for ASP (Application Service Provider)services, such as voice portals, IP Centrex, and ASPtype call centers.

Fig. 1 The three system models provided by CTstage4i

Office CommunicationsImplementation of a communication system for the knowledge worker.(IP-PBX + unified messaging)

Customer Contact CenterImplementation of multi-channel communication to build customer relationships

Providing a softswitch model and a UnPBX model

Carrier/Provider Value-Added ServicesService platforms (IP Centrex, ASP call center, and voice portal) that allow the carrier/provider to provide value-added services to the network user

Carrier/Provider Value-Added Services

Office Communications

Customer Contact Center

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OKI Technical Review 9January 2003/Issue 193 Vol.70 No.1

What is Office Communications?

With the advent of the Internet and the proliferation ofportable telephones, both the amount of information andits transmission speed have increased explosively.White collar “knowledge workers” at enterprises are nowrequired to access necessary information from a hugevolume of information and do it speedily in order to makeproper decisions.

However, within any company, the communicationmeans, such as telephone, FAX, computer, etc., and theinformation resources are both varied and dispersed.Employees must use different access tools, dependingon the source of the required information, which maycome from e-mail, internal databases, the Web, etc., andthis is a major hindrance to productivity improvement.

In many companies in Japan, telephone systems,typified by PBX or internal phone systems, and computersystems, particularly e-mail, are built as two totallydifferent systems. This invites a problematic division incommunications, resulting in deterioration of speed andaccuracy. Moreover, it is said by some that a time loss offrom 30 minutes to 1 hour per person per day alsoresults. This division into two communication systemscauses not only a drop in productivity but also lostbusiness opportunities, lowered customer satisfactionlevels, and delays in decision making. It is a major factorhindering the ability to make smooth and quickorganization changes in response to the businessenvironment.

Through adoption of softswitch architecture,CTstage4i integrates the IP-PBX function, whichperforms the role of the telephone system, and theunified messaging function, which plays the role of thecomputer system, and thus provides a real-timecommunication environment. This supportsimprovements in knowledge worker productivity.

More specifically, as a terminal for IP era officecommunications, CTstage4i supports SoftPhone, SIPtelephones, PDAs and PHS. This enables voice

communication, utilizing the VoIP function of theseterminals. Additionally, in the case of SoftPhone, it ispossible for a knowledge worker to obtain the otherparty’s phone number from the Web and initiate a phonecall with just a click of the mouse. Moreover, withSoftPhone, by setting one’s “presence” status (at one’sdesk, out of the office, in a meeting, etc.), one can set theprocessing of incoming telephone calls, such as “receivecall,” “forward call to another telephone” (such aconference room phone, one’s portable telephone, orPHS) or “receive as voice mail.”

If a PDA with built-in wireless LAN is used, one cannot only access the “unified messages” stored in one’s e-mail in-box but can also make a voice call via thewireless LAN, using the SoftPhone function. In otherwords, not only within the office, but also from any of arapidly increasing number of “hotspots,” it is now possibleto place internal phone calls or access intranetinformation using a PDA. Thus the communicationcapability of knowledge workers when they are outsidethe office is greatly enhanced.

The major advantage of the softswitch function is thatcentralized installations (centers) can be implementedproviding the PBX function for the entire company.Headquarters and all branch offices can be connectedusing broadband Ethernet or IP-VPN, and telephoneswitching of the terminals at each location can be doneby softswitch capability at headquarters. This makes itunnecessary to install PBX equipment at each locationand results in major reductions in the cost of operatingand managing the communication system and in adramatic improvement in the productivity of knowledgeworkers.

Functions Implemented / utilized in CTstage4i Office Communications

The system built and operated by MMC (see Fig. 2)implements and utilizes the following functions.

Fig. 2 The MMC office system

Implementation of PC phones, IP telephones, mobile, and home office

IPsec ensures security with Internet VPN and supports NAT with UPnPIP-PBX call center integration

Company-internal use

Hotspot

Intra-MMC IP-NW

Business planningdepartment

Developmentdepartment SE department

Ctstage 4iMSG/GW

CTstage 4iCM/RM

FWVPN router

Company-internal IP-NW

OKI group

Company-internaltelephone network

PBX Kansai region Chubu region

American regionChugoku region

Warabi region

PBX

Mobile

FTTH

Air H”

ADSL

FTTH

Home

INS64

Man in the stree/customer

PC Phone

PC Phone

PSTN

IPsec

FTTHB FLET'S

InternetVPN

HOTSpot

AirH”

ADSL

FTTH

Air H” base station

WirelessLAN

10 OKI Technical ReviewJanuary 2003/Issue 193 Vol.70 No.1

Fig. 3 Operator Log-in Screen

• Use of the call center call receiving function in anoffice environmentMMC employees are all registered as CTstage4i call

center operators. When they are at their desks they canclick the “CT icon” on the PC screen to log on toCTstage4i’s ACD (Auto Call Distributor) server (see Fig.3). When an employee logs on, the ACD serverrecognizes that “this employee is at his/her desk,” andthe employee can then receive calls at their desk.

A CTstage call center operator must be part of a“business group.” With CTstage, one can be part of fivebusiness groups at most (in general, this function iscalled the multi-ACD log-on function). At MMC abusiness group is created for each team unit, andemployees belong to the business group correspondingto the team to which they belong. When one telephonesMMC, the IVR answers and, depending on the numbercalled, it selects the responsible person or team andnotifies the ACD server. The ACD server verifies that theresponsible person is in the status of “logged on / canreceive calls,” and puts through the call. If theresponsible person is not available, the ACD server callsthe operator within the same business group (the sameteam). Of course, if a person is not logged on or if he/shehas set a status of “away from desk,” or “work time” (i.e.“do not disturb”) then the phone on the desk will neverring. This prevents the loss of business efficiencythrough picking up a phone ringing on the desk ofsomeone who is not present. In this case, a display in apop-up window on the PC indicates the intendedrecipient of the call, so it is possible to know who theintended recipient is before picking up the phone.• The voice-mail function

If none of the operators of the business groupmentioned above is logged in, then the ACD serverautomatically activates the “voice mail (answeringmachine) function”. The recorded voice mail is sent tothe e-mail of the responsible person, of course, and isalso distributed to all the other team members, making itpossible to respond quickly. Of course, one can alsoread it (listen to it) from another office if, for example, oneis on a business trip.• Operator status display function

In cases such as when an employee receives a callbut it is not his/her responsibility, it is necessary toforward it. In such a case, when the responsible personis in a remote location, typically the call is forwarded tothat person. However, if in fact the person is not at thatlocation, the customer may be left on hold. With theCTstage call center, it is possible to verify in real time thestatus of each operator-e.g. not present, away from hisdesk, or in a “do not disturb” status (see Fig. 4). As a

result, before forwarding the call, one can tell the statusof the person designated to receive the forwarded calland can thus handle the call without leaving the customeron hold.

In transferring the call to the responsible person, itcan be sent by a single click on the screen, which is veryuseful in easing the operator’s workload and preventingincorrect dialing.

Fig. 4 Operator real-time status display

• Customer database registration functionPeople one frequently calls from one’s PC terminal

can be registered in a customer database and, whennecessary, it is possible to look up and call that personwith a single click. As in the case above, this also is veryuseful for easing the operator’s workload and preventingincorrect dialing.• Call history function

It is possible at any time to refer to the history ofphone calls one has made. This history information isstored in the call history database in the CTstage server,so even if one changes his/her PC terminal, that historyis not lost. Of course, with one click on this historyinformation it is possible to initiate a call.

When telephone numbers are registered in thecustomer database as mentioned above, it is alsopossible to look up the customer’s name from a phonenumber or to display the names of customers who called.By clicking the customer’s name, one can bring up thecustomer data change screen, which improves ease ofmaintenance and enhances convenience.• Company-internal phone book search function

In our company it is possible to use LDAP to searchthrough the phone book. From the results of this searchone can make a call with a single click.• Softswitch function

By using the softswitch function of CTstage4i, it ispossible to implement not just a telephone terminal butalso a call center operator seat that utilizes a PCterminal. In such a case, the operator seat is onlyconnected by a LAN cable. Moreover, if there is awireless LAN station, then a PC that supports wirelessLAN would not even need a LAN cable.

By using this function, it is possible to have a location-free office, which goes beyond the boundaries of the

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OKI Technical Review 11January 2003/Issue 193 Vol.70 No.1

local office. For example, if one goes on a business tripwith a notebook computer and connects to a LAN inanother office, then that becomes one’s own operatorseat. Thus, once a person performs the log-onoperation, if a call intended for him/her comes in, it canbe received without any need of forwarding. Taking thisconcept one step further, it now becomes feasible to workat home.

Recently, hotspots have been set up throughout largecities. If one logs in to his/hercompany from a hotspot,such as a coffee shop, it becomes possible to placephone calls on an internal line.

One Point about System Construction

At the time of system construction, one point thatmust be noted in particular concerns security measureswith the softswitch model. For example, when sendingdata from a hotspot, via a wireless LAN or the Internet,there is the danger that a third party will be able toeavesdrop and steal important company information.Therefore, at MMC, a VPN environment is set up and theconnection is made through a VPN router. VPN usesL2TP + IPsec. IPsec distributes certificates to remote PCterminals and performs verification based on thosecertificates, providing very high security. All of thetransmitted data is encrypted so that even if the datacontent, traveling over a wireless LAN for example, isstolen, it is not possible for the data content to beunderstood.

ConclusionBy actually operating it at our Multimedia Messaging

Company, we were able to verify the following resultsconcerning the use of our company’s CTstage4i OfficeCommunications System:• The call center function is effective even in an office

environment.• Functions that are effective for communication in the

IP era can be utilized while still ensuring security.As a messaging solution for the broadband Internet

era, CTstage4i is a system that greatly strengthens IPrelated functions, compared to the conventional CTI.There is no doubt that the importance of networks, withinthe total network infrastructure, will continue to grow inthe future.

Having positioned IP-PBX + UMS based onCTstage4i as an essential technology for the officecommunications field and as a communication systemwhich responds to changes in the market in this era ofubiquity, we are continuing to implement and provide newservices.

AuthorsTaisuke Nakayama, Multimedia Messaging Company,CTI & IP Solutions Div., Office Communications Team.