Caller Identification is information delivered at the start of a telephone call about the calling party. This information generally consists of the calling number and the calling name. Caller identification is generally made available by your carrier for a small monthly fee.
Many subscribers use the service in conjunction with caller identification enabled telephones to identify and block annoying callers and respond to missed calls,.
Many software companies now offer creative solutions that incorporate caller identification into contact relationship management. Caller identification is utilized to retrieve files or information about callers prior to answering the call. These solutions are known as Screen Pop applications.
Business calls are usually linked with information that exists in your database software or contact management applications, such as Access, Outlook, Act!, Maximizer, Goldmine or even a unique in-house custom application. As an example, a travel agency with a proprietary customer database could use Screen Pop to retrieve data at every agents desktop and access the details of each customers travel plans.
Often call handling rules are created based on caller identification routing tables. Business communication servers (or telephone systems) can perform time consuming telephony functions (including answer, conference, hold, park and transfer) based on the caller identification information.
Caller identification software is not foolproof. Many businesses have many telephone lines. This is troublesome for caller identification software that must keep a library of all the lines in order to perform proper screen pops. Recently caller identification spoofing has started creeping into mainstream. Spoofing allows people to masquerade their caller identification as anyone else. Many cellular telephones and international callers are often reported as unknown.
Even though caller identification cannot be 100% reliable in all circumstances, creative software solutions are increasing productivity in call center and customer service environments.
Rito Salomone is the president of Resource Software International Ltd. (RSI). He has 17 years experience in the field of communication management solutions.
For more information you can review: or contact the author at
A great way to help customers decide where to shop is to show them what is available before they hit the malls on the screen of their mobile phones.
Bluepulse has released patented new mobile phone technology called Mobile Mall which puts shopping specials, a mall directory, details of whats happening and coming up in the mall plus other information onto just about any mobile phone screen. Customers dont even have to be in the mall at the time.
Information is easily controlled by the mall management and it works anywhere in the world where mobiles work. Shoppers can be at home or on the bus or sipping coffee somewhere and can check out the shop specials or see whats coming up in their favourite mall. Just about everyone has a mobile phone these days and customers only receive what they request. Nothing is pushed to them and it is not spam.
It operates on the normal mobile network and does not use SMS. Malls can provide this information to their customers without them being bombarded with ads and without the malls having to install wireless systems. There is no cost to the user (unless malls choose to do so) apart from any carrier charges. Customers have control over what they receive and its easy to set up and use.
Customers also get free access to news, weather, horoscopes, sports and much more plus Bluepulses free integrated Instant Messenger enabling them to send messages from their phone to a computer or another mobile.
Bluepulse also offers location based services to malls which have a Bluetooth network in place providing customers with step by step directions to shops, toilets, ATMs, lifts etcetera. Customers can also see where their friends are located and even send free messages.
Bluepulses experience behind these two products has ensured that they are designed to help customers and retailers as well as mall managers. Each one is individualised with the malls name and logo on the top of every screen. This really is the ultimate in customer service.
No doubt, a customers decision where to shop just got a whole lot easier!
Stuart Hely
For more information, contact stuarth@bluepulse.com.au or see the blog at .