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Follow on Google News | Easy On Hold Provides Innovative Message On Hold Solution For ASTERISKA new live audio stream for Asterisk phone systems phone on hold provides content over a wide network of listening stations.
By: Easy On Hold Easy On Hold® asked, "Can we find a way to help businesses and I.T. both--by coming up with a hands-free solution to on hold messaging?" The thought process turned to streaming audio. The streaming audio world is here, and has been a game-changer in audio delivery for a few years. Live streaming audio and video has been made possible by greater internet bandwidth, and standardization of protocols, including http. Audio streaming is the preferred method of distribution of copyrighted material, since it cannot be copied or “pirated”, among other advantages. The live audio stream can be controlled from a single access point, which empowers managers to control content over a wide network of listening stations. Changes to the stream are heard immediately. Streaming audio comes directly from a server, which allows programmers access to multiple tools for monitoring and measuring performance. Reporting features provide valuable information such as uptime and content use. • Streaming audio reduces end-user intervention, as there are no audio files to manually download and install on devices. • No physical media is required, which reduces cost. • A live stream can be easily managed by an authorized user via a control portal, which eliminates onsite equipment manipulation and complicated programming software for MOH devices. • Streams offer the opportunity to build in reporting and monitoring features. • Scheduling can be done on a granular basis, even to the hour of the day, and changed at will. • Programming changes take place immediately, as the listener hears the stream live. • Users can log in to a control panel to monitor the stream, giving managers “as-it-is- • ASTERISK phone systems typically can use a stream URL directly. Easy On Hold®® began offering streaming music on hold messages in response to demands from customers with Asterisk and OnSip phone systems. As told in Wikipedia: “The trend toward hosted IP telephony for business phone systems is demanding changes in music on hold message technology. [7] In November, 2013, EasyOnHold.com introduced custom messages on hold streams for use with Asterisk and OnSIP phone systems.” Easy On Hold® Vice President Tim Brown explains, “We devised a unique programming technique that encodes playback instructions into each of a series of custom-scripted topical announcements. Then we set a sequence of rules to manage message repetition and customer preferences. A weighting system controls message frequency, so the most important announcements play more often.” Examples of the programming in action might be: · A restaurant has lunch specials that callers hear about in the morning, and dinner specials in the afternoon. · A credit union with a limited-time interest rate that gets more “ear time” than other announcements in the rotation. · An automobile dealer promotes weekend hours to callers on Friday. · A doctor’s office that uses “good morning” and “good afternoon” phrases to make patients feel welcome. Modifications to the message rotation are easily and quickly made, with the results being heard immediately. “Since it is a live stream, customers never have to wait for changes to kick in. There’s no media to handle, no file to transfer. Streams can be monitored live via the customer portal at easyonhold.com,” A call center manager who switched to the Easy On Hold® streaming solution recently remarked at how simple the set up was. The 128k .mp3 stream is a light load on bandwidth, which is already busy streaming video, Pandora personal internet radio, overhead music or other content at many businesses. IP telephony techs from New York to Honolulu participated in the streaming service rollout, quickly arriving at the same conclusion: The stream is a piece of cake. Mack Hendricks, Asterisk Support Manager at dOpenSource (http://dopensource.com/ Easy On Hold® is an official sponsor of ASTRICON15, a three-day exhibition and conference exploring “all things Asterisk” October 13 – 15, 2015 in Orlando, Florida. End
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