OCS and the Contact Center: Interactive Intelligence Joins the Fray

Posted by Sheila McGee-Smith, McGee-Smith Analytics | May 19, 2008

Last week, Interactive Intelligence made some exciting product announcements and fellow-blogger Nancy Jamison has already skillfully covered those related to Customer Feedback Management. The other major piece of the story centers on integration with Microsoft Office Communications Server. Interactive Intelligence joins a field already populated with the contact center solutions of Nortel, Aspect Software and Mitel (and others?) but adds an aggressive edge to their story that reminds one of David and Goliath.

In 3Q08, Interactive Intelligence will offer, with both its Vonexus IP PBX and Customer Interaction Center, a choice of client interface that includes the Microsoft Office Communicator client, their own Interaction Client or Interaction Client with embedded OCS. Interactive Intelligence highlights that this is a direct SIP integration, not Remote Call Control (RCC) integration. (Note: Nortel also has a direct SIP integration; RCC is used by Cisco Unified Presence (CUP) and Avaya Application Enabled Services (AES) to integrate with OCS.)

In messaging similar to that delivered by Interactive Intelligence CEO Don Brown at the annual partner meeting in October 2007, the press/analyst briefing began with a definition of what OCS is and isn’t. As told by Interactive Intelligence, OCS is a unified communications platform, instant messaging, audio conferencing, person-to-person video conferencing and point-to-point voice communications targeted at enterprise users. The edgy part of the message is the list of what OCS isn’t: neither an IP PBX nor a contact center application platform.

Now, Microsoft has never actually said that OCS is an IP PBX or a contact center solution. But sometimes their messaging can be pretty darn confusing to the average Joe or Jane. While Microsoft doesn’t claim these capabilities are available today, their presentations and messages certainly imply that they intend to replace your existing communications solutions. How can they replace them if they don’t offer the same capabilities?

Aspect, without core PBX capabilities, has joined with Microsoft with a message that seems to be, “we’ll be your contact center when you choose OCS as a PBX.” Nortel’s messaging with Microsoft seems to be “we add feature servers to Microsoft for advanced PBX, messaging, conferencing and contact center.” Interactive Intelligence’s story, and the one that resonates best for me given today’s capabilities, is that OCS offers an option for presence and IM that is well-integrated with the Microsoft Office suite.

For the Interactive Intelligence customer, think of “VoIP as you Are” meaning you can have their fully featured-SIP PBX and contact center solution as the main course, served with a side of OCS.