RFP for a voice system

This Request for Proposal is based on this template.

• Executive summary - Seeking a voice-based, software-driven, communication telephone system combining telephone and voice mail technology with the power of the desktop computer. An important aspect is the ability of users to control telephone calls and voice mail directly from their desktops through an easy to use graphical user interface. By integrating multi-line calls and voice mail, the objective is to communicate using the telephone and desktops, maximizing an individual's ability to access and share information.
  Requesting company
  
  • Location
  • Years in business
  • Number of employees
  The selected vendor will source:
  
  • Communication system and telephone sets to be used.
  • Installation and configuration services for this equipment.
  • Wiring changes and upgrades
  • Training of users and administrators.
  • Maintenance of purchased and installed equipment and software.
  • Upgrades to the installed systems as necessary.

• Instructions - Each question requires a written response. Attach documentation to support answers. The quality of the response will be viewed as an example of the vendor’s capabilities. The RFP asks questions about functionality, approach, and pricing. Provide product brochures for the proposed telephone system, including hardware, software, telephone sets, attendant consoles and other related equipment. Only existing telephone systems will be considered. Systems under development, in planning, or at beta test will not be considered. Vendors can include additional information about future developments or plans under separate attachment. Any features, discussion, reference to or implied usage of future release products or features must be clearly stated as a future release product or feature. Any features, discussion, reference to or implied usage of optional (not included) features or products must be clearly stated as an optional (not-included) feature or product. Any features, products or capabilities of the proposed system that are third party developed, sold or maintained must be clearly stated as such. Any features, products or capabilities that require additional hardware or software beyond the base communications server provided must clearly state what additional hardware, software, brand, type and company supplies such items and the implications on warranty and maintenance support by the providing company.
• Selection Process - in addition to cost considerations, proposals will be evaluated on the basis of the following:
  
  • Functionality of standard equipment and features to meet the requirements including:
    
    • Telephone support system/call center.
    • Remote/home use for distributed users.
    • Fully managed and integrated within a Windows environment.
  • Availability of additional optional capabilities to add as needed.
  • System growth and expansion.
  • Open standards based software, hardware and interfaces.
  • Support software integration into service desl tools.
  • Ease of use.
  • Ease of system administration.
  • Product quality, reliability and warranty plan.
  • A credible commitment by the vendor to the product and to ongoing enhancement of both feature capabilities and service.
  • Vendor qualification including:
    
    • Overall experience and reputation in the industry.
    • Experience with the proposed system.
    • Service and support resources, including training of vendor installation and maintenance personnel.
    • Verifiable quality of service provided by vendor to area customers.

• Vendor
  
  • Name, address, and telephone number (including parent or holding companies).
  • How long has your company been in business?
  • How long has your company or division been providing business telephone systems and related equipment?
  • Indicate whether your company is the manufacturer or the distributor of the proposed equipment. If your company is a distributor of the product, describe the terms of your agreement with the manufacturer, the manufacturer’s level of support, and what contingencies they have in place should your company fail to continue to support the product for any reason.
  • If your company is a distributor or integrator of the proposed product, is your company authorized by the manufacturer to do so and how long has your company been authorized?
  • How many employees do you have?
  • How many technicians are certified on the proposed equipment?
  • When were the communication server telephone systems you are proposing first installed at customer sites?
• References - provide references of customers with similar operations that use the equipment being proposed. Include contact names, telephone numbers, and addresses.
• System Architecture
  
  • System description
  • Environmental considerations - System should be rack mountable for all components. It should run on standard power and not require any different environmental considerations that are not available in a standard data center. Describe any special environmental considerations with regards to installation of hardware, such as power requirements, special cooling requirements and physical space requirements. Be sure to be specific about the exact amount of rack space (in rack units) that are required to mount your equipment and all the options including all required power. Assume that any keyboard/mouse/monitor functions will be interfaced into existing KVM switch equipment. Clearly state the quantity, if more than one, of KVM ports needed to support all equipment and options you are proposing.
• Transmission standards - The proposed system compliance to numbering plan standards.
• Manufacturer’s support - All hardware and software must be the current offering provided by the manufacturer, and that which receives the highest level of support available from the manufacturer. State whether the proposed system is the latest available version of both hardware and software and if not, explain what is being proposed and why.
• Capacity and expansion requirements - State what the proposed system can accommodate at full capacity. This includes capacity for trunk lines and stations.
• Hardware interfaces and capacities
  
  • CO Line Ports - Loop Start
  • CO Line Ports - Ground Start
  • DID Trunk Ports
  • Caller ID Line Ports
  • E&M Tie Line Ports
  • E-1 Channels
  • PRI Channels
  • Full Feature Conf. Phone with satellite microphone option
  • Full Feature Display telephones
  • Reduced Feature phones .
  • Call Center Agent Phones
  • Analog Ports for Modems/Faxes
  • IP telephones
• Software interfaces and capacities
  
  • Windows User Graphical Interfaces
  • Call Center Windows Integration
  • Station Interface Lic.
  • Voice Mail Lic.
  • Voice/Recording Space
  • IP users/trunks
  • PRI Trunk Channels
  • Management console
  • System Development Kit
  • Exchange Integration & Synchronization
  • Call Center Reports
• Other requirements
  
  • Message waiting lamps on all telephones
  • System administration from any networked workstation
  • ACD software and hardware. Include capability for reports.
  • Automatic Route Selection software
  • UPS or battery backup, 14 hour minimum.
• Voice mail requirements
  
  • Message and recording storage capacity.
  • Voice mail ports.
  • Number of mailboxes.
  • Maximum message and recording length.
• Software upgrades - the proposed system must be kept up to date with periodic software upgrades providing new features and keeping the system current. Description of proposed software upgrade capabilities in terms of frequency of new version releases, cost, how implemented, reprogramming and retraining requirements.
• Networking of multiple systems - the proposed telephone system must be capable of networking multiple similar communication systems together to work as one large system, both for the purpose of expanding capacity in one location, and to serve multiple locations with transparent operation.
• System power and backup
  
  • Power Consumption - what AC voltage is required to run the system? What amp circuit is required? Does it require a dedicated circuit?
  • Power Surge Protection and UPS Backup - Is the proposed telephone platform equipped with an Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) with fully isolated power conditioner or auxiliary power source that prevents damage to the system as a result of a power surge due to lightning or other voltage spikes? If an AC power outage occurred, how long would the telephone system server continue to operate? Does the system immediately switch over from AC to auxiliary or UPS-provided power, or does the system have to be restarted? What happens to the calls in progress during a loss of AC power and switchover to UPS?
  • Power Failure Transfer - Does the proposed communication server system have a power failure transfer capability to switch CO lines to standard analog telephones if AC power fails and auxiliary power is not available? Describe what equipment is required, if any, to accomplish power failure transfer. Is the transfer immediate after a loss of power, or is a manual transfer procedure required? Does the communication server automatically restart when power is restored? If not, what is required? Please list in your price proposal the option of having a hard copper cut over in event of a total extended power outage beyond the capacity of the UPS to support 4 fail over CO lines into a minimum of 4 designated, existing stations on the phone system to give voice only in and out bound calling capabilities.
  • Redundancy - Describe the proposed system’s redundant processing capabilities. What additional equipment is required?
• User interface
  
  • Telephone user interface - the proposed system must provide a telephone user interface that makes features easy to use. Describe the telephone feature use attributes of the proposed system. Explain the differences between the high end phone sets, low end phone sets and if a simple analog phone set were attached to the system as to the accessibility of system features such as transfer, hold and conferencing.
  • Workstation user nterface - the proposed system must provide a Graphical User Interface (GUI) that makes call control and features easy to use from user workstation PCs. Describe the GUI feature use attributes of the proposed system. What additional software or equipment is required to use this capability? What system features that can be accessed by the phone that are not available via the GUI interface. (conference calling, transfers, and voice mail playback.)
  • Remote user access via Internet - the proposed system must provide GUI call control and feature use to remote users as well as local users. Describe the GUI feature use attributes of the proposed system that are available to remote users. Do remote users have the same capabilities available to them as local users? How do remote users connect to the communication server system? What additional software or equipment is required to use this capability? Are there any software phone (soft-phone, no hardware phone set needed) capabilities of the proposed system?
• System administration
  • Maintenance administration - Describe how maintenance administration is accomplished both by the service technician and the system administrator. Can live system programming be done? Is there any service interruption during upgrades or maintenance? Can a full and complete backup of all voice and data can be done on a live system?
  • Remote Maintenance - Can both programming and trouble shooting be performed remotely? Is password protection available for security access to the remote administration interface? Is this a standard or optional capability? What additional software or equipment is required?
• Trunk interfaces
  
  • Digital Trunk E1 Interface -Can the proposed system support E1 interface? What software or equipment is required? How many E1 interfaces and trunks will the system support in relation to the maximum trunk capacity?
  • Digital Trunk ISDN Primary Rate Interface - Can the proposed system support ISDN Primary Rate Interface? What software or equipment is required? How many PRI interfaces and trunks will the system support in relation to the maximum trunk capacity?
  • Analog Trunk Interface -Can the proposed system support standard analog loop start trunk lines? Describe required equipment.
  • DID Interface - Does the proposed system support Direct Inward Dialing? Are DID trunks available on an analog interface as well as the proposed system’s digital T1 interface? What additional system software or equipment is required?
  • Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) Trunk Interface - Does the proposed system support simultaneous voice and data transmission over the same IP network? What additional software or equipment is required to support VoIP? Is it part of the communication server or an external adjunct system? What non-propietary communication standards does the VoIP interface support?
• Station interfaces
  
  • Analog telephone interface - Are standard analog telephones supported? Are analog telephones connected to the communication server via standard one-pair telephone cabling, or do the have to be connected via the LAN?
  • Digital Telephone Interface - Are digital telephones supported? Are the digital telephones connected by the same standard 2-wire cable as analog telephones? How far can a digital station be placed from the CPU?
  • IP Telephone Interface - What standards does the proposed system support via the IP telephone interface? Do remote IP telephone users have access to the same TUI and GUI features as local telephone users? What additional software or equipment is required?
  • Softphone Interface - Does the proposed VoIP component support any non-proprietary softphones such as Net Meeting, etc.? If so, what standards does it use to interface with them and is there any additional equipment or software needed to do so.

• Telephone equipment
  
  • Analog telephones
    
    • Caller ID.
    • Call Waiting ID.
    • Message waiting lights.
    • 4-6 feature buttons that are soft programmable.
    • POTS interface. Detail the system features that can or cannot be accessed via a standard analog (POTS) phone. Can the system proposed support standard POTS wireless phone sets?
  • Executive display speaker phones and accessories
    
    • Programmable displays
    • Soft keys
    • CID
    • Call waiting CID
    • Direct access to full system features such as conferencing, transfers, and parking.
    • Accessories that can be used in conjunction with these telephones including built in headset jacks, and data ports.
  • Phones for call center agents
    
    • These phones have the same requirements as the executive display phones
    • Direct plug-in jacks for both 2.5mm headsets and RJ-11 modular headsets.
    • The phone must control the headset volume and the on/off hook status of the headsets with out requiring the hand set to be lifted off hook.
    • List any other description or caveats to the required specifications for this phone.
  • Low End phones for lobby, wall mount and other areas.
    These phones required minimal access to system features other than CID, call waiting CID, transfer and park capabilities.
  • IP telephones
    These phone sets are required to support the same type of features as the Executive Display phone. If they do not, describe the differences between them. Describe the IP telephone models that can be used with the proposed system. Are the IP phones designed around open standards to work with other systems? Please describe the feature sets, system accessibility and the open communications standards supported by these phones.

• Computer Telephony Integration (CTI)
  
  • CTI capabilities available with the proposed communication server.
  • Proposed system’s compliance with the Microsoft TAPI standards and TAPI commands supported.
  • Hardware or software necessary to run a computer application with the proposed system.
  • What software does your proposed system integrate with on the following levels:
    
    • User installable integration?
    • Admin installable integration?
    • Installer integration?
  • Programmer customized Integration (programming via your SDK)
• Communication Server Telephone System Features
  
  • PBX Telephony Features
    
    • Account Codes - Describe the use of account codes on a voluntary, forced, and forced & verified basis for the proposed system. Indicate the maximum number of digits and the minimum number of digits.
    • Automatic Number Identification (ANI) - Does the proposed system support Automatic Number Identification, to display the caller’s telephone number on the telephone LCD? Can ANI digits be received simultaneously with Dialed Number Identification Service (DNIS) called number digits? Does the system capture call history for both abandoned (unanswered) and answered calls for later viewing or speed dialing?
    • Auto Attendant - Does the proposed system support an auto attendant? How many levels of menu choices are supported? Can auto attendant greetings and choices automatically change during non-business hours, holidays, etc.?
    • Caller Identification -Can the proposed system interface with Caller ID offered from the local operating company. Does Caller ID display name, number, or both? Does the system capture call history for both abandoned (unanswered) and answered calls for later viewing or speed dialing? If a second call rings while on the first call, can the Caller ID display the second call information?
    • Call Screening - Callers can be routed or screened via CID, PIN input, Caller name input. Can the proposed system provide call screening functions, using Caller ID or PIN input? Can the system automatically ask the caller for their name to play back to the answering party to allow call screening? Can the caller name screening select which calls to screen based on no CID or the contact not being listed in the contact database?
    • Call Waiting - The user must be able to place important secondary calls on hold with out any break on the primary call via the telephone or GUI. They must be able to route the waiting call to any other user or voice mail box as needed with interruption of the primary call. Can the proposed system provide call waiting notification of a second call ringing at a busy telephone? What methods of multiple call handling does the user have?
    • Call Recording - Calls can be recorded on demand by users with administrator’s permission, calls can be recorded by automatic statistical methods for quality control and 100% of all calls to a user or ACD can be recorded. The recordings must be capable of being redirected to a third party mail box or email address. Call recordings must be automatically archived to a digital offline storage device such as a DVD or CD ROM burner. All file formats of any recordings must be a Microsoft Wave format or other file format that is generally supported on Windows systems. Can the proposed system record telephone calls on an on-demand basis? On an automated basis? How are they stored in the system? How can recorded calls be accessed and reviewed? What format is the recording exported?
    • Call Logging - Call logs must be user accessable for that user’s logs or admin accessible for the system logs. They must be directly exportable into a Microsoft Excel spread sheet format with full log data and proper column names. Can the proposed system keep a list of all calls made and received? Is the call log accessible by individual users as well as the system administrator?
    • Customized Call Handling - Calls specified by CID or PIN input must be able to be routed according to a preset and scheduled set of rules. This includes the ability of the system to project names of callers as injected by the contact database.Does the proposed system enable each individual user to set the parameters of how their calls are routed based upon who is calling, or by time of day? Can the system play custom greetings the user establishes for each of these actions?
    • Dialed Number Identification Service (DNIS) - Calls, when DNIS is available, must be capable of being routed according to the DNIS information and the answering party must receive via a voice prompt, phone display and GUI display a specific prompt on how the call is to be answered.Does the proposed system support DNIS? Are DNIS digits passed through the system as calls are transferred or forwarded? Is DNIS routing sensitive to day/night modes? Can DNIS route calls outside the system? Can DNIS digits be received simultaneously with ANI digits?
    • Music On Hold - The system must come with one standard music on hold interface and be capable of supporting multiple interfaces that are selectable by user, queue or rules. What type of music interface is provided or available with the proposed system? Is additional equipment required? How many music source interfaces are supported on the proposed system?
    • Call Forward - The system must be capable of routing calls to external users via their cell, home or other phone while providing them call screening, voice mail monitoring and other telephone user interface features as offered for a local office user. Describe the call forward modes and capabilities available. Can calls be forwarded to a succession of destinations via a call routing list? Can calls be forwarded externally? Can the call forward external destination be changed remotely by the user when out of the office? What features are typically not available to an external person using only a cell phone for their station?
    • Call Pickup - Can a station pickup calls ringing at other stations? Can a station pickup calls ringing at other stations when the station number is unknown? How many station pickup groups are available? How many CO line pickup groups are available? Is a station capable of picking up calls from hold, park, and the paging system?
    • Call Coverage Groups - Describe the call coverage capabilities available. Can coverage groups be established to route and answer calls? Can a station be in more than one group simultaneously? How many call coverage groups can be defined within the proposed system? Can any group member easily answer calls at other telephones in the group? Can users have the ability to create their own groups without administrator rights or assistance?
    • Camp on - Can a user camp on a busy line?
    • Station Hunting - Describe the station hunting capabilities available with the proposed system. Can a station be in more than one hunt group simultaneously? How many hunt groups can be defined within the proposed system? Describe how station hunting compliments or works in conjunction with call coverage groups.
    • Call Transfer Options - Any notes and contact information associated with the incoming call be automatically transferred to the next party. All phones, including POTS phones must be able to transfer calls via the TUI. Can calls be transferred either immediately, without waiting for the destination party to answer, or after announcing the call to the answering party? Will the transferred call following the receiving station’s forwarding? Will a transferred call recall to the transferring station if the destination does not answer within a programmable amount of time, or forwarding does not cause the call to reach a destination that answers?
    • CO Line/Trunk Groups - How many CO line or trunk groups are supported on the proposed system? How are they accessed?
    • Conference - the GUI should allow any user hosting a conference to see all conferees on screen and be able to mute their connection, take them off the conference, place them on hold individually, inject voice, recordings or other audio files into the conference. The host should be able to drag and drop attendees into the conference How many parties can be on a conference? How many simultaneous conferences can occur? Can joined parties continue in the conference after the originating station has hung up? How are additional parties added to a conference after the conference has been established – can a party who has called in join, or must an outbound call be placed to add additional parties?
    • Conference bridging - the system should have a conference bridge that supports a minimum of 16 conference attendees in one conference and a minimum of 32 conferees total at one time. Does the proposed solution support conference bridges (where an access code can be distributed to multiple parties, who can call in at a designated time and join the conference)? What additional equipment is needed for this feature? How many parties can join a conference bridge?
    • Conference Management - Users should be able to reserve conference resources, pre-setup and have a conference call all attendees at an appointed time.Does the proposed solution allow conference resources to be scheduled and pre-setup for an automatically created conference call?
    • Disconnect Supervision - What type of disconnect supervision does the proposed system provide, if a holding caller hangs up? What type of calls does it work with? Is it programmable by CO line?
    • Distinctive Ringing - Can station ringing be different for incoming line calls and internal calls. State the number of different station ring settings available with the system. Is the ring setting programmable by the user or system administrator or both?
    • Ringing Line Preference - Can a telephone be programmed to answer the ringing line by simply depressing the speaker button or lifting the handset? Is it programmable by station?
    • Onhook Dialing with Hot Dialpad - Is the station user able to dial and monitor an external number before having to lift the handset? Is this feature available on all digital telephone models or only on speakerphones? Do the proposed executive display telephones have a hot dialpad, meaning that it is not necessary for the station user to press an intercom or outside line button first to begin on-hook dialing?
    • Flexible Station Status - the user should be able to program their phone station status to perform rules or make automatic announcement changes based on their status or schedule. Can individual users set their station status according to various conditions like “Do Not Disturb,” “Out of Office,” etc. Are they user definable? Can station status be set to ring certain types of calls and forward others?
    • 27. Enhanced 911 (E911) Operation - Does the proposed system support Enhanced 911 operation to provide locator information to Public Safety 911 Agencies? How does this work? What additional equipment is required?
    • Flexible Button Assignment - Discuss how features are assigned to programmable buttons at the station. Can most, if not all, features be assigned under feature buttons? Can individual station users program their own feature buttons on their telephone?
    • LED Indicators - Describe all the different LED indications available from the proposed telephones. Describe the flash rates and colors used for In Use, Incoming Call, OnHold, CampOn, and Busy Station Ringing, etc. conditions.
    • Headset Compatible - All call center agents must have a phone set that directly supports standard industry headsets like Plantronics via a 2.5mm or RJ-11 modular jack on the phone. The phone must support hands free answering of incoming calls, automatic disconnect of calls when ended, volume control on the phone for the headset and not require any lifting or replacement of the handset or other switch to put the headset into the active mode. Are the proposed telephone sets capable of connecting a headset? What additional equipment or interface is required?
    • Multiple Language Choices - Does the telephone’s LCD feature prompting or the speaker’s verbal feature prompting support language choices? Which languages are supported? Can languages be customized to any language of the user’s choice?
    • Automatic Route Selection (ARS) - Does the proposed system provide automatic routing services that includes individual route plans, time schedules, and station classes? How many route plans, time schedules, and station routing classes are available? Describe the internal procedures that take place in the routing of calls. Does ARS conform to all current North American Numbering Plan requirements? Does ARS require any additional software or equipment?
    • Message Waiting Indicator - All phones are to have visiable, lit message waiting indicators, including POTS phones. Can a message waiting light be set on both digital and standard analog stations on the proposed system? How does the station user retrieve a voice message? If a message waiting light cannot be set on a standard analog telephone, is stutter dial tone supported? Is email and/or pager notification supported to alert the user while away from their telephone?
    • Supervise calls in progress - Users, agents and managers must be able to see and intercept calls on the GUI monitor for any ACDs, queues, users or groups that they have rights to do so. They must have the ability to do slient monitoring of a call, whisper/coach a user without the outside party being aware of it and to break in on a call to take control of it.
    • Business Hours Service - Indicate the number of day and night modes available. State the differences between day and night ringing and answering. Can system switching between day and night modes be programmed for automatic activation by time of day and day of week?
    • Operator Console - The operator must be able to seamlessly and effortlessly manage many calls at one time, easily transfer via the telephone or using a mouse to drag and drop them on any extension, to do supervised or blind transfers and to know the status of any extension, on hook, off hook or their personal status such as on break, do not disturb, on vacation or on queue calls only. Secondary operators, managers and any users must be able to be given rights to do the same. Describe in detail your operator console and its ability to be displayed on a Windows interface. Can the operator put calls directly into voice mail? Can they see the personal status of the user as well as their phone hook position?
    • Paging - Paging must be done via speakerphones as setup by the administrator and over ridden by individual users. Paging groups must be capable of being setup by the administrator. The proposed system must be able to support overhead paging through external speakers or paging by using the speaker phone. How is overhead paging equipment connected to the system? How do users initiate a page? What additional equipment is required for these paging capabilities? How many paging groups/zones can be setup? Can the same phone be in multiple groups/zones?
    • Call Park - Call parking with up to 100 parked calls. Parked calls must be visible to GUI users. Does the proposed system offer park orbit zones? How many park orbit zones are available? How are calls announced and retrieved from Park?
    • Redial Capabilities - Can the proposed telephone store the last number the user dialed, and allow the user to redial the number by pressing a key? Can the proposed telephone store the telephone number of the last caller, and allow the user to dial the number by pressing a key? Can the proposed system callback the number the caller left in a voice message?
    • Toll Restriction - Describe all the toll restriction capabilities available with the proposed system. Can toll restriction be overridden by certain authorized users? Does the system conform to current North American Numbering Plan requirements?
    • Outgoing Call Restriction - Can selected stations on the proposed system be restricted from making any outgoing calls? Is flexibly programmable by station and by CO line?
    • Dial Plan -Describe your system’s dial plan structure. Will it allow calls to be routed according to area code to different trunks to take advantage of lower long distance cost? Will it allow automatic routing of calls via IP trunks to remote offices outside lines to avoid toll charges?
    • Dial Plan Configuration - Describe the tools used to administer and adjust the system’s dial plan configuration.
• Automatic Call Distribution (ACD) Features
  
  • System Integration - ACD features and call center management information system (MIS) reporting must be an integrated built-in part of the basic telephone system without requiring a separate server or external system to run the ACD application. Describe how ACD/MIS features are either part of the standard telephone system or can optionally be added. Describe what additional, if any, software or other components are required to add ACD features.
  • ACD Operational Overview - Provide a brief overview of ACD capabilities. Discuss the ACD functional routing capabilities and related capabilities available. Indicate whether there are different ACD software offerings available, and what differentiates one offering from another. Is ACD a standard or optional capability?
  • Call Recording - Calls can be recorded on demand by users with administrator’s permission, calls can be recorded by automatic statistical methods for quality control and 100% of all calls to a user or ACD can be recorded. The recordings must be capable of being redirected to a third party mail box or email address. Call recordings must be automatically archived to a digital offline storage device such as a DVD or CD ROM burner. All file formats of any recordings must be a Microsoft Wave format or other file format that is generally supported on Windows systems. Does the proposed ACD capabilities include the ability to record all calls to ACD agents? Can calls be recorded selectively by ACD group? Is call center recording a standard part of the ACD package, or an optional add-on? What additional software or hardware is required?
  • Call Center Reports - Call center reports are to be standardized reports running on Microsoft Excel so they can be easily customized and adapted to the customer’s needs. They must include both data and graphical display of the information requested below and easily reconfigured for the time period of information needed, the user, groups or queues covered and the types of data reporting needed. They must be capabile of breaking down information needed into discreet areas such as specific customers, users, groups, queues, time periods, shifts, and agents. They should be runnable from any Windows workstation given rights to do so. Areas required for detailed reporting:
    
    • Trunk & station usage
    • Abandoned calls wait times, talk times
    • Agent performance, state, history, activity and trends
    • Queue performance, wait time
    Provide a detailed list of all call standard reporting for the call center. Is call center reporting a standard part of the ACD package, or an optional add-on? What additional software or hardware is required? What is the output format of the reports (i.e. Excel, text, etc.) ?
  • Wallboard support - The ACD must support standard call center wall boards and be capable of displaying complementary information on PC monitors in a highly visable format. What specific wall boards are directly supported by the ACD features in the proposed system? Can a standard PC and monitor support the same information in a very large font of 140 pts?
  • Call Center Alarms - All queue activity and statistics must be capable of generating alarms to activate external devices such as alarms, lights, etc. for preset queue statistics that have been exceeded. This would also include notification of preset users by email or phone call automatically from the system.Describe in the proposed system how it has the capability to trigger hardware alarms. How does it trigger software notifications via email? Can it place phone calls based on the triggering of preset alarm points? Can the system automatically add additional agents to the system during times of long wait times, large number of queue calls, etc.? If so describe in detail how it works.
  • CTI (Computer telephony integration) between ACD calls and internal systems
• Automated Attendant Features
  
  • System Integration - Automated Attendant features must be an integrated built-in part of the basic telephone system without requiring a separate server or external system to run the auto attendant application. There needs to be at least support for 100 auto attendants. Describe how auto attendant is either part of the standard telephone system or can optionally be added to it. Describe what additional, if any, software or other components are required to add auto attendant features.
  • Automated Attendant Functionality - Does the auto attendant provide multi-level menus to make it easy for users to navigate through it? Can the automated attendant automatically change greetings and route calls by time of day, day of week, and holidays? Is it totally accessible via a Windows interface?

• Voice Mail Features
  
  • System Integration - Voice mail features must be an integrated built-in part of the basic telephone system without requiring a separate server or external system to run the voice mail application. Describe how voice mail is either part of the standard telephone system or can optionally be added to it. Describe what additional, if any, software or other components are required to add voice mail features. What equipment, software and licensing is needed to expand voice mail/recording space? What would be the approximate cost of an additional 1,000 hours of space for voice mail at a later date, including all labor, hardware, software and licensing?
  • Capacity Expansion - The proposed system must be able to accommodate the following minimum capacities:
    
    • Number of ports
    • Number of mailboxes
    • Length of message
    • Amount of online message storage
  • Security Features - Describe the security features of the phone system. Describe how the proposed system handles toll fraud. Minimum/maximum password length? Who controls the length? Can the passwords of other users be viewed by the system administrator? Can passwords be reset? By whom? Can they be locked after a certain number of invalid attempts?
  • Call Screening - Describe the call screening capabilities of the proposed system. Can the ringing call be sent directly to voice mail if you don’t want to talk to the caller? Can callers leaving voicemail be monitored silently and pulled back out of voicemail?
  • Callback - Does the proposed system support the ability to callback the number the caller left in a voice message based upon their Caller ID? How does this work? Does this feature also work with messages forwarded from another user? Does the system support reverse lookup to the internet for calls in voicemail?
  • Distribution Lists - Does the proposed system support group distribution lists for sending messages to groups of users? Can all users in the system appear in one distribution list to be used as a system-wide broadcast list? Is there any limit to the number of mailboxes that can be included in a distribution list?
  • Forwarding Messages - Does the proposed system enable the subscriber to forward a message with or without comments to another subscriber or group of subscribers? Can the message be re-forwarded by other subscribers upon their receipt? Will all the introductory remarks attached to the message be retained?
  • Greetings - How many different greetings are available with the proposed voice mail? Can the greetings be affected by time of day, day of week, holiday, and emergency? Can the greetings change automatically or must they be manually activated?
  • Message Playback Order and Priority - What order are messages played when retrieving messages from a user mailbox? Can this be changed or selected between oldest first or newest first? Does playback order distinguish new messages from saved messages? Can messages be market urgent for priority order?
  • Message Playback Privacy - Can messages be market private, so they cannot be forwarded or shared by others?
  • Message Playback by Telephone - Describe the message playback commands available from the telephone. Can the user replay, skip, pause, etc. during messages? Is there an undelete function?
  • Message Playback on-Screen Control - Describe the message playback commands available from the Graphical User Interface (GUI) at the user workstation PCs. Can the subscriber use the same message playback commands available from the telephone? What additional message playback functions are available from the GUI?
  • Message Bookmarks - Can the proposed system segment a portion of a voice message to be saved in this shortened format, or just play the segmented message between the “bookmarks?” Describe how this works.
  • Message Purging - Describe the system’s procedure for purging deleted messages. When does purging occur? Is it automatic, manual, both? Is the purge timing controllable by the system administrator?
  • Message Delete and Undelete - After a message has been deleted, is there an undelete function? How does this work?
  • Message Date and Time - Does the proposed voice processing system play the time and date of messages?
  • Message Length Control - Can the system administrator control the length of incoming messages in an effort to manage hard disk space usage?
  • Message Waiting Indication - Can a message waiting light be set on both digital and standard analog stations on the proposed system when a voice mail message is received? If a message waiting light cannot be set on a standard analog telephone, is stutter dial tone supported? Does the GUI provide a visual or tone indication of a message?
  • Exchange synchronization - The voice mail system must be integrated to synchronize with Exchange email so that voice messages in the Exchange store and on the phone voice mail store are in synchronization at least once per minute. This should support opened, deleted, forwarded voice mail status. Describe the proposed system’s ability to fully synchronize with Exchange for all users.
  • Pager and Email Notification - Page and email notification of any user after a voice mail is left. A hierachical system of persistant paging is also required for select users that will continue to page them at customizable intervals for a customizable length of time. If the first person does not respond to the voicemail, then a second and then a third person would be paged in hierachical order with separate but the same category of parameters. There has to be the ability for different voicemail boxes to have separate group parameters and responders or to use the same parameters and responders. Can the system notify users by calling their pager and/or emailing them when they have a new voice mail message? Do you have any exceptions or enhancements to the requirements of this feature? Describe in detail your systems paging and emailing capabilities including persistent paging.
  • Multiple System Languages - What languages does the proposed voice mail system offer? Can different languages run concurrent? How many? Describe how a caller might move from one language to another.
• Interactive Voice Response (IVR).
  
  • Operational Overview - Describe the IVR capabilities of the proposed communication server system. Is IVR a standard feature of the communication server system or is it an optional feature set? If optional, what additional items are required (software, memory, processing power, etc.)?
  • System Integration - Does the IVR application run on the same server as the telephony, voice mail, and other applications? Can all of these applications run concurrently in integrated fashion?
  • Voice Prompts and Responses - Does the proposed system provide a programming capability through which custom voice prompt and response entries can be created? Do the IVR programmed responses reside on the same server as the rest of the IVR application?
  • Software Developer’s Kit - Does the proposed system support a software developer’s kit that a customer or third party developer could use to create their own applications? What open standards does the software developer’s kit comply with?
  • Third party software applications - Does the proposed solution integrate with other business solutions? List sample partners and their business solution.

• Communication telephone system feature checklist
  
  • PBX telephony
    
    • Account Codes - Voluntary
    • Account Codes - Forced
    • Account Codes - Verified
    • Automatic Number Identification (ANI)
      
      • ANI Call History
      • ANI Callback
    • Automatic Route Selection
    • Call Logging
    • Call Recording
    • Call Screening
    • Call Waiting
    • Caller ID
      
      • Caller ID History
      • Caller ID Callback
    • Customized Call Handling
    • Dialed Number ID Service (DNIS)
    • Direct Inward Dialing (DID)
    • Call Coverage Groups
    • Call Forward - Routing List
    • Call Forward - External & Remote Change
    • Call Forward - System-wide Default
    • Call Pickup - Directed Station
    • Call Pickup - Station Group
    • Call Pickup - Holding/Parked
    • Call Transfer Immediate
    • Call Transfer with Announcement
    • Call Transfer with Camp-on
    • Call Transfer Recall
    • Call Record to Voice Mail
    • Conference
    • Disconnect Supervision
    • Distinctive CO/Intercom Ringing
    • Distinctive Station Ringing
    • E & M Tie Lines
    • Enhanced 911 Operation
    • Feature Prompting on Telephone
      
      • LCD Feature Prompting with Soft Keys
      • Verbal Menus
    • Flexible Button Assignment by User
    • Flexible Station Numbering
    • Flexible Line Ringing Assignment
    • Graphical User Interface (GUI)
    • Ground Start Lines
    • Handset Volume Control
    • Headset Compatible
    • Hearing Aid Compatible
    • Hold with Recall
    • ISDN Basic Rate Interface
    • ISDN Primary Rate Interface
    • LED Two-Color Indicators
    • LED Flash Rates By Condition
    • LED Line in Use (I-Use) Indication
    • LED Line on Hold (I-Hold) Indication
    • Message Waiting Indication
      
      • Digital Telephone LED
      • Analog LED
      • Stutter Dial Tone
      • GUI Visual Indication
      • GUI Tone Indication
    • Multiple Directory Number Call Coverage
    • Multiple Language Choice
    • Music-on-Hold Interface
    • Networking of Multiple Systems
    • Night Service
      
      • Day/Night Ring Patterns
      • Scheduled Auto Activation
    • On-hook Dialing with Hot Dialpad
    • Outgoing Call Restriction
    • SMS - External Interface
    • Park Zones
    • Power Failure Transfer
    • Redial
      
      • Last Number Dialed
      • Last Number Received
      • Voice Mail Callback
    • Remote Maintenance/Administration
    • Ringing Line Preference
    • Speakerphone
    • Speed Dial Buttons
    • Speed Dial Directory Dialing on LCD
    • Station Hunting
    • Station Status
      
      • Do Not Disturb
      • Out of Office
      • User Definable
    • Speed Dial Directory Dialing
    • Toll Restriction
      
      • Toll Restriction Override
      • Outgoing Call Restriction
    • Trunk Groups
    • Trunk-to-Trunk Connections
    • E1 Interface
    • Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP)
    • Volume Control - Handset
    • Volume Control - Ringing
    • Volume Control - Speaker
    • Wireless Telephone Integrated Interface
  • ACD
    
    • Automatic Call Distribution (ACD)
    • Multiple Distribution Algorithms
    • Multiple ACD Group Agent Login
    • Call Priority
    • Call Recording
    • Call Center Historical Reporting
      
      • Export to external database.
      • Run reports manually.
      • Run auto scheduled reports.
    • Agent monitoring
    • On-line Status Display
    • Held Calls Transfer Out of Queue
    • Intelligent Announcements
    • Overflow
    • Remote Agent Connection
    • Wrap-up Time
  • Automated attendant
    
    • Automated Attendant Answering
    • Multi-level Menus
    • Scheduled Routing by Time of Day/Week
  • Voice Mail
    
    • Called Identification
    • Call Screening
    • Callback
    • Distribution Lists
    • Forwarding Messages
    • Greetings
      
      • Length control
      • Personal
      • System default
    • Message Playback Options
      
      • Playback Order Flexibility
      • Priority (Urgent Message)
      • Private Message
      • Via Telephone
      • Via GUI on-screen Display
    • Message Bookmarks
    • Message Date & Time
    • Message Delete & Undelete
    • Message Purging
    • Message Length Control
    • Message Reply
    • Message Waiting Indication
      
      • Digital telephone LED
      • Analog set LED
      • Stutter Dial Tone
      • GUI Visual Indication
      • GUI Tone Indication
    • Multiple system languages.
    • SMS notification.
    • Email notification.
  • IVR
    
    • Custom applications.
    • Packaged applications.
    • Software Developer’s Kit.
• Pricing
  
  • Equipment & Installation -Provide full equipment and software listing with component pricing. If applicable, attach a copy of an Auto-Quote. Break out pre-cutover and post-cutover pricing. Break out installation costs as required. Break out separate pricing for any significant options, telephone sets, etc. Break out the VoIP features as a separate cost. Break out training and labor as separate costs.
  • Leasing -Provide leasing costs for a 5year term. Do not include maintenance costs. Please provide both $1 buy-out and Fair Market Value options.
  • Training - Include training for the following groups:
    
    • Administrator training for doing moves, adds and changes of users, queues, workgroups. When finished, the administrator must be capable of adding, changing or removing users, queues and workgroups and their associated functions, running standard reports, exporting call logs in to Excel and setting up and managing of persistent paging groups. This training will be for one full time administrator and two backup administrators.
    • Call Center Agent training so that they know how to enter/exit queues, set their personal status, handle activites on multiple queues, how to take and make calls via Foot Prints, how to use the system to transfer notes to other agents or users when transferring calls. This will be in addition to the end user training. This will be for 12-14 individuals. Agent managers will be trained on call monitoring, coaching, break in, real time queue and agent statistics and on call reporting for queues and agents including exporting of call logs to Excel for analysis.
    • End user training will be required for the end users to be able to take and make calls from the phone sets provided in addition to take or make calls using the GUI interface. They will be trained on setting up their personal settings, call screening, personalized greetings, simple call rule setup, forwarding of calls using find me features, managing their voice mail, recordings and other features that are available to them. They will be trained on creating and making conference calls using both the phone and the GUI. . Also they will be trained, as permitted, on handling of recordings and messages via importing/exporting to file and email and how to inject audio files into conference and other calls.

• Installation Service and Maintenance
  
  • Explain in detail the installation and warranty coverage, and time period of the warranty.
  • After the warranty period, what does your company offer in regards to service arrangements.
  • What are your standard maintenance hours? What are your optional plans, if any? Cost?
  • Does cabling provided under a separate contract (through your company or another) effect maintenance or warranty plans and costs? If so, how?
  • Break down service costs as follows:
    
    • Per call basis (Service Call without Maintenance Agreement)
    • Per call basis (Moves, Add, or Changes without Maintenance Agreement)
    • Annual Maintenance Agreement (quote should be for the year immediately following expiration of warranty)
  • Is your maintenance rate based upon a per port charge, a device charge, or a combination of the two? If not solely per port, list each item and its monthly charge.
  • If the long-term service agreements are subject to price increases, please state the basis on which these increases can be made.
  • Explain in detail how additional equipment added to the basic system will increase service costs.
  • How often would service rates be adjusted due to additions to the system?
  • Is preventive maintenance included during the warranty period and while the system is under a maintenance agreement? How often is preventive maintenance performed? What, specifically, is performed during each preventive maintenance session?
  • Does your company offer a software maintenance plan which assures that the customer will have the most current version of system features installed?
  • What are your response times during and after the warranty period?
  • Service Calls — what are your response times for:
    
    • Complete system failure.
    • Major service malfunction.
    • Minor service malfunction.
    • Station outages.
  • Explain in detail your service capabilities on:
    
    • A major problem.
    • A minor problem.
  • Is service available 24 hours a day, 7 days per week?
  • What is your guaranteed response time for Move and Change activity? Define exceptions, if any.
  • Where is your local installation and maintenance facilities located?
  • How many installation and maintenance personnel do you have that are factory authorized to work on the system(s)?
  • Do you stock adequate spare parts to meet your service agreement commitments?