Basic agent working is suitable for use in call centres where the prime function of the ACD agent is divided between call answering and other administrative duties. This situation will typically occur when:

• the number of incoming calls per agent is low and ACD is primarily used as a monitoring rather than a call management tool
• the agent team is used for short periods of time to provide extra call answering capability to an existing call centre.

Basic agent working should not be used in applications where there is a sustained high rate of incoming calls.

Basic ACD agent lines are given a feature package that includes only those ACD features that can be allocated to an MF4 phone (which is not included with this package) with time break recall. These allow:

-the agent to log into and out of the ACD group

-the agent to enter and leave wrap-up state

-the agent to distinguish between ACD and non-ACD calls (distinctive ringing)

-the diversion of normal calls while logged into ACD

-the agent to transfer a call or set up a three-way conference

* The Basic Agent Feature Package can only be employed in conjunction with tone dialling (MF4) telephone instruments.

FeaturePhone agent working should be used in all cases where the ACD line is to be equipped with a FeaturePhone (which is not included with this package). Enhanced agent features cannot be implemented on a line equipped only with MF4 signalling. The basic agent package includes all those features that appear in the enhanced agent package.

FeaturePhone agent working equips the call centre agent with a set of features that is suitable for intensive call handling. The particular facets of enhanced agent working that differentiate it from basic agent working are:

-provision of a display on the agent's phone

-provision of feature activation indicators alongside key activated features

-option to force feed calls to a headset

-enhanced agent key features.

* The Enhanced Agent Package can only be used with instruments using out of band signalling (FeaturePhone).

The supervisor package includes all those features that appear in the enhanced agent package. Additional key activated features that are available within the ACD supervisor line package are described below.

-Call Agent Key - The Call Agent key is used by the supervisor to communicate directly with agents.

-Observe Agent Key -The Observe Agent key allows the supervisor to monitor the quality of service being offered to incoming callers or for training purposes. Supervisors can observe agent calls on both In Calls and secondary Directory Numbers.

-The supervisor rate will apply to any agents using any feature(s) specific to the supervisor package.

* The Supervisor Package can only be used with instruments using out of band signalling (FeaturePhone).

Agents are organised into agent groups which answer calls from a single queue. Each agent group has 1 main directory number and up to 16 supplementary ones and can include a maximum of 1024 agents.

Queue slots enable calls to Featurenet ACD, in excess of the number of agents, to be placed in a queue and managed. The maximum number of queue slots that can be provided is 511 per ACD group.

This service is presented for connection to customers' computing equipment via a Datastream line and carries call and ACD activity data between BT's network and the customer's site. It is used in conjunction with customer provided computing equipment (no physical hardware after the network terminating point of the Datastream line is supplied as part of the service) and the Host terminal software. The service enables customers to carry out ACD load management tasks and to monitor in real time how their agents and ACD are performing and provide historical performance reports.

Below shows an overview of the key system features.

• - Real Time Colour Display - Indicates current activity levels on the ACD system in numerical and graphical format. This is generally updated within a second, although on heavily loaded systems at peak time this could be up to 3 seconds.
• - Screen Configuartions - Each user can reconfigure the information shown on the display.
• - Menu Driven Interface - The ACD MIS provides access to all features based on user permissions on pull down menus.
• - Monitor Groups - The ability to group together agents from various ACD groups, based on PIN numbers only, for monitoring and reporting purposes.
• - Alarm Features - Visually display alarms when pre-determined (user-definable) performance levels are not met.
• - Historical Reports - A standard set of management information reports can be displayed or sent to a printer. Also the ability to export data from the reports database into CSV format.
• - Load Management - Ability to make real-time changes to ACD configuration within the scope of the available Load Management features.
• - Peripheral connections - allows connection of printers, wallboards and remote terminals.

The system providing Featurenet ACD MIS interacts directly with BT's network. Consequently no other systems are permitted to be used to avoid faulty or misapplied software, endangering network integrity.

For a list of the recommended customer provided hardware required by the system, customers should contact the Featurenet Technical Centre (FTC) or BT account manager.

For single site installation of Featurenet ACD, one Featurenet Management DataStream line to the customer's site is required to provide information and control on the ACD.

For networks of multiple Featurenet ACD sites which customers wish to manage as a whole, the minimum number of Featurenet Management DataStream Access Lines that are required is subject to engineering survey and varies between 1 and 4.

The Basic Datastream line is supplied on an analogue private circuit with PSTN dial back up. The Enhanced Datastream line is supplied via a kilostream line.

* The software and any software security device remain the property of BT.

** Only the host, software and Datastream line fixed element are covered by maintenance by BT

*** On upgrade, the "Host Terminal Software and Enhanced Datastream Line Fixed Element" quarterly rental becomes applicable.

Slave terminals provide the same information and control as the host, but can be configured to only allow certain facilities or monitor certain ACD groups. This make it the ideal tool for supervisors or group leaders to monitor and control their set of agents. The standard offering is Graphical User Interface (GUI) and offers a customisable report engine as part of the base software.

Slave terminals are connected via the customers Local Area Network (Ethernet & Token-Ring only) utilising LAN cabling. The primary mechanism to connect the Remote (GUI) terminals to the Featurenet ACD MIS host is via a Local Area Network (LAN) using TCP-IP. The Telephony Application Programming Interface (TAPI) architecture built into the Windows NT v4.0 and Windows 9X operating systems is used to allow for dial-up connection to the Host computer.

No hardware is supplied as part of this package, and customers must therefore provide their own computer and LAN hardware. For a list of the recommended customer provided hardware required by the system, customers should contact the Featurenet Technical Centre (FTC) or BT account manager.

* These prices apply to a new Contract with a one year Minimum Period. For Minimum Periods of three or five years and all Minimum Period Renewals see the applicable discounts stated in the Featurenet Contractual Information Part.

To upgrade to the latest version of the ACD MIS remote terminal software a one-off set up fee is chargeable as per the table below. All upgraded remote terminals will be charged a quarterly rental for the service.

When upgrading from the character based remote terminals (DOS or 32bit based remote terminal software) to the Graphical User Interface (GUI) remote terminal, customers must provide a Local Area Network (Ethernet & Token-Ring only) to allow for connection to the Host terminal.

For a list of the recommended customer provided hardware required by the system, customers should contact the Featurenet Technical Centre (FTC) or BT account manager.

* Rental is chargeable at the current "per remote terminal s/w" quarterly rental price contained in this section of the BT Price List.

This is optional to the standard announcement capability given as part of each Featurenet ACD system. It has the additional benefits that “on-line" changes can be made to the announcements, including the recording of new messages.

The content of any announcements or music will be the customer's sole responsibility. If music or other copyrighted material is to be used, it will be the customers responsibility to consult the Performing Right Society (PRS), Mechanical Copyright Protection Society (MCPS), Photographic Performance Limited (PPL) or any other copyright holder, and pay any royalties incurred.

There is a single price per announcement port, which includes 60 seconds of recording space (which is the maximum allowed time per port). More than one announcement can be held within this 60 seconds, but only one can be “live" to the port at one time. Networked ACD systems that requires the same announcements on each of the switches on which they are served, will need to purchase a port on each switch. Therefore a Networked ACD system served off four switches, requiring one port of customised queue announcements, would in fact have to buy four ports, one for each switch. Reconfiguration of an announcement port will be charged on a “per occasion" basis, and the price can be found under “Moves & Changes" on pages - of this Part.

Provision of CANS is subject to survey as the BT equipment that is required to supply the CANs facility is only provided on certain switches. There is also the possibility that capacity will not be available, and therefore availability must be checked before an order is accepted. Where it is possible to put in extra capacity, this will be done, but only on request of a customer requiring service. Lead-times for customers requiring service on a switch where there is no current CANs facilities or where extra capacity is required will be longer than normal. Lead-times will be confirmed subject to survey.

The Basic Link is supplied on an analogue private circuit with no back up (although a second link can be used to obtain resilience). The Enhanced Link is supplied via a kilostream line.

* Customers must have a "Featurenet Link" to be able to use the CDN functionality.

** On upgrade, the "Enhanced Link" quarterly rental becomes applicable.

Featurenet Networked ACD is a package that provides a multi-switch offering of Featurenet ACD to connect sites on more than one switch.

A Featurenet Networked ACD site must rent at least

-1 Featurenet Networked ACD System and MIS Package,

-1 Networked ACD DMS switch,

-1 Networked Agent Group

-1 Network ACD site.

* Customers utilising Networked ACD facilities pay a fee on each switch on which the NACD system is operating.

Each agent must have at least a Basic ACD agent package. All agents under Networked ACD are charged as per the basic, enhanced and supervisor agent rates detailed above earlier in this part.

Networked Featurenet Link enhances the Featurenet portfolio of managed voice services by offering an interface between customers' IT systems and the Featurenet network. Featurenet Link is offered as an advanced facility to Featurenet ACD customers at an additional cost, and Networked Featurenet link is its implementation within the networked product. The facility allows customers to build network applications that use real time information supplied by Featurenet and control the management, redirection and origination of calls within the Featurenet service. Featurenet Link offers Computer Telephony Integration (CTI link) to the “outside world", allowing third party CTI servers and applications to interact with the Featurenet switch to allow for intelligent control of Featurenet ACD.

Please note that Featurenet does not offer CTI applications as part of the Featurenet Service.

A minimum of one Featurenet Link is required per Featurenet switch in which ACD lines and ACD calls need to be monitored or controlled via the customer CTI application. Controlled DNs and additional links can be added at additional cost.

Each Featurenet Link must be associated with a minimum of 100 ACD lines, and therefore a minimum of 100 lines must be enabled.

Within the basic link rental enables the following functionality:-

• -basic call and agent information to be passed to a CTI application.

Allows for call control, including the ability to co-ordinate Voice and Data via a third Party CTI application. This only allows Co-ordinated Voice and Data (CVD) within a single Featurenet switch (node).

Controlled DN

This is a logical entity identified by a dialable Directory Number (DN) that holds onto calls waiting to be routed via a host computer (eg via a CTI application) to an addressable local or external party, including agent positions, ACD DNs, and even other CDNs. In addition, call treatments (music, recorded announcement, silence and ringback) can be applied to calls while they are waiting for instructions from the host computer. Up to 512 calls can be held in a CDN at a time.

For an additional set-up and quarterly rental, the Physical link for MIS or Featurenet Link can be provided over a Kilostream.

* This is an additional premium available per "Featurenet ACD System and MIS Package", "Additional Featurenet ACD MIS Links", "Featurenet Networked ACD System and MIS Package", "Additional Networked ACD MIS Links" or per "Featurenet Link set-up and rental (for both standard and NACD).

Additional Queue Slots - See existing Standard ACD above.

This is additional to the prices shown under 'FN5000 Call Centre Digital Access Lines' (see earlier in this Part for details).

This additional premium allows for on-net transferred call charges originating from 'CCDA for IVR' lines and terminating on up to twenty nominated Featurenet extensions (including ACD and UCD pilot or supplementary numbers) to be uncharged.

This allows organisations that service a large amount of calls with 'CCDA for IVR' and Interactive Voice Response (IVR) systems to control the cost of transferring calls to call centre agents or Featurenet 5000 extensions.

This is only available to users of both 'Networked ACD' and 'CCDA for IVR' and is only available in multiple of 30 lines (as per the CCDA for IVR pricing). If the service is required all CCDA for IVR lines on a site must pay the premium.