Starfish Associates Playbook for Partners Cisco

Transcription

1 2014 Starfish Associates Playbook for Partners Cisco March

2 Contents About Starfish... 2 Starfish Technology Platforms... 3 Starfish Solutions Overview Key Benefits... 4 Starfish Custom Solutions... 6 Uncovering the Opportunity... 7 Overview... 7 Addressing Common Challenges... 7 When to Call Starfish... 8 Starfish Solutions Portfolio Directory Solution Provisioning Solution Password Solution Resource Manager Self Service Manager Trunk Dashboard List Manager Working with Starfish Solution Implementation Phases of Service Solution Hardware & Software Requirements FAQs Sales Contacts

3 About Starfish Unifying Telecom and IT Today s competitive business environment demands that companies find new ways to do more with less. Perhaps nowhere is this more critical than in the IT departments of large organizations where professionals are challenged to find innovative and cost-effective solutions to integrate and optimize telecom and IT. Starfish Associates, the leading provider of telecom management automation, self-service and optimization tools offers technology that seamlessly integrates with, and leverages, an organization s business systems and applications. Our solutions are designed and configured to address any business need by snapping into an existing infrastructure to improve rather than change a process. Additionally, when fully customized solutions are required, Starfish can provide custom telecom management and telephony solutions to address your specific business requirements. We support unified communication and contact center platforms. By deploying Starfish s innovative solutions, customers experience wide-ranging benefits including streamlined processes for operational efficiencies, enhanced employee productivity and reduced operating expenses. As an Avaya, Cisco and Microsoft development partner, Starfish offers solutions that add value to these technology platforms to effectively and efficiently unify telecom and IT. Benefits to Customers No boundaries to integration Elimination of manual activities Faster implementations Improved processes - not changed processes Enhanced contact center data visibility Delegated administration Improved security Increased operational efficiencies Positive ROI Reduction of human error 2

4 Starfish Technology Platforms Automation Automates telecom and IT tasks/service orders to streamline workflow and business processes. Self-Service Empowers end users and delegated administrators to perform authorized changes to telephony resources. Monitoring & Optimization Enables proactive monitoring and optimization of telephony resources to improve business operations. 3

5 Starfish Solutions Overview Key Benefits Directory Solution Consolidate and synchronize directories and databases in real time from multiple sources including telecom, HR and IT applications. Leverages Microsoft Active Directory (AD) integration to your telephony infrastructure Creates the authoritative source of accurate & up-to-date telecom data Provisioning Solution Auto provision phones, voice mailboxes and contact center agents by integrating with Microsoft Active Directory, HR systems and Identity Management Systems. Simplifies and streamlines on-boarding and off-boarding of users and call center agents Substantially reduces the administrative burden and total cost of ownership Password Solution Reset phone and voic passwords for end users and help desk staff. In addition, the solution can synchronize voic passwords with IP phone security codes. Increases telephony security and simplifies end user experience with one password for both voic and their IP phone Improves employee productivity and satisfaction while off-loading repetitive reset requests from the help desk staff Synchronizes voic passwords with IP phone security codes Improves employee productivity and satisfaction Resource Manager Web based administration tools and services that enable telecom administrators to monitor the actual usage of agent login IDs and stations in an Avaya Call Center Elite environment. Notifications on configurable thresholds of measurement Intuitive dashboard displays Automatically generated reports Proactive management of telephony resources 4

6 Self Service Manager A simple and intuitive web based portal for end users to perform password resets, change phone settings, and request telecom services. Frees up administrators and help desk staff allowing more time for sensitive and critical communications project Enhances productivity and service to end users Trunk Dashboard A monitoring tool for real-time trunk group performance and measurements to aid organizations in identifying problems before they become serviceimpacting. Configurable threshold alerting Visibility into current trunking levels, capacity and trends List Manager Automates the management of voic and distribution lists from enterprise directories, databases and HR systems. Dramatically reduces the administrative burden of manually keeping track and updating multiple systems Ensures accurate & consistent list management as your organization changes 5

7 Starfish Custom Solutions As subject matter and technology experts with decades of experience working with large enterprises, Starfish can create custom applications to address any unique business communication challenge. The following are examples of custom solutions developed for our customers: Music on Hold a solution developed for a major financial institution in order to address music quality, redundancy and scalability, roles based authentication, and creating a common platform across the enterprise. Vector Manager a web application designed for a major retailer to allow authenticated, non-technical end users to control store open & close hours by making changes to Avaya call center vectors. Time of Day a self-service application that allows non-technical end users to easily change the time-of-day settings on Avaya Communication Manager. Messaging User Option an application that automatically configures mailbox user options to set follow-me and notify-me rules in bulk or in real-time during mailbox creation. CMS Reporting Dashboard a dashboard application developed for a leading logistics company to take information from Avaya Communication Manager and CMS to periodically extract relevant call center data, recalculate the key performance indicators and refresh the dashboard display. Custom Audit Reports an application that creates a report of telephony resource usages across multiple systems. CTI applications: Customized softphones and click to dial integration with enterprise IT apps including MS office and browser based apps Customized Call Center agent workflow apps integrated with existing databases, directory and enterprise apps. 6

8 Uncovering the Opportunity Overview Account Managers for large enterprises can increase opportunities to partner with Starfish to solve business communications challenges. Managers and customers (telecom/it managers, directors) often discuss telecom issues that fall into automation, self-service, and monitoring and optimization categories; these are also core Starfish technology platforms. Sometimes requests and frustrations come from a higher level so another approach is for managers to have conversations with the CIO who generally has an interest in streamlining and optimizing business processes. Those conversations often lead to a desire for specific initiatives to relieve pain points they may be experiencing. When possible, try to align Starfish core competencies with their strategic initiatives. If a CIO states that there are 5 things he or she needs to accomplish this year offer to be a partner in achieving those goals. Sample questions that would resonate and get the conversation started may include: Are your looking for ways to optimize your business processes? Are you trying to eliminate manual activities and human error? Are you interested in ways to extend IT automation into the telecom space? Are you getting complaints around resolution time of mundane ticket requests such as password resets, simple button changes or display name changes? Key: Listen to the customer, ask strategic questions, find pain points and engage the Starfish team to help you present appropriate solutions. Addressing Common Challenges Following are some of the most common concerns we hear from upper level management and how to you can overcome them: We don t have any budget for this. Starfish can still scope out the level of effort required and, based on that, we can assist you and your customer in developing an ROI. Typically the ROI for automation initiatives is significant and many customers can fund work outside of budget cycles. Our environment is too complex. Starfish technology platforms are flexible and scalable. Many customers start with a pointed use case and add to it slowly overtime. 7

9 Our engineers are busy working on other projects. Although we require some involvement and direction from internal staff, Starfish engineers do the bulk of the implementation. We move at the customer s pace and we will engage them when needed. Our entry-level personnel are concerned about being replaced by automation. Starfish solutions are positioned to eliminate manual and routine activities that free personnel to work proactively within their environment. Similarly, key staff should be using their skills and experience to help the organization proactively leverage their telecommunications platforms to focus on achieving primary business objectives, rather than being buried by mundane tasks. When to Call Starfish We have solutions for many business telecom and IT challenges. The following are prime opportunities when to reach out to Starfish and the core solutions we offer in solving those challenges. All solutions are proposed and configured to meet customer requirements. When the challenge is directory (Active Directory/LDAP) related such as: Data and directories are out-of-sync Need to consolidate and synchronize multiple directories from multiple sources Desire an integration with Microsoft Active Directory and Identity Management Systems Synchronize phone numbers with Microsoft Active Directory Need to synchronize and consolidate information in real-time and or scheduled events The answer is Starfish Directory Solution When the challenge is auto-provisioning or MACD related such as: Need to automate moves, adds, changes and deletes Need to auto-provision phones, contact center agents and voice mail subscribers High levels of employee churn requiring constant telecom admin engagement Desire to extend automation from IT to telecom The answer is Starfish Provisioning Solution 8

10 When the challenge is password related such as: Numerous mundane requests to manage & reset passwords Providing an internal self-service mechanism for telecom password resets Desire to synchronize telecom passwords to a single password Voic subscriber management and synchronization The answer is Starfish Password Solution When the challenge is contact center resources related such as: Need a better handle on the management of telecom resources Manage system capacities and compare system configurations Monitor telecom configuration changes for audit and change control reports Required to employ a dashboard view of agent and station usage The answer is Starfish Resource Manager When the challenge is self-service related such as: Reduce, eliminate work orders handled by the Help Desk Desire to provide a self-service tool to enhance employee productivity Empower end users to make simple changes to their device without help desk involvement The answer is Starfish Self-Service Manager When the challenge is trunk related such as: Desire to monitor trunk groups to quickly identify and prevent service impacting issues Monitor trunk performance for real-time status and historical reports The answer is Starfish Trunk Dashboard 9

11 When the challenge is voic list or list related such as: Customer using multiple lists for team communication and struggling to keep them all accurate Need to automatically synchronize, maintain and clean up voice mail distribution lists and lists The answer is Starfish List Manager When the challenge is related to custom requirements such as: A specific business need that requires an innovative, flexible and customer tailored approach The answer is Starfish Professional Services for Custom Applications 10

12 Starfish Solutions Portfolio Directory Solution Overview Consolidate and synchronize directories and databases in real-time from multiple sources including telecom, HR and IT applications with Starfish Directory Solution. The information can be leveraged by many enterprise applications that require reliable and accurate information. Benefits Eliminates administration of multiple databases Creates a single authoritative directory Can be leveraged for Click-to-Call using Avaya Aura AES and Avaya ACE platforms Creates a more efficient communication environment Can be used as a source of data to other applications Supported Platforms/Sources Avaya Communication Manager, Avaya System Manager, Avaya Aura Messaging and Modular Messaging Cisco Unified Communications Manager & Cisco Unity Microsoft Lync & Microsoft Unified Messaging Enterprise Directories: Microsoft Active Directory, LDAP Enterprise HR & ERP Databases: Oracle PeopleSoft, SAP, SunGard Banner (Ellucian) Starfish Directory Manager Enterprise Databases Active Directory Starfish Directory Solution Consolidated Directory Information Bidirectional Avaya Cisco 11

13 Starfish Solutions Portfolio Provisioning Solution Overview Auto-provision phones, voic boxes and contact center agents by integrating with Microsoft Active Directory, HR systems and Identity Management Systems Benefits Streamline on-boarding, off-boarding and maintenance of telecom resources Eliminates repetitive tasks Keeps employee information in sync with other HR activities Integrates with Identity Management Systems Automates lifecycle management of phones, voice mailboxes, and contact center agent login IDs are triggered by events in Active Directory and Enterprise Databases Reduces administration costs Enhances productivity - rapid deployment of new users Improves security - immediate and accurate de-provisioning of resources Supported Platforms Avaya Communication Manager, CMS, Aura Messaging and Modular Messaging Cisco Unified Communications Manager and Unity Microsoft Lync Starfish Provisioning Solution Active Directory Enterprise Databases Bidirectional Authoritative telecom data Available for other applications Cisco UCM Avaya CM Microsoft Lync Cisco Unity Avaya CMS Microsoft UM System Manager Modular Messaging / Aura Messaging 12

14 Starfish Solutions Portfolio Password Solution Overview Password solution Starfish has two elements reset for phone and voic , and Password Synch for synchronization of voic passwords with IP phone security codes. Benefits Creates a single telecom password reset Synchronizes Avaya Aura Messaging & Avaya Modular Messaging subscriber passwords with Avaya Communication Manager Station security codes Ability to provide a self-service password reset tool Easy to use and streamlined tool for help desk staff to reset passwords without individually accessing each voic system Enhances security for the end user s device sync helps pass internal security audits. Also minimizes the internal risk of rogue IP phone registrations Supported Platforms Avaya Communication Manager, Aura Messaging and Modular Messaging Cisco Unified Communications Manager and Unity 13

15 Starfish Solutions Portfolio Resource Manager Overview Monitor the usage of telecom resources. Optimize resource usage in contact center by identifying and reclaiming idle agent logins IDs and stations. Benefits Set warning and escalation thresholds that will trigger notifications when designated capacity measurements are reached Maintain a detailed audit database of all move, add and change transactions for configured resource types Generate customized reports Compare Communication Manager customer options between two Communication Managers Generate a list of currently registered IP phones sorted by region Generate a Communication Manager configuration report sorted by board type Monitor audits and alerts on various measurements in Avaya Communication Manager Identify and reclaim idle agent login IDs. Specific thresholds are configurable for notification and removal of idle resources Dashboard view of station usage highlighting stations that are not in use. Reclaim licenses by using the bulk de-provisioning tool Supported Platforms/Sources Avaya Communication Manager Avaya Aura Messaging and Modular Messaging Avaya CMS See sample screenshots on next page 14

16 Sample Agent Dashboard Sample Agent Usage Report 15

17 Starfish Solutions Portfolio Self Service Manager Overview Self-service portal for end users to perform password resets, change phone settings and request telecom services. Benefits End users with the proper credentials can reset and synchronize phone and voic passwords End users with the proper credentials can modify phone settings End users with the proper credentials can request telecom services that are configured and customized by telecom administrators. Self-service frees up administrators and help desk staff creating more time for sensitive and critical communications projects while Self-service enhances the performance and service to end users Supported Platforms/Sources Avaya Communication Manager Avaya Aura Messaging and Modular Messaging Cisco Unified Communications Manager and Unity 16

18 Starfish Solutions Portfolio Trunk Dashboard Overview Monitor real-time trunk group performance and measurements to identify problems before they become service-impacting. Benefits For each monitored Communication Manager, administrators can drill down and get real-time trunk group measurements Configurable thresholds call attention to out-of-range measurements Helps eliminate any potential poor traffic throughput of calling traffic Supported Platforms/Sources Avaya Communication Manager Starfish Trunk Dashboard Client Avaya CM Starfish Trunk Dashboard Avaya AES SQL Communication Manager Avaya 17

19 Starfish Solutions Portfolio List Manager Overview Automate the management of voic and distribution lists. Create and synchronize lists from enterprise directories, databases and HR systems. Benefits Automates the management of voice mail and distribution lists Dramatically reduces the administration burden of manually keeping track and updating multiple systems. The synchronization process can also add and delete Avaya Aura Messaging / Modular Messaging subscribers. Includes an intuitive Windows client that enables administrators to display a tree view of Avaya Aura Messaging and Avaya Modular Messaging distribution lists and their members. Administrators can add, remove and import members from text files and generate reports. Supported Platforms/Sources Avaya Communication Manager Avaya Aura Messaging and Avaya Modular Messaging distribution lists (ELAs) Avaya Message Networking distribution lists Microsoft Exchange lists Active Directory Starfish List Manager Avaya Modular Messaging / Aura Messaging Enterprise Databases Avaya Message Networking 18

20 Working with Starfish At Starfish, we understand that it s critical to support our sales partners in every way possible in order to make your jobs easier. To that end, we promise the following: We will provide as much or as little presentation and demo support as our partner s request, and will always make Starfish representatives available to assist you in selling our solutions. We will work with you and the customer to establish the scope of the project as well as the information needed to produce exceptional proposals and accurate quotes. We will always be upfront about giving you an accurate project deployment timeline. Sales cycle vary and can take as little time as 30 days or as long as a few months, Starfish offers discounts on both solution and annual service and support contracts, enabling you to meet corporate margins for sales and compensation Typical customer entry point is $25k-$50k and beyond Who to contact Starfish Sales Team, , option 1 19

21 Solution Implementation Phases of Service Starfish has a four-phase structured implementation methodology to deploy their solutions. Specific services, deliverables, and milestones are associated with each phase. 1. Solution Design and Project Plan Services: Finalize functional requirements Confirm topology & document connectivity parameters, accessibility to all relevant servers Generate acceptance test plan Milestone: Solution Design & Project Plan Deliverables: Solution Design Document Acceptance Test Plan Document Project Plan 2. Implementation and Pilot Deployment Services: Customize & configure Starfish Password Solution to adhere to the finalized functional requirements Install Solution components in a pilot environment Demonstrate basic functionality Milestone: Pilot Deployment Deliverables: Demonstrate execution of test plan Define necessary fixes and refinements Submit finalized acceptance test plan 20

22 3. Refinements and Acceptance Tests Services: Implement agreed upon refinements Verify functionality Execute acceptance tests Milestone: Production Ready Deliverables: The Solution has been installed, deployed, tested & accepted in the customer s preproduction environment, but has not been deployed in the customer s production environment. This milestone completes the final delivery process. (Since Starfish does not have control over the production deployment roll-out process, Starfish offers ongoing support as part of the annual Starfish Support Plan). Updated & finalized Solution Design Document Execution & sign-off of acceptance tests 4. Training and on-going support Starfish provides the following services once the Solution is Production Ready: Administrator training Ongoing support & training for the roll-out process & operation 21

23 Solution Hardware & Software Requirements The typical hardware and software requirements for Starfish Solutions are listed below. Depending on the Starfish Solutions deployed and your environment, the requirements may change. Hardware (or Virtual Machine) Customer supplied Windows server with the following minimum configuration: 2GHz CPU or higher Hard disk with 60GB or more 4 GB RAM or more Software Windows 2008 Server R2 Microsoft IIS (included with the server OS) Microsoft AD LDS (included with the server OS) The solution will also require: Remote access to the Windows server Admin account on each Avaya Communication Manager and Cisco Unified Communication Manager IP connectivity between the Windows server, Avaya Communication Manager, Avaya Aura Messaging, Cisco Unified Communication Manager, Cisco Unity 22

24 FAQs How does Starfish support the Account Team during the sales process? Starfish is your partner from the beginning of the sales process through deployment of our solutions. We work closely with the project Account Team and aid in all conversations regarding the opportunity including: product demonstrations, technical questions, building the Statement of Work (SOW), pricing concerns and more. How does Starfish support the customer after the sale? Starfish has a highly experienced and responsive team of engineers on staff for all situations requiring support of our solutions. Our customers receive a direct phone number and address of Starfish team members to contact for support. What is the typical sales cycle? The average sale cycle varies depending on complexity and customer motivation. Typically, the sales cycle follows industry averages. Does Starfish support virtualization and redundancy? Yes, the Starfish Directory Solution is supported on VMWare. A warm standby server can be deployed for redundancy. 23

25 Sales Contacts Mike Stahl, Director of Sales Starfish Associates 1200 US Highway 22 Bridgewater, NJ