In my last column, I wrote about the benefits that instant messaging offers mobile enterprise workers and their organizations. For the next few, I’ll identify other beneficial mobile features that readers should become acquainted with, since they contribute to what I refer to as effective “enterprise communications everywhere.”

 

This column addresses sophisticated call handling – what happens behind the scenes when you make and receive calls on mobile devices. This should be differentiated from the basic call handling that is prevalent today.

 

People commonly make calls from phones with built-in address books, forward their calls to other devices and utilize basic voicemail features. But these features, in and of themselves may exasperate, rather than eliminate, artificial barriers between mobile workers and their associates and customers. After all, if a customer has to wait longer for a return call because a mobile worker hasn’t checked both mobile and enterprise voicemails, we may find a net reduction – not gain – in efficiency.

 

 

Fortunately, a number of advanced mobile PBX features to which I am privy are coming onto the market. For example, clients and co-workers know they can always reach me by dialing a single number. When a call lands on my mobile device, network caller ID, personal directory and even corporate directory features tip me off who’s calling so I can determine if I want to take the call. If I don’t, I can send it to my enterprise voice mail system, route it to a more appropriate individual in my office by dialing his or her 3-digit extension number or even send it to a more convenient phone nearby if two or more of us want to participate in a conference call.

 

I’ve used these capabilities on more than one occasion when I wanted my vice president of sales to take an important call when I was tied up or when it made sense for one or two additional colleagues to join me on an incoming call. As an added benefit, when I route these calls from my mobile device, I avoid minutes on my cellular plan.

 

In those cases when I send a call to my enterprise voicemail system, I have the same access to and features of my enterprise system from my mobile device. For example, from my mobile device, I can forward voice mails to other individuals in my enterprise using normal intra-office dialing procedures. Further, by having all calls dialed to my enterprise phone number, my firm has complete records of all incoming calls (outgoing to be discussed shortly). In my case, this is a “nice to have” feature, but many regulated industries require that enterprises maintain these records. 

 

Another favorite feature is when I see a call coming in but I’m tied up. Rather than just let the call go to my voicemail or get on the line to breathlessly tell the caller that I can’t speak, I simply send a text message to the caller advising when I’m free to call back.

 

 

We’ve already discussed how sophisticated features are turning mobile devices into command and control portals for receiving enterprise calls. But what about making calls? People commonly click on their local directories to make outbound calls. But when I dial out, I have my local directory, enterprise directory and even my instant message directory from which to choose. My calls are routed through our enterprise PBX (News - Alert), so individuals called only see my enterprise caller ID information. Besides eliminating confusion at the receiving end, it reduces cell phone minutes and ensures my enterprise has a record of all outbound calls.

 

Another useful feature is the intelligence my phone has to automatically dial prefixes when needed depending upon what network I am employing. I have a dual-mode phone and often roam between WiFi and cellular zones in the office. Without that built in intelligence, I’d have to set up two entries for each person in my directory (one of each with a 9 as a prefix). Even more impressive, when I’m traveling in Europe I don’t worry about deleting the unneeded 011 prefix in my directory.

 

Finally, routing features provide advantages when making as well as taking calls. For example, I’ll use my mobile device even when sitting in a room with others to initiate a conference call, because I have all the information I need on my device. Instead of looking up the number and then manually dialing out on the conference phone, I simply click the number I’m dialing and the number from which I want to make the call (the conference phone) and it’s accomplished more quickly and without error.

 

The advanced mobile PBX features I’ve discussed in this column have either recently come on the market or will be there soon from a variety of providers. I’ve found them to increase my productivity measurably, while enhancing my enterprise’s record keeping.

 

The biggest benefit to me is the seamlessness with which I can communicate with staff, customers and business partners regardless of where I am or whom I’m with. It’s come to the point that when sitting alone at my office desk, I’ll use my RIM (although these features are available on a plethora of devices) – not my desktop phone – to screen, answer or route calls. I suspect other mobile warriors will become similarly addicted to these productivity benefits once they’ve experienced enterprise communications everywhere.