INDUSTRY NEWS


Device cracks down on acoustic injuries


THE number of acoustic shock injuries suffered by call cen- tre agents could fall follow- ing the launch of an Acoustic Limiter by Clement Clarke Communications.


The device protects users’ hearing from acoustic shock caused by malicious callers and line interference.


Acoustic shock mostly occurs in call centre environ- ments where agents wear tele- phone headsets.


The list of possible inju- ries caused by acoustic shock include tinnitus, loss of hearing, anxiety, and in some cases clini- cal anxiety and depression. Martin Fox, Sales & Market- ing General Manager at Clement Clarke Communications, com- mented: “Acoustic shock hap- pens when the headset wearer is unexpectedly subjected to a loud or shrill noise through the head- set, often deliberately inflicted by a disgruntled caller.” Call centres have become a


large employment sector and the potential for hearing injuries is a growing cause for concern, points out Fox.


“Compensation claims have increased dramatically as a result of acoustic shock,” he added. “Call centre owners need


Acoustic shock happens when the headset wearer is unexpectedly subjected to a loud or shrill noise through the headset.


to be far more aware of the risks to their employees.”


Health and safety regula- tions have been designed to ensure that call centre owners and employers protect their workforce from acoustic inci- dents. The EU Noise at Work Directives also call for vigilance against the effects of acoustic shock in the workplace. Clement Clarke’s Acoustic Limiter device incorporates acoustic incident detection tech- nology to combat the threat of injuries and protect workers. The technology reacts to high


energy loud acoustic signals, malicious screams, shouts and


whistles, short duration high pitched signals, high energy single and dual tones (DTMF) signals and fax/modem signals. Fox explained: “When one of these acoustic incidents is detected, the device filters this part of the audio feed, preserv- ing the speech. This is per- formed in the background and is transparent to the user.” The device continuously monitors and records the acous- tic exposure users receive through the headset, and alerts them when levels are approach- ing maximum daily limits via voice announcements.


This approach allows the user or call centre manager to take the most appropriate action, such as a short break away from call handling. The Acoustic Limiter is a low power DSP-based platform with integrated voice tags for quick and easy setup. It offers the user a variety of options including selectable voice equalisation, allowing the user to select a setting that corrects muffled or hi-pitched audio feeds. The Acoustic Limiter can be powered via USB cable and connected to a computer, or via the supplied power supply.


Ofcom to reduce cost of LLU/WLR


OFCOM has proposed new pric- es that Openreach can charge comms providers for access to some of its main wholesale tele- coms services.


The consultation relates to


LLU and WLR and the watch- dog aims to publish a statement in autumn 2011.


The number of unbun- dled lines has increased from 123,000 in September 2005 to 7.59 million and there are 6.14 million WLR connections in the UK, enabling a range of comms providers to offer landline and broadband services.


Ofcom says the proposed prices strike a balance between providing incentives to invest in networks and ensuring that broadband and landline prices are affordable for consumers.


Ofcom is consulting on the following controls on annual rental charges which could come into effect later this year and will run until 31 March 2014. The regulated wholesale price for a fully unbundled line is £89.10 per year. Ofcom pro- poses to lower this in real terms by between RPI-1.2% and RPI- 4.2% every year.


The regulated wholesale price of a shared unbundled line to a property is £15.04 per year. Under Ofcom’s proposals this will decrease in real terms by between RPI-11.6% and RPI- 14.6% every year.


And the regulated price for WLR is £103.68 per year. Ofcom says this should decrease in real terms by between RPI-3.1% and RPI-6.1% every year.


NIMANS has turned back the clock to the 1970s by taking delivery of a retro style tele- phone. The Steepletone desk- top device is a rotary dialling phone that incorporates modern functionality such as tone dial- ling and a speakerphone. The black phone also has mechani- cal bell ringing, handsfree dial- ling, last number redial and a retro telephone number template. Gary Redshaw (pictured) from Nimans’ Purchasing team says the phone is a style icon synonymous with the original domestic tele- phone design. He said: “The phone is a modern twist on an old favourite. It’s a talking point that people will instantly recognise.”


Avaya creates 75 jobs for Galway centre


GALWAY has become the cen- tre of Avaya’s product devel- opment universe following the opening of its Customer Experience Centre in the west Ireland city.


An Irish passion for innova- tion, readily available talent and close proximity to the National University of Ireland were key attractions. The region appears to be far flung but transport links are fast and efficient. Avaya’s investment in the Galway Customer Experience Centre – formerly a Nortel R&D


Michael Bayer


operation prior to its acquisition by Avaya – is significant and the vendor will generate 75 jobs as part of a campaign to expand its market reach in Europe.


Avaya is taking on staff to fill vacancies in research and devel- opment, engineering, finance, IT and administrative support. The vendor’s focus on cus- tomer experience reflects a new approach to market and the Customer Experience Centre points to a greater balance between the vendor’s strategies in unified comms, contact cen- tre and collaboration.


The rebalanced portfolios have removed some of the com- plexity from Avaya’s products enabling customers to better


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experience technological inno- vation, said the vendor. The Customer Experience


Centre’s function is designed to immerse visitors in the collabo- ration experience within cus- tomer specific environments, enabling them to take away a view of Avaya’s current and future technologies.


The centre also gives cus- tomers access to developers who can create tailored solutions that showcase Avaya’s technology. Michael Bayer, President of Avaya EMEA, commented:


“The innovations that Avaya is bringing to communications will allow our customers in Ireland and throughout the world to change their conversations with their own customers.


“Our centre is a showcase facility in which customers can see our collaboration solutions in action within an environ- ment that has been customised to reflect their own business use and challenges.”


Got a news story? email: sgilroy@bpl-business.com


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