SMS Return Message Routing In part 1 of this blog we looked at three options that enable an Agent to make originate an SMS message: Option 1 – User a TASK Template Option 2 – Create an HTML Form Option 3 – Create an Email to SMS solution As it relates to being able to route a return message back to the Agent that created the message, there are some real problems with Option 1 and Option 2. Option 1 Task Template launches Contact Flow The TASK solution gets the Origination SMS job done and works just fine.  The Contact Flow the TASK points to contains an invoke Lambda that sends the mess ..read more

Dynamic Call Centers? We can dynamically reconfigure our contact flows, the experience a caller has when calling our contact center.   To do this, we us DNIS (i.e. dialed number information services) essentially using the number the caller dialed, to index a configuration database and return all of the options we need to route an care for the call.   Rather than “cut and paste” contact flows, modified for each queue, why not just use one contact flow that can be reconfigured on the fly?  DNIS is a system attribute in Amazon Connect, it can be passed to the contact flow ..read more

Transforming Customer Service with Visual Interaction In April 2022, we introduced our first blog and demo showcasing the integration of video into call centers using Amazon Connect. Since then, the potential applications for video in customer service have continued to expand across various industry segments where “high touch” customer contact is crucial. Initially, we focused on applications that added video as a chat option, connecting website visitors to customer service representatives in contact centers. However, the practicality of video solutions has significantly increased with the adv ..read more

Configuring Amazon Connect Voice Mail For several years we have been deploying a modified version of the Amazon Connect Voice Mail solution as published by the AWS team to GitHub!   When Amazon Connect first hit the market in 2017, it was without a voice mail solution.  Actually it was without lots of features that most call center folks would expect!  However, as time unfolds in its petty pace, new features are regularly being added.  Today, Amazon Connect continues to lead the way in call center technology.   The voice mail solution, has changed over the la ..read more

The Challenge! We had a voice notification system setup to alert member of our “club” about meetings and special events.  It consisted of a Dynamodb table that listed the phone numbers of the club membership; several lambda functions to access and update the database and an Amazon Connect instance to drive the telephone network requirements.   It worked well and got the job done.   Administrators would call up the application, enter a security authorization code, reset the database, record a new greeting and have a message delivered to every member within minutes.  ..read more

Emergency Notification? There are a number of use cases for an application that can process a list of contacts to be notified by voice message of an impending event.  The event may be an emergency or  a notification of a community activity of interest to the list subscribers.   Even an appointment reminder falls into this category, so it is not necessary to have an actual ’emergency’ to have a requirement to mass notify a subscriber or customer group. Basic Functional Spec We had need of a “campaign dialer” like a solution and we found that all the parts we needed were avai ..read more

Dynamic Call Centers? We can dynamically reconfigure our contact flows, the experience a caller has when calling our contact center.   To do this, we us DNIS (i.e. dialed number information services) essentially using the number the caller dialed, to index a configuration database and return all of the options we need to route an care for the call.   Rather than “cut and paste” contact flows, modified for each queue, why not just use one contact flow that can be reconfigured on the fly?  DNIS is a system attribute in Amazon Connect, it can be passed to the contact flow ..read more

Amazon Connect Agent Scripts? We have been very impressed with Amazon Connect’s growing move into an embedded CRM.  Customer Profiles and Cases are powerful capabilities that are now integrated in the “pay only for what you use” cloud based contact center.  Recently, Amazon has added “step-by-step” Agent guides!  This powerful new functionality brings “one call” customer problem resolution from concept to reality.    It offers a unified experience for contact center agents to access the tools they need to address customer calls effectively.  Each phone call can ge ..read more

with SIP it is easy to spoof a phone number. What is confusing is when a hacker sends an SMS messaage from a spoofed number, how are they able to get the return SMS message? When a hacker sends an SMS message from a spoofed number, they are not actually using the phone number associated with that number to send the message. Instead, they are using a technique known as SMS spoofing, which allows them to send SMS messages from any number they choose, including numbers that are not associated with them. When the recipient of the spoofed SMS message replies to it, the message is not actually sent ..read more

with SIP it is easy to spoof a phone number. What is confusing is when a hacker sends an SMS messaage from a spoofed number, how are they able to get the return SMS message? When a hacker sends an SMS message from a spoofed number, they are not actually using the phone number associated with that number to send the message. Instead, they are using a technique known as SMS spoofing, which allows them to send SMS messages from any number they choose, including numbers that are not associated with them. When the recipient of the spoofed SMS message replies to it, the message is not actually sent ..read more