CTI Squared (CTI²), an AudioCodes company and a leading provider of Value Added Services (VAS), recently introduced the InTouch Piccolo package, comprising of a bundle of services on an entry-level platform, well targeted for service providers who are currently searching for VAS. Value Added Services represent the non-core services, beyond standard voice calls, which are characterizing the service provider offering, differentiating its brand and drive revenues. Service providers are often puzzled when trying to select their VAS portfolio, especially in the early stages of forming the initial service, struggling between the need for innovative services and a strict budget limitation.With InTouch Piccolo, CTI² is offering a bundle of commercial services and evaluation packages at a competitive cost, enabling the service provider to launch new services, and evaluate some innovative capabilities, at a very low risk. Moreover, upon successful market penetration, the service provider can scale-up the InTouch Piccolo and switch to a Telco-grade InTouch solution, while keeping the initial investment and avoiding any migration annoyances.

The InTouch Piccolo in Brief
The InTouch Piccolo is an all-in-one integrated solution targeted for all types of service providers and networks, with a powerful suite of commercial VAS solutions and an evaluation package with additional innovative services. This enables service providers to launch an entry-level solution that may scale as the service grows, at a reduced cost, low risk and short time-to-market.

The commercial VAS solutions of the InTouch Piccolo include the following services:

• OPENVoicemail - A standard voicemail service that incorporates enhanced features such as callback and SMS notifications.

• VoicemailPLUS (Visual Voicemail) – A fully featured voicemail service enabled with visual access to voice and fax messages via Web, Mobile and IPTV clients.

• Unified Messaging – Unified mailbox for voice, fax and email messages with visual access to all types of messages, full message management, and advanced features such as reading email via phone, and virtual assistant.

• Web Fax Service – Allows the sending of standard documents (e.g. PDF, Word, PPT) via a web-based client to single, or multiple fax destinations with a single composed message. No fax machine or special print driver is required.

• Fax to Email – Subscribers to this service receive their fax messages as email messages directly into their email account. The service does not require having a physical line, and gives subscribers the option of SMS notification. No fax machine is required and the virtual fax is always active.

• Voice Conferencing - Supports scheduled, free and ad-hoc conference calls with web portal for scheduling, updating, and live conference moderation.

• Auto Attendant - A multi-tenant auto-attendant solution that supplements or replaces live operators in IP Centrex environments.

• Record Your Call – Subscribers of this service can record outgoing or incoming calls, and receive the recording via email.

The InTouch Piccolo evaluation package adds more capabilities and features to the VAS solution in order for the service providers to test and evaluate their needs in the commercial environment. This package includes the following services:

• Web Advertisement - Smart advertising that encourages the prospect to contact the advertiser in a number of ways. Any Web advertisement has the ability to generate, directly from the ad, communication transaction like click-to-call or send a message, thus creating a premium transaction.

• IPTV Advertisement – Connects consumers to advertisers during the advertisement display on the TV. While viewing the advertisement, viewers may press a button on the remote control and have the advertiser contact them by phone.

• Mobile Click to Call - Initiates a call back from a mobile phone using a preferred service provider, for bypassing expensive charges.

• Content Promotion - Promotes premium content by automatic SMS, email and MMS notification.

• Emergency Broadcast services – Broadcasts SMS, recorded-announcement, MMS, and email alerts for disasters such as tornado warnings. The activation is via incoming messages in the form of SMS, email, or voice messages.

• Visual Mobile Client - A complementary option for VoicemailPLUS and Unified Messaging services. Provides access and message management for voice, fax, email, and video messages in the subscriber's mailbox via mobile data network.

The InTouch Piccolo System
The InTouch Piccolo system is based on the InTouch platform infrastructure designed by CTI² to provide a suite of services. The InTouch platform is a Telco-grade platform that meets the strict demands of service providers such as high availability and redundancy. Its design enables the providing of solutions for TDM, VoIP and hybrid networks, scaling from a few thousand to millions of subscribers, and with advanced operation, management and customization tools. The Piccolo system receives a number of benefits from the InTouch platform, and is packaged as a compact system configured to provide maximum service capabilities. The main specifications for the InTouch Piccolo are:

• Number of subscribers: Entry level up to 10,000 subs

• Number of ports: 30 – 60 ports

• Telephony interface: SIP, RTP & T.38

• Various voice compression formats

• Fax spooling for standard documents (Word, PDF, etc.)
  while sending a fax

• System size: Rack mounted - 2U