UNC-CH Information Technology Services

iPod saves money for ITRC

If you’ve ever called 962-HELP, you have used the ITS Response Center’s ACD - automated call distribution system. With an average of 265 calls per day, it’s inevitable that some callers will be placed on hold. And the ITS Response Center, or ITRC, has just upgraded its system by switching to an iPod to handle the entire music-on-hold component of the ACD.

“In the old days of automated call distribution, music on hold was handled by large telephone switching equipment,” explained Bruce Egan, ITRC manager. “We had already transitioned to using an old laptop that was plugged into the ACD system via a phone line. That worked well, but eventually the laptop died.”

A new laptop would cost upwards of $1,500 and would carry risks of hard drive crashes, power losses and emergency restarts. ITRC staff considered budgetary allowances and staff time, and came to a new solution – an iPod Nano.

“The Nano has no moving parts, so it’s less prone to failure,” said Egan. “It sits in a charging station, and supposedly will continue to play music up to 24 hours on its battery charge if the power goes out, so there are no surprise outages or restarts. At $150, it saves us thousands of dollars, and so far, it’s working great.”

The iPod Nano pilot appears to be a success. So far, the Nano plays classical music. ITRC staff hope to add technology tips and advice so that callers can learn while they wait for help.