The VoIP and Unified Communication industry is booming. The VoIP industry generated total revenue of $14.1 billion in the US in 2020 alone (IBISWorld, 2020). Instead of relying on the traditional phone system, businesses can save up to 75% when opting for VoIP. (BullsEye Telecom, 2019). Equipped with a capable device, good internet connectivity, and a compatible headset, businesses can use VoIP to reduce calling costs while increasing productivity. You may wonder how a software-based calling mechanism can manage to replace traditional telephone exchange, especially call-switching. This is where Softswitch comes into the picture.
What is Softswitch, and How is it classified?
Softswitch is the acronym of Software Switch, and it is used in VoIP core network to control calls and process media streams. It can route VoIP calls & traffic across carriers and enable services such as switching elements, VoIP billing, directory services, network signaling, etc. It is safe to state that a Softswitch is the backbone of all VoIP communications. Based on the scale of application, there are five major classes of Softswitch:
Class 1 – used for international gateways
Class 2 – used for interstate communications
Class 3 – used for intercity communications
Class 4 – used in enterprise-level communications
Class 5 – used for end-user communications
Most VoIP service providers offer class 4 and 5 Softswitch to route calls over different networks. However, both classes are different in terms of features and their working areas, and the choice is vital when choosing a VoIP development service.
What is Class 4 Softswitch?
When routing IP-IP calls to long-distance international locations using an IP network, class 4 Softswitch is used. A call initiated from a class 5 Softswitch in one location is transferred to the class 4 Softswitch of retail VoIP provider and then connected to the class 5 Softswitch at the other location. Class 4 Softswitch offers fewer features than class 5 Softswitch.
Concurrent calls
Protocol support & conversion
Intelligent calls routing
Secured firewall
Easy to use and simple interface
What is Class 5 Softswitch?
Class 5 Softswitch is routing large volumes of calls within a city, town, state, or country. VoIP providers, cell phone carriers, and PSTN carriers used to connect VoIP-enabled devices to each other. When making a call from your device, the call is connected to your provider’s Softswitch, and then the call is routed to the correct IP address, SIP address, and DID number.
Auto-attendant
call forwarding
call rules (find me/follow me/DND)
call transfer
call waiting
caller ID
conference calling
E-911
enhanced voicemail
in-network calling music
ring/hunt groups
UCC
videoconferencing support
virtual numbers.
Key Differences Between Class 4 & 5 Softswitch
As you may have realized, class 4 Softswitch is for routing calls over a long distance, while class 5 Softswitch focuses more on local call routing. However, the difference doesn’t end there. Both Softswitches are different on the following key avenues:
Call Traffic Volume & Type
Functionality-wise, concurrent calls from multiple class 5 Softswitches are redirected to a single class 4 Softswitch. So, class 4 Softswitches are built to handle large volumes of calls at the same time. Class 5 Softswitch deals with smaller call traffic.
Targeted users
Class 5 Softswitches are designed to work with both VoIP service providers and end-users. Class 4 Softswitches are made to serve wholesale VoIP solution providers, carriers, and Telco operators.
Routing Area
Class 4 can route a large number of long-distance VoIP calls across different networks and hence has a larger routing area. Class 5, on the other hand, routes SIP or IP address or a Direct Inward Dialing (DID) number of target users across a smaller area.
Intended Usage
As far as services are concerned, the Class 5 Switch serves as a handy retail solution. Besides, it also serves as an exchange in the PSTN, which is responsible for catering to the end-users and is located at the local telephone center. On the contrary, the Class 4 switch serves as a wholesale solution. It is a central office telephone exchange, which interconnects various local exchange carrier offices to establish communication for a long distance in PSTN.
Benefits of using Softswitch
By using Softswitches, organizations have observed the following benefits:
Scalable Solution: Softswitches are generally easy to scale up or down, depending on the network’s size, compared to regular switches. A VoIP Softswitch can be scaled with the company’s growth and be upgraded with a simple download.
Versatile: Routing, reporting, invoicing, and monitoring are all services that a VoIP Softswitch may accomplish. Softswitches may be integrated with other software to help businesses run more efficiently.
Accurate billing: Providers may adjust call rates and produce exact invoices for each of their clients using VoIP Softswitches. As a result, Softswitches free up time and resources that organizations may put toward their main activities.
Highly Cost-effective: Softswitches are extremely cost-effective since they do not require any additional hardware. The program is installed and upgraded in a virtual environment.
Wrapping Up
As you may have realized, there is no case of superiority when it comes to class 4 and 5 Softswitch. Each is pivotal for providing seamless communication between different enterprises across the country. VSPL specializes in creating custom VoIP desktops as well as offers hybrid Softswitch solutions.
Microsoft Dynamics 365 is a business platform that runs on a cloud-based application by connecting components like customer relationship management (CRM) and enterprise resource planning (ERP) along with productivity applications and artificial intelligence tools. Microsoft Dynamics 365 was launched in 2016 when Microsoft brought Dynamics AX, its ERP application, and the Dynamics CRM application. It was Microsoft only that made their first move as an offer with an integrated solution. In such a way, it became a business product mark with dynamic nature and the possibility to deal with unusual situations. Dynamics 365 emerges as a powerful tool for software/solution providers along with the applications that give dynamic trends for the business world.
Dynamics 365 is a complete set of services empowering in all solutions, where you don’t have to select and pick from the plenty of options available. Before indulging in Microsoft Dynamics 365, let’s go through Microsoft Cloud competencies and their complete cloud landscape. The Microsoft Cloud carries several libations and services categorized into four broad sections.
Smart Workplace: Smart Workplace links with Office 365, Enterprise Mobility, Windows 10, and Securityproposed as Microsoft 365.
/Business Applications:/The category of Business Applications is a blend of ERP and CRM business applications and is granted as Dynamics 365.
/Application and Base://Cloud Application and base are the third category and are rendered by Azure./
/Data and AI:/Data and AI, handle with AI, data, and analytics.
Benefits of Microsoft Dynamics 365
Any business application and its platform are usually based on benefits, return on investment, and the loyalty of product standards with a specific road map. Here are the top four benefits of leveraging Dynamics 365 as a business solvent program:
With purpose-built applications, productivity gets higher than earlier.
A platform that highly flexible and allows business conversion effectively
Open applications to reduce data silos
Keen knowledge to make well-read decision making.
Microsoft Dynamics 365 features.
What makes Microsoft Dynamics 365 different than others? Apart from its opponent and supporters for businesses, it includes features, skills, and offerings.
Here’s a look at the features of Dynamics 365:
Browser-based application and Cloud-driven
It did available on November 01, 2016, to several businesses
Integrated with Office 365, the ERP increases productivity and stands apart from others
Knowledge developed in predictive review and decision-making posts
Changed the traditional way towards business solutions
Dynamics 365 is the business product mark and an exceptional application of Cloud (public and private) also the basic need to change how businesses use technological solutions to accomplish their objects.
Why You Prefer Microsoft Dynamics 365?
With CRM and ERP of Dynamics 365, including Microsoft’s productivity applications, users can take a unified and creative outlook of data regarding customer records, activities, behavior, and decisions. It includes a report about management, inventory, and transportation. But if this is not adequate, then Dynamics 365 has excellent features and new analytical vision tools for decision-makers. The most crucial asset of Dynamics 365 robust integration that also supports other Microsoft business applications. Some businesses like Outlook and Azure rely on Office 365, and it gives more beneficial union with comparable products than other CRM systems. Microsoft is also increasing its accumulation of third-party applications that combine with Dynamics 365 by the AppSource store.
Conclusion
As CRM highlights the customer, ERPs highlight the business and the way to operate it. However, both systems allow for the company-wide sharing of data. ERP will enable companies to prepare for obstacles before they become tenacious. Hence, Barriers in business processes can control by analytical reasoning and how to stop companies from focusing on the data instead of operations. In such a way, ERPs give the best approach to organize the business process.
Therefore, Microsoft Dynamics 365 is a particularly well-plan toolbox with all the right ingredients with the right size. Just like other tools that make or break an artisan, administration software or to spell disaster for a business depending on those tools that run perfectly for a business, and this is where Dynamics 365 appear. The software can be made according to your needs, so that there is no doubt Dynamics 365 is the best for you.
In the similar lines of software as a service, the gaming industry had also brought forward a continuing revenue model – Gaming as a service(GaaS). They release the game for an initial price or free of cost and then monetizes it over time. Unlike the Pay-to-play model, this retains the users’ interest in playing the game for longer times and generate a continuous source of income. One-time game purchase models are tough to sell, prone to severe losses, whereas GaaS based games are future proof. It attracts players, advertisers and investors alike. Today, some of the most popular games are getting released via this model, thanks to cloud gaming.
This revenue model allows developers to make money post its release through subscriptions and in-game purchases, ads, etc. This also allowed them to concentrate on the video game development part of it rather than the financials, as the content in the game can define the long run and lifespan of the game. The advent of this technology helped video game developers and players alike. It created new opportunities for developers by opening doors to cloud integration and streaming games. It opened up a new door for cloud gaming with Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPGs) like Age of Empires, PUBG, etc.
Cloud integration allowed users to play multiplayer games on their phones or PCs or consoles and the developers can have their servers that host those games as a service somewhere distant and stream the game through video codec. They can release new updates on a daily, weekly or monthly basis in the form of missions, events, levels, etc. They can limit the access for these games as a service with subscriptions, manage the players and payments with effective business systems in place.
Business systems:
Unique Billing System: It is extremely important for developers to deploy an efficient and unique billing system that can cater to a wide variety of players of cloud gaming who opt for different plans and pick different offers. These subscriptions of the games as a service can be categorized into 3 types.
A flat billing system where the player is charged according to his weekly or monthly or yearly plan
A volume-based system where the player is charged based on the volume of content he consumed or played
A tiered system where the player is charged based on a set amount for a unit range of time
Customer Relations Management (CRM):
CRM is important for any business and the Gaming Industry is not an exception. To increase the number of signups, subscriptions and plans, GaaS based games need to be a proper CRM in place to manage the possible issues in billing, plans, services, in-game purchases and the game itself. A well-organised CRM will increase the trust and support of any user.
Accessibility
Modern gaming is more than just a game, it’s about taking a part in life. Users will want to play GaaS based games, anywhere and at any time. So, it is imperative for video game developers to make games readily accessible. At the same time, they should provide the users with security with defined login authentications. This is where technically adept and professional video game development outsourcing companies like RubixQ come into play. With sound knowledge in the technicalities as well as the market research of what gamers want, they deliver games that are compatible across all platforms without compromising on the quality and content.
Conclusion:
There are a lot of developments happening in this modern revenue model in terms of customised plans, less latency in the cloud, enhanced user experiences, etc. Another interesting addition to these is the rise of gaming OTT platforms. Major players in the video gaming industry have already tapped the potential of fully or partially cloud-based gaming services. Google Stadia is coming up with its own subscription plans and so does the XBOX game pass, taking full advantage of GaaS based games. During 2007-2008, Chinese company Tencent was one of the first companies to employ this model. EA Games, in just 6 years of GaaS introduction, increased its market value from $4 billion to $33 billion. With the tremendous growth of these big companies and virtual currency slowly being the norm, more and more developers are moving towards this model by including skippable ads, in-game purchases, tokens, cheat codes, coins, etc for recurring revenue.
Enterprise search has gone a long way since the advent of a few ground-breaking innovations that have revolutionised how consumers use search engines. Today’s search engines are more capable of returning results that are comparable to what users are looking for.
Artificial intelligence (AI), semantic search, and Natural Language Processing (NLP) are the technologies that are driving the new face of corporate search applications, as brought to us by new age enterprise search platforms like 3RDi Search, Coveo, and Commvault. This article goes into greater detail about how artificial intelligence (AI) has influenced enterprise search’s evolution.
Understanding Artificial Intelligence
It’s crucial to grasp what artificial intelligence is before we begin. What is artificial intelligence (AI) and how does it work? It’s the technology that allows machines to understand human language, “read” patterns of user behaviour, comprehend each user in order to deliver a tailored performance, and accomplish tasks in the same way that humans do. In other words, it’s the technology that allows “intelligent” machines to also “challenge” people.
Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning
As a result, we’ve seen that artificial intelligence holds a lot of promise. After that, let’s look at how AI helps machine learning, and how this, in turn, helps corporate search software better understand user behaviour and provide search results that are perfectly customised to the user’s demands.
AI allows enterprise search engines to train robots to spot trends in user activity by quickly analysing large amounts of user data. Because AI powers machine learning, search engines can evaluate user data in real time, fine-tuning search results in real time to offer the most relevant search results to each user.
Why AI for Enterprise Search
Here are a few key insights on how AI is reshaping enterprise search and why it’s here to stay.
1] Assists the Algorithm in the Development of a Skill
Are humans the only ones who have special abilities? AI has given algorithms the ability to learn new talents, and no one is complaining! Algorithms may now be programmed to forecast the most important outcomes for the user.
2] Accuracy at a Higher Level
Yes, AI is an important part of intelligent search, since it ensures that results are correct every time and allows the corporate search engine to understand user behaviour without missing important details. This opens the door to a whole new level of human-search engine interaction, with applications in research and even medicine.
3] Maximizes the use of data
Today is the Big Data era, and an organization’s ability to harness the value of the data they have will give them a competitive advantage. AI enables this by “training” algorithms to learn exactly what to look for in data and how to find it quickly and reliably.
4] Allows for the use of intelligent search
Enterprise search software is no exception. AI is the wizard’s wand that turns every software application into a better version of itself. When it comes to interpreting user intent and retrieving the most relevant search result, enterprise search software powered by AI technology may be a smart tool that resembles humans.
Conclusion:
As a result, AI may be inferred to offer endless possibilities in the sphere of enterprise search. The way it trains algorithms to categorise and process user input in the background in order to gain much-needed insights in real time only adds to the promise of the future. Users, as well as scientists and research fellows working in data-intensive sectors, would benefit from this.