GenX to GenU migration
We are in the process of moving all customers' services which are "GenX" to "GenU". Customers will have the same rent and usage charges as before, however they will have more features.
GenX was launched in 2002 and is getting pretty old, whereas GenU was launched in 2012 and has some really useful new technology and performance in it.
Comparison between GenX and GenU
| GenX | GenU | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Introduced | |||
| Year | 2002 | 2012 | |
| Services | |||
| Personal communications | dmConnect | dmConnect12 | #0010 |
| Team communications | dmVoice | dmVoice14 (planned) | |
| Company communications | dmSwitchboard | dmSwitchboard12 | #5017 |
| Outbound calls | dmCalls | dmCalls12 | #5100 |
| Human answering agents | dmAnswers | dmAnswers14 | #0017 |
| Conferencing collaboration | dmAllTalk | built-in to all products | |
| Technology | |||
| Communication technology | Mainly TDB (traditional telephony) | VoIP-based with PSTN service parity | |
| Mostly inbound | Inbound and outbound | ||
| Location | Telehouse | Cloud | |
| UK platform | Global design | ||
| Operating system | Microsoft / Novell / Linux | Linux | |
GenU has some nice new features
- Outbound calls, with your existing number's Calling Line Identification (looks professional & saves you money)
- VoIP (Internet Telephony), so lots of calling control, information as well as potential cost saving (e.g. savings on calling costs, line rental and roaming costs)
- Built in option to upgrade to our fully featured switchboard (helping you to handle calls better, look more professional and work together)
- Built in option to use our add-on PAYG human answering service (so any calls that you can't handle, which should not be sent to voicemail, can be handled by a human)
How you will be able to find out more and learn about the new features
- Online videos demonstrating the new features and how to use them can be found throughout dmNotes.
- A good place to start is dmNote #1059: dmConnect12 Instructions
What will happen… the customer experience
Each account that will be upgraded will have an email sent to the customer, telling them:
- The date and time of the automated upgrade
- How they can manually upgrade
- The customer will receive instructions on how to do the upgrade at a time of their choice
- Calls will not be affected, however the service controls may be unavailable for up to 2 minutes at the time of the upgrade.
A further email will be sent 30 minutes before the scheduled upgrade time as a reminder, followed by a final email as soon as the upgrade is complete.
dmCalls12
After the upgrade, you will see a new service in your account called dmCalls12. This service deals with the tariffing of your outbound calling and needs credit in order for you to make outbound calls.
You can top this up with credit from your main account balance if you want to use outbound calling or dmAnswers14 features.
What will happen… under the bonnet
This is pretty technical, so if you are not technical you may find this a bit technical-ese, please just regard it as the "clever stuff that dmClub do for us".
In GenU telephony:
- Inbound: you can have one or more numbers that connect to a Switchboard engine, and then calls can be distributed to different people.
- Internal: You can transfer, conference with colleagues or just call colleagues
- Outbound: You can make outbound calls
- dmAnswers Agents: Can answer calls, screen, take messages etc.
When your call comes in it will either be sent to your own switchboard (if you have your own), or one that we host for you. Our Switchboard has various levels of control, so that if you only need simple options, you do not have to see all the features. However, if you need more features they are there waiting for you!
The Switchboard itself is "entirely soft", it uses Voice over IP and is connected over the internet backbone. Each Switchboard is hosted on a cloud "host server" which is basically a very powerful computer that can handle many people's phone calls at the same time.
On the old GenX system, calls would be delivered to our equipment through leased lines to our telephone switches and the calls would be processed by special (and very expensive) call switching systems.
So when we upgrade you, we create a switchboard for you on a host server (with the same settings as on your old and then redirect your new calls through the switchboard.
Finally, when all the accounts have been migrated to the new systems, the old systems are to be "retired".