NICE integrates recording solution with Skype, Image Credit Freeimages.com/Antoni Canals
NICE Systems integrated Engage call recording Platform with Skype for Business

NICE Systems has announced that their multi-channel recording solution is now compatible with Skype for business. This is a major step forward for Skype as enterprises look to migrate from expensive on-premise solutions to cloud based VOIP solutions. NICE Systems uses the Unified Communications Managed API to achieve the integration although full details of the available functionality was not released.

The NICE systems recording solution will allow enterprises to capture all internal and external communications in a Skype environment using the NICE Engage platform. The NICE Systems Engage platform supports multiple communication formats including voice, video, screen, chat, email and SMS meaning that Skype for Business will be fully recorded.

Miki Migdal, President, Enterprise Division at NICE Systems (Image Source LinkedIn)
Miki Migdal, President, Enterprise Division at NICE Systems

Miki Migdal, President, NICE Enterprise Product Group commented: “Microsoft Skype for Business is an impressive solution that promotes multi-channel interaction and collaboration across the enterprise. With the addition of NICE Engage platform to support this platform, we will be able to further extend our reach in the contact center market while delivering the latest innovations to help companies meet their regulatory needs and create the perfect customer experiences.”

When Office 365 ES was announced in December we called out whether Microsoft would at some point include a recording solution within product portfolio aimed at enterprises. With this announcement companies will be able to replicate their on-premise solutions completely within the Microsoft cloud if vendors offer a NICE Systems Engage platform alongside it. It will be interesting to see how quickly companies that already have ExpressRoute Office365 connections to Microsoft start to offer this add on solution as part of their solution.

Can Microsoft win back Business Mobiles with NICE?

With the integration of the NICE solution into Skype for business it opens up the possibility of a locked windows mobile phone capable of making only Skype voice calls, as opposed to voice calls. This may seem an unlikely proposition and yet if Microsoft can achieve an agreement with a telecommunications company to deliver this then it may be able to provide certain companies, notably in the Financial Sector with mobiles that can deliver voice services where calls are always recorded.

There is still a lot of things that would need to be resolved before this becomes possible, but some companies would certainly be interested. While there are solutions that enable the recording of mobile calls, utilising Skype for Business on mobile devices and disabling any other type of voice calls (except perhaps emergency call) is a solution that some might be interested in.

Conclusion

There are other solutions already live that claim enterprise recording for Skype for Business, these include Red Box Recorders and Verba. While NICE acknowledge in the press release that they are not the first another competitor will be welcome news for many enterprises.

NICE is one of the market leaders in the voice recording space and they have a good share of the enterprise market with their vendor agnostic solutions. This announcement sees them provide a solution for the future and it will be interesting to see how quickly it is adopted.  It should also help Skype for Business improve their penetration of certain industry sectors that need voice recording for compliance reasons.

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