TIMONIUM, Md. — In a company press release, Helion Automotive Technologies announced that it had received UCSE Tier 1 Support Certification from ShoreTel, a provider of unified communications (UC) solutions.

With its new certification, the IT solutions provider is now authorized to work with auto dealers to design, program, and implement custom UC systems, as well as provide support for day-to-day operations and perform high-level troubleshooting.

"More than half of car shoppers use mobile devices in their search for a vehicle, which in recent years has led to a significant increase in the volume of phone calls coming into dealerships," said Erik Nachbahr, president of Helion. "ShoreTel's UC platform offers an affordable, state-of-the-art solution that supports auto dealers' efforts to improve phone processes and call handling." 

ShoreTel's platform offers business application integration, collaboration tools, reporting, and call center applications that contribute to increased workplace productivity and employee communications, the announcement stated.

One of ShoreTel’s UC systems, ShoreTel Connect, is a collaboration tool that enables instant communication between employees across multiple devices, from computers to phones and tablets. The system also shows personnel the availability of other employees. The system’s integration with Microsofts’s Active Directory, Exchange and Office ensures that employees can integrate this system into their preexisting communications software with minimal effort, the company adds.

Another one of ShoreTel’s systems, Call Flow, allows dealers to adapt its communications system to best suit their dealership. Call Flow defines rules such as which phone numbers ring into different areas of the dealership, how many times the phone rings before it goes to voicemail or gets routed elsewhere, and what happens to phone calls after hours, according to the company.

Additional features that can be found in ShoreTel's UC system are Visual Voicemail, Find Me, Call reporting and auto attendant features.

"The ShoreTel system offers dealers a lot of visibility into how calls are handled, where their calls are going and what their weak points and strengths are," Nachbahr said. "It's also flexible and adaptable, allowing changes to be made to the system very quickly without a lot of complicated programming."

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