Fixed Mobile Convergence (FMC) is a technological solution at the junction of different types of communication networks: fixed and mobile , which allows you to create a single network of office and mobile phones with a common short numbering plan . The technology creates the ability to call directly to short internal numbers to employees from offices in different regions of the country or the world, including without using a real office PBX [1] (see also virtual PBX ).
When using FMC, the organization’s employees, both those using a mobile phone and a landline wired telephone , can call their colleagues directly, bypassing secretaries or an automatic voice menu ( IVR or DISA ), dialing a four or five-digit number rather than a federal number . On the other hand, employees can use the additional functionality inherent in ordinary office PBXs, such as conference calling , auto redial, etc.
If we talk about managing calls and parameters, more often telecom operators offering such a solution allow you to do this through a special web interface . For example, in the FMC settings you can create different algorithms for intelligent call forwarding to various employees, call distribution, etc., similar to office PBXs.
One of the key advantages is that, as a rule, mobile operators offer special intra-company tariffs for mobile communications along with FMC.
In essence, FMC is an internal corporate telephone network with a single numbering plan and common rules for managing calls on office and mobile phones. Thus, FMC can be considered as a centrex service package on a mobile network.
Content
FMC History
Earlier in Russia, the term FMC meant everything that related to the integration of communication networks in general, but there was no comprehensive solution (including the assumption that individually such preferences for customers as a single account, single number, single tariff for fixed and mobile communications and this is the essence of FMC) [2] . Today, specialists in Russia [ who? ] agreed that FMC is, after all, first of all, a complex technological, and not just a tariff solution. Today, FMC allows you to simplify business processes and optimize costs simultaneously through communication services.
In the summer of 2005, Britsh Telecom, in collaboration with the cellular company Vodafone, launched the FMC service. The service allowed to reduce expenses when staying at home. A special Home Hub device forwarded all calls from a mobile phone to the British Telecom fixed network [3] .
FMC Benefits [4]
- FMC aims to simplify the business processes of organizations, coupled with the ability to optimize costs;
- Saving on one SIM-card is up to 30% due to reduction of dialing time and tariff options;
- The ability to set various rules for processing calls, for example, the availability of employees by day of the week, business hours;
- Allows you to create a forwarding algorithm, for example, in case of inaccessibility of one of the employees in the event of an accident for employees with similar competence.
FMC Market Solutions in Russia
We were among the first to set the development vector in Russia and launch the industrial version of Fixed-Mobile Convergence of STS Sovintel LLC (in July 2001, in partnership with Beeline ), as well as Gars Telecom (Smart Mobile product launched in 2003 in partnership with MegaFon OJSC) . VimpelCom OJSC ( Beeline Business) updated the service in 2008 after the merger of VimpelCom and Golden Telecom [5] . Then this service was launched by other major Russian operators [6] .
Features
- Unified numbering plan for office and mobile phones (permissible length of short numbers is 3-6 digits);
- The usual intra-office short numbering for calls from a mobile phone to the office and inside the Closed Group (available through the access code for the FMC service assigned to the client within the Service)
- Favorable tariff for long-distance and international calls;
- Availability of the service on any mobile tariff plan of a credit settlement system.
see also
- Centrex
- PBX
- Virtual telephone exchange
Notes
- ↑ What is FMC, Interesting Facts, January 2011 Archived December 16, 2011.
- ↑ What is FMC ?, PC Week, January 2006
- ↑ Hopelessness, Appendix Kommersant, November 2006
- ↑ Solution Example: Unified Network of Office and Mobile Phones, CNews, February 2011 Archived November 1, 2011.
- ↑ FMC is closer than it sounds, Open Systems, January 2005
- ↑ Development of the Russian telecommunications market in September 2008, Institute for Contemporary Development, September 2008 (unavailable link)