When looking to upgrade a call center operation, it is easy to think that open source software is the way to go. After all, open source is typically presented as a low-cost alternative to proprietary professionally coded and vetted software. Companies that choose open source software are promised functionality at no cost.
In some cases, open source is a valid choice but in other namely mission critical cases, it is a potential disaster. The choice between proprietary software and open source is rarely cut and dry. Let’s look first at the advantages and disadvantages of open source software:
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Advantages |
Disadvantages |
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Open source software is free or low-cost, and an open source alternative exists for almost every proprietary software. Businesses can say significant amounts of money over using secure professionally developed dialers versus open source dialers. |
Open source software development is developer-led rather than customer-led. This difference means that the software may develop along the lines that the developer thinks best rather than what works for you, the customer. |
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Open source software is continually changing with developers and users working on removing bugs, and pursuing the motivation to provide a high-quality product. |
Software developers are not end-users. They only understand how the infrastructure of an application works not the real-world needs of the end-user. This difference often makes it less user-friendly than proprietary software. |
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Open source software does not lock businesses into using their products. |
Open source software relies on a community (of often part-time programmers) to fix all of the many problems that arise. |
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Users can modify open-source software to meet their requirements. Anyone who knows how to code can rewrite any part of the software. |
Unless you happen to have a software engineer or better still a software development and a software security team on tap, this has the potential to blow up in your face. |
Security Considerations for Open Source Dialers
Although open source dialers have a robust community around them to identify bugs, create patches, and implement fixes, the door is still open for malicious actors (hackers, competitors and others) to exploit undetected vulnerabilities. These security issues could leave your dialing system open to data breaches that expose your customers’ vital information. Credit card fraud is the least of these problems, and identity theft is possibly the worst. Much larger companies have seen their reputations decimated and even had to pay ransoms to get their own computer systems back. If your call center relies on interstate calling, you also open your business to violations of federal and state dialing rules. Once your open source dialer’s vulnerabilities are compromised, your legal exposure, bills and fines may escalate putting you out of business.
Compare and Contrast
Let’s look at the differences between ChaseData’s professionally developed and managed dialer platform and the open source dialers. There are a lot of comparisons to cover, so yes, you are getting another table.
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Attribute |
ChaseData |
Open Source |
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OS |
Microsoft Windows: Familiar and comfortable operating system used by approximately 35 to 1 versus Linux. |
Linux: Open source operating system modeled on UNIX. Highly customizable and versatile. |
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IT Infrastructure |
Secure cloud-based, managed by ChaseData. This includes routers, servers, backup systems, firewalls, encryption technology for voice and data, network management, and facilities access security. |
The end-user (you) assumes all expenses for equipment and additional services including hardware, hosting, or other services such as network management, and facilities access security. |
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Dialing Modes |
Flexible based on your needs. ChaseData offers seven outbound dialing modes. |
Fixed, one outbound dialing mode. |
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Inbound Mode |
Intelligent automatic call distribution. The system uses various methods to automatically direct calls to the most appropriate agent based on programmed criteria. |
Feature not offered without additional software. Creating a basic automatic call distribution mechanism with an open source dialer requires high-level/expensive programming skills. |
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Security |
100% secure compiled code. Adheres to secure coding practices including quality assurance analysis and rigorous testing. |
Insecure crowd-sourced code that is publicly published online. Anyone, at any time, can alter the source code for any purpose. |
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Uptime |
99.9% uptime service level agreement. This is a agreement between ChaseData and the end-user clearly defines the level of service that the end-user can expect ChaseData to provide. |
Zero uptime guarantee. With open source products there is no SLA (service level agreement). If there are issues with hosting, hardware, or software, the end-user is expected to fix it themselves or hire appropriate personnel to do so. |
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Hosting |
Secured tier 1 and redundancy included. ChaseData provides maintenance, security, and backups. Maintenance won’t disrupt operations and guarantee HD quality voice and data quality. |
Call center provides server and IT staff for own hosting on premises were contracts with an outside provider and pays for the service. HD quality voice and data quality can be achieved but at a significant cost. |
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Support |
FREE 24/7/365 customer support. Call center operations run 24 hours. So do we. |
Support is either crowd based, fee-based, or unavailable. |
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Equipment Required |
Agents need: an inexpensive Windows computer, broadband Internet access, and a USB headset. |
Agents need: an inexpensive Windows computer, broadband Internet access, and a USB headset or softphone app. Open source dialer applications typically require: Expensive server hardware, network switches, proprietary telephone boards, firewall hardware, and the experts to configure and maintain them. |
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Onboarding |
FREE. |
Fee-based. |
The differences are very stark. While using an open source dialer has low upfront costs, the costs further down the road can be financially and operationally crippling. Your business cannot tolerate outages, poor service, or data insecurity. Open source dialers also do not provide latest proven features that your business will come to expect and rely on. Intelligent call distribution provides a higher rate of customer satisfaction because your customers do not enjoy having to go from agent to agent, transfer after transfer, repeating previously supplied information at every turn in order to resolve a simple issue. Worst still, doing all of that just to place an order. These are the same reasons that customers hate poorly planned, under powered open source IVR, by providing a superior ChaseData IVR experience centers can enhance their value to the customer by eliminating a pain point.
Make a Professional Choice
At ChaseData we have 20 years of experience in designing and supporting secure, powerful, scalable, flexible, easy-to-use call center software. Companies large and small across a wide variety of industries have adopted and used our software to operate and manage call centers all over the world. Whether your business is a shiny new startup or a large publicly traded multinational, you’re still doing business the same way – one call at a time. We stand behind our product and deliver for our clients day after day, month after month, year after year, and call after call. Contact us for a free demonstration and trial and let us show you that our software will leave open source dialers in the dust.
