Voice over Internet Protocol, or VoIP, recording is known as a kind of voice logging or telephone recording. After its invention call centers started to use it. But currently, all kinds of businesses use VoIP recording for their purposes. The list of those who aspire to record VoIP calls includes financial institutions, contact centers and other business entities in regulated kinds of industries. 
It’s possible to distinguish a variety of reasons explaining why VoIP call traffic is necessary. Their list includes but not limited to: decreasing businesses’ susceptibility to legal arguments by means of receiving recorded proof; keeping in with the law; rising safety, performance reviews and personnel training; improving personnel control and coherence; checking and sharing data; enhancing client satisfaction; and increasing call center agent morale. Nowadays VoIP is a powerful weapon that is changing the methods and quality of business communications significantly and quickly.
Currently, telecom cables are not often used for making VoIP calls. Instead, digital format for VoIP calls is used by means of computer networks. That’s why now VoIP recording is made by means of connecting to computer networks, not to phone lines. Generally, this is made by tapping into a hub, router or switch on the network, or via the personal computer connected to the VoIP phone. One of the methods to make this is by tapping into the Switched Port Analyzer, or SPAN, port that enables the VoIP recording item to keep watching entire network traffic and sort out just the VoIP traffic for recording. Generally, this is made by tapping an Ethernet cable which is between the hub, router or switch and the VoIP recording item. The recorder makes traffic flow analysis for Real Time Protocol, or RTP, and signaling packages which contain identifying data through the SPAN port. This data is kept in the headers of the packages and aimed for recording. The RTP packages may be captured via the SPAN port with the help of the use of two core methods. It’s possible to SPAN the VoIP Gateway port. In such a way a person will get entire in and out bound traffic, as well as one point of contact to record. It’s very convenient for the use in a campus where the phones are located differently. Nevertheless this way is not able to assure receiving internal calls (phone to phone), as in this case VoIP traffic is transferred straightforwardly between the phones. And the traffic is not transferred via the gateway port. The second way is to install a Virtual LAN, or VLAN, and gather all the phones in the limit of the VLAN. After this it’s necessary to SPAN mentioned VLAN. This enables to record entire in and out bound traffic, as well as internal traffic. Currently, by far not all phones are based on VLAN, that’s why SPANS are required. So, this is a shortcoming of this method. One more method is to apply a conception known as a remote SPAN, or RSPAN, in which the VLAN designated to SPAN is connected through switches to a receiving exchange.
Generally, VoIP is fulfilled to cut down expenses via Plain old telephone systems, or POTs. VoIP recording is used for the same purpose. The majority of recording providers assure recording of different VoIP standards, including G.729a/b, G.723 and G.711, and offer software only instruments in comparison with complicated software and hardware that come with recording on legacy PBX.
Nowadays, the majority of the VoIP vendors implement VoIP recording methods which are compatible with their VoIP communications management and VoIP call servers. These vendors render so called active VoIP recording service. This means that the recording solution of the provider stats to actively take part in the call in order to satisfy recording needs. This method has a range of advantages in comparison with generally accepted approach of making traffic flow analysis and hence making passive recording in circumstances, under which the handsets designated for recording are in remote location or off site. This type of recording is also disadvantageous in circumstances under which the network routing could be very difficult. As for active recording, among other advantages it’s possible to note that it makes recording of internal calls much easier, because now it’s not required to duplicate the information recorded between two handsets to the voice recorder any more. The matter is that the phone system deals with this in any conditions in an automated mode.
There are also some shortcomings of active call recording. They are the changes to the call quality, the necessity to communicate with the agent and overhead costs on the PBX. Passive recording software functions by means of applying packet filter technology for the VoIP calls listening on the LAN via a monitored port. After this it’s possible to capture the RTP stream and convert it into a WAV format in order to store and retrieve information.
There are also some other methods to record VoIP calls, such as to use audio streaming recording applications. For the majority of call centers and other companies which offer call recording services it’s a common practice to apply a recording system provided by IP PBX or softphone. Streaming audio recorder may be very helpful for those who want to record at home. SIP Trunk recording enables to record VoIP calls in SIP-based environments. It’s a great way for the businesses to cut down telecom expenses, because they can remove proprietary PBX systems and reduce channel recording licenses expenditure.
NICE became one of the first companies all over the globe that started to render VoIP recording services. Ant it has achieved a great success in this realm of activity. NICE is able to offer clients what they need. The company has many patents for the technology for VoIP call recording. With the implementation of NICE Interaction Management call recording grounded on VoIP became easy and enabled businesses to save money. It offers convenient software only recording to numerous businesses that demands the smallest footprint and assures minimal overall cost of ownership. So recording is now possible in IP-grounded environments by means of a variety of VoIP recording instruments, such as Passive, Active and SIP Trunk recording. Technology employed by NICE to record VoIP calls is completely compatible with solutions offered by most respectable and successful IP telephony vendors, such as Siemens, Ericsson, Aspect, NEC, Cisco, Alcatel, Nortel, Avaya, Mitel, IPC and so on.
NICE Interaction Management satisfies all call recording demands in different VoIP environments. VoIP call recording provided by it has a range of benefits. They include:
- Trustworthiness. Provides many specific resilience instruments and proved by wide experience in the most complicated spheres of activity, such as trading floors and large banks;
- Cost-efficiency. Provides maximum protection of investments, minimum ownership cost, greatest capacity and the highest quality compression;
- Flexibility. Functions with almost each kind of VoIP telephony product;
- Tested through practice. Applied by the most widespread install base through the industry;
- All-encompassing. Enables call centers to implement top quality observation and personnel management, make interaction analysis, and improve call center performance. All these activities are the elements of NICE Customer Interaction Management;
- Scalability. Can be expanded without any problems along with the rise of call recording demands.
NICE Interaction Management has rich VoIP call recording possibilities. They enable regulated organizations, such as communication service companies, healthcare companies, financial institutions, and so on, to satisfy different demands associated with quality and compatibility issues.
