Psytechnics, BT Tackle VOIP

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Psytechnics, the global leader in voice and video quality assessment software for the telecom industry, is guaranteeing voice quality for one of the UK's leading banks as it rolls out VoIP across 800 branches.

In order to improve workforce efficiency and deliver better customer service, Abbey, the UK's sixth largest bank and second largest provider of mortgages and savings, selected BT to implement a company-wide integrated voice and data IP network. As part of the contract, Abbey requires a guarantee that the VoIP network will consistently achieve voice quality levels comparable to traditional landline phones.

To meet Abbey's demands, BT has implemented the industry's first MOS-based (mean opinion score) voice quality service level agreement (SLA), and uses Psytechnics technology to provide voice quality monitoring across the entire network.

MOS provides a voice quality rating of 1 - 5, based on human perception, with one being poor and five being excellent. Under the terms of the contract with Abbey, BT has agreed to guarantee a MOS voice quality of at least 3.7, with an aim to consistently deliver a MOS of 3.92.

To ensure that the SLA is met, BT has deployed a combination of Psytechnics technology using PESQ(TM) P.862, the ITU standard for measuring MOS, and PsyQ network management software featuring psyVoIP. Psytechnics' tools have allowed BT to catch, diagnose and repair potentially customer-affecting faults in a matter of minutes that might otherwise have taken weeks to resolve. With Psytechnics software in place, the voice quality experienced by Abbey users meets or exceeds the requisite 3.7 MOS on 99.9% of calls.

"As Abbey and BT have discovered, employing MOS metrics to monitor voice quality is not only an essential part of network management for VoIP systems, it's also a meaningful SLA term that helps to ease concerns associated with implementing a new technology," said John Winchester, CEO of Psytechnics.

"Psytechnics expertise and software have enabled Abbey to have high confidence in BT's VoIP services," said Nigel Chisnal, IT architect at Abbey. "With voice quality guarantees in place, the VoIP network allows us to improve both internal and customer-facing communications, and to increase flexibility to meet future business needs."

"Abbey is a forward-thinking company that has chosen to implement the latest technology in order to cut costs while improving customer relationships and workforce efficiency, and we're pleased to help Abbey meet its goals," said John Blake, head of hosted IP telephony for BT Global Services. "Through our partnership with Psytechnics, we will ensure that the voice quality SLA with Abbey will be consistently met and exceeded."

Psytechnics Ltd.

BT Global Services