Digital channel

For users of Avaya, Nortel, Siemens, etc PBXs, your keyphone is very special. It is very special because your conversation is digitized in a proprietary manner (security?) and if you were to connect an analog channel logger to it, you will hear either nothing or noise.

If you cannot accept the solution of handset tapping (Behaviour of Voice Activated Recording), then you will need to go for this Digital channel recording card, which has the technology to decode the proprietary data back to audible conversation. Other than being able to decode the conversation, another important information to decode is the signaling (also known as D channel). As the skill in decoding differs with card manufacturers, it is important to note that some card manufacturers are unable to decode D channel inforation (off-hook and on-hook status, caller ID, dialed number, etc). All these are usually indicated only in fine print at the bottom of the brochures. So your alarm should sound off when a sales person tells you that all loggers are the same!

If the brochure states that the logger operates in VOX (voice operated switch), it means it can only decode the voice and has many limitations. (Behaviour of Voice Activated Recording)

This scenario of recording directly from proprietary keyphones is usually found in call centers where the agents require many of the features found on the keyphones. Therefore if you need to run a cost effective outbound call center where the agents only dial out from a list of phone numbers, then it make sense to have them use single line (analog) telephones so that recording can be achieved using the cheaper analog channel logger card.