Hostcomm Limited

Hostcomm Omnichannel Customer Engagement Contact Centre Platform

We provide clients with the ability to communicate with their service users over their choice of channel. Our omnichannel solution includes an AI natural language chat bot, virtual outbound voice bot, predictive dialler, live messaging, PCI-DSS payment IVR, hosted telephony, natural language IVR, reporting and analytics, voice recording and analytics.

Features

Predictive, Progressive, Preview dialler.
Full inbound ACD & Queues with blended campaign capabilities.
Multi-site, searchable call recording PCI DSS redaction & analysis.
PCI-DSS Compliant payment IVR and platform.
Omnichannel communication includes messaging, email, voice and SMS.
Analytics, reports, workflows and automation tools.
Natural language chatbot with both voice and messaging interaction.
Scalable, modularised, customisable cloud platform.
Natural language IVR using AI speech recognition.
CRM integration with API for workflow automation.

Benefits

Maximise outbound agent productivity and talk-time.
Optimise call volumes between your inbound and outbound teams.
Call recording improves staff training and ensures legislation compliance.
Descope from PCI-DSS commitments and better protect data.
Let your customers communicate over their favourite channel.
Optimally manage users to better address their enquiry.
Engage customers 24/7, reduce costs and unify brand messaging.
Select and pay for only the features your business needs.
AI IVR gives users quicker and more sophisticated answers.
Reduce admin and operational cost through automation.

£12.00 to £35.00 a user a month

Education pricing available
Free trial available

Service documents

Request an accessible format

If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need versions of these documents in a more accessible format, email the supplier at chris.key@hostcomm.co.uk. Tell them what format you need. It will help if you say what assistive technology you use.

Framework

G-Cloud 13

Service ID

Contact

Hostcomm Limited Chris Key
Telephone: 0808 169 4400
Email: chris.key@hostcomm.co.uk

Service scope

Software add-on or extension: No
Cloud deployment model: Private cloud

Hybrid cloud
Service constraints: Planned maintenance for upgrades and system reboots.
System requirements: User PC with Windows, 2 CPUs, 2GB RAM

Headphones

Softphone or SIP handset

Suitable router

User support

Email or online ticketing support: Email or online ticketing
Support response times: Our average response time to a question is 17 minutes during week days. Over the weekend the average response time is 60 minutes.
User can manage status and priority of support tickets: Yes
Online ticketing support accessibility: WCAG 2.1 AA or EN 301 549
Phone support: Yes
Phone support availability: 9 to 5 (UK time), Monday to Friday
Web chat support: Web chat
Web chat support availability: 9 to 5 (UK time), Monday to Friday
Web chat support accessibility standard: WCAG 2.1 AA or EN 301 549
Web chat accessibility testing: Hostcomm uses Microsoft's Access Insights for Chrome & Edge testing. It also uses Google Cloud Speech (TTS & STT) to convert chat dialogues into audible speech using a standard browser for people with hearing disabilities. Demonstrations of this are available.

Accessibility Insights for Web is an extension for Chrome and Microsoft Edge Insider that helps developers find and fix accessibility issues in web apps and sites.
Onsite support: Yes, at extra cost
Support levels: Severity 1 (Critical Service Incident) - Within 15 mins
Severity 2 (Critical Service Incident) - Within 30 mins
Severity 3 (Non-Critical Service Incident) - Within 1hr
Severity 4 (Minor Support Request)

Our service includes unlimited telephone technical support and access to our automated ticketing system. You will receive an average response time of 17 minutes to a ticketed question and will wait an average of 2 mins for a technical support call. You will have a dedicated account manager and technical engineer.
Support available to third parties: Yes

Onboarding and offboarding

Getting started: Training is provided at our training centre in Leicester, through online training classes and onsite as well. Full documentation including quick start guides and manuals are also made available. We also provide online chatbots to answer questions 24X7.
Service documentation: Yes
Documentation formats: HTML

ODF

PDF
End-of-contract data extraction: They can download their data via VPN / TLS 1.2 or Hostcomm can provide their data via a USB drive and secure courier.
End-of-contract process: The client is using a cloud service so termination is very easy, there is no need for a site visit. Data retrieval is the main issue, hostcomm charges if the client wants a USB drive with their call recordings and database backup.

Using the service

Web browser interface: Yes
Supported browsers: Internet Explorer 11

Microsoft Edge

Firefox

Chrome

Safari

Opera
Application to install: No
Designed for use on mobile devices: Yes
Differences between the mobile and desktop service: Just the layout which adjusts automatically.
Service interface: Yes
User support accessibility: WCAG 2.1 AA or EN 301 549
Description of service interface: The administration and agent service interfaces can be used with any browser without the need to download an application or module.
Accessibility standards: WCAG 2.1 AAA
Accessibility testing: The system incorporates a chatbot for self service provision which can convert speech to text and text to speech. This means a user of the chatbot can hear the chatbot and speak to it without needing to see it. Even basic live chat text can be converted to speech using a Chrome browser. The live chat and chatbot interface has been tested for enlargement of text through Chrome and Firefox.
API: Yes
What users can and can't do using the API: The web API can be used to control functionality on the contact centre with a simple https web request to pass parameters to the API script.
Further information is available upon request.
API documentation: Yes
API documentation formats: HTML

ODF

PDF
API sandbox or test environment: Yes
Customisation available: Yes
Description of customisation: Administrators can change the colours and logo of the admin and agent interfaces. We can also provide a more advanced customisation of the web interface if required.

Scaling

Independence of resources: All services are now 100% hosted in Amazon AWS. Users will have a dedicated server or will be allocated dedicated VPS resource. AWS scaling is very easy and VPS instances can be upgraded within minutes or can be set to “Auto-scale”.

Analytics

Service usage metrics: Yes
Metrics types: There are hundreds of reports which cover metrics such as agent performance, server loading, user access, admin change log, SLAs, client wait times, KPI achievements. These reports are customisable.
Reporting types: API access

Real-time dashboards

Regular reports

Reports on request

Resellers

Supplier type: Not a reseller

Staff security

Staff security clearance: Conforms to BS7858:2019
Government security clearance: Up to Developed Vetting (DV)

Asset protection

Knowledge of data storage and processing locations: Yes
Data storage and processing locations: United Kingdom
User control over data storage and processing locations: Yes
Datacentre security standards: Complies with a recognised standard (for example CSA CCM version 3.0)
Penetration testing frequency: At least every 6 months
Penetration testing approach: Another external penetration testing organisation
Protecting data at rest: Other
Other data at rest protection approach: Hostcomm follows PCI DSS process, data encryption, access control, firewalls, permission based logins.
Data sanitisation process: Yes
Data sanitisation type: Explicit overwriting of storage before reallocation

Deleted data can’t be directly accessed
Equipment disposal approach: Complying with a recognised standard, for example CSA CCM v.30, CAS (Sanitisation) or ISO/IEC 27001

Data importing and exporting

Data export approach: Data can be exported via a .csv file or MySQL export which can be scheduled to run each day. The service also includes a secure call recording export tool and GDPR data removal facility.
Data export formats: CSV

Other
Other data export formats: Mysql
Data import formats: CSV

Data-in-transit protection

Data protection between buyer and supplier networks: Private network or public sector network

TLS (version 1.2 or above)

IPsec or TLS VPN gateway
Data protection within supplier network: TLS (version 1.2 or above)

IPsec or TLS VPN gateway

Availability and resilience

Guaranteed availability: Service Availability Guarantees 99.99%.

If in any one (1) month Hostcomm does not meet its service availability guarantees, the Customer will be entitled to receive credit. Further details available on request.
Approach to resilience: Server components use SSD drives in RAID, servers are clustered and can run a hot standby in a second data centre.
Outage reporting: Email alerts and via a portal announcement service.

Identity and authentication

User authentication needed: Yes
User authentication: 2-factor authentication

Dedicated link (for example VPN)

Username or password

Other
Other user authentication: Firewall filtering on IP address
Access restrictions in management interfaces and support channels: Firewall filtering on IP address, VPN, Strong passwords, 2FA
Access restriction testing frequency: At least every 6 months
Management access authentication: 2-factor authentication

Public key authentication (including by TLS client certificate)

Dedicated link (for example VPN)

Username or password

Other
Description of management access authentication: Firewall filtering on IP address, VPN, Strong passwords, 2FA, TLS 1.2

Audit information for users

Access to user activity audit information: Users have access to real-time audit information
How long user audit data is stored for: User-defined
Access to supplier activity audit information: Users have access to real-time audit information
How long supplier audit data is stored for: User-defined
How long system logs are stored for: User-defined

Standards and certifications

ISO/IEC 27001 certification: Yes
Who accredited the ISO/IEC 27001: Amazon is certified by EY CertifyPoint
ISO/IEC 27001 accreditation date: 05/11/2019
What the ISO/IEC 27001 doesn’t cover: Our data centre provider, Amazon, is certified.
ISO 28000:2007 certification: No
CSA STAR certification: No
PCI certification: Yes
Who accredited the PCI DSS certification: Securious Ltd
PCI DSS accreditation date: 24/04/2019
What the PCI DSS doesn’t cover: Service Provider Level 1 is what is covered.
Cyber essentials: No
Cyber essentials plus: No
Other security certifications: No

Security governance

Named board-level person responsible for service security: Yes
Security governance certified: Yes
Security governance standards: Other
Other security governance standards: PCI DSS
Information security policies and processes: PCI DSS

Operational security

Configuration and change management standard: Conforms to a recognised standard, for example CSA CCM v3.0 or SSAE-16 / ISAE 3402
Configuration and change management approach: Hostcomm uses a web based change management system which is part of our helpdesk system (FreshService) Change control applications are forced for PCI DSS cases and reason, risk, impact, rollback plan are all assessed and logged. There is an approval board which has to sign off changes based on the request. Changes to software applications are approved by a second developer.Lifetime tracking is achieved through a combination of the helpdesk system and GitHub.
Vulnerability management type: Conforms to a recognised standard, for example CSA CCM v3.0 or SSAE-16 / ISAE 3402
Vulnerability management approach: Hostcomm performs vulnerability scanning every 3 months in line with PCI DSS compliance. The scanning software is updated with new threats by the vendor. Updates and patches are implemented overnight if critical or as soon as is reasonable if medium or low categories.
Protective monitoring type: Conforms to a recognised standard, for example CSA CCM v3.0 or SSAE-16 / ISAE 3402
Protective monitoring approach: Hostcomm uses an Intrusion Detection System which identifies compromises using "agents" deployed on all network assets. When one is found an alert is posted on the technical support dashboard and an email is sent to the Technical Support Manager and Security Officer and a incident ticket is raised. The client is informed immediately if applicable, Hostcomm then follows PCI DSS procedure for remedial actions.
Incident management type: Conforms to a recognised standard, for example, CSA CCM v3.0 or ISO/IEC 27035:2011 or SSAE-16 / ISAE 3402
Incident management approach: Incidents are logged using our helpdesk ticketing system.
Benchmark internally for response times.
Phone or e-mail, within system itself via virtual alert.

Secure development

Approach to secure software development best practice: Independent review of processes (for example CESG CPA Build Standard, ISO/IEC 27034, ISO/IEC 27001 or CSA CCM v3.0)

Public sector networks

Connection to public sector networks: No

Pricing

Price: £12.00 to £35.00 a user a month
Discount for educational organisations: Yes
Free trial available: Yes
Description of free trial: Full access to standard features for a one month trial.

Service documents

Request an accessible format

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Hostcomm Omnichannel Customer Engagement Contact Centre Platform

Features

Benefits

Pricing

Service documents

Framework

Service ID

Contact

Service scope

User support

Onboarding and offboarding

Using the service

Scaling

Analytics

Resellers

Staff security

Asset protection

Data importing and exporting

Data-in-transit protection

Availability and resilience

Identity and authentication

Audit information for users

Standards and certifications

Security governance

Operational security

Secure development

Public sector networks

Social Value

Pricing

Service documents