“When the FSA exemption for the recording of mobile calls ends in November, financial services firms will need to upgrade their existing call recording solutions and many are evaluating our new hosted and in-network call recording solutions that can help them quickly meet this regulator requirement,” explains Steve Haworth, CEO of TeleWare Plc.
“However, some firms have a policy of preferring to have call recording platforms entirely within their own control, often for security reasons. Our launch of Mobile Direct Connect gives these organisations the option to use their existing on-premise PBX and call recording system for all calls to and from any fixed or mobile device,” added Haworth.
Mobile Direct Connect is a service using a TeleWare Mobile SIM card to route all inbound and outbound mobile calls via the TeleWare hosted platform and over SIP trunks to any designated IP-based PBX. The solution supports major SIP PBX vendors including Cisco, Avaya, Siemens and over 40 other manufacturers. With MDC, existing call recording solutions from vendors such as Nice and Verint are now able to seamlessly record mobile calls as they pass through the PBX. MDC can use multiple mobile trunks from multiple networks to ensure the highest levels of resilience and supports full international roaming across 265 countries.
“MDC means that all calls are routed through our customer’s PBX and the system cannot be circumvented,” explains Nick Reaks, TeleWare Operations Director, “The solution also allows mobile calls to take advantage of benefits such as routing calls for cost control, VoIP, conference calling and other enterprise telephony features offered by the PBX,” added Reaks.
The cost of MDC scales depending on the volume of calls that need to be passed across the SIP trunk. Based on early deployment examples, the total system cost is comparable to a hosted or in-network call recording solution if a client already has a substantial investment in on-premise call recording equipment and PBX equipment.
“We already have one major financial services customer that is deploying MDC to complement existing investment in its on-premise recording system that it uses to meet its fixed line recording needs,” concluded Haworth.
With the FSA deadline less than 6 months away, TeleWare is offering MDC to the market through a network of certified partners including several of the UKs leading telecommunication services providers. The solution can either use a range of fresh mobile number or via PAC (porting authorisation code) procedures to transfer any existing number to ensure minimal disruption for busy staff.
“Based on feedback from telecommunication operators, financial services clients and the statement of requirement from the FSA sourcebook, we feel confident that MDC will allow firms to meet all the requirements set out by the FSA,” explains Haworth.
Background:
In 2008, the FSA established rules (PS08/1) on recording voice conversations and electronic communications that require firms to record ‘relevant communications’ and keep them for six months. ‘Relevant communications’ refers to voice conversations and other electronic communications that involve the receipt of client orders and negotiating, agreeing and arranging transactions in the equity, bond and financial and commodity derivatives markets.
These rules were aimed mainly at tackling market abuse – although FSA taping rules also assist the regulator in conducting businesses supervision – by ensuring they have access to high quality, contemporaneous evidence to help monitor, investigate and prosecute such cases.
Initially, mobile phones and mobile communications (except emails) were exempted from these rules as the FSA felt the technology to capture these communications was insufficiently developed. With the rise of mobile-based communication and advances in hosted telephony technology, as of November 2011, firms will need to apply the same taping rules for mobile voice and SMS messaging.