Ringio Integrates Rich Calling Service with Google Contacts, Gmail

Ringio, which launched in April with a cloud-based “rich calling” service that brings call-center-style screen-pop and call-routing functionality to small to medium businesses, today announced the first of its CRM data integrations: Google Contacts. Ringio also announced its participation in the Google Apps Marketplace.

With the launch of this powerful integration, any company using corporate Google Contacts or employees’ individual Gmail accounts can now use the information stored there to radically improve its phone-based customer interactions.

When a call comes in from — or goes out to — a contact, Ringio retrieves the contact information stored in Google and combines  it with its system-generated phone data, such as call history, call-back requests, and voicemails. Ringio also retrieves relevant notes that have been taken by employees in the context of previous phone calls. Two-way synchronization between Ringio and Google keeps all contact additions, deletions and notations up to date for every call.

Presented on a PC desktop or smart phone screen together with the call, this data instantly creates a rich view of the company’s relationship with this customer.  It thereby gives the employee taking or making the call the context needed to determine the best way of handling the customer conversation.

Google contact integration also optimizes Ringio’s intelligent call routing, even before an employee answers.  When a contact stored in Google calls the company’s Ringio-powered phone number, he or she is greeted by name and treated according to smart rules set in the Ringio application. For example, a contact calling repeatedly will always be offered to be routed to the last employee he or she spoke with as the default option, instead of going through the general public’s phone tree.

“Using Google Contacts with Ringio’s Rich Calling application is the fastest and most affordable way for small businesses to set up a phone solution that rivals higher-end call center systems, which can cost tens of thousands of dollars and usually require professional services to implement,” said Ringio co-founder and chairman Michael Zirngibl.  “More importantly, by doing so they can have more informed and meaningful conversations with their customers and prospects, and ultimately become a better business with every call.”

Ringio Rich Calling functionality can be set up for an entire company in 10 minutes or less. The solution requires no changes to the company’s phone infrastructure and costs $25 per user per month. A free 30-day trial, available at the Google Apps Marketplace or through Ringio’s site at admin.ringio.com, allows Google Apps users to test the full functionality of Ringio’s system at no risk. Ringio’s mobile client is currently downloadable for Android phones; more mobile versions are in the works.