Voice logging

Voice logging is the practice of regularly recording telephone conversations. Business sectors which often do voice logging include public safety (e.g. 9-1-1 and emergency response systems), customer service call centers (conversations are recorded for quality assurance purposes), and finance (e.g. telephone-initiated stock trades are recorded for compliance purposes). Although voice logging is usually performed on conventional telephone lines, it is also frequently used for recording open microphones (e.g. on a stock trading floor) and for broadcast radio.

Early voice loggers recorded POTS lines onto analog magnetic tape. As telephony became more digital, so did voice loggers, and starting in the 1990s, voice loggers digitized the audio using a codec and recorded to digital tape. With modern VoIP systems, many voice loggers now simply store calls to a file on a hard drive.

History

The original voice logging system was a large analog tape recorder developed by Magnasync in 1950. In 1953, Magnasync Corporation sold 300 voice loggers to the U.S. Air Force. Later systems were designed and manufactured by Arcane logger, ASC, Comverse, Cybertech, Dictaphone, Eventide, Exacom, Eyretel, Mercom, NICE, Racal, Verint, and Witness. Over the years, there has been substantial consolidation in the field and current major vendors include ASC, Exacom, NICE, Red Box, Verint.

Types of voice loggers
  • Analog tape: the oldest models use reel-to-reel tape to record multiple phone lines to multiple tracks on the tape. Simple recorders also exist which use individual cassette or microcassette tape recorders on each individual phone. Later analog systems recorded 64 simultaneous phone calls onto a VHS cartridge.
  • Digital tape (or recordable disk): These are the most commonly used today. They typically consist of proprietary hardware which is attached to the trunk lines for the enterprise (typically POTS, T1, or E1 lines). Later systems often consist of a PC motherboard with specialized interface hardware in a PCI slot. Digital systems also record detailed metadata about recorded calls, including start/stop timestamps, extension number or name, dialed DTMF tones, Caller ID, DNIS, and more. Many systems allow administrators to listen to live conversations or to access records from any remote location over a LAN. In addition, analytical tools are available which allow searching and quality reporting.
  • Software-only systems: These systems may be all-software running on industry-standard servers, or use hardware such as a sound card on a PC, to do the work of recording and monitoring telephone calls. Some are simple single-user systems that typically only require a user to install the software on their PC, and use some type of simple adapter to connect the PC to a phone. However this type of software can usually only record a single line at a time, and is much more limited in features. Business-class recording and monitoring systems enable businesses of all sizes to deploy centralized call recording and monitoring for IP telephony systems.

Voice logger manufacturers and models
  • Alliance Infotech: Indian manufacturer of voice loggers
    • Arcane Logger: supports IP, Analog, Digital and Hybrid Systems.
  • ASC Technologies: Founded in 1964, ASC is headquartered in Germany and provides omni-channel recording, quality management, and analytics. ASC also has subsidiaries in the United States, Brazil, Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, Dubai, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, France, and Romania.
    • Marathon: Records 128 voice channels onto DDS-2 tapes.
    • EVOLUTIONneo: Hardware recorder for up to 480 digital channels.
    • EVOIPneo: Physical or virtual installation with up to 1000 channels per recording node.
  • Comverse: became Verint in 2002
    • Ultra
  • CVDS: Canadian manufacturer of voice loggers.
    • ComLog NP: Supports up to 192 voice channels (240 if VoIP)
    • ComLog NP8: Supports up to 8 voice channels
    • ComLog NP16: Supports up to 16 voice channels
  • Commercial Electronics founded in 1984
    • V2 and V2 Advocate (Digital)
  • CyberTech: Netherlands-based CyberTech was acquired by NICE in 2011.[1]
    • Stores audio recordings in WAV format, supports audio encryption and fingerprinting.
  • Dictaphone: Connecticut-based Dictaphone was one of the early leaders in office dictation equipment and magnetic recording.
    • Guardian and ProLog: Guardian was introduced in 1995 and records 32 voice channels onto DDS-2 magnetic tape. Each tape holds up to 640 hours of audio. Dictaphone sold its voice logging division to NICE in 2005, and NICE discontinued the product in 2006.[2] However, many Guardian systems are still deployed. ProLog is a network-based system for managing multiple Guardian loggers.
    • Freedom
  • DSS Corporation: Southfield Michigan-based manufacturer of Next Generation 9-1-1 products unifying voice, video & text.
    • Equature Performance Suite
  • Eventide: New Jersey-based manufacturer of audio equipment, voice loggers, and avionics.
    • VR615, VR725, and VR778
    • NexLog 740 and 840
  • Exacom, Inc.: Multimedia/voice logging recorder manufacturer based out of the United States. Preferred logging recorder of L3 Harris. Key partnerships with Motorola Solutions, Tait Communications, EF Johnson, Avtec, Zetron, Priority Dispatch, Intrado, Telex, CentralSquare, Avaya, Cisco, Solacom, IPC, and more.
    • HindSight 4: Multimedia logging recorder that supports up to 360 telephony, radio, VoIP, RoIP, or Text/SMS channels on a single server. Compatible with APCO P25, NENA NG 9-1-1, and NENA i3 SIPREC. Supports various integrations for dispatch consoles and PSAP platforms. Options for Quality Assurance and Screen Capture are available.
    • HindSight 4 Lite: Voice logging recorder that supports up to 48 telephony, radio, VoIP, or RoIP channels on a single server. Compatible with NENA NG 9-1-1 and NENA i3 SIPREC. Supports various integrations for dispatch consoles and PSAP platforms.
    • EARS 104: Remote phone and radio logging recorder that supports up to 4 channels of analog (radio or telephony) on a single unit.
    • EARS Mobile: Mobile radio and telephony logging recorder that supports up to 4 channels of analog on a single unit. Onboard battery support allows it to be used in mobile command vehicles or at fireground.
  • Eyretel: UK-based Eyretel was one of the early leaders in voice loggers. Eyretel was acquired by Witness Systems in 2003, and Witness was subsequently acquired by Verint in 2007.
    • E500 and E1000
    • MediaStore
  • JEI, Inc.: - California based recorder manufacturer for analog, digital, VoIP, and T1/E1 equipment.
  • Korecall - A well known brand in India manufactures Voice Loggers.
  • Lanier
    • LDL416 and LDL848: These are re-nameplated versions of Eyretel E500 and E1000.
  • Mercom: Originally based in New Jersey, Mercom was acquired by Verint in 2006.
    • AudioLog: supports up to 60 voice channels stored to DVD-RAM (up to 1250 hours per side). Also records to network file storage in WAV, AVI, and ASF file formats.
  • NICE: Based in Israel, NICE is the largest global company specializing in voice logging. In addition to its own NiceLog, NiceCall Focus, and Perform products, NICE also acquired Dictaphone, Racal, and CyberTech.
    • NICE 8.9: Last version and monicker for the NiceLog series of loggers originally introduced in the 1990s. Early models (thru v7) were DOS-based and later models (v8, v9) use Windows NT, 2000, XP, 2003. Supports anywhere from 32 to 384 voice channels onto various media including DDS-2, DDS-3, DVD-RAM, AIT-1, AIT-2. Supports multiple recorders which store metadata to a centralized Microsoft SQL Server database.
    • NiceCall Focus: small standalone version of the NiceLog which contains the voice recorder and database in a single unit. Supports up to 48 voice channels and records to local DDS, AIT, or DVD-RAM media.
    • Mirra IV: Released in 2007 and discontinued in 2010, Mirra IV was a follow-on product to the Racal Mirra Series 2. Supports up to 48 voice channels stored onto a DVD-RAM optical disk (single or double sided). Each disk side holds up to 1200 hours of audio.
    • Perform v3: Stores audio in NMF file format to NAS or EMC Centera, or to DDS, AIT, or DVD-RAM media. Stores metadata to Microsoft SQL Server database.
    • NPX (NICE Perform Express): small standalone version of NICE Perform
    • NIM (NICE Interactions Management) v4: newer version of NICE Perform
    • Engage v6: newer version of NICE NIM
    • NTR: voice logger which is based on technology acquired from CyberTech. Intended for trading floors.
    • NRX (NICE Recording Express): small standalone version of NICE NTR
    • NICE Inform: rebranded versions of NIM and NTR intended for public safety organizations
  • OAISYS: Arizona-based maker of recorders for contact centers. Stores to "PVD" file format. Acquired by Mitel in 2014.
  • Racal: UK-based Racal was one of the early leaders in voice loggers. Racal was acquired by French Thomson-CSF (soon to be renamed Thales) in 2000. Thales subsequently sold its voice logger business to NICE in 2002.
    • Wordsafe and Wordsafe Maxima: Wordsafe records 32 voice channels onto a VHS magnetic tape.[3] Each tape holds up to 25 hours of audio and tapes are intended to be rotated daily. Wordsafe Maxima supports 64 voice channels (and thus doubles the capacity of the older Wordsafe).
    • Rapidax (introduced in 1990)[4]
    • Rapidax Ranger
    • Wordnet: The original Wordnet voice logger, variously known as Wordnet 96 and Wordnet Series 1. Released around 1995.
    • Wordnet Series 2: Released in 2000 (just before Racal was acquired by Thales), records up to 128 voice channels onto DDS-3 tape (1980 hours) or DVD-RAM (860 hours).
    • Mirra Series 2: Supports up to 32 voice channels stored onto a DVD-RAM optical disk (single or double sided). Each disk side holds up to 1200 hours of audio. Racal-, Thales-, and NICE-nameplated versions exist. Discontinued by NICE in 2006.[2]
  • Red Box Recorders: UK-based maker of voice loggers. Red Box is descended from the software company which originally helped to develop the Rapidax Ranger and Wordnet recorders under subcontract to Racal.[5]
  • SpeechLogix: a solution provider in the Computer Telephony Integration segment with various products for voice logging, call billing, and CTI popup
    • DGVOX is a voice logger and agent quality monitoring solution with installations in the Middle East, Asia, Africa, and Japan. DGVOX is compatible with major voice platforms like Cisco, Avaya, Unify, Matrix.
  • TEAC
    • CR-400
    • CR-500
  • Thales: Thales bought Racal in 2000, and rereleased the Racal Wordnet Series 2 and Mirra Series 2 loggers with a Thales nameplate. Thales sold the former Racal logger division to NICE in 2002.
    • Wordnet Series 3: Released in 2002, just when Thales sold its voice logger business to NICE. Continued to be sold by NICE (both Thales- and NICE-nameplated versions exist). Records up to 128 voice channels onto DVD-RAM or Exabyte 8mm VXA-1 tapes.
  • Verint: Acquirer of Mercom (2006), Witness/Eyretel (2007), and Verba (2017). Formerly known as Comverse Infosys.
    • AudioLog: continuation of the original Mercom recording platform
    • Witness Impact 360: continuation of the original Witness recording platform
    • Verba
  • Verba: based in Hungary. Acquired by Verint in 2017
  • Voicetronix: Founded in 1996 and headquartered in Australia, develops telephony hardware and open source software for server based call recording applications. Introduced the first open source voice logger back in 2002.
    • VTlogger: Latest generation, released in 2011, can record over 1000 voice channels onto system hard disk.
  • Voxtronic: Austrian based company since 1998. Voxtronic also has subsidiaries in Germany and in Poland. From 2018-2019 Voxtronic delivered 91 Recording Systems to Airports Authority of India.
    • voxlog office
    • voxlog professional:[6] highly scalable, supports multiple recorders.
  • Weston Digital Technologies: UK-based Weston Digital Technologies has been producing voice logging technology since 1994. By 2006 it had phased out its original Audionet range and replaced it with its popular Symphony call recording and analytics platform.[7]
  • Witness: Witness acquired Eyretel in 2003, and then was itself acquired by Verint in 2007.
  • Xtend Technologies: Xtend Technologies is a provider of Computer Telephony Integrated (CTI) products and solutions with offices in India, Singapore & UAE. Since inception in 1997, Xtend has developed a broad spectrum of products and solutions for the telecommunication industry. Xtend has been accredited with ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 14001:2015 certification on “Design, development, manufacturing, installation and servicing of application specific telecommunication hardware and software products” in India.
  • Com1 Voice Logger Developed a range of Analog, PRI & SIP based solutions in India from 2005. From being optional, Voice Logger was made mandatory for companies offering financial products, [8] offered the multi location companies an option to centralise the storage with their CMS(Central Management Solution).

See also

References
  1. "NICE to Acquire CyberTech". NICE Systems. Archived from the original on 2014-08-16. Retrieved 2014-05-27.
  2. "Voice Recording Product Retirement" (PDF). NICE Systems. Retrieved 2014-05-23.
  3. "Racal Wordsafe". Simko Office Systems. Retrieved 2014-05-23.
  4. "Original November 1990 Rapidax brochure".
  5. "Red Box Recorders Company Profile". Mitel Global Solutions Catalog. Retrieved 2014-05-27.
  6. "VOXTRONIC: Sprachaufzeichnung, Call-Monitoring und Alarmserver". www.voxtronic.com. Retrieved 2016-04-19.
  7. "Weston Digital Technologies Company Profile". Cisco Marketplace Solutions Catalog.
  8. http://voicelogger.in
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