With the launch of VBVoice 7 many in our customer and partner community are initiating projects to upgrade their IVR applications and upgrade their hardware and software environments. VBVoice 7’s support of Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 and Visual Studio 2010 is the catalyst for many to put a project in place to migrate off of old or unsupported platforms.
Staying current is a good practice. After all, having an IVR system go down and not have the ability to get back into production because of problems in unsupported software or unavailable boards could be a recipe for someone to lose their job!
Upgrading to current platforms is a good business and IT practice, as is having an upgrade plan! Many of our customers are exercising good management practices of taking a deliberate approach to planning the upgrade, and the first step is a plan. The opposite is the so-called “hope” method; i.e., hoping that it all works.
A smooth IVR system upgrade requires a number of good software practices, but it doesn’t have to be too complicated. If your dependencies are small you can manage your project with a spreadsheet. If your dependencies are layered, then use a project management tool. Microsoft Project is an example of a tool that is effective and not too expensive. A few thousand spent in tools and planning is less expensive than being out of operation.
Remember to version your builds! Capturing all the changes you make in software, hardware and telephony environments will help in troubleshooting and will definitely help if you need to get a vendor on the line for support.
From Sales' perspective, we want successful upgrades and happy customers. A good project plan is the start of a successful upgrade.
Remember to plan, test, validate and pilot before you go live!