Photo credit: Iostash @ Flickr
In the same way we now watch Blu-ray over Betamax, and listen to MP3s instead of cassettes, the technology for on-hold messaging has advanced greatly in the last ten years.
At PH Audio we’ve used a number of methods to deliver music on hold, and our use of audio technology is something we’re always looking to improve and develop. So, from CD players that jumped and warped, to digital playback with a lot of flexibility, in this post you’ll find our own rough audio technology timeline.
1998 – On-hold CD players
Our first on-hold systems were huge industrial playback units that played discs 24/7 (literally). Playback quality was excellent, but unfortunately this format meant productions were prone to jumping and stopping at the end of a message instead of looping. The CDs themselves also had a very short shelf life due to the discs warping after time.
2003 – MP3 on-hold players
In 2003, MP3 players were introduced as our new standard on-hold systems. These units were five times smaller than the existing CD players, and used removable media cards to play productions. This meant we could send new production more securely by post and now, by email. These players also had a greatly extended shelf life.
2005 – Remote download technology
In 2005 we introduced a new range of MP3 on-hold units with remote download technology. These units feature an internal hard drive, making it easy for the completed audio file to be downloaded remotely via the internet. This means we can update the message without involving the client in any way, shortening the time it takes to get a new on-hold marketing production live.
2009 – New innovations
After extensive field testing we’ve just launched our brand new unit. The unit isn’t a traditional playback unit; it’s actually more like a mini PC, which means enhanced flexibility and much more room to store a number of messages for day, out of hours messages and even seasonal changes. Like the players before, it offers remote access, and we continue to develop software which in the future will allow us to further develop the unit, meaning greater functionality will be available soon.
Future on-hold marketing – 2010 onwards
As the unit in use currently is software based we’ll soon be offering the following:
- Scheduled messages
- Times specific messages
- News feeds
- Live streaming
What do you feel would be a good feature for an music on-hold unit?
You could have (clean) comedy as well as music. Like they play in the toilets at Malmaison. Might calm down some people that are annoyed at waiting on hold.
Comment by Matt — December 3, 2009 @ 10:05 am