Why is automated monitoring better than manual monitoring? Automated solutions are less labor-intensive and offer more meaningful insight. They also cost less to run over time and generate more detailed records. That's why the technology is being embraced by a growing number of call centers. In a December 2007 report, DMG Consulting LLC estimated that sales of quality-monitoring and related solutions would total $2.3 billion in 2007, a 10 percent increase over 2006.

What should I look for in a solution? Compatibility with your company's existing call-center technology is critical, of course. It's also important to consider suites versus stand-alone solutions, pricing and delivery model — on-premise or SaaS (software as a service). Other points to ponder include security features, administration tools, recording/logging functions, retrieval/storage capabilities, the quality-monitoring environment, screen-capture support and reporting functions.

If you’re reading this, chances are you’re considering a new way to get VoIP on your cell phone — and that means upgrading to a VoIP-capable phone. But did you know that throwing your old cell phone in the garbage helps support civil war in central Africa, driving endangered gorillas closer to extinction in the process?

A little explanation: A used cell phone’s value lies mainly in small amounts of minerals in its circuits — gold, nickel and especially tantalum, a high-melting-point metal sometimes referred to as coltan. Like something from a Clive Cussler thriller, tantalum is vital to manufacturing cell phones and many other electronic devices, but 80 percent of the world’s reserves are in the DRC (Democratic Republic of the Congo). There, it is mined under frequently appalling conditions and fought over during the DRC’s ongoing civil and international wars. Tantalum-mining revenues help fuel these wars, along with the associated destruction of human lives and gorilla habitat.