IRS Awards Telephone Equipment Contract

WASHINGTON - The Internal Revenue Service today awarded a contract to Aspect Telecommunications Corporation, of San Jose Calif., to replace equipment used to route the large volume of telephone calls into IRS taxpayer service and automated collection centers.

Under terms of the ten-year contract, IRS is committed to acquire 14 automatic call distributor (ACD) systems and has the option to acquire up to 79. The value of the contract with all options exercised is estimated at $71 million. The contract also provides maintenance and support services.

Each year over 40 million telephone calls to IRS are routed through ACD equipment. IRS currently uses 28 ACD systems located in various IRS offices nationwide to connect IRS taxpayer service representatives with taxpayers who call IRS with questions about tax law or their tax accounts.

Another 21 systems are used by IRS collection employees who work with taxpayers to resolve late tax payment cases. IRS also uses ACD systems at its forms ordering centers to handle taxpayers' telephone requests for forms and tax publications.

IRS has used call distributor systems for over 15 years to provide quick answering service to the public. These systems handle calls that come into IRS over toll-free telephone lines. The ACD systems route incoming calls to the first available IRS representative. The systems also maintain management information about the frequency and duration of calls so that IRS can analyze and improve its service to the public.

The contract with Aspect Telecommunications will allow IRS to replace existing systems, as needed, due to normal aging and wear. The contract will also allow IRS to acquire more ACD systems for additional public contact applications that may develop over the next ten years.

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