Customer Interaction Solutions articles from April 2003

Customer Interaction Solutions archives from April 2003

A call for a united front against the unfair TSR regulations: three major lawsuits filed against the TSR regulations. (Publisher's Outlook).
April 1, 2003... In the February and March 2003 editorials of this publication, Rich Tehrani and I extensively addressed the case for reversal of the TOTALLY UNFAIR, DAMAGING, IMPRACTICAL and virtually unenforceable regulations known as the Telemarketing Sales...

The faces of outbound teleservices. (High Priority!).(Column)
April 1, 2003... Since my fairly impassioned High Priority! column in the February issue of this magazine ("The FTC Is About To Eliminate 3 To 5 Million Jobs...Let's Stop Them!"), my e-mail inbox has been tacking up e-mail messages faster than I can open them....

The CEO Spotlight.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... President and CEO, SYMON Communications, Inc. This month the CEO Spotlight falls on Charles Ansley, President and CEO of SYMON Communications, Inc. (www.symon.com). SYMON provides visual communications and workforce management solutions...

The GN 9120: the evolved headset from GN Netcom. (Technology Highlights).
April 1, 2003... Headsets stink. They really do. They get tangled in everything, your hands, your hair and your clothes, and if you aren't careful you can momentarily strangle yourself if you get up without disconnecting. Yet millions of us use headsets daily...

E-learning from etalk. (Technology Highlights).(etalk Expert )(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... As anyone who has ever had anything to do with the operation of a call center can tell you, agent training is perhaps the costliest and most time-consuming, not to mention the most painful, element of operations. You take your agents into a...

UniPress releases next version of FootPrints. (New Products).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... UniPress Software, Inc., a provider of Web-based help desk and support automation software, has announced that the next version of its flagship product, FootPrints, scheduled for release in Q2 2003, will support the Microsoft.NET Web Services...

Siemens announces HiPath ComScendo suite. (New Products).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... The Enterprise Networks division of Siemens Information and Communication Networks Inc., a subsidiary of Siemens AG, has announced the HiPath ComScendo suite of Internet Protocol (IP) communications applications for the enterprise. The HiPath...

Salesforce.com upgrades service. (New Products).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Salesforce.com, a provider of online customer relationship management (CRM), has announced the availability of upgraded versions of its online service. The upgraded version features several enhancements directly relevant to large global...

Magnasync enhances Specialist line. (New Products).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Magnasync Corporation recently announced that its line of Specialist recorders has been enhanced with the release of the Express and Enterprise models. Express recorders were designed for smaller recording and branch operations. They feature...

AIM Technology offers AIMCall 4.0. (New Products).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... AIM Technology, an enterprise analytics application provider for the contact center, has announced the availability of AIMCaIl 4.0. The product is generally available for shipping. AIMCall 4.0 was designed to extend the functionality of contact...

Envision Telephony launches SmartAgent. (New Products).(Click2Coach with SmartAgent)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Envision Telephony, Inc. has announced the availability of Click2Coach with SmartAgent, an intelligent delivery technology that supports optimum workforce performance and leverages agent resources. Envision SmartAgent uses technology to deliver...

NetLert releases N-Focus. (New Products).(N-Focus Call Management System)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... NetLert Communications, Inc. has announced the release of N-Focus Call Management System, a PC-based call statistics reporting and administration application designed to help users collect, display and analyze call center real-time and...

Phasient expands SimCustomer and SimBuilder. (New Products).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Phasient Learning Technologies, LLC has announced the release of SimCustomer 1.6 and SimBuilder 1.2, its new solutions for online training. The products were engineered to feature "best practice" calls, immediate feedback, coaching functions...

Avaya partners with Sun. (Strategic Alliances).(Avaya Interactive Response)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Avaya Inc. has announced the release of Avaya Interactive Response, a configurable multimedia voice response system designed to enable companies to save money and better serve customers by automating service functions. Supporting touchtone and...

Concerto Software and Siebel Systems to launch joint go-to-market initiative. (Strategic Alliances).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Concerto Software, Inc. has announced that it has joined the Siebel Alliance program as a strategic software partner. Concerto Software and Siebel Systems will jointly market Contact Center FastStart, a packaged contact center solution that...

Dictaphone creates Freedom iQ. (New Products).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Dictaphone Corporation has announced that its Communications Recording Systems (CRS) group has launched a complete contact center solution for multimedia recording, managing agent training and performance, analyzing customer satisfaction, and...

eGain launches eGain Service 6. (New Products).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... eGain Communications Corp. recently announced the availability of eGain Service 6, the sixth generation of the company's Internet-architected solution for customer service management. eGain Service 6 was designed to be a complete set of...

Witness Systems allies with CallMiner. (Strategic Alliances).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Witness Systems recently announced a strategic alliance with CallMiner, Inc., a provider of speech recognition and trending technologies designed for the contact center market. Using Witness Systems' eQuality customer interaction recording...

Active Voice announces version 2.1 of Repartee for Windows 2000 solutions. (New Products).
April 1, 2003... Active Voice, LLC, a provider of unified messaging, computer telephony and voice messaging solutions, has announced version 2.1 of its Repartee UC (Unified Communications) and Repartee VM (Voice Messaging) for Windows 2000 solutions. The...

Cisco announces two IP solutions. (New Products).(Cisco Internet Protocol Contact Center Enterprise Edition 5.0 and Cisco Intelligent Contact Manager Enterprise Edition 5.0)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Cisco Systems, Inc. recently announced two enhanced IP communications solutions: the Cisco Internet Protocol Contact Center (IPCC) Enterprise Edition 5.0 and Cisco Intelligent Contact Manager (ICM) Enterprise Edition 5.0. The contact center...

IEX joins Ayava DeveloperConnection Program. (Strategic Alliances).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... IEX, a Tekelec company and provider of contact center workforce management solutions, has announced its membership in the Avaya DeveloperConnection Program (DevConnect). The DevConnect program provides sales, support and marketing services to...

MphasiS launches solution for cross-channel sales and services. (New Products).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... MphasiS, an application integrator, recently introduced MframE, its new solution designed to help firms build cross-channel sales and service systems more efficiently. MframE combines a tested methodology, an application integration framework...

Aculab releases variant of GroomerII. (New Products).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Aculab, a provider of enabling technology for the communications market, recently release a 1U variant of its flexible switching engine, GroomerII. Offering up to eight ports of E1 and T1 connectivity, the new 1U variant complements Aculab's 6U...

Nortel Networks announces enhanced contact center, self-service solutions. (Strategic Alliances).
April 1, 2003... Nortel Networks recently announced the availability of enhanced contact center and self-service solutions designed to help improve business results and build customer retention by meeting or exceeding customer demands. The announcement...

Verint announces ULTRA version 9. (New Products).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Verint Systems Inc., a provider of analytic solutions for communications interception, digital video security and surveillance, and enterprise business intelligence, has announced the new version of its ULTRA Intelligent Recording solution,...

SIVOX introduces RealCall. (New Products).
April 1, 2003... SIVOX Technologies, Inc. has recently announced the launch of SIVOX RealCall, RealCall was designed to create a learning environment that immerses users in an interactive simulation that allows them to hear and speak with "virtual customers"...

Pipkins upgrades Vantage Point. (New Products).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Pipkins Inc. has announced the addition of an intra-day schedule reoptimization feature to Vantage Point 8.0, the latest version of its workforce management software for call centers. The new feature can adjust the day's staffing schedule to...

Witness Systems to buy Eyretel. (Happenings).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Witness Systems, a provider of performance optimization software and services, has announced that it has reached an agreement with Eyretel, a U.K.-based provider of compliance and recording solutions for customer contact centers, on the terms...

Name change for The AfterMarket Company. (Happenings).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... In its seventh year as a teleservices provider for the direct response industry. The AfrerMarket Company has changed its name to !nPulse Response Group, reflecting its planned evolution towards a consultative approach with all of its direct...

KnowledgeBase Solutions releases Version 35. (New Products).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... KnowledgeBase Solutions Inc., a provider of knowledge management software for customer self-help and support solutions, has announced the immediate availability of KnowledgeBase.net Version 3.0. The soft wares latest version includes new and...

Aspect introduces Scheduled Callback. (New Products).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Aspect Communications Corporation, a provider of enterprise customer contact solutions, recently announced Scheduled Callback. The solution was designed to allow customers, instead of waiting on hold, to choose to schedule a time for the...

ACT! goes Web-based. (New Products).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Best Software has released ACT! for Web, an online contact management and sales force automation solution that mirrors ACT! for Windows look and functionality over a Web browser. ACT! for Web offers quick installation, easy data sharing among...

EADS TELECOM North America expands PointSpan. (New Products).
April 1, 2003... EADS TELECOM North America, Inc., a player in the converged networks and contact center markets, has announced an expansion of its PointSpan product family of voice platforms with the addition of the PointSpan M6500 line to address small to...

Data Collection Resources appoints director of sales. (Happenings).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Data Collection Resources, a provider of quality monitoring and recording systems, has announced that Art Gladney has joined the company as director of sales to lead the company's national sales efforts. He brings over 20 years of call center...

First consulting accreditation awarded by ICMI. (Happenings).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Incoming Calls Management Institute (IGMI), a call center consulting and management training company, and the Call Center Industry Advisory Council (CIAC), a not-for-profit organization established to provide industry certification for contact...

StayinFront acquires CRM Division of Berger. (Happenings).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... StayinFront, a provider of enterprisewide customer relationship management (CRM) applications, decision support tools and e-business systems, has announced its acquisition of the CRM Division of Berger Software Pty Ltd (Berger), a...

AskMe introduces AskMe Enterprise 6.7. (New Products).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... AskMe Corporation, a provider of enterprise software and services for deploying employee knowledge networks, has announced the immediate availability of AskMe Enterprise 6.7, the newest release of the company's enterprise software that connects...

In memoriam.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... On a personal note, the staff of TMC would like to extend our sympathies to the family of Lee Van Vechten, who passed away on March 14th. Lee was one of the pioneers of the direct marketing and telemarkering industry. He spent 14 years with Dun...

Eighteenth-Annual Top 50 Outbound Teleservices Agencies Ranking. (Outsourcing).
April 1, 2003... This is the eighteenth year Customer Inter@action Solutions [TM] magazine brings you its "Top 50" Teleservices Agency Ranking. In this issue, we're presenting the "Top 50" outbound portion of the ranking. (The inbound portion of the ranking...

Knowledge management: from nebulous to necessary for customer service. (Customer Relationship Management).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Customer relationship management (CRM) solutions have been widely accepted by global enterprises seeking to improve customer satisfaction and retention. But it takes more than just technology to maintain customer relationships. It takes...

Using analytics to drive knowledge management for better CRM. (Customer Relationship Management).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Many companies have already implemented CRM and are now looking for ways to get the most out of their investment. Much of the hope for realizing ongoing and fixture business value from current technology investments lies with analytics....

Monitoring for quality across multiple customer touch points leads to increased customer satisfaction and improved business performance. (Call Center/CRM Management Scope).
April 1, 2003... It is quickly becoming the industry standard today to record calls that come into the organization's contact center. Companies use these calls to identify areas where agents need additional training to improve customer service and boost...

Quality monitoring and customer interaction recording: using proven, traditional technologies in new ways to bring greater business value. (Call Center/CRM Management Scope).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Customer interaction recording -- or quality monitoring -- has emerged as the contact center's most basic system of checks and balances. Designed to ensure that organizations are running efficiently and profitably, quality monitoring has become...

Help yourself: proven methods of maximizing customer self-service. (e-CRM).
April 1, 2003... Most customer service managers already know the Web can be a great channel for self-service. With a good online knowledge base, they can give their customers immediate answers 24/7 and eliminate expensive call center and e-mail interactions....

Six steps to delivering better self-service applications. (e-CRM).
April 1, 2003... The performance of your company's Webbased self-service applications has a growing impact on how much business your customers choose to do with you. As a result, developers, QA engineers and IT operations teams have an unprecedented opportunity...

Averting a call center collision: balancing automation and empowerment. (e-CRM).
April 1, 2003... Ask most call center or contact center executives two questions and they will usually respond the same way. Would you like to standardize your call center interactions? Do you need to empower your call center representatives to provide...

Where are the high-tech locations in the U.S.? (Re: Locations).
April 1, 2003... High tech. You and I use the term every day in our conversations about the contact center industry and other related industries that are referred to as high-tech. Just what is and (for my purposes) where are high-tech industries and occupations...

The Purdue page.
April 1, 2003... Ask Dr. Jon Q: What is the best practice regarding how frequently an agent should be monitored each month? A: The standard answer to this question is five times per month. My answer is, "It depends. Basically, the frequency...

Letter to publisher.(Brief Article)(Letter to the Editor)
April 1, 2003... NOW WE NEED TO INFORM THE FCC Nadji: I want to commend you, Rich and your entire ream at TMC fur your in-depth coverage of the regulatory issues affecting our industry. It is my opinion that no other industry publication has come even...

Executive Roundtable.(Panel Discussion)
April 1, 2003... Discussing the impact of Voice over IP (VoIP) in the contact center in this month's Executive Roundtable are Vickie Marvich, Director of Marketing, Nortel Networks (www.nortelnetworks.com); Gary Barnett, CTO, Aspect Communications...