Customer Interaction Solutions articles from April 2005

Customer Interaction Solutions archives from April 2005

Only early adopters will succeed: in the call/contact center and CRM industries.(Publisher's Outlook)(Editorial)
April 1, 2005... With the current explosive rate of technological evolution taking place in the customer interaction and CRM industries today, only the early adopters will succeed and prosper. In contrast, those companies or contact centers that do not adopt...

Speech and IP contact center technologies.(High Priority)
April 1, 2005... Two of the most exciting areas of the call center industry today are speech and IP contact center technologies. Recently, I spent some time talking with people who are intimately involved in both markets to ascertain what more specific trends...

The TMC Seal of Approval.(2005 Recommended Vendor List)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... The following Recommended Vendors have distinguished themselves by winning one or more of TMC's coveted awards, earning them the TMC Seal of Approval. Teleservices Outsourcing West Corporation InfoCision Management Corporation ...

NetSuite 10.0 offers aerial view of customers.(Technology Highlights)
April 1, 2005... "We're working from the cockpit with proper instruments, rather than working with a crystal ball," said Sean Rollings. NetSuite's senior director of product marketing wasn't talking about weekend flight training on a 747, nor was he...

Soffront announces new version of CRM software for the midmarket.(CRM)
April 1, 2005... Soffront Software, Inc., a provider of midmarket CRM, has announced version 8.5 of its CRM software, Soffront CRM. Currently available as an on-premise, hosted or host-to-own model, this enterprise solution allows midsized businesses to...

Softline ACCPAC upgrades ACCPAC CRM to v5.7.(Softline ACCPAC Ltd)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Softline ACCPAC Ltd, part of the Sage Group family of companies and provider of end-to-end business management applications, has announced ACCPAC CRM version 5.7, a substantial upgrade to its customer relationship management software. The new...

Aspect announces v6.3 of its eWorkforce Management.(Aspect Communications Corp.)
April 1, 2005... Aspect Communications Corporation, a provider of enterprise customer contact solutions, has announced Aspect eWorkforce Management version 6.3, the latest release of its workforce management software suite for contact centers. Version 6.3 is...

Epicor unveils integrated HR management system.(Workforce Optimization)
April 1, 2005... Epicor Software Corporation has announced Epicor Vantage HRMS, powered by Open4 from BMH, Inc., a comprehensive management solution that streamlines organizations' HR processes. BMH is a supplier of HR and payroll software. Vantage HRMS...

Merced Systems announces Performance Suite 2.5 release.(Workforce Optimization)(Merced Systems Inc.)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Merced Systems Inc., a provider of contact center performance management applications, has announced the release of the Merced Performance Suite 2.5. The Merced Performance Suite can increase efficiency of contact centers by consolidating data...

Time America introduces IVR system for time, labor management.(Workforce Optimization)(Interactive Voice Response)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Time America, a provider of Web-based, client-server and desktop time and labor management solutions, has developed a proprietary IVR telephony system to make it easier for companies to track time and attendance for remote employees. ...

WebEx announces enhanced Training Center.(Workforce Optimization)(WebEx Communications Inc.)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... WebEx Communications, Inc., a provider of Web meeting applications, has announced the release of an enhanced version of WebEx Training Center that enables companies to create, manage and deliver both live and on-demand training. By integrating...

ATG offers suite of application hosting services.(On-Demand Solutions)(Art Technology Group Inc.)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... ATG (Art Technology Group, Inc.), a provider of software for marketing, commerce and customer service experiences, has announced ATG On-Demand, a suite of application hosting services that provide ATG customers with significant flexibility,...

eAgency launches wireless on-demand CRM.(On-Demand Solutions)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... eAgency Systems, a provider of on-demand CRM solutions for the small to medium-sized office/home office market, has announced the launch of its CRM wireless solution, Nice Office Universal Edition. Nice Office Universal Edition is available on...

NetSuite launches NetCRM-Services Edition.(On-Demand Solutions)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... NetSuite, Inc., a provider of integrated business application software for small and medium-sized businesses, has launched NetCRM-Services Edition. Designed to meet the specific needs of services-based businesses, the services edition offers...

Salesboom.com announces customizable CRM application with v5.0.(On-Demand Solutions)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Salesboom.com, a provider of on-demand CRM and sales force automation (SFA) services, has announced the pending release of its Salesboom Customizable Edition, which provides a wider range of broad customization abilities to its existing...

Salesforce.com previews Summer '05 release, premieres Multiforce application environment.(On-Demand Solutions)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Salesforce.com, a provider of on-demand CRM, has announced new customization capabilities, including the Multiforce application environment, that will be offered as part of the company's Summer '05 release. At the core of the upcoming...

AePONA "telecom-enables" Web services.(Telephone Systems & Software)(AePONA Ltd)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... AePONA Ltd., a provider of open telecommunications operating systems, has announced the company's Causeway Carrier-Network Operating System now supports the Parlay-X standard, allowing Web services to be "telecom-enabled" for the first time....

Nortel to increase operator revenue potential with new Converged Mobility solution.(Telephone Systems & Software)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Nortel has announced a CDMA WLAN Converged Mobility solution designed to bridge CDMA wireless networks and wireless local area networks (WLANs) to provide a seamless communication experience to end users. This solution will allow CDMA operators...

Volo announces new suite of advanced network services.(Volo Communications)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Volo Communications, a provider of advanced voice and data services, has announced its new AccessNOW suite of advanced network services that enable both IP and TDM facilities-based carriers and service providers to provide IP (SIP, H.323, etc.)...

Complyant Solutions unveils browser-based compliance management tool.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Complyant Solutions, LLC has introduced Complyant 1.0, a browser-based auditing tool designed to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of an organization's compliance efforts, particularly Sarbanes-Oxley compliance. Complyant is more than...

ResponseTek debuts Contact Center solution.(ResponseTek Networks Corp.)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... ResponseTek Networks Corp., a supplier of customer experience management (CEM) solutions, has announced its Contact Center solution, an integrated software offering with IVR capabilities for improving agent service quality and organizations'...

PM Solutions updates Web-enabled project management methodology.(Project Management Community of Practice)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... PM Solutions, a provider of project management consulting, training and research, has announced availability of the latest version of its Web-enabled Project Management Community of Practice (PMCOP) methodology solution, which aligns with the...

New Empirix solution tests VoIP infrastructure/applications.(Peripherals & Hardware)
April 1, 2005... Empirix Inc., a provider of integrated test and management solutions for VoIP, contact center and Web environments, announced in early February a comprehensive solution for ensuring successful deployment of enterprise VoIP infrastructure and...

Loquendo, Kirusa announce strategic partnership, deliver multimodal solutions.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Loquendo, a global speech technology company, and Kirusa, a provider of multimodal platforms enabling wireless applications delivery, have announced a strategic partnership leveraging Loquendo's multilingual speech technologies to deliver...

MCI, Tellme to deliver Internet-based contact center solutions.(Happenings)
April 1, 2005... MCI, Inc., the global communications provider, has announced an agreement with Tellme Networks, Inc., a voice application provider, to offer Internet-based contact center solutions to large enterprise customers in financial, insurance and...

Mercom's Audiolog now supports SIP call recording.(Mercom Systems Inc.)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Mercom Systems, Inc., a provider of multimedia recording and evaluation contact center tools, has announced its Audiolog call recording server now supports call recording for SIP environments. Mercom's SIP-interface VoIP recorder is designed to...

Nortel makes senior management changes.(Nortel Networks Corp.)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Nortel Networks Corporation, a provider of technology solutions encompassing end-to-end broadband, VoIP, multimedia services and applications, and wireless broadband, announced that its Board of Directors has made senior management changes....

Smartner makes North America debut.(Smartner Information Systems Ltd.)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Smartner, a provider of carrier-grade mobile e-mail and office solutions, has announced its debut in North America. Smartner offers Always-On Mail, a suite of real-time e-mail applications for mobile operators and enterprises, enabling mobile...

Vocomo's VoiceXML IVR Starter Kit available for a limited time.(Interactive Voice Recognition )(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Vocomo Corporation, a provider of next-generation IVR systems, has announced immediate availability of its new VoiceXML IVR Starter Kit, which enables IVR developers to provide quick-to-market phone-automated services. Vocomo supports VoiceXML,...

SPIRIT offers free trial version of TeamSpirit, Multipoint IP Conferencing.(TeamSpirit Voice Engine)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... SPIRIT, a provider of embedded software products for the telecom industry, has announced its offering of a free trial version of its Multipoint Conferencing via the TeamSpirit Voice Engine. TeamSpirit Voice Engine enables users to have voice...

Unveil, ScanSoft partner to deliver speech-enabled call center applications.(Unveil Technologies Inc.)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Unveil Technologies, Inc., a provider of speech application management software for call centers, recently announced it will support and offer ScanSoft speech solutions with the Unveil Conversation Suite. ScanSoft is a provider of speech and...

SugarCRM launches online destination for community collaboration.(SugarForge.org)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... SugarCRM Inc., a provider of commercial open-source CRM applications, has announced the establishment of SugarForge.org, a destination for community collaboration on Sugar Suite extensions, modules, language packs and themes. SugarForge.org is...

Toshiba ships new Strata CIX pure IP telephony system.(Happenings)
April 1, 2005... Toshiba America Information Systems Inc., Digital Solutions Division (TAIS DSD) has announced it is shipping its new Toshiba Strata CIX pure IP business communications system. Originally slated to ship near the end of January (as stated in...

VanillaSoft to integrate do-not-call service in Web-based B-to-C CRM/SFA software.(Call Compliance Inc.'s Do-Not-Call Screening and Blocking System)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... VanillaSoft Inc., a provider of Web-based sales force automation service, has announced it will integrate TeleBlock, Call Compliance, Inc.'s patented Do-Not-Call Screening and Blocking System, as part of the company's Web-based sales automation...

VoiceLogger changes corporate name to Davacord.(Happenings)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... VoiceLogger, Inc., a provider of converged call recording and quality monitoring solutions, has changed its corporate name to Davacord. Davacord, which is a contraction of the words "digital and analog voice recording," is claimed by company...

Virtual contact management: an alternative route to CRM; Think about the last time you called your bank, tech support or a catalog. Unless you are a preferred customer, your experience may not have been as pleasant as you had wished.(CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT)
April 1, 2005... You may have endured poorly designed IVR menus that make your fingers go numb from stabbing the telephone touchpad, or you may have been forced to speak like you're chatting to a two-year-old. The live agent zero-out is hard to find or is...

Customer Inter@ction Solutions[R] magazine's twentieth annual Top 50 inbound Teleservices Agencies Ranking.(OUTSOURCING)
April 1, 2005... This is the twentieth year Customer Inter@ction Solutions magazine brings you its "Top 50" Teleservices Agency Ranking. In this issue, we're presenting the "Top 50" inbound portion of the ranking. (The outbound portion of the ranking was...

Trying to decide between in-house or outsourced customer service? The answer may be a hosted solution.(INNOVATIVE IDEAS FROM THE TELESERVICES EXPERTS)
April 1, 2005... It's an old-yet-significant decision: Do you keep your customer service function in-house, or do you hire an outsourcer to run it for you? If you keep everything in-house, you maintain control. But that also means that you are responsible for...

Go hosted: help fund college students' expenses.(INNOVATIVE IDEAS FROM THE TELESERVICES EXPERTS)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... What many enterprises don't act upon or what they completely fail to realize about the hosted (i.e., on-demand) contact center is that, because most mature on-demand products are Web-based, they are quite practical for distributed/remote...

Of jackpots and jugglers, making service optimization work for you.(CONTACT CENTER TECHNOLOGY)
April 1, 2005... Have you ever seen the street performers juggling five lawn chairs or six lit torches? They make it look so easy, but keeping all the items up in the air is no small feat. Similarly, field service dispatchers and managers in the call center do...

The evolving network demands improved security.(MANAGEMENT SCOPE)
April 1, 2005... A decade ago, a company could effectively secure its network through perimeter protection such as a firewall. At that time, networks had definitive borders, making it easier to safeguard critical internal assets with perimeter security...

VoIP-enabled integration in the contact center bridges the gap between CRM and customer response management.(IP CONTACT CENTERS)(Voice over Internet Protocol)(Customer Relationship Management)
April 1, 2005... With the rapid adoption of VoIP technology in the enterprise, today's contact centers are able to be more customer-centric than ever before. VoIP opens the door to integrating technologies that satisfy customers' desire for choice when...

IP contact center technology: what you need to know (Part III); Multisite contact center technology centralization: eliminating the risks.(INNOVATIVE IDEAS FROM THE NEXT-GEN CONTACT CENTER EXPERTS)(Column)
April 1, 2005... Over the last few months, this column has focused on the productivity and cost reduction benefits inherent in IP contact center technology--and on the core technology pitfalls that companies deploying IP contact center technology must address...

Learning from the mistakes of CRM.(INNOVATIVE IDEAS FROM THE NEXT-GEN CONTACT CENTER EXPERTS)(Customer relationship management)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... About two years ago, many analysts and industry publications started crowing about "the failure of CRM." They spoke of CRM as if it was the concept itself that was bad. Few bothered to explore in-depth exactly why so many companies could not...

Brooktrout, Vocomo, MScript deliver VoiceXML-based tool for Salesforce automation.(SPEECH-WORLD[TM])
April 1, 2005... Brooktrout Technology, Inc., a supplier of media processing and call control products, and Vocomo, which provides next-generation IVR systems, recently announced that MScript is using Vocomo's VoiceXML IVR system, which runs on Brooktrout's...

SER partners with Aurix.(SPEECH-WORLD[TM])(Aurix Ltd)(SER Solutions Inc.)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... SER Solutions, Inc., a provider of software solutions that help contact center operators achieve better efficiencies, maximize workplace productivity and enhance customer service, has announced that it has partnered with Aurix Ltd, a provider...

E.M. Cioran.(SPEECH-WORLD[TM])(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... "Speech and silence. We feel safer with a madman who talks than with one who cannot open his mouth." --E.M. Cioran (b. 1911), Rumanian-born French philosopher.

Gartner names AVST a visionary in Unified Communications Magic Quadrant.(SPEECH-WORLD[TM])(Applied Voice and Speech Technologies Inc.)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Applied Voice & Speech Technologies Inc. (AVST), a provider of enterprise communications solutions, has been listed in the visionaries' quadrant for unified communications vendors by the research and advisory firm Gartner Inc. The report,...

Reusable dialog components.(Definition Du Jour)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Reusable dialog components (RDCs) are "prebuilt building blocks" that allow developers to build applications by providing standard default settings and behavior. RDCs provide pre-packaged and "out-of-the-box" functionality that enables...

IBM and speech technology: an interview with Bruce Morse.(SPEECH-WORLD[TM])(Interview)
April 1, 2005... To give readers a more comprehensive picture of where IBM stands today in the realm of speech technologies, Customer Interaction Solutions recently spoke with Bruce Morse, vice president of Contact Center Solutions for the IBM Software Group....

IBM technology aiding Children's Hospital ICU.(SPEECH-WORLD[TM])(intensive care unit )
April 1, 2005... As cited in the concerting interview with IBM's Bruce Morse, the pediatric intensive care unit of Miami Children's Hospital is one of the recent customers of the company's speech technology, provided in partnership with Teges Corporation. ...

Curing the "zero-out" habit while improving overall customer satisfaction.(SPEECH-WORLD[TM])(Cover Story)
April 1, 2005... For many companies, the thought of introducing speech automation to customers immediately conjures up an unpleasant compromise: saving the company money while risking customer dissatisfaction, and a zero-out to speak with a live agent. Not only...

Maxima Advantage Vantage Point.(TMC[TM] LABS)(Product/Service Evaluation)
April 1, 2005... Maxima Advantage Vantage Point Pipkins 1031 Executive Parkway Ste. 110 St. Louis, MO 63141 Ph: 314-469-1124 Web: www.pipkins.com Price: Call Pipkins for pricing. In simple terms, workforce management (WFM)...

Life in an on-demand world.(future of the internet services)(Column)
April 1, 2005... You can't read more than two paragraphs in the business news nowadays without running into the phrase "on-demand." It's everywhere, including in the pages of this magazine. What a brilliant, long-awaited concept: functionality delivered in a...