Customer Interaction Solutions articles from August 2005

Customer Interaction Solutions archives from August 2005

Consolidation ... In perspective ... Challenges, guidelines & opportunities.(for acquisitions)(Column)
August 1, 2005... * When it works... when it doesn't work. * Is it good for customer interaction and the CRM industry? Mergers and acquisitions (M & A) usually occur when the economy is good. Currently, as indicated in my July 2005 editorial, the state...

Siebel comes out swinging.(customer relationship management software market)
August 1, 2005... The CRM market has certainly been full of excitement recently. I wrote about Siebel's new CEO, George Shaheen, in the May issue of this magazine (tmcnet.com/151.1). I had expected to interview Mr. Shaheen along with Marc Benioff of...

Hans Henrik Lund.(of GN Netcom)(Interview)
August 1, 2005... This month, the editors of Customer Interaction Solutions[R] spoke with Hans Henrik Lund, President and CEO of headset manufacturer GN Netcom (www.gnnetcom.com). Hans Henrik Lund President and CEO GN Netcom [ILLUSTRATION...

Carl E. Mergele.(of SER Solutions Inc.)(Interview)
August 1, 2005... CEO Spotlight speaks with Carl E. Mergele, CEO of SER Solutions, Inc. (www.ser.com). Carl E. Mergele CEO SER Solutions, Inc. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] CIS: What kind of analytics and reporting can companies do in the call...

The TMC Seal of Approval.(2005 Recommended Vendor List)(Technical Manufacturing Corp.'s awards for software industry)(Brief article)
August 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. CRM/Contact Center Software/Hardware Amae Software Aspect Communications Corp....

Hopelessly devoted: a Customer Communications Renaissance.(SoundBite 5.0 of SoundBite Communications)
August 1, 2005... Communications between customer-facing companies and their customers in the best possible manner--in efficiency, accuracy, speed, flexibility and response opportunity--is at the very core of what technology providers in the customer service and...

Concerto, Aspect to merge in billion-dollar deal, Aspect releases updated Uniphi Suite.(Concerto Software Inc. and Aspect Communications Corp.)(Uniphi Suite 6.1)(Brief article)
August 1, 2005... Concerto Software Inc. and Aspect Communications Corp. announced an agreement to combine the companies. The deal is valued at approximately $1 billion. According to Aspect, the transaction will form the largest company solely focused...

Left Bank Solutions unveils Monet WFM OnDemand.(Workforce Optimization)
August 1, 2005... Left Bank Solutions has announced the upcoming release of Monet WFM OnDemand, a hosted version of the company's Monet Workforce Management System. Leveraging Monet WFM 4.0, this on-demand version can help contact centers of all sizes...

The most trusted name in VoIP & IP Telephony Conferences: Internet Telephony[R] Conference & Expo.
August 1, 2005... October 24-27, 2005 * Los Angeles Convention Center * www.itexpo.com Guaranteed Conference Program I Guarantee the VoIP Education You Get at INTERNET TELEPHONY[R] Conference & EXPO is the Most In-Depth, Most Comprehensive, Most...

Macromedia integrates Breeze, Captivate 1.01.(Workforce Optimization)
August 1, 2005... Macromedia, Inc. has announced the integration of e-learning products Macromedia Breeze and Macromedia Captivate 1.01, enabling one-click publishing and full tracking of engaging interactive training simulations within Breeze virtual classes...

LOMA introduces Bilingual-agents-selecting tool.(Workforce Optimization)
August 1, 2005... LOMA, a provider of selection assessments for the financial services industry, announced the release of LOMASelect REPeValuator Bilingual. The Web-based simulation assesses critical skills of contact center candidates who are seeking positions...

Vodafone UK signs Jacada Fusion enterprise license agreement.(Workforce Optimization)(Brief article)
August 1, 2005... Jacada Ltd. a provider of solutions for simplifying business processes, has entered into an agreement with Vodafone UK, a member of the world's largest mobile network, which has purchased an enterprise license and will implement Jacada Fusion...

InVision Software launches U.S. subsidiary.(Workforce Optimization)(Brief article)
August 1, 2005... European workforce management software provider InVision Software launched a U.S. subsidiary in Chicago that will service the U.S. and Canada. Additional locations are planned for the West and the South. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The...

Kinetic Data enters Canadian market via partnership with Kifinti Solutions.(Workforce Optimization)(Brief article)
August 1, 2005... Kinetic Data, Inc., a provider of software for users of BMC Remedy Service Management software, and Kifinti Solutions Inc., a software provider focusing on service management and call centers, have announced a partnership that marks the...

Teltronics, Valor Systems partner.(Brief article)
August 1, 2005... Teltronics, Inc., which specializes in emergency communication solutions, has partnered with Valor Systems, Inc., which provides Computer Aided Dispatch, Records Management Systems, Mobile and Jail Management, to offer an emergency suite of...

iCode upgrades business application suite for SMBs.(Customer Experience Management)
August 1, 2005... iCode, Inc., a provider of business application suite solutions for small and medium-sized businesses, launched Everest Advanced 2.1, the latest version of the company's flagship offering. The new features include enhancements in accounting,...

Citrix, BMC Software partner.(Citrix Online)(Brief article)
August 1, 2005... Citrix Online, a division of Citrix Systems, Inc., has announced a new partnership with service management firm BMC Software, Inc. As a result of the partnership, Citrix GoToAssist has achieved validation status for its remote support...

Noble launches DCR 4.0.(Customer Experience Management)
August 1, 2005... Contact center technology solutions provider Noble Systems Corp. has introduced Noble DCR 4.0. Noble Systems provides a package of real-time online tools for managing programs and reporting on activities and results, allowing centers to direct...

Traxi expands Volcrum product line.(Traxi Technologies, LLC introduced Volcrum Voice)(Brief article)
August 1, 2005... Traxi Technologies, LLC, a provider of enterprise communications products and services, has announced the expansion of its Volcrum product line. Volcrum is a tool set that integrates enterprise phone systems with enterprise applications. ...

Symon releases Digital Appliance for video networks.(Symon Communications SDA-500)(Symon Digital Appliance)(Brief article)
August 1, 2005... Symon Communications, Inc., a provider of employee and corporate communications and enterprise performance, workforce and productivity management solutions, announced the general availability of its Symon Digital Appliance (SDA-500). The SDA...

VoiceObjects integrates Loquendo technology, Loquendo unveils Linux-supported VoxNauta.(Speech Technologies)(Brief article)
August 1, 2005... Speech technology company Loquendo and voice application management systems firm VoiceObjects announced the interoperability between Loquendo's multilingual VoiceXML platform VoxNauta and VoiceObjects X5. With VoiceObjects X5, customers...

RightNow acquires Convergent Voice, launches Voice-Enabled CRM effort.(RightNow Technologies Inc.)(Brief article)
August 1, 2005... RightNow Technologies, a provider of on-demand CRM software, has announced the completion of its acquisition of voice automation company Convergent Voice, Inc. This acquisition positions RightNow as "the only CRM solutions provider with...

LumenVox announces v6.0.(Speech Technologies)
August 1, 2005... Speech recognition technologies provider LumenVox has announced version 6.0 of the company's Speech Recognition Engine and Speech Platform. The Speech Recognition Engine, which performs speech recognition on audio data from any audio source, is...

Exstream announces Dialogue v5 general availability.(Web-Based Customer Service)
August 1, 2005... Exstream Software, Inc., a provider of personalized customer communications, has announced the general availability of version 5.0 of the company's Dialogue enterprise personalization software for the creation and delivery of customer...

Apptastic.net completes fully integrated CRM system with new features.(Web-Based Customer Service)(Brief article)
August 1, 2005... Apptastic.net, a provider of complete shareware registration services, has announced the release of several new features for its shareware registration service offering. New features to the Apptastic.net control panel include: RSS (XML)...

SmartCompany releases flagship version 4.0.(Web-Based Customer Service)
August 1, 2005... SmartCompany, Inc., provider of a Web-based business platform that integrates CRM and ERP, announced the release of SmartCompany v4.0, offering productivity improvements for SMBs (small to medium-sized businesses). Enhancements include new...

Daffodil enhances CRM solution with v1.2.
August 1, 2005... Daffodil Software, a provider of database products and synchronization solutions, has announced the release of Daffodil CRM v1.2, the newest version of its contact/leads management solution targeting the small and midsized enterprise segment....

Microsoft skips CRM 2.0 for CRM 3.0.(CRM)(Brief article)
August 1, 2005... Microsoft Corp. has finally previewed the latest version of its CRM solution, dubbed Microsoft CRM 3.0. The long-delayed release, aimed at the SMB market, will introduce on-demand functionality and a new subscription-based licensing model....

Avaya offers enhancements to Contact Center Express.(Brief article)
August 1, 2005... Avaya Inc., a provider of business communications applications, systems and services, is targeting its new Contact Center Express enhancements at medium-sized businesses. The software enhancements to Avaya Contact Center Express, which is...

Entellium makes available PRO-Activity Release 2005.(customer relationship management software)(Brief article)
August 1, 2005... Entellium has announced the commercial availability of its PRO-Activity Release 2005, a set of enhancements for the company's CRM suite. The CRM's redesign is built around sales and service representatives' need to complete their...

Interactive Intelligence upgrades intelligent multisite routing software.(Interaction Director)(Brief article)
August 1, 2005... Interactive Intelligence Inc., a developer of business communications software, has announced upgrades to its intelligent multisite routing software, Interaction Director. Interaction Director offers network-based pre- and post-call...

SR.Teleperformance, SVP join forces.(Services)(Brief article)
August 1, 2005... Contact center services provider SR.Teleperformance, a Paris-based teleservices company, and European telephone management consulting firm SVP have partnered to establish a company specializing in providing public and shareholding information...

Telecom legislation shaping outbound dialing markets.(Frost & Sullivan market research)(Brief article)
August 1, 2005... The global market for outbound dialing is being impacted on a large scale by legislation in the U.S. and the UK, according to research from Frost & Sullivan. The U.S. do-not-call legislation and the UK's Telephone Preference Service have...

An exclusive interview with James Foy: Concerto CEO discusses the $1 billion Aspect deal.(SPECIAL FOCUS)(Interview)(Cover story)
August 1, 2005... There was little time for President and CEO James D. Foy to rest following last month's announcement that his firm, Concerto Software Inc., had joined forces with San Jose-based Aspect Communications Corp. Soon he was off to Europe during the...

Cross-pollinating customer service across all channels.(customer relationship management)
August 1, 2005... Do you find it frustrating when the automated voice response system to which you just spoke your account number fails to transfer that information directly to the agent who finally picks up the phone, requiring you to repeat yourself...

IP contact center technology: eliminating the risks (Part VII).(INNOVATIVE IDEAS FROM THE NEXT-GEN CONTACT CENTER EXPERTS: A Special Editorial Series Sponsored by Telephony@Work)
August 1, 2005... There are a wide variety of routing strategies that contact centers rely on to maximize operational efficiency. The effectiveness of those routing strategies is enhanced when phone calls and multimedia Web communications can be unified into a...

Performance optimization solutions for better efficiency and productivity.(CONTACT CENTER TECHNOLOGY)
August 1, 2005... At the heart of every contact center are its agents, who are the gatekeepers of your company's customer relationships and are a contact center's most valuable--and costly--resource. Whether your contact center focuses on collections, customer...

Vacation scheduling without pain: automating holiday leave planning.(CONTACT CENTER TECHNOLOGY)
August 1, 2005... Even at its easiest, scheduling vacations for call center agents can be more challenging than a game of chess. The majority of agents typically want to take at least some of their vacation days during the summer and winter holidays when their...

Seeing the e-services big picture: online self-service can pay huge dividends, but requires more than simple automation.(INNOVATIVE IDEAS FROM THE MULTIMEDIA CONTACT CENTER SOLUTIONS EXPERTS: A Special Editorial Series Sponsored by Interactive Intelligence)
August 1, 2005... "Emerging self-service technologies, such as automated e-mail response, natural language search and knowledge taxonomies, will improve specific aspects of the automation process. Other technologies such as text chat, voice over IP, 'call me...

Self-service is not for you, it's for your customers.(INNOVATIVE IDEAS FROM THE MULTIMEDIA CONTACT CENTER SOLUTIONS EXPERTS: A Special Editorial Series Sponsored by Interactive Intelligence)(Editorial)
August 1, 2005... Make a list of the reasons you're interested in implementing self-service technologies via telephone or your Web site. If "save money" is No. 1 on your list and all other considerations are peripheral (or nonexistent), stop now and proceed no...

Addicted to data? Today's real-time electronic display technologies feed your need.(MANAGEMENT SCOPE)
August 1, 2005... Understanding your business performance is paramount to profitability and success. Today's next-generation enterprise performance and productivity tools make electronic display technology as vital now for dynamically displaying the pulse of...

Group 1 Software President Christopher Baker teaches us a new acronym: CCM.(customer care management)
August 1, 2005... Group 1 Software President Christopher Baker had been on the job for only a few days when he was asked about how he would spur growth at the wholly owned subsidiary of $5.1 billion giant Pitney Bowes Inc. His answer: partners. Baker discussed...

Envox Worldwide achieves VoiceXML 2.0 certification.(for its Envox 6.0)
August 1, 2005... Envox Worldwide, a provider of voice solutions, has announced that the company's open, standards-based communications development platform, Envox 6, has achieved VoiceXML 2.0 certification through the VoiceXML Forum's Platform Certification...

Robert Louis Stevenson.(SPEECH-WORLD[TM])
August 1, 2005... "All speech, written or spoken, is a dead language, until it finds a willing and prepared hearer." --Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-1894), Scottish novelist, essayist, poet

The "say-as" element.(used to help text to speech engines to pronounce correctly)(Brief article)
August 1, 2005... The say-as element is an indicator inserted into speech code to help TTS (text-to-speech) engines pronounce words correctly from the written text by helping resolve ambiguities in the meaning of that text. For instance, if the TTS engine...

Genesys announces IP-enabled voice platform.(SPEECH-WORLD[TM])(Genesys Voice Platform from Genesys Telecommunications Laboratories Inc.)(Brief article)
August 1, 2005... Genesys Telecommunications Laboratories Inc., an Alcatel company, has announced an IP-enabled version of the Genesys Voice Platform "to serve enterprise customers of all sizes," according to Genesys officials. The new offering is available...

Wales for your business: a bit of work, a bit of play, a lot of promise.(call centers)
August 1, 2005... Quick recap of what is widely known of Wales: it's the homeland for Dylan Thomas; and it produced singers Tom Jones and Charlotte Church and actors Richard Burton, Anthony Hopkins and Catherine Zeta-Jones. But what of Wales outside of literary...

Of data security and tea sandwiches.(call centers)(Editorial)
August 1, 2005... It's no secret that nowadays certain industries expect more government regulation than others. If you're selling pharmaceuticals, working with the U.S. food supply or carrying the telecommunications of large chunks of the country, you can...