Customer Interaction Solutions articles from March 2007

Customer Interaction Solutions archives from March 2007

Merger mania has created vigorous new business opportunities for SMBs.(Publisher's Outlook)
March 1, 2007... In the last several years, there have been approximately 33 notable mergers and acquisitions in the contact center industry and, to the best of our knowledge, most of these have been successful business propositions. As indicated in...

The wisdom of Marc Benioff and Salesforce.com.(High Priority)
March 1, 2007... Recently, I was invited to Manhattan for a Salesforce.com media and customer event. Initially, I wasn't sure what the event was about--I accepted it blindly. Why? Because there is always something so entertaining and informative about the...

Verint and Witness to merge.(Customer Inter@ction NEWS)
March 1, 2007... Analytic solutions provider Verint Systems Inc. and workforce optimization company Witness Systems, Inc. have announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement under which Verint will acquire Witness for $27.50 per share in cash. The...

Microsoft's CRM Analytics.(Customer Inter@ction NEWS)
March 1, 2007... Microsoft has announced the availability of Microsoft Dynamics CRM Analytics Foundation, what company officials call "a new way of using business intelligence tools from Microsoft that "enable comprehensive analysis and management of...

India holds great promise for telecom growth.(Customer Inter@ction NEWS)
March 1, 2007... Kent Charugundla, a well-known telecommunications entrepreneur and art field sponsor, has diversified global experience in IP/telecom, conferencing, call centers, networking, outsourcing markets and contemporary Indian Art. During the last week...

Intervoice and BEA integrate for IMS.(Customer Inter@ction NEWS)
March 1, 2007... Back in December of the past year, Intervoice and BEA Systems announced collaboration efforts to facilitate the adoption of IMS communication services like voiceSMS, voice mail and video mail in a bid to move closer towards IMS. Now, Intervoice...

TPI releases 2006 outsourcing report.(Customer Inter@ction NEWS)
March 1, 2007... TPI, an advisor to global corporations on all facets of their service-delivery strategies for business support operations, has announced the developments for 2006 in the global outsourcing industry through the company's TPI Index report. The...

Genesys makes video available in the contact center.(Genesys Telecomm Labs Inc. launched VoiceGenie 7.1, voice communications software)
March 1, 2007... The first voice self-service platform with built-in support for video customer service has been launched by Genesys Telecommunications. The company has also announced key standards for enhanced network services that enable a wide range of new...

Convergys, Tribold announce product enhancements.(Customer Inter@ction NEWS)
March 1, 2007... Convergys Corporation and Tribold have announced the enhancement of Convergys' Infinys Business Support System with additional product management capabilities. Through the integration of Tribold's Product Portfolio Manager application software,...

Study foresees strong growth of Asia-Pacific call centers.(Customer Inter@ction NEWS)
March 1, 2007... The Asian Contact Centre Industry Benchmarking Report, a study on 747 call and contact centers, shows strong projected growth of Asia-Pacific call centers. The Philippines and Thailand are considered fastest-growing markets with 2007 projected...

Contact center outsourcing moves away from cost containment.(Customer Inter@ction NEWS)
March 1, 2007... Outsourcing has been seen in both a positive and negative light over the course of the years since it has become a popular business model. Depending on the way it's looked at, outsourcing can have a strong set of benefits, or enough negative...

CRM a $7 billion industry in 2006.(Customer Inter@ction NEWS)
March 1, 2007... Driven by "significant gains in license" and "maintenance revenue," worldwide customer relationship management (CRM) total software revenue totaled $7 billion in 2005, a 13.7 percent increase from 2004, according to Gartner. Sharon Mertz,...

Workplace ergonomics and the telephone.(Customer Inter@ction NEWS)
March 1, 2007... Ergonomics have long been regarded as a necessary element in the workplace as they prevent injury and help keep employees working comfortably and more efficiently. However, one piece of office equipment that has been constantly overlooked when...

Axiom integrates AXIOSS to Oracle's Siebel CRM.(Customer Inter@ction NEWS)
March 1, 2007... Axiom Systems has decided to integrate AXIOSS Suite to Oracle's Siebel CRM using Oracle Fusion Middleware. Thanks to the combined solution, service providers will have an integrated, end-to-end offering to bring new services to market rapidly....

Left bank offers Monet WFM Live.(Customer Inter@ction NEWS)
March 1, 2007... Continuing with their efforts to offer workforce management solutions that are an alternative to expensive premise-based systems, Left Bank Solutions has announced a virtual alternative with the upcoming release of Monet WFM Live. The solution...

Avaya and Jacada forge partnership.
March 1, 2007... Unified desktop and process optimization solutions provider Jacada Ltd. has announced it has signed a joint marketing agreement with Avaya. Under the terms of the agreement, Avaya Consulting and Systems Integration and Jacada will jointly...

Altitude Software launches release 7.5 of uCI contact center suite.(Customer Inter@ction NEWS)
March 1, 2007... Contact center solutions provider Altitude Software recently announced the availability of Altitude uCI 7.5, the latest release of the company's flagship contact center suite. The Altitude uCI 7.5 release was designed to enable contact centers...

CallCenterComics.com.(Cartoon)
March 1, 2007... TO COMPLAIN ABOUT THE USER-UNFRIENDLY NATURE OF THIS SELF SERVICE MENU, PLEASE USE THE PHONE KEYS TO DESCRIBE YOUR CONCERN IN ESSAY FORM. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Prosodie Interactive and LumenVox announce integration.(LumenVox Speech Engine into the suite of Prosodie Voice Solutions)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Technology services provider Prosodie Interactive and speech tech provider LumenVox have announced the integration of the LumenVox Speech Engine into the suite of Prosodie Voice Solutions. The initial implementation, an inbound Survey...

SmartReply launches CRM loyalty messaging platform.(NEWS Briefs)
March 1, 2007... Voice and mobile messaging provider SmartReply has announced the launch of a CRM loyalty messaging platform designed to seamlessly integrate voice, mobile and e-mail channels and enable clients to give their customers a preferred choice medium...

Aprimo announces on-demand version of Aprimo Marketing.(NEWS Briefs)
March 1, 2007... Enterprise marketing management (EMM) provider Aprimo Inc. recently announced Aprimo Marketing Professional Edition, an on-demand software version of the company's EMM suite. Professional Edition offers small to medium-sized businesses an...

CRM solutions through VendorGuru.com simplify call center services.(NEWS Briefs)
March 1, 2007... VendorGuru.com, a one-stop telephony and CRM resource for professionals, has released a customizable search database to help businesses improve their communications systems. For companies looking to reduce customer frustration and defection,...

Sage Software introduces SageCRM v6.(NEWS Briefs)
March 1, 2007... Sage Software has announced the latest version of its CRM solution, SageCRM v6, for small and mid-sized businesses. SageCRM was designed to deliver a rich and customizable suite of sales, marketing and customer support capabilities through a...

Level 8 changes name to Cicero.(Level 8 Systems Inc.)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Level 8 Systems, Inc. has announced that its shareholders have approved a plan of recapitalization. Under the plan, shareholders authorized changing the company's name to Cicero, Inc.; authorized the board of directors to effectuate a reverse...

Compiere announces new offerings for open-source ERP and CRM.(NEWS Briefs)
March 1, 2007... Compiere, Inc., a provider of open-source business applications, has announced new support offerings for companies using its open-source enterprise resource planning and customer relationship management application. Compiere offers a...

Kana launches integrated on-demand suite.(Kana Software Inc.)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Multichannel customer service solutions provider Kana has announced the availability of an integrated suite of on-demand customer service solutions. Based on KANA's on-premise applications, the KANA OnDemand suite was designed to deliver the...

The TMC Seal of Approval.(2007 Recommended Vendor List)
March 1, 2007... 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 Amcat CosmoCom Co-Nexus, Inc. ...

Ask the expert.(A Special Editorial Series Sponsored By Interactive Intelligence)
March 1, 2007... With Tim Passios, Director of Product Management, Interactive Intelligence [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Q: As we consider adding additional media types such as e-mail and Web chat to our contact center, are there certain things we should...

Insight into alternative CRM: on-demand and open-source.(CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT)
March 1, 2007... According to Gartner, roughly 50 percent of CRM implementations fail to meet customer expectations. It's no secret that getting your employees to adopt a CRM system is often difficult and incredibly stressful. How can you find a "magic" CRM...

Winning friends for CRM: five keys to gaining end user acceptance.(CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT)
March 1, 2007... When the implementation of a customer relationship management (CRM) solution fails, many business leaders immediately pin the blame on the software. Software does play a major role in a CRM system, so the assumption that it is at fault is not...

CRM solutions: the eyebrow tweezers or flamethrower?(CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT)
March 1, 2007... Let's take the ever-popular Five-Question Quiz To Determine If You Need CRM! One, do you like having customers for your business's products or services? Answer "yes" or "no." Two, do you think that if you took better care of your...

Customer Inter@ction Solutions Magazine's Twenty-Second Annual Top 50 Outbound Teleservices Agencies Ranking.
March 1, 2007... This is the twenty-second year Customer Inter@ction Solutions magazine brings you its "Top 50" Teleservices Agencies Ranking. In this issue, we're presenting the "Top 50" outbound portion of the ranking. (The inbound portion of the ranking...

No longer just about outbound: a moment with Stratasoft's new CEO.(MANAGEMENT SCOPE)
March 1, 2007... In business since 1995, Houston-based Stratasoft Inc. is a computer telephony/call center software provider with a comprehensive patent portfolio that includes predictive dialing, predictive dialing algorithms, contact center database...

Beyond the humble reader board: display technologies roundup.(CONTACT CENTER TECHNOLOGY)
March 1, 2007... Along with the modest headset and the unassuming ergonomic chair, a call center's message board may be the next most critical but often underappreciated piece of equipment. Large reader boards have been used in call centers for decades to...

Deploying digital signage in your company.(CONTACT CENTER TECHNOLOGY)
March 1, 2007... Chances are pretty good that you have already thought about a plasma or LCD screen for your home or business. With manufacturers constantly facing competitive pressures on cost, the true winner is definitely the consumer, in both the private...

Investing in SIP for the contact center.(IP CONTACT CENTERS)
March 1, 2007... It's universal--nobody likes to wait. When you want something--whether it's an answer to a critical question, the newest gadget or an important decision--you want it right now! That's the way it is across all demographic groups. It's the same...

Looks like JetBlue picked the wrong day to quit sniffing glue.
March 1, 2007... By now, everybody knows of the JetBlue debacle. The airline kept planes full of people on iced runways for up to 10 hours last month and canceled up to 1,000 flights during and in the week following a nasty winter storm that blew through much...