April 2000
Comverse Infosys Introduces e-Cording, New Analytical Tools
Comverse Infosys, Inc., a provider of digital recording technology and
solutions for contact centers, recently introduced e-Cording, a multimedia
capture technology. The new application is designed for contact centers to
monitor and analyze e-commerce interactions and assess the effectiveness
of their Web offerings, self-help programs and agent interactions. The
company said that e-Cording is equipped with rules-based triggers and
automated analysis to define, manage and enhance customer and agent
interaction in a multimedia contact center. Comverse Infosys also
announced the availability of Customer Xperience Suite (CXS) and
OpenStorage Portal, its new analytical tools developed for extracting
business intelligence from recorded calls. Customer Xperience Suite is a
set of server-based software applications intended to analyze recordings
of customer interactions and furnish a summary analysis that can be used
for quantifying customer buying habits, preferences and events that may
influence them. Additionally, CXS can provide any recording type (e.g.,
voice, e-mail, Web chat or fax) in the CRM database to anyone needing
access within the enterprise. The intent is to take customer information,
formerly available only in the call center, and provide access to it
throughout the enterprise. OpenStorage Portal (OSP), used with CXS, is a
conversion technology that aims at transforming proprietary recordings to
standard file format for storage in existing CRM databases. Both
applications run on ULTRA, Comverse's recording solution that runs
multiple multimedia contact center applications on a single platform.
No. 511, www.ccsmag.com/freeinfo
RightNow Releases Upgrade Version
RightNow Technologies, a provider of Internet customer care systems, has
released RightNow 3.1, described as a major upgrade to its product suite.
The company said that Version 3.1 provides new modules for e-mail
management, live customer interaction and contracts management. The new
modules are: RightNow E-Mail, a utility for analyzing e-mail messages that
can either respond with a suggested list of solutions or send them to the
appropriate agent based on message content; RightNow Live, a Java-based
interactive utility that allows customers to launch live chat sessions
with a support agent, initiate a telephone call and enable the support
agent to remotely control the customer's viewable Web page; and RightNow
Contracts, designed for managing service contracts. The modules are
integrated with RightNow Web's self-help database, designed to enable
customers to find their own answers to questions. RightNow Web allows
support personnel to publish the question and answer into the knowledge
base and make the solution accessible to future visitors to the Web site.
No. 512, www.ccsmag.com/freeinfo
Natural MicroSystems Unveils PacketMedia Solution
Natural MicroSystems, provider of convergence technologies to
communications solutions suppliers, introduced PacketMedia, a
standards-based, carrier-class IP media server solution. PacketMedia is
designed to enable communications equipment providers to deliver new
hardware and software platforms capable of supporting IP-based
applications and enhanced services. The company said that PacketMedia
offers this support by means of real-time media streaming with
simultaneous play and record for carrier-grade sound quality and
functionality. The product is designed to support media streaming on
existing and future Natural MicroSystems' Open Telecommunications
platforms.
No. 513, www.ccsmag.com/freeinfo
Telescan Introduces EarthNet To Healthcare Industry
Telescan Corporation has introduced its EarthNet call center system.
Intended to meet the healthcare industry's telecommunications needs, the
EarthNet system is meant to provide call routing and automatic call
distribution (ACD) capabilities using Natural MicroSystems technology. As
an IP, the EarthNet's digital switching platform can stand alone or
front-end a legacy analog switch, enabling ISDN service without replacing
an existing phone system. EarthNet features a point-and-click workstation
interface and an integrated Web browser to allow call attendants to enter
messages or retrieve data from the Internet or a local network. The
EarthNet workstation is designed to multitask with other Windows-based
software, import data from SQL databases and accommodate help desk
applications. The company said that its system can be customized for
automatic message delivery options, such as ISMSC, fax, e-mail and voice
mail.
No. 514, www.ccsmag.com/freeinfo
CLARITECH Enters North American Market With Text Analysis Tools
CLARITECH Corporation, a developer of business productivity software for
the Japanese market, announced its entry into the North American market.
During the second quarter of 2000, CLARITECH expects to provide a series
of text analysis tools for Internet and Intranet applications. The
products will use its CLARIT suite of text mining technologies, which
convert unstructured text into data for analyzing customer habits and
preferences. The intended results are better knowledge of customers'
needs, increased responsiveness by service representatives and business
decisions based on automated analysis of increased volumes of information.
No. 515, www.ccsmag.com/freeinfo
Motivation Online: Improvement And Incentive System
Motivation Online recently launched an online employee performance
improvement and sales incentive system; Web-based applications designed to
track and recognize performance. After a company creates its productivity
program on the system, Motivation Online's program monitors performance
and notifies employees of the point awards and the behaviors that earned
them. Through direct links with online retailers, employees can select and
obtain their chosen rewards. Employees can access Motivation Online's
system from their desktops and home computers and check their progress
toward rewards or cash points. Motivation Online can be modified to new
themes, point structures, metrics and goals, and provides reporting tools
that assess individual or company performance metrics. The system also
offers tools for direct communication with employees to reinforce
performance and productivity.
No. 516, www.ccsmag.com/freeinfo
APEX Announces Switch Manager For The Cisco VCO/4K
Apex Voice Communications announced the availability of the APEX Switch
Manager, a graphical-based service creation environment and control
processor for the Cisco VCO/4K open programmable switch. Switch Manager is
designed to provide application developers with a Java-based graphical
user interface (GUI) for "drag-and-drop" programming. Apex said
that, packaged with the carrier-class VCO/4K and a host processor, the
Switch Manager delivers a fault tolerant and scalable intelligent
peripheral for both circuit- and packet-based networks. The Switch
Manager's browser-based GUI also aims to provide remote administration of
the Cisco VCO/4K switch through a LAN/WAN or the Web. As an intelligent
peripheral within a network, Switch Manager can perform network and bulk
announcement services, call holding and switching, prompt management,
conferencing DTMF collection and dynamic messaging using supplementary
media platforms behind the VCO/4K. Other features include an asynchronous
programming model, a "C-Hook" interface for custom programming,
an OBDC database interface that can run up to 2,000 concurrent database
users and an SS7 interface for call set up and tear down.
No. 517, www.ccsmag.com/freeinfo
Name And Address Transcription Product From VoiceLog
VoiceLog LLC, a provider of third-party verification services, announced
the availability of database-enhanced name and address transcription from
recordings using its integrated verification and recording platform. The
system is supported by the VoiceLog Web interface and Acxiom Corporation's
InfoBase database for name and address information. After the system
captures a customer's telephone number it is transmitted, over the
Internet, to Acxiom Corporation. Based on the telephone number, Acxiom
transmits the name and address to VoiceLog, where transcribers compare the
data from the Internet recording with the Acxiom-provided address and make
any necessary changes. The corrected information is then transmitted to
the client. VoiceLog said that it developed the transcription service to
meet the needs of marketers who want customers to leave information on an
automated system and free salespersons from gathering names and addresses.
No. 518, www.ccsmag.com/freeinfo
Siemens Enhances Its CRM Solution
Siemens Information and Com-munication Networks Inc., an integrator of
voice and data network solutions, announced the addition of e-service and
multimedia to its CRM solution offering. Based on Siemens' R�sum�Routing
CRM platform, the new solution combines Siemens' Xpressions 470 unified
messaging system, Microsoft NetMeeting software and Siemens' ProCenter MX
Email application. It will provide e-service and multimedia call center
support, such as messaging, routing, agent scheduling, reporting and
forecasting. Siemens hopes that the new CRM solution will assist in
transforming a call center into a contact center by giving customers
multimedia access options to agents.
No. 519, www.ccsmag.com/freeinfo
Ericsson Launches Cenaxis
Ericsson Inc. recently introduced its network-based customer interaction
solution, Cenaxis, designed to meet the needs of network operators,
service providers and their customers. The Cenaxis product portfolio is
intended for implementation in public networks, such as fixed, mobile, IN,
non-IN and Internet/Extranet. Cenaxis incorporates multimedia capabilities
and centralized routing with automatic call distribution (ACD)
functionality. Ericcson intends for network operators and service
providers to be able to offer new services to their customers, such as
outsourced call center capabilities, while using the same network-based
call center functionality to address their own customer service needs.
Part of the Cenaxis portfolio is Ericsson's Customer Interaction Platform.
Some of the Platform's features are distributed call center architecture,
centralized routing, virtual call center support, multiple network
integration capabilities and computer-telephony integration in the public
network.
No. 520, www.ccsmag.com/freeinfo
Panamax Surges Forth With POWERMAX 8
Panamax, a manufacturer of power protection products, recently introduced
its POWERMAX 8 surge protector. Panamax guarantees that the POWERMAX 8
will protect equipment from the largest surges. The unit absorbs and
reroutes the surge energy to ground or, in the event of a surge in excess
of 1020 joules, disconnects the power to the equipment. The POWERMAX 8 has
eight protected AC outlets, four switched and four "always on."
It has EMI/RFI noise filtration and a diagnostic light that indicates
proper grounding. In case of extended over-voltage, thermal fuses shut off
power to connected equipment, preventing fire hazard. The POWERMAX 8
carries a lifetime product and $100,000 connected equipment warranty that
includes lightning coverage.
No. 521, www.ccsmag.com/freeinfo
Aculab Integrates Prosody With Philips SpeechPearl99
Aculab PLC, a developer and manufacturer of computer-telephony solutions
and components, announced the release of a software interface that
integrates Philips Speech Processing's SpeechPearl99 and its associated
Voice Activity Detector (VAD) with the Aculab Prosody speech-processing
card. Philips SpeechPearl99 is a multi-channel speech recognition and
understanding engine for telephony applications. Words can be added either
by voice or orthographic transcription, making it possible to change
vocabularies for different applications. The new software interface is
designed to enable Prosody to acquire audio data and feed it to
SpeechPearl99 and the VAD. The interface is capable of running in multiple
threads, allowing multi-channel speech recognition. For developers wanting
to integrate SpeechPearl99 into a solution, the software interface is also
available as source code, permitting modifications to suit a solution. The
functionality can work with any current Prosody firmware build. Other
algorithms, including echo cancellation, fax, record and playback,
conferencing and DTMF tone detection/generation may be run simultaneously.
Aculab said that these could be obtained, without additional cost, from
its FTP site.
No. 522, www.ccsmag.com/freeinfo
Enhanced Enterprise Edition From Talisma
Talisma Corporation, a provider of electronic customer service and
relationship management solutions, announced the release if its Enterprise
Edition, version 2.02. The company said that Version 2.02 incorporates
customer feedback to provide improved Web access functionality. Other
features include: inbound customer communication tracking and integrated
direct marketing functionality; automation and productivity features in
user-defined rules, canned responses, auto text and categories;
customizable customer database; monitoring and analysis features; and
integration capabilities with CRM, help desk, call center, knowledge base
and Web collaboration applications.
No. 523, www.ccsmag.com/freeinfo
MCK Introduces Remote Voice PC Client
MCK Communications, Inc. announced that customer evaluations had begun for
EXTender 100, their latest software client solution. MCK develops and
markets products that provide remote voice solutions for branch offices
and telecommuters. EXTender 100 was developed for use with MCK's
PBXgateway product, which is designed as a platform to extend corporate
PBX and supported applications to remote clients. EXTender 100 aims at
providing access for remote users and PC-centric call centers to their
company's voice system and related applications. MCK said that EXTender
100 does not require a server. The product supports various forms of
network access; e.g., dial up, leased line or IP, and connects the
corporate or call center PBX via the MCK PBXgateway.
No. 524, www.ccsmag.com/freeinfo
Clarify Delivers E-Business Solution
Clarify Inc. announced the release of eFrontOffice 9.0, an integrated CRM
and e-business suite. Clarify eFrontOffice includes the company's existing
front office applications for sales, marketing and service plus a new
group of applications aimed at personalizing customer interactions. The
product is intended to give customers a single place to go to configure
and order products, learn about promotions and check the status of orders
and support requests. Among the eFrontOffice 9.0 applications are: Clarify
Customer Portal, a personalized Web site providing purchase, information
and agent/contact support; Clarify eOrder, meant to enable companies to
set up a Web storefront for taking and managing orders online and to give
customers product information and choices for online purchases; Clarify
eMerchandising, an application designed to allow companies to personalize
product and service offerings for each customer based on their clicks and
preferences; and Clarify eResponse Manager, designed to provide automated
classification, suggestion and response capabilities to fulfill online
customer requests.
No. 525, www.ccsmag.com/freeinfo
Anixter Freebie: Network Performance Guide
Anixter Inc., a distributor of data communications products, electrical
wire and cable, announced the release of its Network Performance Guide,
available for free from the company. The Guide is designed to help systems
managers and installers. It addresses issues such as product
compatibility, installation and component quality in network channels.
Much of the information provided in the Guide is based on product tests
and analyses performed in the Anixter Levels Lab.
No. 526, www.ccsmag.com/freeinfo
RedSky Automates ALI
RedSky Technologies, Inc. recently launched E-911 AutoPilot, software
intended to monitor, support and update Automatic Location Identification
(ALI) information across a company's telecommunications network. E-911
AutoPilot is designed for automated import of station information from
PBX, Centrex service or other external databases on a user-determined
schedule. It updates its own database and then transfers ALI information
to the E-911 service center, monitoring the acceptance and verification of
ALI data. The software is designed to create exception and error reports
and confirm the successful transmission and acceptance of data via e-mail
or printed reports. E-911 AutoPilot maintains a historical log of file
transfer activities. RedSky develops and markets software meant to
automatically track and route telecommunications database changes.
No. 527, www.ccsmag.com/freeinfo
Viking To The Rescue
Viking Electronics, Inc. announced the introduction of several phone line
privacy devices designed to prevent data crashes. The devices install on
shared line phones that may be inadvertently picked up during data
transmissions. They are designed to sense when a line is in use and block
the protected phones from gaining line access. Aimed at the home office
and small business market, the products can also be used to prevent data
transmissions during phone conversations.
No. 528, www.ccsmag.com/freeinfo
Comfy Mouse Is Hardy Relief From Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Hardy Innovations has introduced Comfy Mouse, a product that it hopes will
provide relief for chronic mouse-clickers and keyboarders. Repetitive
strain injury/cumulative trauma disorder, commonly known as carpal tunnel
syndrome, accounts for about 60 percent of workplace injuries, according
to the U.S. Department of Labor statistics. The product consists of soft
sponge rubber with a pressure-sensitive adhesive backing that can be
applied to any mouse or keyboard button.
No. 529, www.ccsmag.com/freeinfo
Morf Your Mouse!
Tired of that rounded wedge of plastic on your desktop? Could you use a
new promotional tool for your business? Morf Products LTD. may have a
solution with its mousemorf family of computer mouse covers designed to
brighten up any workspace. They are intended as gifts and, with the
addition of company logos or promotional details, amusing marketing tools.
No. 530, www.ccsmag.com/freeinfo
GN Netcom, Inc. announced the appointment of James P. Lucivero as vice
president of sales. He will be responsible for all sales activities,
including core business and new market initiatives. Lucivero's most recent
position was senior vice president of sales and marketing with Nexar
Technologies. In a separate announcement, Michael W. Ferguson was named
vice president of marketing. His responsibilities include product
marketing, communications and e-commerce. Ferguson joined GN Netcom in
1995 and has held several executive sales and marketing positions with the
company.
Rodger Weismann has joined ObjectSwitch Corporation as its new chief
financial officer. Weismann's most recent position was CFO at NONSTOP
Solutions.
iSKY announced the appointment of Lorraine Miano-Fike to vice president
of human resources. Miano-Fike was formerly senior director of human
resources and development at Jones Communications. She will report to iSKY
CEO, Rich Hebert. Her responsibilities include global recruitment and
training initiatives, internal communications, management development and
benchmarking and general corporate policies and procedures.
Bill Kerrey has been appointed executive vice president for e-commerce
content licensing at infoUSA.com, Inc. Kerrey's most recent position at
infoUSA.com was president of the license group. In addition to his new
responsibilities at the Internet-based startup, he will continue to
oversee licensing deals at the parent company. Himanshu Baral was
appointed vice president of business development. His responsibilities
will include developing strategic partnerships for infoUSA.com. Mr.
Baral's prior position was assistant vice president for marketing,
business development and strategy for CNA Companies.
Protocol Communications, Inc. has expanded its corporate management
team with two recent promotions. Richard Kommit was named as vice
president of marketing and is responsible for the company's national
marketing program. His most recent position was executive vice president
of marketing services. Mitchell Cornell was named vice president of sales
and will direct company activities in its four sales regions. Cornell was
previously director of sales. Both positions report to Kevin N. Blayne,
vice president of sales and marketing.
PDS/Worldwide recently announced that Thomas J. Ferranti, who joined
the company in 1999, was named vice president of information systems. He
will oversee PDS's Web site development activities and direct the
information management, call center and communications networks. Thomas J.
Truillo, Jr. was named vice president of e-business and outsourcing
solutions. His previous position was general manager of PDS's Accr-A-Data
division. Walter E. Borden III joined PDS as its vice president of sales
and marketing. His previous position was director of sales at Uniform
Information Systems, Inc. Borden will direct corporate sales and marketing
functions, including the national sales organization.
Angelo P. Macchia was appointed chief technology officer for Aegis
Communications Group, Inc., reporting to Richard M. Interdonato, chief
operating officer of the company. Macchia's responsibilities include
directing the company's client service center information systems and
managing the applications development, telecommunications and business
requirements organizations. Prior to joining Aegis Communications, Macchia
was managing partner of Guardian Technology and Consulting.
Roska Direct, a direct marketing and advertising agency, has named
Bobbie Hagen as vice president of account management. Hagen's most recent
position was president of DMW Worldwide's New York office.
PanaSite Software Inc., a provider of Web site content management
software, recently added two executives to its management team. David E.
Cummings was appointed senior vice president of sales and marketing, and
named to its board of directors. Cummings most recently was chief
technology officer of Oxygen.com. William A. Strenge, Esq. was named chief
financial officer and general counsel. Before joining the company, Strenge
was senior financial executive for Global Asset Management.
Lynn Muzik was appointed to the position of vice president of corporate
development at Franklin Communications Corporation. Muzik will lead a
marketing initiative to address the communications needs of non-telecom
enterprises, such as financial services firms, the transportation and
lodging industries and retail merchants. Prior to her appointment, Muzik
was vice president of Morgan Stanley Dean Witter's Discover Card unit.
John Meiling was named as vice president of worldwide marketing for
telephony by Philips Speech Processing. Meiling's responsibilities include
global marketing strategies for Philips Speech Processing's
telephony-based speech recognition business. Meiling previously was
general manager for Lucent Technologies' AUDIX messaging business in
Europe, Africa and the Middle East.
eShare Technologies promoted Jerry Hatton to senior vice president of
worldwide sales for eShare's e360 Solutions business unit. Hatton's most
recent position with eShare was vice president of international sales.
Hatton will be responsible for domestic and international sales
operations, growth of the business unit and its expansion into new
interactive technologies.
Williams Communications Group Inc.'s president and CEO, Howard E.
Janzen, announced several organizational changes at the company. Gordon
Martin, formerly senior vice president of sales and marketing was promoted
to president of carrier services. Laura Kenny was appointed president of
Vyvx services, Williams' video transmission service. Previously, Kenny was
vice president and general manager of Vyvx. Jeff Storey was promoted to
vice president of access services. Storey's most recent position was
executive director of voice services. Sharon Crow was appointed vice
president of bandwidth markets. Crow had been with Louis Dreyfus before
joining Williams in 1995. Greg Floerke was named senior vice president of
fiber operations. Floerke joined Williams in 1987 has held various
business development and engineering positions. Patti Schmigle, president
of Williams Communications Solutions, announced that Larry Satterfield was
promoted to senior vice president and general manager responsible for U.S.
sales profit centers. Dan Miller was promoted to senior vice president and
chief operations officer.
Donald J. Slusarski was named as chief executive officer of Worldtrak,
a provider of CRM solutions. With the appointment, Worldtrak founder,
Clark Dircz, becomes president and chief technology officer. Previously,
Slusarski was vice president of field operations for Lawson Software, Inc.
Teltrust, Inc. has appointed its new senior management team. Daniel
Balistierri was named as senior vice president of new business and
marketing. Balistierri is former vice president of Complete Business
Solutions, Inc. Brian Mitkowski was appointed senior vice president and
chief technology officer. Mitkowski was most recently the senior director
of Complete Business Solutions, Inc. David Rutberg has assumed the post of
senior vice president, recurring sales and account management. Rutberg was
formerly vice president of professional services and customer support with
eShare Technologies, Inc. Carole Anne Bailo, most recently director of
finance and administration for eShare Technologies, Inc., was appointed as
senior vice president and chief financial officer. David Lewis was named
as senior vice president of operations. He was previously president and
CEO of Strategic Focus, Inc., a marketing research services company.
ASC Telecom, L.P., a provider of voice and data recording, named
Steve
Arcoleo as vice president of new business development. Before joining ASC
Telecom, Arcoleo managed alternate channels of distribution for TEAC
America.
Octane Software, Inc. a provider of Internet Relationship Management (iRM)
applications and infrastructure, recently announced several appointments
to its management team. Bill Walsh, recently president of PeopleSoft
International, was appointed president and chief operating officer. James
Doehrman was named senior vice president and chief financial officer. Most
recently, Doehrman was vice president and CFO of IDG Books Worldwide. Andy
Sherman, previously head of PeopleSoft International's international legal
organization, was appointed as vice president and general consul. Todd
Rowe was named vice president of business development. Rowe's most recent
position was vice president of business development at PeopleSoft
International.
Dr. G. Wayne Clough, president of the Georgia Institute of Technology,
was named to the board of directors of Total System Services, Inc. Richard
W. Ussery, CEO of Total System Services and chairman of the board, said
that Dr. Clough's initiatives in technological research will prove
invaluable to the company.
Vyyo Inc. announced that Nasser Sharabianlou joined as Vyyo's vice
president of marketing, and John Ramsey became its vice president of
worldwide sales. Sharabianlou's most recent position was vice president of
telecom services at American Telecasting. Most recently, Ramsey was
manager of strategic development for Newbridge Networks.
Ericsson Inc. recently announced several changes in its executive
management. Jan W�reby, currently executive vice president and head of
market area Europe, Middle East and Africa, was appointed vice president
and head of business segment consumer products, replacing Johan Siberg.
Siberg will assume a new position as coordinator of Swedish operations.
Additionally, Ragnar B�ck was appointed executive vice president and head
of market area Western Europe and member of the corporate executive team. B�ck is
currently president and country manager of Ericsson in Italy. Massimo
Gentili, currently vice president and general manager for public
operators, was named president and country manager of Ericsson Italy.
Austin Logistics, Inc. named Carl Ramey as its head of Latin American
and Asian efforts. He will be responsible for running Austin Logistics'
customer relationships and business development operations in those
regions. Ramey's most recent position was solutions architect for
international channels at Lucent Technologies' business communications
systems unit.
Lori Laurent has been promoted to the position of vice president of
e-business development at Harte-Hankes Direct Marketing, a provider of
direct and interactive marketing services. Prior to her promotion, Laurent
was responsible for creating and implementing e-commerce and e-market
solutions for Harte-Hankes' retail clients.
TeleDirect International promoted M. Wayne Wisehart to chief executive
officer of the company, succeeding Kathleen Kelly, who was appointed
chairman of TeleDirect's board of directors. Before joining TeleDirect in
1999, Wisehart served as CFO for Palmer Wireless, Inc. Kelly has been
president and CEO of the company since 1987.
myNetsales.com appointed Michael J. Doyle as chief executive officer.
Doyle was co-founder, director and chief executive officer with The
Standish Care Company, which merged with CareMatrix Corporation in 1996.
Knowlagent, a provider of training and evaluation solutions, named
Thomas Laudisi vice president of sales. Laudisi comes to Knowlagent from
eShare/Melita where he was involved in the sales and marketing of
telephony solutions
Intel Acquires VTG
Intel Corporation announced that it would acquire Voice Technologies
Group, Inc. of Buffalo, New York. Specific terms of the transaction were
not disclosed. Intel expects the acquisition to expand the PBX product
portfolio of Dialogic Corporation, its subsidiary, and provide access to
engineering expertise and PBX switch and phone technology. Dialogic
Corporation products are used in voice, fax, data, speech recognition and
synthesis, call center management and Internet Protocol (IP) telephony
applications. Intel said that the Voice Technologies acquisition will
further Dialogic's objective of helping to integrate applications such as
IP telephony, unified messaging, speech-based auto attendant and call
center applications with PBX systems. The Voice Technologies Group will
continue to manage the development and support of new and existing PBX
products. Intel expects the purchase to be completed in the second quarter
of this year.
CenterPoint Purchased By NICE
NICE Systems Ltd., a provider of integrated digital recording and quality
management solutions, has agreed to purchase CenterPoint Solutions, Inc.,
a developer of Web-enabled applications for measuring the performance of
contact centers. NICE expects to integrate several of CenterPoint's
products into its CRM solutions, including customer callback automation
and voice response survey tools using interactive voice response (IVR)
technology. NICE said that CenterPoint's CentreVu Explorer provides a link
between PBX/ACD and its CRM applications. The deal closed at the end of
March 2000.
Sprint Purchases Nashville Cable Joint Venture
Sprint Corporation completed its purchase of Nashville Cable Joint Venture
in Nashville, Tennessee. The company adds the unit to a list of broadband
wireless companies it has purchased over the past year. Sprint said it is
in the planning and development stage of building a broadband wireless
operation that will complement its Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) business.
Sprint hopes to provide a variety of high-speed, wireless services to
residential and small business customers; in particular, Internet service
that will deliver at speeds over 50 times faster than traditional dial-up
connections.
DTS And Telcor Will Merge
Digital Transmission Systems, a manufacturer of components to access and
monitor high-speed telecommunications networks, announced that it entered
into a merger agreement with Telcor Communications. Telcor resells new and
refurbished telecommunications equipment and services to telecom service
providers. The acquisition is intended to provide DTS with a sales and
marketing distribution channel to wireless service providers, who
represent over 60 percent of Telcor's sales.
Remedy To Aquire Assets Of Ostream
Remedy Corporation, a supplier of e-CRM and e-business solutions, agreed
to acquire certain assets of Ostream Software Inc. Under the agreement,
Remedy will acquire Ostream's development team and the Ostream Migrator
product, which is a companion to Remedy's product line. Prior to the
acquisition, Remedy and Ostream development teams worked together to
create complementary products. The company said that the acquisition will
enhance its current products and future development of e-commerce service
solutions.
iMagic Changes Its Name
iMagic Infomedia Technology has changed its name to PowerPhone Network HK
Ltd. The name reflects the company's desire to better identify itself with
its PowerPhone interactive, multimedia payphone. In North America, the
company will be represented by PowerPhone Network U.S. Inc.
TCIM Launches New Venture
TCIM Services, a teleservices company that provides marketing support
ranging from direct outbound sales to customer care programs, announced
the start-up of The Interaction Center. The new venture was implemented to
create interactive, Web-enabled call centers with combined features, such
as e-mail, Web callback, chat, VoIP, computer-telephony integration and
fax. The Interaction Center will be led by William Thompson, previously
executive vice president for marketing at TCIM Services. Lee E. Bye, Jr.
was named to Thompson's vacated post. Prior to joining TCIM, Bye was a
global account director for AT&T.
Call Sciences States Wireless Initiative
Call Sciences, Inc. announced its intent to provide outsourced, telco-grade
enhanced services to national and regional wireless carriers in the United
States. The company plans to contract with at least one national and two
regional carriers by the end of this year. Call Sciences said that it has
conducted extensive research and development on anticipated demands for
services and features, and has gained experience delivering its integrated
services into eight wireless networks in the U.S. and Europe.
Additionally, Call Sciences said that it can offer wireless carriers and
their customers one local number for use in place of the consumers'
previous wireless, wireline and fax numbers through its Unified
Communications Management application.
Fujitsu Announces Investment In Northern Ireland
Fujitsu Ltd., a provider of information and telecommunications technology,
announced that it invested $46 million in Northern Ireland. The company
said that it would open a new engineering center in Belfast. The facility
will be used for developing and testing telecommunications products for
North American and European markets. The center will also incorporate the
company's existing software operation in Belfast. This represents
Fujitsu's fourth investment in Northern Ireland since 1996. Last year,
Fujitsu's ICL subsidiary established a software "solution
center" in Northern Ireland under an alliance with Microsoft. The
center develops software for international markets based on Microsoft SQL
server technology.
UnitedGlobalCom Unit To Merge With Telstra
UnitedGlobalCom, Inc. announced that its Australian subsidiary, Austar
United Communications Limited (Austar), would merge its New Zealand
operations with those of Telstra Corporation Limited to form a 50:50 joint
venture. The new company, Telstra Saturn Limited, will offer voice data,
Internet, mobile and pay television services to New Zealand's business and
residential markets. The merger hopes to take advantage of the
complementary service offerings of the two businesses; namely, broadband
video, voice and data services.
Global One Partners With I-Team For Argentine E-Commerce
Global One, a unit of France Telecom, and I-Team, an Argentine Internet
systems formulator, formed a partnership to provide turnkey e-commerce
solutions in the Americas. Initially, the program expects to serve six
market areas: Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Mexico and Venezuela.
Global One "aims to be the first global carrier in the Americas with
the capability to provide business-to-business and business-to-consumer
e-commerce applications."
Nortel Invests In Northern Ireland
Nortel Networks announced it has invested $48 million in Monkstown,
Northern Ireland to manufacture high-speed optical transmission equipment.
This represents Nortel Networks' sixth investment in Monkstown since 1992.
Other Nortel operations in Northern Ireland include NITEC, its research
and development unit, and a telecommunications production and testing
facility.
Witness Establishes Nordic Presence
Witness Systems, Inc., a provider of CRM recording and analysis software,
has opened an office in Stockholm, Sweden. The company expects that the
new office will strengthen its market presence in Sweden, Denmark,
Finland, Norway and Iceland. Witness Systems views Sweden as a center of
growth for contact center operations, so the Northern European region is
part of its strategy for capitalizing on the growing international contact
center market. Ulf Castegren, Nordic sales director, will lead operations
of the Stockholm office. Prior to joining Witness Systems, Castegren was
managing director of a Swedish computer networking company.
TBC And Advent On SamePage For Enhancements
TBC Consulting Group announced that it had partnered with Advertech Ltd.
to enhance SamePage, TBC's Web-based monitoring management and performance
coaching application. Advertech, a developer of customized call center
solutions, will design and integrate digital recording capabilities to the
SamePage platform. The intent is to allow remote access to a client's
automated call distribution network and record all agents, either randomly
or on a pre-determined schedule. This would give TBC supervisors use of
the recordings for training and professional development of client coaches
and provide clients with remote access for their feedback on monitoring
performance. The recordings could be archived and used for complaint
resolution. Clients may access SamePage from any location having Internet
service and retrieve various performance and evaluation reports.
Hipbone Allies With Lipstream
Hipbone, Inc., a developer of Internet co-navigation services for
e-commerce customer service applications, and Lipstream Networks, Inc., a
provider of live voice communication over the Internet, have agreed to
integrate Lipstream's VoIP technology into Hipbone's Java-based Web
co-navigation service. The alliance aims at providing a customer service
solution that enables simultaneous co-navigation of the Web and live voice
chat between a customer service agent and a consumer. The companies said
that the service does not require any special equipment at a company's
facility and, since the service's user interface is integrated into
current Web browsers, training considerations should be minor.
SITEL To Provide Online Support For expertcity.com
SITEL Corporation, a provider of e-CRM solutions, agreed to provide
live-agent, text chat support for expertcity.com, an online marketplace
for live computer help and training. The contract initially entails
staffing by Microsoft-certified support engineers to solve problems
related to hardware, software and Internet connectivity. expertcity.com
said that SITEL's technical support and deployment should provide the
flexibility and expertise needed to sustain its growth. expertcity.com
users submit online computer-related questions that it sends to its base
of technicians, who respond with bids. Bids consist of price, time
estimate and availability. Users then choose the appropriate technician.
Using expertcity.com's screen sharing software, the chosen
"expert" can view the user's computer screen and share the
user's mouse and keyboard to solve problems and teach technical skills.
Pathnet Signs Agreement With MetaSolv
Pathnet and MetaSolv Software, Inc. announced that Pathnet would license
MetaSolv's Telecom Business Solution (TBS) for a portion of its
operational support system (OSS) infrastructure. Pathnet is a supplier of
high capacity, digital transport and access services to inter-exchange and
local exchange carriers, Internet service providers regional phone
companies, cellular operators and resellers. MetaSolv said that its TBS
product integrates a communications company's business, from network
planning and engineering to operations and customer care. The software is
expected to enable Pathnet to enhance management of its inventory and
network design, service provisioning, trouble ticketing, gateway
interconnections and workflow management business functions. MetaSolv
furnishes order management and service fulfillment solutions for
communications providers.
RADCOM And Comverse Infosys Team
RADCOM Ltd., a manufacturer of network test and quality monitoring
equipment for convergence technologies, announced a collaborative
agreement with Comverse Infosys, Inc., a provider of digital recording
technology and call center solutions. The agreement aims to integrate
RADCOM's online protocol filtering and varied data line interface
capabilities with Comverse's delivery and recording systems and provide a
solution for lawful monitoring of data lines, voice over IP and cellular
communications. Both companies said that service providers require
solutions that enable compliance with legal interception requirements,
such as the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act (CLEA) in
the United States.
Andrea And Symbol To Co-Develop Products
Andrea Electronics Corporation announced that it has agreed with Symbol
Technologies, Inc. to develop Andrea Electronics' headset products
customized for Symbol Technologies' NetVision phone product line.
NetVision phone is Symbol Technologies' latest addition to its Symbol
Spectrum 24 products, adding voice communications to the data
communications capabilities of a Spectrum 24 network. The agreement also
commits the companies to work together on future development projects. The
combination of technologies is intended to provide low noise and
productivity solutions to users of wireless and mobile communications
products.
Kanisa In Partnership With FaceTime
Kanisa Inc., a provider of e-service solutions, recently announced its
partnership with FaceTime Communications, Inc., a developer of custom
interaction services for the Web. FaceTime will provide instant messaging
for the Kanisa ESP solution. Kanisa ESP is designed to channel customers
to the proper interactive messaging queue. The addition of FaceTime
Communications' instant messaging is intended to shorten interaction times
for service agents and relieve customers of conversations with multiple
service agents. Whenever a customer selects the instant messaging option,
Kanisa ESP will provide the agent with relevant customer information and
conversation history to minimize repetition.
Epicor And Clarus To Provide B2B E-Procurement For The Midmarket
Clarus Corporation, a provider of business-to-business e-commerce
solutions, and Epicor Software Corporation, furnisher of business
performance software for midmarket companies, announced that Epicor will
integrate the Clarus eProcurement solution across its products as a Web
commerce component. The eProcurement application connects buyers and
suppliers of goods and services via the Internet. Clarus connects trading
partners through SupplierUniverse, its trading network. SupplierUniverse
provides marketplace services, content and transaction processing. The
alliance should give Clarus an opportunity to reach midmarket enterprises
and provide Epicor's customers with an integrated, Web-based procurement
solution in its suite of e-business applications, e by Epicor.
BusinessEdge Partners With Daleen
Daleen Technologies Inc., a provider of e-business solutions, and
BusinessEdge Solutions, Inc., a provider of e-business integration and
solutions, have allied to offer an e-business Operations Support System
solution for the telecommunications industry. The solution incorporates
Daleen Technologies' BillPlex customer management and billing software.
Daleen and BusinessEdge will work together to provide convergent solutions
for integrated communications providers that offer both voice and data
services. Additionally, the BillPlex solution will be deployed as part of
BusinessEdge's velOSSity.com, an e-business and OSS integration center.
The alliance aims at providing a flexible solution that offers support for
voice, complex data and IP usage-based services.
Solunet And MCK Ally For Remote Voice Solutions
Solunet, Inc., a value-added network integrator, announced an alliance
with MCK Communications, a provider of remote voice and access products.
The company said that it will add MCK Communications' complete line of
remote voice solutions to its network solutions. Solunet said that it sees
an increased demand for telephony-based converged network technologies,
and the addition of MCK's products will enable it to leverage the
technology for its increasing services for the CLEC industry and offer
expanded voice, broadband and IP-centric technologies.
FirePond Forms Alliance With Akamai
FirePond, a provider of integrated e-business sales and marketing
solutions, announced a strategic alliance with Akamai Technologies, Inc.
Akamai provides services for the delivery of Internet content, streaming
media and applications. Under the terms of the agreement, FirePond and
Akamai will offer interactive selling solutions for business-to-business
e-commerce. FirePond customers can elect to take advantage of Akamai's
FreeFlow Internet content delivery capabilities without modifying their
Web sites. The addition of FreeFlow to its application suite is intended
to allow FirePond customers to deliver authenticated and streaming media
to end users and enhance the online experience.
CSI Forms U.S. Subsidiary
Convergent Software Limited, of Bangalore, India, announced the formation
of a U.S. subsidiary, Convergent Software, Inc. Convergent Software is a
provider of software development service and solutions, including, IT
strategy, customer and package software deployment and network integration
services. The subsidiary is headquartered in Garland, Texas, under the
stewardship of Robert Berman, president of North American operations.
iSKY Opens Center In Oregon
iSKY announced that it will open a new customer contact center in Bend,
Oregon. The facility, scheduled to open at the end of March 2000, can
accommodate about 900 workstations and is equipped with Windows-based
customer interaction software and computer-telephony technologies. The
Bend location is iSky's fifth communications center. Each center provides
support through telephone, VoIP, Web-based chat, data-form sharing, e-mail
and fax interactions.
Synergy Opens In Phoenix
Synergy Solutions, Inc., a provider of outsourced customer contact
solutions, recently opened its first contact center in Phoenix, Arizona.
The 200-seat center currently implements outbound teleservices and
customer acquisition programs, with future plans to expand into Web-based
customer contact and support. The center expects to employ up to 500
customer contact representatives.
InfoCision Expands Clarksburg Facility
InfoCision Management Corporation opened its second call center in
Clarksburg, West Virginia. InfoCision said that the center effectively
doubles the size of its Clarksburg operations. The company provides in-
and outbound marketing services for commercial and nonprofit
organizations.
ICT Creates E-Solutions Subsidiary
ICT Group, Inc. announced the incorporation of iCT Connected-Touch.com, a
wholly owned subsidiary formed to provide interconnected solutions and
consistent service levels across all customer communication points. The
subsidiary's e-solutions are intended to maximize CRM for
business-to-business and business-to-consumer e-business sales and service
operations. iCT ConnectedTouch.com will focus on supporting newly
established e-commerce companies, Internet support service providers and
traditional direct marketing service companies that have added an Internet
channel for sales and services.
Business Response Expands St. Louis Operations
Business Response, Inc., a teleservices company headquartered in St.
Louis, Missouri, expanded two of its St. Louis area call centers, adding
120 employees and beginning a technology upgrade at both facilities. The
company said that the expansion and upgrade are intended to handle
increased volumes of activity its clients are expected to generate this
year.
Millennium Celebrates Arrival In Ohio
Millennium Teleservices opened a call center in Wellston, Ohio. This, the
28th center for the company, is part of its planned 40 percent expansion
for 2000. Millennium Teleservices also announced the March opening of its
Central City, Kentucky call center, which expects to employ about 200
telephone and e-commerce representatives.
Gemma Launches Toronto Call Center
Gemma Communications, Inc. launched a new telecommunications firm in
Toronto, Ontario, Canada that will offer outsource call center solutions.
The company said that its call center is supported by a six-server
computer-telephony integration configuration and fully digitized
voice-logging capability and handle both inbound and outbound calls. Gemma
Communications indicated that its initial market focus is directed at
national and international corporations having large in-house customer
service call center operations and established outsource call center
budgets.
|