September 2000
MyHelpDesk Launches Customized Self-Help Solution
MyHelpDesk, Inc., a self-help content provider delivering
e-support infrastructure, announced FirstHELP, a custom technical support
self-help offering for corporate customers. With live help desk support
costs increasing, Web-based computer support is becoming an increasingly
important alternative for corporations. Designed around the content and
extensible architecture of the MyHelpdesk.com consumer site, FirstHELP is
intended to deliver a Web-based solution with personalized self-help
content and a simple interface that leads users to the most efficient
resolution of their individual technical support situation. FirstHELP is
designed to provide a single "first place to go" resource that
streamlines technical support, making it more cost-effective for
corporations and less frustrating for individual corporate users. Among
its features are: Web-based directories, including vendor information,
expert sites, FAQs, links to upgrades and patches and virus definitions;
plug-and-play architecture; user session tracking; mass user registration;
relevancy feedback (for tracking user activity in aggregate); prepackaged
customization tools for helping with content and resource authoring and
adding internal or external promotional content to the service; and
universal log-in, providing access to all support services without
additional passwords or information. FirstHELP's self-help content resides
in an XML server that operates with corporate resources in a
standards-based format. Corporate customers may either license selected
product directories for integrating directly into an internal support
portal or deploy under an ASP option in which MyHelpDesk hosts FirstHELP
and manages the customer's support portal and the links into additional
corporate support content and resources.
No. 510, www.ccsmag.com/freeinfo
Cahoots Presents Interactive Web Site Solution
Cahoots Inc. launched Cahoots for Sites, a solution for live Web
site-to-visitor interaction and online customer service developed to
enable Web site staff to greet, talk to and assist visitors and customers
in real-time as they browse or shop at a Web site. Providing access to the
Cahoots Live Web-Wide Communications Network, Cahoots for Sites is
designed as an affordable and easy-to-implement service that offers a
combination of site-to-visitor communications, including voice over IP,
threaded-text, instant messaging, information posting, discussion
moderation, community management functions and guided Web tours. Deploying
Cahoots for Sites requires no changes to Web sites. The company said the
solution is intended as a less expensive alternative to traditional phone
support and Web-based alternatives, such as an automated, self-service
customer care model. It requires no coding or modifications to Web sites
or IT systems that deploy the product. Site representatives and
visitors/customers can utilize Cahoots communications over a 28.8Kbps
(minimum) modem connection. Cahoots for Sites features a "Site
Rep" icon that identifies the official Web site representatives to
Cahoots users. Web sites that deploy the solution can give their customers
and visitors real-time assistance using any of its communication tools as
well as read, post and reply to notes in their site-specific Cahoots
"Info Center." A Site Rep can simultaneously speak to several
visitors in a group voice conversation while sending instant messages to
other users and issuing broadcast announcements to all site visitors. Web
site staff can interact with any site visitor using Cahoots free end-user
software, Cahoots 1.5 for Windows PCs. Web sites can make it available via
a Cahoots download button on their site. The software downloads and
installs in minutes and allows Web users to communicate live with site
representatives and other Cahoots end users at any site on the Web.
No. 511, www.ccsmag.com/freeinfo
KnowEx Launches CRM Solution For Online Business
KnowEx Solutions, Inc., an electronic customer relationship
management (eCRM) solution provider for B2B and B2C e-commerce companies,
announced the launch of KnowEx 2.5, an application designed to bring
real-time, enterprise-level customer service to all customer-oriented
businesses. KnowEx 2.5 engages customers in real-time conversations with
instant answers and guidance in helping them purchase products or
services. The solution is designed to make e-commerce user-friendly and
provide a smart "updateable on-the-fly" database, allowing for
customer or client interaction in real-time and the potential for
immediate upsells. KnowEx 2.5 works with clients' existing databases and
analyzes that information to fit the online customer. It offers secure
text messaging, streaming audio/video and push technology capabilities.
The technology is HTML-based and allows multimedia to be pushed directly
to customers' desktops without the need for additional installations or
downloads.
The company also unveiled KnowEx Wireless, what it terms a mobile CRM
solution for the wireless Internet appliance market. The solution is meant
to provide instant customer service and content streaming to any handheld
device or mobile phone over the Internet. Communication consists of chat
or the streaming of content, forms or images from handheld to
handheld/non-handheld device (e.g., Palm-to-Palm, handheld to mobile
phone) or handheld to desktop PC. KnowEx Wireless eliminates the
incompatibilities between these devices, uses the Internet as a
communication tool and intelligently detects the appropriate protocol and
platform of the mobile device for seamlessly managing communication
between them. The company said the solution has all of the features of
KnowEx 2.5.
No. 512, www.ccsmag.com/freeinfo
Quadstone Delivers Predictive Behavior Analysis Solution
Quadstone, a provider of customer behavior modeling and predictive
marketing software and services, recently unveiled the Quadstone System
3.0 business-user software for predictive marketing. The Quadstone System
is designed to enable marketers to deliver predictive analysis of customer
behavior across all marketing channels and CRM systems. The release fully
integrates all Quadstone software and applications into a single package
to provide marketers and business analysts with a complete view of
customer behavior across all online and offline channels. The Quadstone
System allows users to develop strategic marketing campaigns to strengthen
and grow their customer relationships and offers an easier to use
alternative to highly technical or statistical systems that require
specialized users and may be too slow or inflexible to support a rapid
business change. Quadstone System 3.0 enhancements include cross-channel
view of customer behavior, improved performance and scalability,
Java-based client interfaces and XML, enhanced compression technology,
customer behavior prediction applications and Web-specific analysis of
online customers (including WebMaps to view online behavior on a map of
the Web site).
No. 513, www.ccsmag.com/freeinfo
GN Netcom Unveils Amplifier For Lucent Phones
GN Netcom, Inc., a designer and manufacturer of telephone
headsets, voice input devices and related products, introduced its new
L8464 amplifier, a line-powered amplifier designed exclusively for Lucent
Technologies' 8400 and 6400 digital telephones. As the call center
industry has moved from line-powered to digital telephony equipment, the
new digital systems have typically lacked the necessary voltage to drive a
headset amplifier. The L8464 amplifier achieves the same levels of
performance as traditional AC and battery-powered amplifiers, is
compatible with any GN Netcom brand headset and is equipped with an
integrated "supervisor" cord that enables a manager to plug in a
second headset whenever required. The new amplifier can be driven off
digital network power (utilizing existing line voltage). The L8464
amplifier is available through GN Netcom distribution partners.
No. 514, www.ccsmag.com/freeinfo
Davox Releases Ensemble 2.0
Davox Corporation, a developer of customer contact solutions,
announced Ensemble 2.0, a multichannel customer interaction suite intended
to help companies optimize customer interaction value. Besides integrated
inbound and outbound telephone contact management, the latest release
offers features including fully integrated e-mail response management;
multimedia agent desktop; multimedia management reporting that provides
single view, real-time activity monitoring; Web callback and multisite
call management. Davox planned limited customer installations during the
third quarter of this year, with greater availability in the fourth
quarter. Ensemble's modular architecture is designed to allow companies to
install only the functionality they need in the present and add additional
functionality as required. Also, it is designed to integrate with other
CRM technologies (ACDs, IVRs and front- and back-office automation
applications).
No. 515, www.ccsmag.com/freeinfo
Avaya Launches CRM Desktop Software
Avaya, a provider of communications systems (and Lucent Technologies'
former Enterprise Networks Group to be spun off later this year),
introduced CRM Agent Access, part of its CRM Solutions offerings, which
comprise systems software and professional services. The software solution
includes a package of CTI-enabled capabilities designed to help customer
contact agents provide more timely and efficient service. CRM Agent Access
is available in three configurations, allowing enterprises to choose the
features that fit their needs and provide for future migration to more
sophisticated capabilities as their requirements grow. CRM Agent Access
Basic delivers "screen pop" features for displaying customer
information and a "soft phone" provision that provides telephone
capabilities (such as sending, holding and transferring calls) through
agents' computer screens. CRM Agent Access Expanded offers task automation
features, expanded screen pop that allows data transfer along with voice
calls and a choice of soft phone interfaces. CRM Agent Access Expanded can
also automatically e-mail correspondence and surveys to customers based on
outcomes of customer interactions. CRM Agent Access Routing, based on a
range of information sources and business rules, makes call routing
decisions. CRM Agent Access resides on a Microsoft Windows NT Server and
works in conjunction with Avaya's DEFINITY Communications Server, CentreVu
Computer Telephony Server and CONVERSANT Interactive Voice Response
System. It supports application interfaces (including TCP/IP, DDE, MAPI,
OLE and HTML) that help gather and present customer information from a
variety of data sources.
No. 516, www.ccsmag.com/freeinfo
CustomerAssistance.com Offers eCRM On ASP Model
CustomerAssistance.com, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of APAC
Customer Services, Inc., announced it has entered the Application Service
Provider (ASP) marketplace, providing its base of outsourced electronic
customer relationship management and traditional clients with additional
customer care options. Under the new model, CustomerAssistance.com will
offer its multimedia-based eCRM platform, e.PAC, as a stand-alone
solution. e.PAC is a multichannel integrated platform that provides
clients with a suite of interaction capabilities, such as telephony,
e-mail, IVRU, collaboration, form sharing, Web chat, voice over IP, Web
personalization, self-service, CRM and case management. Through the ASP
model, CustomerAssistance.com allows companies to deploy a fully featured
customer interaction center without the costs associated with development,
maintenance and support of a comprehensive integrated technology solution,
and as an alternative to an outsourced customer interaction center. The
company has built a pipeline for similar ASP business solutions across
numerous vertical sectors, including financial, business-to-business and
retail.
No. 517, www.ccsmag.com/freeinfo
MessageMedia Presents MessageCenter 2.0
MessageMedia Inc., a furnisher of strategic messaging solutions
and services, announced the release of MessageCenter 2.0, a Web-based
messaging foundation designed to standardize access to features and
functions for MessageMedia messaging clients. MessageCenter 2.0 provides a
new architecture, easy-to-use Web interface, campaign management support
and a suite of robust reporting capabilities. The interface allows users
to easily control user access and permissions, create and edit messages,
select target audiences, define response-tracking parameters, perform test
mailings, schedule mailing events for release and view activity reports
from any Internet-connected computer. MessageCenter 2.0 supports result
reporting using an enterprise information portal that provides dynamic,
self-service access to messaging information. The enterprise information
portal allows MessageMedia to create a flexible, secure infrastructure for
personalized, self-service access to the wide-range of structured and
unstructured information required by users. MessageCenter 2.0 is available
now to users of MessageMedia's outsourced messaging services. Additional
features and functionality will be added as released.
No. 518, www.ccsmag.com/freeinfo
Pipkins Releases Vantage Point Customized Interface
Pipkins, Inc., a supplier of workforce management software,
announced Vantage Point, an enhancement to the company's Maxima Advantage
workforce management product. Vantage Point, a fully integrated feature of
Maxima Advantage, is available as an upgrade for existing Maxima Advantage
customers. It is geared to enable companies to tailor Maxima Advantage's
feature set to each user's unique set of recurring tasks. Users see only
the custom features that have been configured for them, making the
application match their job description. Instead of the traditional
toolbar, the user sees a personalized "task" bar consisting of
icons that represent only the tasks defined by (or for) the user. Vantage
Point "memorizes" the sequence of commands for recurring tasks,
enabling the user to enter only variable data, such as dates. The icons
call the related functions in the software, releasing the user from having
to navigate through a complicated series of steps each time a recurring
task is performed. Maxima Advantage's security module enables the product
to "follow" the user's log-on I.D., so they can access their
customized interface at any workstation location. Rather than have to
learn a complete software package, the new user simply becomes familiar
with the graphical task set of the previous user (their Vantage Point).
Pipkins has designed Vantage Point to allow for detailed descriptive
labels to be assigned to each icon. These labels can tell the user not
only what the assigned task is, but also why it is done and when to do it.
No. 519, www.ccsmag.com/freeinfo
Dialogic Launches Reciprix Messaging
Dialogic Communications Corporation, a call processing and
interactive notification technology provider, recently launched Reciprix,
a corporate messaging system designed to allow users to send electronic
messages to various devices, immediately receive replies and capture
responses into a database for analysis. Reciprix allows managers to survey
employees, conduct customer satisfaction polls and relay important
information to personnel or other groups. The message recipient can be
reached via cell phone, voice phone, PC, pager or fax and respond
instantly via e-mail, Web or phone. The recipient chooses how to receive
messages based on his or her schedule and available communication devices.
DCC has worked closely with its partner, Microsoft Corporation, to develop
the messaging system. Reciprix is based upon the Microsoft BackOffice
family and is used by enterprise-level organizations that utilize
Microsoft Outlook 2000 on the Microsoft Windows NT operating system. A
typical configuration of Reciprix involves four servers: the Microsoft
Exchange Server 5.5 as the core messaging platform, the Microsoft SQL
Server 7.0 as a central data store, the Reciprix Server for routing and
converting messages to the appropriate media and the communications server
with Reciprix Event Server software providing fax, page and voice
gateways.
No. 520, www.ccsmag.com/freeinfo
AliMed Issues Ergonomics Catalog, Enhances Online Store
AliMed, Inc., a manufacturer and supplier of ergonomic and medical
products, recently published the second edition of its Ergonomics Catalog.
The 148-page catalog features keyboards and trays, workstations, chairs,
office accessories and ergonomic tools. It includes two special sections:
one offers products aimed at compliance with the Americans with
Disabilities Act and the other features personal comfort solutions. The
company also announced that it has doubled the online offerings at its
alimed.com Web site and reconfigured the site to streamline users'
searches. Products can be searched by product category, body symptom and
by keyword. The site features a new Computer Ergonomics store that offers
hundreds of computer workstation accessories. AliMed launched three
additional stores at the site: Industrial Health and Safety, ADA
Accommodation and Home Office Comfort. Over 1,200 products from more than
200 manufacturers are offered. Products range from office ergonomics to
diagnostic imaging equipment.
No. 521, www.ccsmag.com/freeinfo
AttiTubes For Attitude Enhancement
Plantronics, Inc., a provider of communications headsets,
announced a new line of accessory color voice tubes, called AttiTubes, for
Plantronics call center headsets. AttiTubes are available in five colors:
Outrageous Orange, Serene Green, Passion Pink, Cool Blue and Peaceful
Purple. Color-coded voice tubes also provide agents with a reminder to
regularly change and replace their voice tubes. Plantronics recommends
that voice tubes be changed every six months to ensure optimum
performance. AttiTubes are available in two sizes for compatibility with
Plantronics' most popular voice tube-equipped headsets. The familiar clear
voice tubes are also still available.
No. 522, www.ccsmag.com/freeinfo
CAS Expands Phone Appending Services
CAS Inc., a provider eCRM services and tools and fulfillment and
marketing services, announced it has expanded and improved its phone
number and reverse phone number appending product lines. The company has
enhanced its proprietary confidence level matching algorithms to work on
business phone numbers as well. Clients can send their business files to
CAS and receive back detailed analysis that shows the quality of each
phone number matched. Also, CAS can append necessary demographics to each
record (SIC codes, sales volume, employee count, etc.). CAS said it has
improved overall match rates in its existing consumer phone appending
services by 15 to 20 percent by combining two leading compiled consumer
files into one master file called ConsumerVision. This has enabled CAS to
expand the product from household only matches into individual by
individual matching; a new method of processing that has shown
consistently higher match rates.
No. 523, www.ccsmag.com/freeinfo
Philips Introduces SpeechMania 2000
Philips Speech Processing, a supplier of speech recognition,
natural dialog and language understanding technologies, announced the
availability of SpeechMania 2000, the company's advanced speech
recognition platform. Based on Philips' TrueDialog technology, SpeechMania
is designed to allow callers to speak naturally, ask questions and express
themselves in their own words without being limited by a system's script.
The product supports mixed-initiative dialogs in which the caller, not the
system, controls the dialog: the caller can make a simple request and the
system will prompt for more details, or the caller can make a complete,
complex request in one statement or question. SpeechMania 2000 includes an
improved recognizer that incorporates improved tone recognition for the
support of Asian languages like Mandarin and Cantonese. Other features
include support of Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) alarming for
network platform management in large-scale installations, a SAPI-compliant
text-to-speech interface, evaluation support for Microsoft Windows 2000
and compatibility with all SpeechMania99 applications.
No. 524, www.ccsmag.com/freeinfo
InterVoice-Brite's InnerView Global Debuts
InterVoice-Brite, Inc., a furnisher of value-added solutions for
enterprises and telecommunications service providers, introduced InnerView
Global, a graphical reporting tool designed to collect and summarize
statistics on all call activity of InterVoice-Brite interactive voice
response (IVR) systems. The next generation in the InnerView product line,
it can track activity on multiple network systems and generate individual,
regional or companywide reports on any user-defined basis. InnerView
Global's features include Web-based access for remote users, scheduled
distribution of reports via e-mail and an event reporting option that
enables flexible, customized tracking of activities related to calls
handled by the IVR. Event reports include summaries of caller account
numbers, after-hours calls and calling card usage. The product is equipped
with text-based standard report formats. Collected data can also be
presented as custom, user-defined graphical charts or exported as
electronic files. The company also offers InnerView Local, designed for
companies with smaller IVR systems.
No. 525, www.ccsmag.com/freeinfo
Altitude Software, Inc. named Steve Holmes vice president
of sales for North America. Holmes was previously vice president of global
sales and service for Rockwell Electronic Commerce.
Market USA, Inc. named Dennis Yanez as vice president of
e-commerce, sales and marketing. Yanez will focus on transforming Market
USA's operations from a traditional call center into a multimedia customer
care provider in the e-commerce arena. Yanez comes to the company from The
Faneuil Group, where he oversaw the management of customer satisfaction
and consumer affairs programs for its clients.
Avaya Inc., formerly Lucent Technologies' Enterprise Networks
Group, announced key senior executives and leadership team. Henry B.
Schacht, former chairman and CEO of Lucent Technologies, was named
chairman of the new company. Donald K. Peterson, previously
executive vice president and CFO of Lucent, is president and chief
executive officer. Homa Firouztash was appointed chief operating
officer. He was most recently president of worldwide sales for Lucent's
microelectronics group. Karyn Mashima, of Lucent's Enterprise
Networks Group, assumes responsibilities as vice president of global
strategy and technology. Ravi Sethi, former senior vice president
of communications science research at Bell Labs, was named vice president
of research. Garry K. McGuire was appointed chief financial
officer. McGuire was previously president and chief executive officer of
Williams Communications Solutions, LLC. David P. Johnson, former
vice president of international sales with Lucent's Enterprise Networks
group, will serve as vice president of worldwide sales. Dana Becker
Dunn was named vice president of transition operations and leads the
transition planning in preparation of the spin off from Lucent. Michael
A. Dennis is vice president of U.S. services, with responsibilities
for overall services business, including installation, maintenance and
service offerings. Pamela F. Craven was named vice president,
general counsel and corporate secretary. Craven was previously vice
president of law and corporate secretary at Lucent. Maryanne DiMarzo
was appointed vice president of human resources. She was formerly vice
president of Lucent's corporate center's human resources. Steve
Aaronson becomes vice president of Communications. His most recent
position was vice president of provider networks public relations with
Lucent.
Hipbone, Inc., a provider of real-time Web interaction
solutions, announced the appointment of Robert Ehlers to the
position of vice president of technology operations. Ehlers joins Hipbone
from Inktomi, where he served as vice president of information technology.
CyberRep.com, a supplier of electronic customer relationship
management (e-CRM) services, named Linda Bailie as senior vice
president of business development. Bailie will concentrate primarily on
opportunities within the e-commerce and financial services markets. She
was most recently with Optima Direct, Inc.
ASC Telecom, L.P., a provider of digital recording and
communications solutions, announced that Richard D'Aprix has joined
the company as director of global alliances. He was most recently with
Pitney Bowes Management Services where he promoted outsourced facilities
management and applied value solutions.
Ken Rowen was appointed vice president of sales for Pathnet,
a provider of competitive local access services and high-capacity digital
transport services. Rowen will lead the team responsible for integrating
CLECs, Regional Bell Operating Companies and independent telephone
companies into the Pathnet network in under-served regions of the United
States. Most recently, Rowen was a senior executive with Citizens
Communications. Terry Sonderup, formerly director of project
management, was promoted to vice president of construction for the
company.
Shoreline Communications, a supplier of enterprise-class IP
voice communication systems, announced the appointment of Cosmo L.
Nista as chief financial officer and vice president of finance. He was
most recently controller of IBM Global Services in Asia.
NetSat Express, a provider of Internet services via satellite
and a subsidiary of Globecomm Systems Inc., announced that Steven
Sweeney has joined the company as vice president of content delivery
services. Sweeney, formerly with Cidera, Inc. and Loral Space &
Communications Ltd., was an early-stage pioneer in the evolution of
content delivery networks over satellite and setting up the industry's
first international caching network.
Samuel Morris, Jr. was appointed senior vice president and
general counsel of Digital Access, Inc., a broadband digital
communications company. Morris was previously senior vice president and
general counsel for Lenfest Communications Inc. Josephine Young was
named chief technology officer of the company. Young was most recently
vice president of IT applications, development and integration at Nextlink.
BTI, a provider of integrated communications services, promoted Liz
Crabill to vice president and associate general counsel. Prior to
joining BTI in 1997, Crabill practiced law with the Raleigh, North
Carolina office of Brooks, Pierce, McLendon, Humphrey and Leonard, LLP.
Cell-Loc Inc., developer of the Cellocate family of wireless
location products, announced several appointments to its management team. Lew
Turnquist, currently executive vice president, was named chief
operating officer. Peter Allen was appointed vice president of
business development and sales. Prior to joining Cell-Loc, Allen was a
founder of Saraide Inc. and served as its vice president of services
marketing. Claudio Rodrigues was appointed vice president of
marketing. Rodrigues brings 12 years of marketing and consumer
brand-building experience to the company. Jim George, Cell-Loc's
vice president of business development, was named vice president of
geomatics, where he will be responsible for developing new and innovative
wireless positioning techniques. Ned Benner, acting vice president
of deployment, was made vice president of deployment. Prior to joining
Cell-Loc in January 2000, Benner was with TELUS Mobility Inc. Ora
Zabloski, formerly vice president of people and corporate resources at
FutureLink, was appointed vice president of people.
Artisoft Inc., a developer of software-based phone systems,
announced that its board of directors has appointed Steve Manson as
president and chief executive officer (CEO). Manson was formerly
Artisoft's general manager and senior vice president.
ECI Telecom Ltd., a provider of integrated network solutions for
digital communications and data transmission systems, announced the
appointment of Hezy Lapid to president and CEO of its wholly owned
subsidiary, InnoWave ECI Wireless Systems Ltd. He returns to ECI Telecom
following a brief interval as general manager of Mer Industries Ltd. Lapid
has been with ECI Telecom since 1991, and was formerly corporate vice
president and general manager of the network systems strategic business
unit.
APAC Customer Services, Inc., a provider of customer
relationship management solutions, announced three appointments. Jack
Johnsey was named vice president of customer care sales. Johnsey was
most recently senior sales director at Hyperion Solutions. Dennis
Robinson joins as vice president of its wholly owned subsidiary, CustomerAssistance.com,
where he will lead the development and expansion of the company's eCRM
Customer Interaction Center's software and data products. Prior to his
appointment, Robinson was vice president of engineering at eSHARE
Technologies. Lori Stimac was named director of sales for
CustomerAssistance.com. Stimac comes to APAC from Compuware, where she
held senior sales and management positions.
Servicesoft, Inc., a provider of intelligent eService solutions,
announced that Massood Zarrabian was named president and chief
executive officer. Zarrabian, formerly Servicesoft's executive vice
president of product operations, replaces Christopher Butler who will be
leaving Servicesoft.
Motivation Online, a provider of Internet-based performance
management and improvement, announced the appointment of Richard
Blabolil to the position of vice president of sales. Blabolil was most
recently executive vice president of Marketing Innovators International,
Inc. Donna Chrobak was named director of client services, She
previously was with catalog retailer Spiegel where she managed its
corporate incentive business. James Purdy joins as vice president
of redemption services. Previously, Purdy was a senior vice president at
SHC Venture LLC and a senior vice president with S&H Citadel/Carlson
Marketing Group. Bruce Holding was appointed to the post of
director of performance services. He was previously director of business
development at Carlson Marketing Group.
Communications solutions provider Alliance Systems, Inc.
appointed Hans-Joachim Adler as vice president of European
operations. Adler will oversee Alliance's marketing and business
development in Europe. Prior to joining Alliance, Adler was an IT director
and senior consultant with Deutsche Bank.
MessageMedia Inc., a leading provider of e-messaging solutions
and services, named Prabhuling Patel general manager of its
strategic messaging services business. Patel most recently served as
president of telecommunications energy and cable group for Experian.
WebTelecom, an application service provider (ASP) that offers
Web-based live contact service, announced the appointment of Roger
Rydinski to vice president of operations. Rydinski was most recently
senior manager of IT development at Nextel Communications. John Graves
was named director of business operations. His prior position was project
engineer and senior business analyst with Cargill, Inc.
Ten Square, a telecommunications provider that broadcasts
interactive content through its Ten Square Digital Network, announced that
Gary L. Grant was named vice president of sales for the southern
region of the U.S. Prior to joining Ten Square, Grant served as senior
vice president of sales and client relations at IVI Checkmate.
Solant, Inc. (formerly Novazen), a provider of interactive
customer care and electronic bill presentment and payment solutions,
announced the appointment of Robert Ford as vice president of
business development. Prior to joining Solant, Ford was vice president of
business development-Europe, for MediaOne International, where he was
responsible for cable/telephony and wireless communications development
activities.
CenturyTel, Inc., an integrated communications services
provider, appointed Karen Puckett executive vice president and
chief operating officer. Puckett joins CenturyTel from BroadStream
Communications.
Daleen Technologies, a provider of e-business solutions,
announced an expansion to its management team. Steve Wagman,
Daleen's executive vice president of corporate development and corporate
secretary, was named CFO and treasurer. Rick Schell was appointed
executive vice president, overseeing investor relations and business
development activities. Schell joined the company in 1994 as chief
financial officer. Jean Prayther has joined the company as vice
president of accounting. She was most recently with KPMG LLP and serves on
the board of the Technology Forum of South Florida. Lazarus Rothstein
was appointed general counsel and vice president of legal affairs.
Rothstein brings to the post 17 years of experience in the areas of
licensing, intellectual property protection, SEC compliance and mergers
and acquisitions
IdentityNow, an outsourced provider of programs for corporate
branded merchandise and promotional products, appointed Donald B.
Berryman chief executive officer. Berryman's most recent position was
senior vice president of APAC Customer Services. The company also named George
M. Hare as chief financial officer. Hare was a vice president of ADT
Security Services and is a partner with Tatum Partners, LLP.
Call Sciences, Inc., a unified telecommunications management
service provider, named Rajan Mathews chief financial officer.
Prior to joining Call Sciences, Mathews was president and CEO of
AT&T's cellular joint venture in India.
Informix Software Corporation, a provider of software
infrastructure solutions for the Internet, announced that Informix board
member Peter Gyenes was appointed chief executive officer. Gyenes
was chairman, president and CEO of Ardent Software, Inc. prior to
Informix's acquisition of Ardent in March 2000. Gyenes succeeds Jean-Yves
Dexmier.
Vroom Technologies, Inc., a software developer of sales and
marketing solutions for the telecommunications industry, announced the
addition of three executive positions. William Goodison joined the
company as senior vice president of sales and implementation. Goodison
comes to Vroom Technologies from J.D. Edwards & Company where he was
group vice president, industry sales and marketing. Wendy Larson
was named vice president of marketing. Larson was most recently vice
president of product management for connectivity and data center services
for Verio Inc. Valerie Finberg was appointed vice president of
business development. Finberg joins Vroom Technologies from The Management
Network Group where she served as director of market research and product
development. Lois Ellison, a company founder who has been vice
president for both marketing and product development areas, will
concentrate her efforts in product management and development. She reports
to company president and COO, Vic Ahmed.
Comverse To Acquire Exalink And SYBORG
Comverse Technology, Inc., a supplier of software and systems for enabling
network-based enhanced services, announced it had signed a definitive
agreement to acquire Exalink Ltd., a privately held firm specializing in
router-based WAP gateways and applications software for the delivery of
Internet-based services to wireless devices. Comverse said that it views
wireless Internet services as the largest growth area for the next several
years and that Exalink's router-based WAP gateway architecture holds
significant advantages over current proxy server designs. It said that the
router-based approach enables interoperability with other vendors' WAP
gateways, giving carriers the ability to offer enhanced mobile Internet
service without having to immediately abandon legacy, proxy server-based
WAP gateways. Comverse also announced an agreement to acquire SYBORG
Informationsystem GmbH, a developer of software-based digital voice and
Internet recording and workforce management systems for the German market.
The acquisition is part of its strategy to expand its business and
presence in both the German and Central European markets.
Bluestone Acquires Arjuna Solutions
Bluestone Software, Inc., a provider of business-to-Web and wireless
technologies, announced the acquisition of Arjuna Solutions Limited of
Newcastle, England. Arjuna specializes in standards-based, distributed
transactional and workflow software, and developed a commercial
transaction system using Java technology based on Sun Microsystems' Java
Transaction Service (JTS). Bluestone expects the acquisition to bolster
its Internet Operating Environment with an embedded, high-performance Java
Transaction Service. The Arjuna technology functions with virtually any
object request broker, Internet protocol, J2EE or EJB platform, operating
system, Java Virtual Machine, and compiler. JTSArjuna is approved by the
Object Management Group, an international software consortium responsible
for establishing distributed computing specifications. Bluestone intends
to also license this technology to third-party ISVs and systems
integrators to expand access to transactioning systems for Internet and
wireless applications.
BTI Buys Internet Solutions Firm
BTI, a facilities-based integrated communications provider,
acquired Max Commerce, Inc. The firm specializes in Web site design and
development, e-commerce integration, Internet marketing,
business-to-business collaboration and general consulting. BTI expects the
acquisition to strengthen its product set, bringing it closer to its goal
of being a total solutions provider for integrated communications
customers. The founders of Max Commerce, Steven B. Britton and Todd A.
Bone, as well as partner P. Gene Allen, will operate the company as a
business unit of BTI.
Heritage Completes Havenet Deal
Heritage Communications Corporation (HCC), a privately held
company and provider of carrier services and telephony platforms,
announced the acquisition of Havenet Internet Services, an Internet
service provider and Web site developer. The value of the deal was not
disclosed. The acquisition continues the diversification of HCC's service
offerings and network expansion to include data and video transmission and
emphasizing its voice over Internet Protocol network.
SBE Lands LAN
SBE, Inc., a supplier of specialized communications and networking
processing solutions, announced it is acquiring LAN Media Corporation (LMC),
a privately held firm specializing in high-performance wide area network
connectivity products for high-end multiprotocol routers, switches and
network servers. SBE said that LMC's technology is complementary to it
high-performance connectivity solutions and LMC's customer base should
provide many cross-selling opportunities. LMC founders Ron Crane and David
Boggs are the named inventors on numerous patents issued in the area of
networking systems. Dr. Boggs is the co-inventor (along with Bob Metcalfe)
of Ethernet. Ron Crane was part of the 3Com start-up team designing many
of 3Com's transmission system products. Ron Crane, as SBE's vice president
of WAN engineering, will direct the ongoing development of new WAN
connectivity technology.
Lucent Spin-Off Launches As Avaya
The Enterprise Networks Group soon to be spun off from Lucent
Technologies announced that it will be named Avaya, (pronounced uhv-EYE-uh)
Inc. As announced in March, Lucent expects to complete the spin-off by the
close of the fourth fiscal quarter of 2000. Avaya will focus on enabling
enterprises to succeed in e-business by providing advanced communications
hardware, software and solutions. The company said it starts out well
positioned in messaging, structured cabling solutions, call centers and
voice communications systems, and for capitalizing on the growing market
for advanced enterprise communications products supporting e-business
solutions. Avaya also announced its management team (see the People
section for further information).
Rockwell Receives Patent For Web Callback Application
Rockwell Electronic Commerce, a provider of Web-enabled,
multimedia customer contact technology, announced it has patented and
holds exclusive rights to the underlying technology permitting Web-based
customers to make direct contact with call center representatives over the
Internet. When customers prefer to speak with a company representative,
they click the Web site's "Call Me" button. A prompt then comes
up, asking the customer to enter his or her name, phone number and a
convenient time to receive the call. The message is transmitted over the
Internet to an application that dials the customer's phone number at the
requested time and connects a service representative or sales agent with
the customer. Using a predictive dialer, if the application encounters a
busy signal, it redials the customer's number until it connects. Rockwell
Electronic Commerce is including the new patent in its patent-licensing
program.
AVT Provides Support For Cisco CallManager
AVT Corporation, a provider of e-information exchange solutions, announced
its CallXpress unified messaging solution now supports Cisco System's
CallManager v3.01. CallXpress completed a comprehensive series of tests
that resulted in the addition of the Cisco CallManager IP telephony
solution to the company's portfolio of supported PBXs and IP telephony
solutions. AVT said that support of Cisco's CallManager is an extension of
its commitment to bring enhanced IP telephony applications to the market.
This new support reduces the total cost of ownership for enterprises and
brings the enhanced communications tools for mobile professionals to Cisco
CallManager users.
Voice-Net Changes Name, Focus
Voice-Net announced its new identity as eGIX, a provider of integrated
communication services to both wholesale and direct-to-customer markets.
The name change reflects a transformation both for the company and the
dynamic marketplace, where telecom providers are upgrading their services
as convergent technologies strengthen and demand rises for unified
messaging. The new name foreshadows several new product offerings from
eGIX, in which messaging services (voice mail, fax and e-mail) converge
with infrastructure, such as one-number phone connections, Internet
services, high-speed DSL access, long-distance and local exchange
services.
AT&T Invests In Speech Recognition Company
AT&T Corp. announced it has purchased a minority stake in SpeechWorks
International Inc., a provider of voice recognition solutions. AT&T
said that the investment is intended to improve its customer service and
connect its business more closely to the Internet. The company has
licensed SpeechWorks on a substantial number of its developing
technologies with the goal of turning them into products for improving the
customer experience. AT&T said it will also explore ways to
incorporate its technologies into an Internet voice portal that delivers
online content in voice rather than text.
Portal Connect Arises From EIS, Sets New Course
EIS International, Inc., a provider of telephony-based contact center
technology, and parent company SER Systeme AG, a European supplier of
document management systems and workflow solutions, announced a new
corporate identity and strategic direction for EIS. The company name has
been changed to Portal Connect, Inc. and will leverage EIS'
telephony-based roots and SER's Internet, content analysis and process
management technology to provide the market with turnkey business
interaction portal (BIP) solutions. The new organization will be
structured around two business units: the Portal Business Unit will
spearhead the development of the organization's multichannel BIP
solutions, while the Telephony Business Unit will enhance and support the
organization's telephony-based contact center solutions. Portal Connect
solutions will integrate the front office with the back office, and other
enterprise systems, to expedite service and deliver a
"one-call-does-it-all" transaction.
IEX Implements Customer Advocate Program
IEX, a Tekelec company and a provider of call center products,
announced the implementation of a new customer advocate program. IEX
customer advocates proactively develop close working relationships with
customers through regularly scheduled contacts. Customer advocates also
offer customers an alternative point of contact when they are unsure with
whom they need to speak about an issue. In addition to directing them to
the appropriate person, the advocate continues to act as a facilitator and
liaison, assisting the customer in working with other departments, helping
to ensure a satisfactory result and strengthening customer relationships.
Customer advocate reports are reviewed regularly by IEX top-level
management providing valuable insight on customer satisfaction levels as
well as many other aspects of the company's services and products.
Software911 Launches NASA Technology Into Cyberspace
Software911, Inc., a provider of Web-based communication and
knowledge management solutions for e-business, has adapted NASA technology
to replicate human dialog online, enhancing customer service and support.
Software911's eService Portals serve as a self-help inquiry management
tool, aiding online sales support and customer service by making expert
knowledge accessible to Web site visitors and knowledge workers. Based on
a complex language called CLIPS, a full-scale, rules-based system engine (WEXpert)
is used as the foundation for Software911's SuperFAQ. Originally developed
by Michael Compton, senior technologist at Software911, WEXpert is an
interactive online advisor accessible via the Web to multiple users.
Compton previously worked at the Artificial Intelligence branch at NASA's
Ames Research Center. Compton explained that "(U)sing NASA's CLIPS as
a starting point, I developed a new rules-based system for the Internet
(and) created a new programming language for CLIPS, similar to English,
that negated the need for cryptic code, which was originally required by
NASA. I built a system capable of retaining multiple user statuses, which
enables one inference engine to be simultaneously engaged in multiple
consultation sessions on the same subject." Software911's eService
Portals are designed to assist enterprises to alleviate heavy loads of
incoming e-mail and telephone calls. The portals organize knowledge-based
information into FAQs, documents, pictures, audio and video clips for easy
retrieval. Also, Software911 technology tracks and routes e-mail
inquiries, converts e-mail answers into new FAQs or documents and enables
management to accurately document how visitors are using a company's
Web-centric knowledge base.
Vision Changes Identity And Focuses On Wireless Market
Vision Software Inc., a producer of software solutions for the public
safety industry, renamed itself VisionAIR Inc. Seeking to capitalize on
the growing mobile commerce market, VisionAIR said it will build on the
wireless infrastructure it has developed for agencies and centers that
deliver mission-critical data to law enforcement officials and emergency
response teams. The company is beta testing its systems in several
industries employing mobile workforces. VisionAIR will focus on developing
an Internet-based suite of applications that facilitates the intelligent
delivery of information to interactive devices, including smart phones,
handheld computers, laptops, two-way pagers and other wireless equipment,
and is pursuing strategic alliances in a number of vertical markets.
VisionAIR also announced that Russell Akins, former vice president of
applications for BellSouth Corporation, has joined the company as its new
chief technology officer.
CD&R, Cisco Gain Majority Stake In Italtel
Telecom Italia, an international telecommunication company, announced that
an investor group led by Clayton, Dubilier & Rice, Inc. (CD&R) and
Cisco Systems will purchase approximately 80 percent of Italtel, Telecom
Italia's telecommunications switching equipment subsidiary. The investor
group also includes Advent International and Brera Capital. Italtel will
be an independent supplier of converged voice/data and network technology
to provide integrated multiservice solutions to customers. The new owners
plan to combine CD&R's business transformation experience and
operating skills, Cisco's Internet communications technology expertise and
Italtel's proven voice switching technologies and system integration
expertise to accelerate the development of Italtel into a leading provider
of network solutions for the convergence of voice, data and video to meet
growing global demand. The rapid increase in transmission of data over
voice lines in Europe has strained capacity and increased consumer
interest in voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) solutions. Upon completion
of the transaction, Charles P. Pieper, a principal of CD&R, will
become chairman of Italtel. Prior to joining CD&R, Pieper was
president and chief executive officer of General Electric's GE Lighting
Europe. Giovanni Barbieri, chief executive officer of Italtel, will
continue in his position. The transaction is expected to close in the
third quarter of 2000.
TDS Enters Joint Venture In Japan
TeleDevelopment Services, Inc. (TDS), a U.S.-based call center and
customer contact center consulting, training and recruiting company,
joined with Telemarketing Japan, Inc. (TMJ), an outsource provider of
customer contact and management services, to form TDS - Asia Pacific, Inc.
The joint venture will be headquartered in Tokyo, Japan and will provide
call center and customer contact center management consulting and training
services to both native Japanese corporations and multinational companies
with operations in Japan. Jon E. Kaplan, TDS' president and CEO, cited the
fact that the Japanese market presents many opportunities for growth as
the telephone and the Internet are becoming widely accepted mediums for
conducting business transactions and communicating in general. He said
that the Internet is rapidly changing how this traditional market does
business.
Marconi Uses Magic For Workflow Management
Magic Software Enterprises, a provider of state-of-the-art development
technology and business solutions, announced it has signed a deal with
Marconi Mobile to implement Magic eService, Magic's entirely Web-based,
enterprise-level customer service management system. Magic is working with
its U.K-based Magic Solutions Partner e-Carisma to customize and install
the solution across three divisions and 14 sites at Marconi. Marconi
Mobile, a Marconi plc business and a provider of high-performance
communications solutions for public and private networks, specializes in
the design, development and integration of private mobile and strategic
communications solutions. Among the workflow management needs being
addressed are the ability to prioritize service requests and direct them
to problem experts, time and level of service monitoring and management.
The resultant customization of the eService system is intended to provide
a service solution that is easily implemented, will streamline workflow
and ensure continued customer and employee satisfaction.
Artisoft Signs OEM Agreement For Distribution In Europe
Artisoft, Inc., a manufacturer of computer-telephony and communications
software solutions for small-to medium-size businesses, announced that it
has expanded its strategic partnership with ALR, Inc., a wholesaler of
information technology components and provider of systems integration
based in Lucerne, Switzerland. Under an OEM agreement, ALR will distribute
Artisoft's TeleVantage software-PBX in the Swiss and German markets. Under
the terms of the agreement, ALR will base its TeleVation product offering
on Artisoft's TeleVantage, and will buy a significant initial volume
purchase of licenses. ALR had previously sold the product under the
TeleVantage brand name. ALR TeleVation, the first Windows-NT/2000
server-based phone system in Swiss and German markets, debuted in March of
this year.
Lightning Rod Conducts Alliance In South Africa
Lightning Rod Software, Inc., a provider of real-time customer
interaction solutions for e-businesses, announced a business alliance
agreement with ATIO Corporation Pty LTD. Under the agreement, ATIO has the
exclusive right to sell, upgrade and support Lightning Rod Interaction
Manager in sub-Saharan Africa, including South Africa. ATIO is an
independent IT solutions and services provider based in South Africa with
an exclusive focus on the African market. Among ATIO's client base are
customers in the automotive, telecommunications and banking industries.
Lightning Rod said that the partnership will enable it to address the
increasing global demand for customer interaction solutions and help it
gain a larger share of the customer interaction and loyalty markets.
Telekom Austria Taps APEX/Cisco Solution To Improve
Customer Service
APEX Voice Communications announced that Telekom Austria has chosen an
APEX/Cisco solution for its Intelligent Multimedia IP (Internet Protocol)
Contact Center. The solution, designed to allow the contact center to
provide state-of-the-art directory assistance and improved customer care
services, consists of APEX Switch Managers, the Cisco Network Applications
Manager (NAM) component of the Cisco customer contact software platform
and Cisco VCO/4K switches. Through its integration with Cisco NAM, the
APEX Switch Manager will act as an Intelligent Peripheral/Network
Interactive Voice Response (NIVR) system within the Telekom Austria
network, providing network announcement services, network queuing, DTMF
digit collection and toll-free call holding and switching.
KnowEx Netalone In Hong Kong
KnowEx Solutions, Inc., a supplier of advanced eCRM solutions,
announced a partnership with Netalone.com Limited, a full-service ASP and
manager of vertical e-commerce and content portals in Hong Kong.
Netalone.com will offer KnowEx 2.5, an enterprise-level customer service
application, to its e-commerce customers. KnowEx said this positions it to
expand its solutions offerings in Asia.
CTS Spins CONNECTEL
CTS announced the spin-off of its call center/contact center
division as CONNECTEL Communications. Concurrent to the spin-off, a new
Web site has been launched at www.connectel.com containing detailed
descriptions of CONNECTEL's various outsourced call center services, which
include interactive media such as live chat, co-browsing, file and image
sharing, white boarding and form sharing.
MessageMedia Opens Chicago Sales Office
MessageMedia Inc., a strategic messaging solutions and services provider,
announced that it opened a sales and support office in Chicago to further
strengthen its presence in the domestic marketplace and to better support
its rapid sales growth in the Midwest. The company said a regional sales
presence is an element of its domestic growth strategy. MessageMedia
already has a regional office in New York and has plans to open a San
Francisco regional office in the third quarter of 2000.
Convergys Occupies Ft. Pierce
Convergys Corporation, a furnisher of outsourced, integrated
billing and customer care services, announced plans to open a contact
center in Ft. Pierce, Florida. Convergys expects to create approximately
1,000 jobs and operate 500 Web-enabled workstations in the 56,000
square-foot facility scheduled to open this month. The majority of new
jobs created in Ft. Pierce will be for technical support and customer
service representatives to handle incoming telephone inquiries,
troubleshoot hardware and software issues by telephone, provide e-mail
support and manage customer relationships for a manufacturer of personal
computers. This latest Florida site is in addition to the company's
facilities in Ft. Lauderdale, Jacksonville and Orlando. Convergys operates
41 contact centers and two data centers throughout the U.S., Canada,
Israel and in Europe.
TCIM Opens In Paris
TCIM, a provider of outsourced teleservices and direct marketing
support services, recently opened its 13th call center. The Paris, Texas
facility employs about 200 people with anticipated growth to 500
employees. Utilizing Lucent switching technology for inbound call
processing and Genesys software technology for interactive customer
support, the center offers outbound and inbound teleservices and customer
service as well as Internet connectivity for e-mail handling and customer
service.
Cisco, IBM Announce European Agreement
Cisco Systems, Inc. and IBM announced a European technology and
services initiative to jointly provide a comprehensive eCRM
infrastructure. The new infrastructure is expected to help businesses make
effective use of IT capabilities to build, manage and improve customer
relationships in an increasingly competitive e-business environment. The
initiative further extends the IBM/Cisco strategic alliance and represents
the first of a series of joint business ventures. A major part of the
initiative is the integration of both companies' CRM software products and
the combination of Cisco's infrastructure solutions and IBM's servers and
middleware. IBM's Global Services team will manage the Cisco/IBM solution
and will work with customers to design, manage and implement CRM projects.
Additionally, a joint European CRM facility was created in Weybridge, U.K.
The center demonstrates the companies' complementary skills and products,
particularly IP-enabled converged business applications that allow
customers to build contact centers based on Internet Protocol and
facilitates increased productivity.
Sagent And ESRI Ally To Offer Real-Time Web Access To
Customer Information
Sagent Technology Inc., a provider of real-time e-business
intelligence solutions, announced a strategic partnership with ESRI, a
supplier of geographic information systems (GIS) software, to deliver
real-time access to third-party content using Centrus Real-Time, Sagent's
Web-based information service. The integration of Sagent's service into
ESRI's business applications is expected to enable ESRI's customers to
improve customer service and reduce costs using accurate customer
information to conduct precise market analysis. Sagent said it will also
reduce the cost and time involved in "start-to-finish" GIS
projects that use spatial components, such as street addresses, ZIP codes,
product registration codes and geographic coordinates. This will enable
ESRI customers to improve their cross-sell and upsell campaigns,
one-to-one marketing and direct marketing programs. The Sagent solution
allows businesses to collect and analyze customer and operational data
from existing systems and to incorporate the most current geographic,
business-to-business and demographic information from third-party content
providers in real-time. This information is then made available over the
Web via a secure connection to create one-to-one marketing campaigns,
identify profitable sales opportunities and improve operational
efficiencies.
Chordiant And MarketFirst Ink Partnership Agreement
Chordiant Software, Inc., a provider of e-business infrastructure software
for customer interaction, has formed an alliance with MarketFirst, a
Web-based e-marketing solutions provider. The goal of the agreement is to
provide customers with the ability to combine customized interactive
marketing campaigns with customer interaction activity across multiple
communication channels, including the Web, e-mail, fax, telephone, retail
point of purchase branches and WAP-enabled devices. Both companies believe
that enterprises that implement their combined solution will be able to
present more personalized offers, present offers more timely and deliver a
unique selling proposition during each interaction. Both agree that this
allows e-businesses to increase their opportunities to enhance customer
loyalty and retention, and increase sales and improve customer lifetime
value.
SBC Distributes Locus' SpeechPortal Platform
Locus Dialogue Inc., a developer of speech recognition solutions, signed
an agreement with SBC Communications Inc., a provider of data
communications, for distribution of the Liaison module of the Locus
Dialogue SpeechPortal platform. A scalable and multilingual speech
recognition solution, typical applications of the Liaison solution include
'front-end' automated call direction, speech-activated internal
directories, call center routing, speech-activated dialing and the
provision of self-service information. The solution is compatible with
both digital and analog telephony systems. SBC's subsidiaries provide
local and long-distance phone service, wireless and data communications,
paging, high-speed Internet access and messaging, cable and satellite
television, security services and telecommunications equipment, as well as
directory advertising and publishing. The companies expect the partnership
to enhance SBC's communications solutions to its business customers and
provide Locus Dialogue with access and visibility in key U.S. markets.
Cell-Loc And InfoSpace Team For Location-Based Services
Cell-Loc Inc., a wireless location-based services provider, entered into
an agreement with InfoSpace, Inc., an Internet information infrastructure
services company. Under the agreement, the companies will integrate Cell-Loc's
wireless location-sensitive technology with InfoSpace's integrated suite
of e-commerce, communication and information services. The aim is to
enable delivery of services that are customized to a wireless device
user's exact geographical location, including traffic reports, directions,
comparison shopping, promotions from local merchants and local news and
information.
BoldFish And Banter Offer Online Communications
Solution
BoldFish, Inc., a developer of an outbound software platform for
high-volume e-mail distribution, and Banter Inc., a provider of online
customer care systems, announced a partnership offering an online
communications solution for outbound and inbound customer communications.
The partnership combines complementary solutions offering customers a
channel for personalized, large-volume communication without overwhelming
customer service groups. The combined solutions are designed to address
the transmission of personalized messages that are merged with customer
data that typically overloads SMTP servers and routing inbound traffic
quickly and precisely when customer response is high or includes a
free-form request. The companies said their solution will enable large
companies to reply to individual responses automatically or route to the
right person so that customers will get the information they need more
quickly and accurately.
FirePond And Cognos Partner For Interactive Selling
Platform
FirePond, Inc., a vendor of integrated e-business solutions for
multichannel selling, announced a partnership with Cognos Inc., a provider
of business intelligence solutions and services. The partnership expects
to furnish joint customers with a comprehensive interactive selling
platform for business-to-business e-commerce, incorporating end-to-end
enterprise business intelligence capabilities and supporting multichannel
sales and marketing strategies. FirePond's Application Suite is used to
create a personalized experience for each online customer and share the
information gathered from that interaction throughout the company. Cognos'
business intelligence solutions are used to coordinate decisions across
the extended enterprise. The companies said their complementary
technologies are intended to enable companies to implement and better
manage e-business initiatives across both e-commerce and traditional sales
channels.
WhiteCross, British Telecom Reach Accord For Data
Analysis
WhiteCross Systems, a provider of large-scale data analysis via the
application service provider (ASP) model, announced a two-year agreement
with British Telecommunications plc (BT) in which WhiteCross will leverage
its WX/ASP Service to host BT's data analysis and perform a regular series
of ongoing, complex analyses. WhiteCross will help BT identify and address
business challenges in areas such as pricing and market segmentation. The
WX/ASP is a complete service that provides software, servers and services
to perform extremely fast recalculation on detailed historical usage data.
Naviant Converges With Convergys For Enhanced CRM
Naviant Marketing Solutions, Inc., a provider of marketing solutions to
Web advertisers, Web publishers and consumer marketers, and Convergys
Corporation, a provider of outsourced, integrated, billing and customer
care services, entered into a contract and alliance. Under the agreement
Naviant will provide additional capabilities in the development of
Convergys' CRM suite of services and products. Convergys will also offer
other Naviant-targeted Internet solutions to its clients, such as its
suite of list services and targeting products, providing Naviant with a
new channel of distribution for its products and services. Naviant is now
supporting Convergys' Smart Contact System that customizes the end user's
experience within both traditional teleservices and customer service call
center channels as well as Internet channels. Through a Smart Contact Data
Warehouse designed and built by Naviant, Convergys will be able to predict
and profile customer behaviors, identify their propensity to buy and
target individual treatment of each customer when they communicate with
the contact center. As a result, Convergys is transforming its 41 call
centers into customer relationship-driven contact centers.
Artisoft, Hall-Mark, Compaq And Dialogic Team For CTI
Solution
Artisoft, Inc. and Hall-Mark Integrated Solutions (HMIS), an
electronic components and computer product distribution company, announced
a marketing alliance with Dialogic, an Intel Company, and Compaq Computer
Corporation to deliver an integrated, channel-ready computer-telephony
solution for small- to medium-sized businesses and corporate branch
offices. This solution combines the intelligence of Artisoft's TeleVantage
software-based phone system, open system hardware components from Dialogic
and the strength and reliability of Compaq's ProLiant family of Windows
NT/2000-based servers. The agreement is intended for providing resellers
and customers with a turnkey computer-telephony solution that is easy to
install, maintain, upgrade and integrate with other business
communications solutions. The bundled solution will be available this
quarter through Hall-Mark's network of value-added resellers (VARs) as
well as existing TeleVantage and Compaq dealers. The four companies will
provide joint channel development, technical training, high-level system
integration services and financial and marketing programs designed to help
data networking and telephony VARs grow their businesses. By bundling
TeleVantage's open, standards-based architecture with Compaq's ProLiant
servers, VARs can offer their customers a complete solution with the
advantages of low total cost of ownership, increased flexibility and
scalability, and simplified training and support.
GoAmerica With Plan B For Wireless Internet Services
Plan B Communications, a provider of integrated voice, data and Internet
services for business customers, announced an agreement with GoAmerica
Communications to offer wireless services and products to corporate
customers. The alliance marks Plan B Communications' entry into the
wireless arena and will allow the company to add remote Internet access
capabilities to the comprehensive suite of communications services and
management tools it offers to small and medium-sized businesses. Corporate
customers who sign on for wireless service will be able to receive and
respond to e-mail, browse the Web and access corporate data remotely,
using a variety of hand-held devices such as two-way pagers and PDAs.
GoAmerica's Go.Web technology compresses Internet data, giving users
real-time access to corporate e-mail, business information and Web content
including financial news, sports, weather and travel updates.
Apropos And Primus Deliver Multichannel eCRM Solution
Apropos Technology Inc., a supplier of multimedia interaction management
solutions for e-business applications, and Primus Knowledge Solutions,
Inc., a provider of eCRM software, announced a strategic alliance
agreement under which the companies will jointly market each other's
products. Apropos' Total Interaction Management solution combined with
Primus eServer and Primus eSupport are expected to provide a solution that
furnishes customers with accurate and timely self-service options, and
enables businesses to effectively manage "assisted service"
customer interactions across multiple communication channels through a
single visual multimedia queue.
Kovair Clicks On NaviSite For Hosting Customer
Relationship Platform
Kovair Inc., a maker of Web-based CRM solutions for mid- to large-size
companies, announced an alliance with NaviSite, Inc., a provider of
managed application hosting services. Kovair will leverage NaviSite's
hosting services to offer its comprehensive, Web-based
business-to-business relationship management platform, VIPCenter. The
solution is meant to provide one-stop access for strategic accounts and
partners to conduct business. Kovair said that, by delivering the solution
through NaviSite's ASP services, companies need not rely on an IT
department to set up the customer Extranet; a sales account representative
can set one up in a few minutes. It said that the Web-optimized technology
enables this level of simplicity and offers its clients an almost
immediate time-to-market.
BROKAT And Nortel Ally For Joint Solutions Offering
BROKAT Infosystems AG, a leading supplier of software solutions for secure
e-banking and e-business, and Nortel Networks Inc., a provider of
telephony, data, e-business and wireless solutions for the Internet,
signed a strategic agreement. The companies will provide joint solutions,
including BROKAT's Twister e-services platform and Nortel Networks'
Periphonics Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system, for integrating the
telephone with the Internet for Web-based customer self-service. By
implementing the solutions on one platform, the companies aim to make it
possible to apply common application logic for both service channels. This
should result in high flexibility and savings in the deployment and
maintenance of the application. The alliance is expected to allow both
companies to leverage existing relationships to pursue broader business
opportunities, given the complementary technologies involved, and provide
comprehensive, customer-centric e-business solutions.
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