Headlines
UniPress Software, Inc.
Launches FootPrints Version 4.5
UniPress Software, Inc.,
a provider of issue tracking and help desk software, has announced the
general availability of FootPrints v.4.5, the latest release of the
company's Web-based issue management solution. FootPrints 4.5 was designed
to help make it easy for users to expand their help desks into online
support centers and improve project workflow for a broad range of CRM,
development, consulting and sales activities. Version 4.5 has a number of
enhanced features for organizations to offer faster, easier customer
support online, including a live chat facility and remote control support.
The system now also offers integrated, two-way communication with wireless
PDA devices, extending the reach of the FootPrints solution beyond the
desktop browser to the wireless Web. FootPrints 4.5 also includes expanded
escalation features, the ability to sort FAQs by popularity and additional
customization, e-mail and reporting options. The new version offers
Instant Talk, a comprehensive live chat facility for FootPrints users to
exchange messages and troubleshoot problems with help desk technicians
live online in real-time. Users can send each other pop-up messages to
instantly discuss open projects and issues. Message alerts appear on the
recipient's screen as soon as they are sent, enabling technicians to
immediately address urgent problems or questions. FootPrints 4.5 also
supports a comprehensive remote control functionality, enabling help desk
agents and technicians to remotely connect to a customer's machine running
on any PC or UNIX platform, and directly access the system and all
applications to detect and resolve problems.
Vodavi Delivers IVR Applications Via The Web
Vodavi-CT, a wholly owned subsidiary of Vodavi Technology, Inc., a
provider of traditional and next-generation business telecommunications
solutions, has announced that it has successfully implemented several
Internet-based interactive Web response applications via its new
PathFinderIWR product. PathFinder Interactive Web Response is the newest
capability added to the NT-based PathFinder family of voice processing
products. PathFinderIWR gives businesses and call centers the opportunity
to take the next step in round-the-clock customer service by offering
enhanced Internet-based IVR applications. IWR technology allows access to
data across the Internet via standard Web browsers. PathFinderIWR allows
end users to save time by "visually" navigating the information
they need to process. By further automating routine queries, businesses
free employees to focus on more vital functions. The end user can conduct
self-service transactions using the computer in addition to the telephone.
A customer would log onto a company's Web site and choose a special link
that would connect him or her to the IWR system. The page maintains the
look and feel of the company's Web site while adding the abilities of the
IWR. All information submitted on the Web page is handled through Secure
Sockets Layer (or SSL), providing encryption and privacy for all
transactions. The Web pages are actually generated by the IWR server,
which passes requests to the Pathfinder via TCP/IP. Once the PathFinder
receives the information, its primary task is to act as a proxy server to
the ODBC-compliant database or host computer and communicate with it.
PathFinder poses the requested query to the database or host computer and
awaits a response to communicate back to the customer.
ProCure.com Releases Results Of Web-Based Order Management Survey
ProCure.com Inc., a provider of a hosted supplier enablement network that
empowers suppliers to connect to multiple procurement applications through
a single point of integration, has revealed survey results on the current
penetration of Web-based order management systems among U.S.-based Fortune
1000 companies. The survey was developed by ProCure and conducted in
conjunction with Leflein Associates, an independent market research firm.
The company surveyed top executives from 200 of the U.S.'s largest
manufacturers, retailers and wholesalers. Survey participants confirmed
that a significant portion of today's businesses still process the bulk of
their orders through traditional, manual processes such as phone (89
percent), fax (93 percent) and paper-based (69 percent) methods, despite
the availability of Web-based order management solutions. These
traditional methods account for 73 percent of all orders received. Survey
results indicate the existence of multiple integration barriers, which
include time and cost considerations, as well as a lack of
supplier-centric solutions, resulting in a shortage of end-to-end
integration in the market. The survey indicated that the most significant
considerations survey participants identified as critical integration
barriers included cost (63 percent) and time (52 percent), as well as
disruption to current business activities (39 percent). Other key issues
that were identified as severely impeding a supplier's entry into the
digital marketplace were the multitude of e-commerce standards that
suppliers must adhere to in order to launch an online order management
system and a shortage of viable, supplier-centric solutions. Survey
results indicate that even in those companies that have successfully
implemented electronic data interchange (EDI), which allows business data
to be communicated electronically, 70 percent reported they are still not
able to process an order without some form of human intervention along the
order lifecycle.
Ineto Introduces New Customer Communications Service
Ineto Inc., a customer communications service provider, has announced the
launch of the Ineto Service, the company's flagship service for
e-businesses that want to provide improved customer service by integrating
customer communications across multiple channels. The pay-as-you-go Ineto
Service offers integrated telephone, voice mail, e-mail, chat and CRM
applications in a browser-based service, helping eliminate the need for
onsite communications infrastructure. The service can be accessed from any
location with access to the Internet and a telephone, and can be up and
running within one day. Customers receive an allotted bank of toll-free
numbers from Ineto and a log-in password to a secure site, where any
customer-facing employee can log into the hosted Ineto service. All
customer contacts, including telephone calls, voice mail, e-mail and chat
sessions, are relayed to the right person within the company, regardless
of location.
eshare Releases Upgrade Of Chat Software
eshare communications Inc., a provider of customer interaction management
solutions, has announced the release of Expressions 4.3, an enhancement of
the company's chat product. Expressions is a turnkey solution for adding
chat, threaded discussion forums and online presentations to Web sites. It
enables businesses to conduct virtual meetings, live training and
conferencing, distance learning, moderated events and social chat, and
integrates with a company's existing software and services. Version 4.3
adds several new features, including the ability for administrators to
assign room-based control to agents, creating
"sub-administrators" who are allowed to handle many of the tasks
that need to be addressed but can often slow the global administrator.
Additionally, version 4.3 includes new features for chat interface
customization, forum postings, article searches and new configurations for
Java Light Chat.
ON!contact Software Launches Web-Based CRM Solution
ON!contact Software Corporation, a developer of CRM systems for mid-sized
companies, has announced a new product called eCMS. The company has
applied the same functionality of its Client Management Software (CMS) to
eCMS, a 100 percent Web-based CRM suite designed to fuse customer and
e-business strategies into a single application suite. eCMS aims to
streamline communication between a company and its employees, customers
and partners and, as a result, the product is comprised of three parts:
EmployeeNet, ClientNet and PartnerNet. EmployeeNet helps enable employees
to build relationships with customers and prospects by providing real-time
access to customer information through a Web browser. ClientNet taps the
Internet to give customers improved control over their relationships with
an organization. Customers can purchase products, research product
offerings and communicate with company employees through a Web site.
PartnerNet provides a way for a company's business allies to better manage
their customers, accounts and sales opportunities. eCMS can be accessed
through an organization's Web site, delivering a more consistent look and
feel for employees, customers and partners.
Minacs Launches Web-Enabled Contact Center Solution
Minacs Worldwide Inc., a CRM and e-customer outsourced solutions company, has launched its new
Web-enabled contact center solution. Minacs WebCentre is a modular suite
of Web-enabled services designed specifically for eCRM. The product
delivers live assistance via text chat, Web callback and scalability for
voice over IP. It also offers e-mail management capabilities and
intelligent routing, Web collaboration for better customer interaction and
enhanced e-commerce with secure links and credit authorization. Agents may
initiate contact with Web site visitors who meet a set of predefined
business rules, based on clickstream analysis or time spent on a specific
URL. Once a Web customer reaches the threshold of the predefined criteria,
an agent is automatically instructed to engage the customer by offering
assistance. The goal is to help clients streamline their Internet sales
process by providing immediate, personalized assistance and selling to
customers while they are on the company's Web site.
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