February 3, 1999

Siemens Makes Advanced Call Center Solutions Plug And Play

Siemens Information and Communication Networks unveiled ProCenter Express, a "plug and play" series of Siemens' most sophisticated call center offerings, scaled in functionality and complexity and at a fixed price to more closely meet the needs of growing call centers.

These packaged solutions can be implemented in two to four weeks and provide seamless, investment-protected migration to full-scale Siemens applications, making it easier for growing call centers to build a strong technology foundation for their long-term needs.

Four applications being introduced today as part of the ProCenter Express initiative include: ResumeRouting Express, a virtual group call routing suite; Prompt Response Express, a robust IVR application; Help Desk Express, a Remedy-based help desk application with screen pops; and ProCenter MX Email Express, an e-commerce application. All four solutions will be generally available in March.

"Growing call centers today face a difficult choice between selecting technologies that are appropriately priced and featured for current needs, and those that provide the best long-term foundation for increasingly complex customer interaction," said Phillip Meredith, vice president of global customer interaction solutions at Siemens.
"Call center customers now can look to Siemens earlier in their planning and development cycles for solutions that will fit both their immediate needs and long-term investment strategies. ProCenter Express delivers enduring technology foundations that are affordable and easily implemented."

ResumeRouting Express allows smaller call centers to take advantage of the productivity and quality-boosting effects of virtual group routing. This application includes a simplified version of virtual group routing, a complete historical and real-time reporting package, Siemens' unique skills-based forecaster/simulator, five supervisor desktops, tutorial CDs, all server hardware and software, and standard installation.

ResumeRouting's distributed architecture makes it easy to add additional capabilities, with the ResumeRouting Express server continuing to be utilized as the call center grows. By using the forecaster/simulator, growing call centers can easily anticipate the need for additional agents, skills, and routing criteria/features. The application, therefore, can expand incrementally with the changing needs of the call center, rather than forcing a complete overhaul of the vital call routing platform.

ResumeRouting Express can be fully implemented in two weeks, and is available at a list price of $39,000 for up to 35 users or $49,000 for up to 75 users. Agent desktops with screen pops and soft phones, and other additional features are also available.

Prompt Response Express allows growing call centers to enjoy the cost-savings delivered by advanced voice response applications, but without the need for costly and time-consuming custom applications development. As such, Prompt Response Express can be fully implemented at a fraction of the cost and with none of the complexity of conventional IVR systems.

Prompt Response Express can be configured to support auto attendant, audio information libraries, speech recognition, queue time announcements to callers, database queries, voice forms and ACD group messaging. It is easily programmed by the customer, using pre-defined applications templates. Two packages of Prompt Response Express are available:

• The "Call Center Basics" package includes a six-port IVR server with auto attendant; queue time announcements; and audio and fax information libraries. Its list price is $39,000.
• The "Call Center Deluxe" package includes the features of the basic package and adds database queries, ACD group messaging and voice forms. Both packages can be expanded up to 12 ports, and options to add additional features are available.

These packages include all hardware, software and standard installation. Customers who wish to later expand their system to larger, or more customized IVR applications will pay only the difference in the price of the features and capacity, making Prompt Response Express a safe, long-term investment. The Call Center Deluxe package, is priced at $47,000.

Help Desk Express packages the Remedy help desk application with CTI integration to provide screen pops eliminating the long and complex implementation cycles normally associated with CTI solutions. This packaged approach reduces the cost of this comprehensive solution, and additional capabilities can be easily added as the call center changes.

The package includes Remedy software, Siemens' CallBridge CTI link and licenses, all NT server hardware and software for integration with databases/servers, and packaged professional services. The package is fully implemented and integrated in approximately 30 days, for a fixed price of $95,000 for up to 15 users, and $125,000 for up to 35 users. Alternate configurations are also available.

ProCenter MX Email Express takes e-mail routing and management out of the "concept phase" and puts it to work as an integral element of the call center foundation. The application provides routing of e-mail messages to properly skilled agents; auto-response; auto-confirmation of receipt; and queuing, reporting and administration functions similar to those used for voice traffic.

This ensures that email transactions, direct or from web-based forms, are managed for speed and quality of response, just like voice calls. ProCenter MX Email Express includes all hardware and software, standard integration with the customer's e-mail server, three days of professional consulting/design, and remote installation. It is listed at $30,000 for up to 35 users and can be implemented in two to four weeks. Alternate configurations are also available.

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