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January 1998

New Products...
   Applied Voice Technology
   Computer Communications Specialists,
   Call Interactive, Inc.
   Clarify Inc. has
   Adrian Miller Direct
   American Power Conversion
   Applix, Inc. has
   Clarify Inc. has
   DC Systems Software
   DGY Associates has
   Envision Telephony
   GN Netcom/Unex has
   Group 1 Software
   Hello Direct has
   IntegraTRAK has announced
   Integrated Technology USA,
   Kaplan Learning Services
   Lucent Technologies has
   Maximizer Technologies Inc.
   Melita International has
   Metromail Corporation has
   Mitel Corporation has
   Nortel (Northern Telecom)
   Nova Solutions, Inc.
   Periphonics Corporation has
   RightFAX, Inc. has
   Rockwell Electronic Commerce
   ServiceWare, Inc. has
   smallwonder! Softworks, Inc.
   Tadiran Telecommunications, Inc.
   TASK2 has announced
   TCG Telecommunications has
   TELS Corporation has
   Tiger Logic Systems,
   Toshiba America Information
   Vertel™ has announced
   Versatility Inc. has
   Video Arts Incorporated
   Vodavi Communications Systems,
   Witness Systems has
   XTEND has announced

Internet And Help Desk Products...
   Comdial Corporation has
   Diffusion, Inc. has
   First USA Paymentech, Inc
   Interactive Intelligence has
   Magic Solutions International,
   MicroMedium Inc. has
   Mustang Software, Inc.
   TouchWave, Inc. has
   UniDial has announced
   CTI Products...
   Applied Language Technologies,
   AnswerSoft, Inc. has
   BCS Technologies, Inc.
   Bosch Telecom, Inc.
   Copia International, Ltd.
   Envision Telephony has
   Nabnasset Corporation has
   PSS has announced
   Toshiba America Information

Expansions...
   Access Direct Telemarketing,
   The Invest in
   Signature Telemarketing has
   USA 800 has
   West TeleServices Corporation


Happenings...
Centennial College has
   Computer Generated Solutions’
   COPC has announced
   EIS International, Inc.
   IEX Corporation has
   In a study
   Strategic Alliances...
   AnswerSoft, Inc. and
   Apropos Technology, Inc.
   Call Interactive, Inc.
   Chordiant Software, Inc.
   Clarify and SLP
   Comdial Corporation has
   Dickens Data Systems
   Genesys Telecommunications Laboratories,
   Ingram Micro, Inc.
   InterVoice, Inc. and
   InterVoice, Inc. and
   ITI Marketing Services
   Lucent Technologies is
   Melita International has
   NEC America and
   NICE Systems Ltd.
   Siemens Business Communication
   Versatility Inc. and


Mergers and Acquisition...
   Acxiom
   Harte Hanks Communications,
   Metromail Corporation has
   Quintus Corporation has
   Universal Teleservices Network
   VocalTec Communications Ltd.


International News...
   Aspect Telecommunications has
   Davox Corporation has
   Harte-Hanks Communications, Inc.
   Melita International has
   Mosaix has announced
   Rockwell has announced
   SITEL Corporation has
   TCS Management Ltd.
   Telstra has announced


People...
   David W. Brandenburg
   Melita International Corporation,
   ALTech, a vendor
   R. Scott Davis,
   Davox Corporation, a
   Donald J. Vrana
   O’Currance Marketing Communication
   Michael R. Zucchini
   Impact Telemarketing, a
   Ron Weber and
   Consolidated Market Response
   Martin L. Anderson
   Paul Flanders has
   Borealis Technology Corporation,
   Robert G. Hooson
   Toshiba America Information
   Eric Pratt has
   IMA – the
   Jim Long has
   Nortel has also
   Comdial Corporation, an
   Shannon Highley has


Corrections...
   In the "Service
   Andrew Maunder has


New Products... [return to the top]

Applied Voice Technology (AVT) has announced four new telephone integration modules that extend the functionality of AVT’s family of computer-telephony applications when used in conjunction with Lucent, Mitel, Nortel and Panasonic telephone systems. New features introduced include support for ANI, DNIS and visual menu support via the telephone display. For more information, call 425-820-6000 or see www.appliedvoice.com

Computer Communications Specialists, Inc. (CCS) has announced its new LANbased SoftACD™ automated call distribution software. SoftACD operates on the CCS FirstLine™ IVR system; features include skills-based routing, optional supervisor console, wallboard and reporting options, and is TAPI compliant. For more information, please contact Elizabeth Rubbo at 770-441-3114, ext. 7291.

Call Interactive, Inc. has announced Reverse It, a reverse telephone number append product that employs a scripted, interactive phone message to capture and confirm the caller address information. For more information, please contact Rich Nelson at 402-498-7424 or see www.callit.com. Cintech Tele-Management Systems has announced its newest ACD addon product, linkIT!, which offers screen pop capabilities for small- and mid-sized call centers. When a call comes in, linkIT! displays caller information on the agent’s PC screen while announcing the caller’s name. Then linkIT! launches any Windows application based on who’s calling, then files are opened (including network files) within the application. linkIT! will perform recordlevel searches of Microsoft’s Access database or Symantec’s ACT 3.0 contact manager. For more information, contact Cintech Inside Sales at 800-833-3900 or see www.cintech-cti.com

Clarify Inc. has announced ClearCallCenter 2.0, which is an enhanced Acxiom Corporation has announced DecisionEdge for Utilities, a suite of utilities-oriented marketing applications that are designed to help utilities: assess the risk of losing a customer; classify customers with seemingly unrelated characteristics into market segments of one; and manage marketing campaigns. Acxiom has also announced six enhancements to the Acxiom InfoBase product line. These improvements include expanded coverage and elements for IB Consumer Data Enhancement and IB TeleSource , as well as the Business Data Enhancement product. Three new products include: Consumer Prospects, Business Prospects and Business TeleSource. For more information, please contact Marice Gardner at 501-3361264 or see www.acxiom.com

Adrian Miller Direct Marketing has announced a "Mystery Call" skills assessment program designed to assess the sales, service and communications skills of telemarketing, customer service and help desk representatives, and provides for the identification of weaknesses in call handling. For more information, please contact Naomi Tepper at 516-767-9288.

American Power Conversion (APC) has announced Smart-UPS XLT uninterruptible power supply designed specifically for the telecommunications industry. The Smart-UPS XLT offers 208 Vac and 120 Vac power output to ensure maximum uptime for computer-based telecom systems and can be managed remotely via a modem or SNMP and can be fully integrated into a dry contact environment. For more information, please contact Scott Clough at 401-789-5735 or see www.apcc.com

Applix, Inc. has annouced the Applix Enterprise 7.0, which offers a seamless integration of sales, marketing, service and product quality functions. It is a thinclient, Java-enabled customer interaction software solution supporting all major database platforms. For more information, please contact Jillian HarveyAsquith at 508-870-0300 or see www. applix.com

Clarify Inc. has announced ClearCallCenter 2.0, which is an enhanced version of Clear Telebusiness that adds new features including workflow-based action items, advanced scripting and post-call fol-lowup capabilities. For more information, call 408-573-3000 or see www.clarify.com. Customer Insight Company has announced plans to release version 3.2 of the AnalytiX System and version 2.2 of its companion Import™ Database Build software. The new release of AnalytiX, a highperformance marketing data mart solution, will feature an ODBC driver and a Webbased module. Import 2.2 will offer a grouping scheme. For more information, please contact Laine Neukomm at 303-7051173 or see www.customer-insight.com

DC Systems Software has announced the Mercury CustomerCentric suite of applications designed to help manage and facilitate all aspects of telephone contact between your business and customers and prospects, and provides real-time control and reporting; it is also Web enabled. They’ve also announced Apollo, a virtual call center manager, that integrates all call center components to provide centralized control and site management. Both products are seamlessly integrated with the InterDial multiapplication call and voice processing platform from InterVoice. For more information, please contact Kathy Houska 630-834-2095 or see www.dcsys.com

DGY Associates has announced a new study for the teleservices market: "Trends, Issues and Opportunities Driving the Teleservices Market." It is the result of candid interviews with Fortune 1000 companies and shows the financial effect outsourcing call center functions has had for those surveyed. The results also include: overall survey analysis; internal call centers vs. outsourcing; inbound vs. outbound vs. both; regional views; financial performance. For more information, please contact Dorothy G. Young at 972-501-1452. EIS International, Inc. has introduced ScriptMaker™, a flexible off-line scripting tool that provides both centralized and telecommuter scripting capability for its Call Processing System™ (CPS). The program can be installed on any PC running Windows 95 and the resulting scripts can be downloaded to a diskette or sent via FTP to any CPS system. For more information, please contact Rosanne Desmone at 703-318-6509 or see www.sersolutions.com.

Envision Telephony has announced SoundByte Enterprise, a Windows 95/NT solution composed of three primary elements: SoundByte Server, SoundByte Supervisor and SoundByte Agent. The product enables control over recording, call monitoring and feedback. For more information, please contact Elizabeth Jewell at 206-621-9384.

GN Netcom/Unex has announced ADDvantage Plus Series of headsets. It is designed to withstand the heavy use of call center environments and is available in both monaural and binaural models, with a noise-canceling microphone, the Stay-Put™ adjustable headband and the DuraFlex™ flexible boom. For more information, call 800-826-4656 or see www.gnnetcom.com

Group 1 Software has announced Canadian CODE-1 Plus for Call Centres, which allows telemarketing support representatives to obtain a complete and accurate address at the point of information capture with few keystrokes. The software uses information from Canada Post Corporation’s master files to validate and correct addresses, and to add postal information when needed. For more information, please contact Suzanne Porter-Kuchay at 800-368-5806, ext. 341 or see www.g1.com. Harris Corporation, Digital Telephone Systems, has announced its Integrated Network Server, which integrates Windows NT into the switch itself. For more information, please contact Julie Carlson at 415-382-5268 or see www.harris.com

Hello Direct has announced HelloSet Executive™, which is designed specifically for managers and professionals who use the phone on and off during the day. For more information, please contact Kelly Kim at 408-363-2085 or see www.hellodirect.com. High Performance Group has announced an interactive, multimedia training course designed for call center personnel. The CD-ROM-based course is designed to teach call center representatives how to improve their skills and productivity by immersing students in a simulated work environment. For more information, please contact Carol Savage at 508-887-5419 or email at [email protected].

IntegraTRAK has announced an addition to its suite of native-Windowsbased telemanagement software products: TRAK Interface for Lucent Technologies — G3 Auto Transfer. It is a PC-based switch administration tool that is designed to give administrators access to information stored in Lucent’s G3 switches. Through automatic file transfer, this information can now be incorporated into the various components of the WinTRAK telemanagement product suite. For more information, please contact Nancy Gates at 425-401-1000.

Integrated Technology USA, Inc. has announced the latest version of its CompuPhone 2000 , a fully functional "smart" phone built into a 101-key keyboard. It is ready to use as a telephone, integrates with the PBX and Centrex systems, can be used with contact management programs and includes a high-fidelity, lightweight headset, PC AT-compatible keyboard, autodial software and telephone connection cable. For more information, please contact Ed Abramson at 201-837-8000 or see www.iti2000.com

Kaplan Learning Services has announced an interactive CD-ROM designed to help companies identify candidates who will be successful in telephone service positions. For more information, please contact Melissa Mack at 212-492-5849. Lucent Technologies Octel Messaging Division has announced the general availability of Octel Unified Messenger™, which adds voice mail to Microsoft Exchange e-mail. For more information, please contact Kelli Harris Wong at 408324-2605 or see www.lucent.com

Lucent Technologies has announced EuroGeneris, which supports tracking and close management of telecom expenditures and has a range of built-in features that enable users to monitor and manage calling costs. It is designed specifically for the needs of small businesses. For more information, please contact Lena Pavlova at +322 357 5875 or e-mail at [email protected]

Maximizer Technologies Inc. has announced Maximizer 97is (the "is" stands for Internet Savvy), a contact management software solution that now incorporates email capabilities and Internet integration. For more information, please contact Jacqueline Parker at 604-601-8025 or see www.maximizer.com.

Melita International has announced MAGELLAN™ 3.0 customer interaction management software. The new version adds the following: support of multiple host sessions, extention of ODBC capability and the ability to build applications in a simpler, faster environment; it also includes enhancements to help boost agent productivity. For more information, please contact Maryjane Stout at 770239-4402 or e-mail at [email protected]

Metromail Corporation has announced the release of Connexion, a new suite of telemarketing services which includes telephone number append, verification, reverse append, improved match rates and a set of nine confidence codes. For more information, please contact Tim Fitzpatrick at 630-620-2333 or see www.metromail.com

Mitel Corporation has announced its ISDN Network Gateway, an enterprise solution that interfaces with ISDN networks, leverages existing services for both voice and data applications and brings ISDN call control and management to the LAN. It is an NT-based network server that provides a single point of access for voice and data applications into the ISDN network. For more information, please contact Kris Sherry at 613-592-2122 or see www.mitel.com

Nortel (Northern Telecom) has announced the addition of Desktop Messaging to its Norstar Communications System, which allows users to now organize and track incoming voice, fax and email messages on a single user interface. As part of a technical trial between Nortel and the Societe Internationale de Telecommunications Aeronautiques (SITA) and EQUANT, Nortel has demonstrated the first transatlantic call between PBXs with a switching fabric based on asynchronous transfer mode (ATM). Nortel has also announced the release of Voice Mail 3.0 for the Norstar Communications System. The new release features include: call screening, timed message delivery and customizable directories. Finally, Nortel has announced the addition of Digital Networking capability to Norstar, which enables companies to transform multiple voice and fax messaging systems into a single Power Network. For more information, please contact Elizabeth Lindsey at 919-992-0262 or see www.nortel.com

Nova Solutions, Inc. has anounced the Retrofit Kit, which enables users to recess the monitor, CPU and cables within Nova’s patented system. For more information, please contact Jessica Rommel at 217-3427070 or e-mail at [email protected].

Periphonics Corporation has announced the release of version 5.2.1 of system software for its VPS/is IVR systems, which introduces VPS/is Credit Card Authorization software, Simple Network Management Protocol. It also enables access to the World Wide Web for Internetbased transactions. For more information, please contact Anne M. Strauss at 516-468-9276 or see www.peri.com

RightFAX, Inc. has introduced RightFAX Enterprise v5.0, which leverages Internet, WAN or LAN connectivity between RightFAX fax servers to share workloads and route faxes economically. For more information, please contact Jim Jonez at 520-320-7098 or see www.rightfax.com

Rockwell Electronic Commerce Division has announced it has stopped manufacturing the Galaxy ACD. It will support all existing service contracts until November 1, 2007. Rockwell has also announced major enhancements to its Spectrum ACD. With Spectrum Release 6, Rockwell has doubled the capacity of the ACD from 1,200 to 2,400 agents. It has enhanced and simplified remote agent capabilities and allows calls to be distributed to any person with a telephone connection and a networked PC. Rockwell ECD has also announced Convergence 3, a suite of desktop applications which allows anyone using a phone and a networked PC to become a fully functional call center agent. The software also provides international language support. For more information, please contact Michael Collyer at 630-227-8212 or see www.ecd.rockwell.com

ServiceWare, Inc. has announced it is including SEARCH ’97 from Verity, Inc. as a standard embedded component of Knowledge-Pak Viewer. The company has also announced that Knowledge-Pak Viewer is a Web-based product that provides full searching and viewing capabilities for ServiceWare’s Knowledge-Paks, as well as other knowledge bases created with ServiceWare’s Knowledge-Pak Architect™ software. For more information, please contact Bernard J. McCrory at 412-826-1158, ext. 414 or see www.serviceware.com

smallwonder! Softworks, Inc. has announced the release of XChange, a PCbased client/server call center management system based on Windows NT 4.0 that is designed for mid- to large-size call centers. Xchange offers predictive dialing, scripting and data management, inbound call processing, conference calling, digital voice recording and message playback, FoxProcompatible data formats, complete list management, reporting and full SQL functionality for custom reports and queries. For more information, please contact Kim Hendon at 800-258-5828 or see www.smallwondersoftworks.com.

Tadiran Telecommunications, Inc. has announced its new integrated voice processing platform, the Coral Message Center (CMC). Through an OEM agreement with Active Voice Corporation, CMC integrates Active Voice’s Repartee platform. For more information, please contact Candy Barr at 813-523-0000 or e-mail at [email protected].

TASK2 has announced that its Figure 1 ergonomic keyboard platform now has a swing-out mouse area. The new mouse area mounts on either the left or the right side of the keyboard and retracts under the main platform when not in use. It can be retrofitted to existing Figure 1 keyboards. For more information, please contact Steve Bragato at 800-592-ERGO or e-mail at [email protected].

TCG Telecommunications has announced Voice Print™ Digital Voice Logger. The system is designed around Windows NT and the RhetorexLucent Technologies voice board. It is managed from a CRT with a GUI. It digitally records all or selected telephone conversations. For more information, please contact Eugene Silvers at 818-597-3302 or see www.tcgtele.com

TELS Corporation has announced WIN-SENSE version 1.3. The upgrade is designed to be faster, easier to use and more efficient than the previous 1.2 release. It has also been redesigned for better organization, easier readability and improved graphical interface. For more information, please contact Stephen M. Nelson at 801-756-9606.

Tiger Logic Systems, Inc. has announced TigerTracker Pro, a field and corporate sales force automation software application for Windows 3.1/95/NT and the Mac OS. For more information, please contact Mel Fenson at 303-444-6161 or see www.tigertracker.com

Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc., Telecommunications Systems Division, has announced the Strata DK40, a digital telephone system that provides small- to medium-sized businesses with advanced PBX telephone system features like multiple directory numbers, direct inward dialing, tie lines, caller ID, ANI, DNIS and SMDI voice mail integration. Toshiba has also announced the Strata DK14 digital business telephone, which features: multiple directory numbers, Caller ID, CTI TAPI integration, external call forward with remote change, call park capabilities, SMDI voice mail integration, auto attendant and more. For more information, please contact JoAnn Moradshahi at 714-583-3714 or see www.toshiba.com

Vertel™ has announced the availability of TMN Agent Development Environment™ and TMN Manager Development Environment™ on the Windows NT platform. The products provide interfaces, tools and functionality that automate most of the tasks associated with building TMNconformant manager and agent applications while taking advantage of the NT platform. For more information, please contact Vicki Vaughn at 818227-1456 or see www.vertel.com

Versatility Inc. has announced Versatility Energy for the utilities marketplace, its third customized, vertical software solution. It provides out-of-the-box CTI capabilities, legacy integration and automated workflow. For more information, please contact Lana Sansur at 703-9347631 or see www.versatility.com.

Video Arts Incorporated has announced its newest training video "Telephone Behavior: The Rules of Effective Communication." The video features actor John Cleese, who humorously demonstrates how to handle business calls efficiently and effectively. For more information, call 800-553-0091 or see www.videoarts.com

Vodavi Communications Systems, Inc. has announced the availability of STARPLUS Dispatch™, a new voice mail platform that offers high perfomance, scalability and ease of installation. It’s available in two- to eightport configurations, has a hard drive that supports a minimum of 35 hours of voice storage and an unlimited number of mailboxes. It features 900 programmable audiotext menus, dial by name, park and page, automated attendant, pager notification, fax detection, message waiting indicator, message notification and delivery options, back-up power, year 2000 compliance, call queuing, custom call routing and multiple mailbox greetings. For more information, please contact Jill Edwards at 602-443-6036 or e-mail at [email protected]

Witness Systems has announced a new data monitoring architecture for the capture, analysis and reporting of changed screen areas for a variety of operating systems. This new system inserts the WITNESS™ client/server voice and data monitoring application between the graphics engine and the display device driver. By analyzing the parameters to the graphic primitives, the software can determine the changed area of the screen and capture only that data. For more information, please contact Ryan Hollenbeck at 770-754-1962 or see www.witsys.com

XTEND has announced Touch Screen Registry which displays staff availability and on-call coverage information on a touch-activated screen. Searches can be conducted by name or pager ID for information including availability/status, pager ID, department and whereabouts. For more information, please contact Seth Loonan at 212-951-7672 or see www.xtend.com

Internet And Help Desk Products...[return to the top]

Comdial Corporation has announced plans to release its unified messaging product in early 1998 and a product for Internet telephony as early as the second half of next year. For more information, please contact Dick Bucci at 804-978-2525 or e-mail at [email protected]

Diffusion, Inc. has announced Diffusion Server 2.0, designed to extend the reach of enterprise information sources, including Web sites and other application servers, by providing subscription-based delivery of business materials via multiple delivery media and file formats. For more information, please contact Beth Lee at 650-2378505 or see www.diffusion.com

First USA Paymentech, Inc. has developed secured electronic payment transaction processing via the Internet. The service is called SecureTrans™ and offers online and batch processing of authorization and electronic draft capture transactions. It supports other Paymentech services such as conditional batch deposit, electronic check processing and international currency processing. Various merchant reports may also be delivered via the Internet. For more information, please contact Rodney Bell at 214-849-3776.

Interactive Intelligence has announced Enterprise Interaction Center™ (EIC) version 1.01, its new Java-based communication system for LANs and Intranets. EIC is a client/server software package capable of putting all communications services (for telephone, fax, e-mail, pager, or Internet) on a single Windows NT server. The product turns every PC into a graphical phone system with screen pop and universal inbox capabilities and can even be accessed over the Internet or a corporate Intranet via any Java-enabled browser. For more informaContinued from previous page tion, please call 317-872-3000 or see www.inter-intelli.com

Magic Solutions International, Inc. has announced SupportMagic Enterprise Edition 4.0. The new version features enhanced customization, new purchasing and configuration modules for fullcycle asset management; an advanced fulltext knowledge engine; Web-based help desk connectivity via SupportMagic/Web; and support for a range of databases. Magic Solutions is offering expanded QuickStart training and implementation programs. For more information, please contact Carole Walters at 201-587-1515, ext. 196 or see www.magicsolutions.com

MicroMedium Inc. has announced v4.11 of Digital Trainer Professional, a product designed to simplify employee training over the Internet and Intranets. New features include: faster Windows 95/NT Intranet-based training delivery with improved remote file server technology; an updated tracking feature that logs additional employee answer data; an email feature that allows e-mail to be sent from training; improved linking to Web pages outside of the training; and others. For more information, please contact Martin A. Renkis at 800-561-2098, ext. 16 or see www.micromedium.com

Mustang Software, Inc. has announced it is now shipping the Web Essentials Internet Message Center (IMC), corporate application designed to route inbound Internet e-mail addressed to aliases. Based on user-defined rules, IMC will route inbound e-mails to the specified parties. It also enables companies to track e-mails, as well as manage message traffic, agent efficiency and pool activity. For more information, please call 805-873-2500 or see www.mustang.com

TouchWave, Inc. has announced the WebSwitch, a network-integrated phone system that delivers full phone system functionality and uses the network to provide improved desktop control, management and expandability. The WebSwitch’s support for MAPI and TAPI allows it to be used in conjunction with personal information managers, e-mail packages and productivity. It is also capable of routing voice calls over data networks. For more information, please contact Oliver Muoto at 650-843-1700 or see www.touchwave.com

UniDial has announced CallVision Billing Software, which allows users to view their bills online. The system allows customers to receive a monthly download of detailed information about their UniDial accounts, and then allows them to run standardized reports and pull-up billing information. For more information, please contact Susan Gosselin at 502-394-0789.

CTI Products... [return to the top]

Applied Language Technologies, Inc. (ALTech) has announced SpeechWorks™ version 3.0. It features: highaccuracy, speaker-independence, continuous speech, large vocabulary, phonetic segmentbased, database integration with real-time vocabulary generation directly from text, "nbest" output and associated confidence scores; and "barge-in" capability. For more information, please contact Alisa Moyer at 617428-4444 or see www.altech.com. Amper Consulting, LLC has announced SBT/CTI Solution 1, which provides for automatic customer identification (ANI), and a full set of features including screen pops identifying the caller, call forwarding with caller information, call conferencing and call utilization reports. It is designed for small call centers currently using SBT’s business software. For more information, please contact John Ayoub at 732-2871000.

AnswerSoft, Inc. has announced the shipment of Sixth Sense 4.0, SoftPhone Agent 4.0 and SmartRoute 2.0. Sixth Sense allows organizations to seamlessly link applications, databases and telecommunications technologies to automatically deliver customer data to a CSR’s desktop simultaneously with a customer call. Softphone Agent consolidates and simplifies call management and control on the CSR desktop, and SmartRoute intelligently routes calls based on call data and information from customer records. For more information, please contact Lisa Chiranky at 972-997-8405 or email at [email protected]

BCS Technologies, Inc. has announced a low-cost alternative to middleware — PC Phone Control on the DSP 1000 ACD, with which an agent’s PC can fully control his/her phone using TCP/IP on the company LAN via BCS’ internal CSTA server. PC Phone Control talks to the CTI application using a simple API that relays call state information. It also provides the agent with a consistent user interface. For more information, call 800-756-8633 or see www.bcstechnologies.com

Bosch Telecom, Inc. has announced the Integral T1 Digital Phone, which is designed to be a control center for PCbased telephony as it can be directly connected to the PC and is capable of high-speed ISDN transmission. It is available in a high-comfort ISDN model with over 300 features to an economy model with 10 programmable function keys. For more information call 908-769-8700.

Copia International, Ltd. has added support for Windows Active Messaging to its suite of fax server products with FaxFacts X/Mail. Users can now use their Microsoft Exchange mailboxes with X/Mail to send or receive faxes through Copia’s FaxFacts LAN server. Any MAPI-compliant mail service can be used, faxes can be routed to email, and the software will notify email clients when a fax is delivered, received and/or failed. For more information, please contact Dorothy Gaden-Flanagan at 800689-8898 or see www.copia.com

Envision Telephony has announced their full integration with Dialogic CTConnect, resulting in the recognition of Soundbyte Enterprise 97 as a call center solution interoperable with CT-Connect enabling technologies. For more information, please contact Elizabeth Jewell at 206-621-9384, ext. 103 or see www.envisiontelephony.com.

Nabnasset Corporation has announced release 3.5 of its Voice Enhanced Services Platform (VESP) product. It features: a status module to track agent activity; VESP Blend, which allows customers to implement a blended environment with outbound dialers; Test Interface, which provides an off-the-shelf interface to testing tools; and a Mail Gateway, which provides a server interface to accept and route e-mail from a variety of sources. For more information, please contact Susan Cohen at 978-7872800 or e-mail at [email protected].

PSS has announced TeleTrend, a software product that helps streamline the way call centers manage their business process. Major features include: Davox dialer integration; integration with enterprise data warehouse; client/server technology; OLE automation to Word; Internet functionality; customization; data import and export management and tracking; mail interfaces; and broad scaleability applications. For more information, please contact Greg Susoreny at 800-352-2797 or see www.positivesolutions com/teletrend.

Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc., Telecommunications Systems Division, has announced the Strata PC Digital Telephone. It installs in any Windows-compatible PC and connects directly to a Toshiba Strata DK business telephone system digital station port to function as a fully featured, standalone telephone. It features: point-andclick speed dialing, call logging and recording, control voice mail, is compatible with third-party TAPI applications, customized ring tones, analog device connections and online help. For more information, please contact JoAnn Moradshahi at 714-5833714 or see http://telecom.toshiba.com

Expansions...[return to the top]

Access Direct Telemarketing, Inc. has announced plans to expand both their Cedar Rapids, Iowa and their Ames, Iowa calling centers. The expansion will increase the annual call center payroll in Cedar Rapids to $2.0 million and the payroll in Ames to $2.2 million.

The Invest in Britain Bureau has announced that the Dutch airline KLM is to build a 3,500-square-meter reservations call center for its Air UK subsidiary at Norwich airport in Eastern England. It will open with a staff of 90, but will expand to 250 over three years. Invest in Britain has also announced that Market Reach, an American call center company, is expanding its British operations with a new facility at Plymouth, in Devon. Market Reach is investing US$1.7 million in the new, multilingual call center. Additionally, QVC is investing another US$9 million on an expansion of its new UK call center at Knowsley in Merseyside, North West England. The site will employ an additional 250, bringing total employment to 1,250.

Signature Telemarketing has announced the opening of its 35 th and 36 th telemarketing centers. Signature’s San Bernardino, California facility totals 400 full- and part-time employees, and handles both inbound and outbound calling. Their new Independence, Missouri facility will employ 400 full- and part-time associates and handle outbound calling. They now have 36 sites in 11 states.

USA 800 has announced the opening of their newly renovated office space on the fifth floor of the Brittain-Richardson building in St. Joseph, Missouri. USA 800 is a 1800 inbound teleresponse service agency, answering more than nine million minutes of toll-free calls a year.

West TeleServices Corporation has announced it will open a 20,855-squarefoot call center in Texarkana, Arkansas, creating approximately 250 jobs, 60 percent of which are full-time positions. The center will have a total annual payroll estimated at more than $3.5 million, generating an economic impact estimated at more than $14 million.

Happenings...[return to the top]

Centennial College has announced the opening of Centennial College Call Centre, a one-year, comprehensive Call Centre Operations certificate program. This is the first program of its kind in Ontario. Four hundred students a year will graduate with skills in customer care and relationship marketing.

Computer Generated Solutions’ Call Management Services Division has announced it teamed up with the American Heart Association, which recently launced a three-year, national "Each One, Reach One" campaign to improve American women’s awareness about the true extent of their risk of heart disease and stroke. The program features a nationwide toll-free number, 1888-MY HEART, as a key vehicle for pro-viding information. CGS furnished the technical and logistic support for the telecommunications component of this program.

COPC has announced that SOFTBANK Services Group has become certified to the COPC-2000 standard.

EIS International, Inc. has announced it is pursuing plans to make its software year 2000 compliant and will release software upgrades to fix the "millennium bug" by the end of 1998. EIS has also announced they will adopt the Common Object Request Broker Architecture (CORBA) as a platform for all future products.

IEX Corporation has announced that its TotalNet Call Routing has passed the test standards for network interfaces, service performance and responsiveness as established by major interexchange carriers.

In a study released by KPMG Canada, Canada and Ontario were ranked number one in lowest business costs among seven leading industrial countries in North America and Europe.

Strategic Alliances...[return to the top]

AnswerSoft, Inc. and Rockwell Electronic Commerce Division have announced their intent to jointly develop a TAPI 2.1 software driver for linking call center environments with standardsbased automation software. AnswerSoft, Inc. and Nortel (Northern Telecom) have announced that AnswerSoft will provide its Sixth Sense and SoftPhone Agent call center automation solutions to Nortel’s customers and authorized distributors through the Nortel Symposium Partners Program.

Apropos Technology, Inc. has announced a partnership with Remedy Corporation. The relationship pairs Remedy’s help desk product, Action Request System™, with Apropos’ all-inone client/server total call center management software.

Call Interactive, Inc. and RediMail Direct Marketing have announced a partnership to provide a turnkey solution to direct response fulfillment campaigns.

Chordiant Software, Inc. has announced it has formed a strategic alliance with Aspect Telecommunications, by joining Aspect’s Affinity Alliance™ program.

Clarify and SLP InfoWare have announced a partnership to integrate SLP’s churn identification software, Churn/ Customer Profiling System™ with Clarify’s front office suite of cutomer care applications for the telecommunications, financial services and insurance industries.

Comdial Corporation has announced an agreement with Harris Corporation, Digital Telephone Systems. Under the terms of the agreement, they will collaborate to expand the capabilities of the Harris Information Platform and Harris 20-20 digital switching system.

Dickens Data Systems and Silvon Software have announced an agreement to jointly market IBM hardware and Silvon’s data warehousing software for the IBM AS/400.

Genesys Telecommunications Laboratories, Inc. has announced a strategic alliance with Connectivity Managed Network Services, Inc., a newly created joint venture between Bell Canada and NBTel interActive. Connectivity will provide CTI solutions as subscriptionsbased services.

Ingram Micro, Inc. has announced its Telecom Integration Division has reached an agreement with five national comput-ertelephony integration resellers, who collectively form the CTI Consortium. The new organization is dedicated to the development of a national network of resellers that is committed to providing complete solutions for a wide variety of end users.

InterVoice, Inc. and ALTech have announced the use of their combined technologies to develop and deploy E*TRADE Group Inc.’s speech-enabled TELE*MASTER investing system.

InterVoice, Inc. and Atlantis Technologies, Inc. have announced an agreement in which Atlantis will integrate its ASSISTCare product suite with InterVoice’s OneVoice call and business process automation platform.

ITI Marketing Services has been awarded a business-to-business customer capture contract to provide sales support and database development to USN Communications. ITI has also been awarded a bilingual customer capture program by BellSouth, Small Business Services to sell ancillary products and services to BellSouth customers.

Lucent Technologies is working with SITEL Corporation to design and install its first operational Internet Call Centre in Europe at SITEL’s site in Brussels.

Melita International has announced three new agreements with Accelerated Payment Systems, Inc., MultiCall and Witness Systems, to focus on joint call center customer solutions for the companies’ respective products and applications and comarketing activities.

NEC America and MultiMedia Access Corporation have announced they have joined forces to develop and market highquality video communications systems for enterprise applications.

NICE Systems Ltd. and Lucent Technologies have announced they have entered into a worldwide distribution agreement under which Lucent will market and distribute NICE’s voice logging solutions.

Siemens Business Communication Systems, Inc. and SoftLinx, Inc. have announced a joint agreement to provide a seamless solution to customers who are ready to add integrated fax messaging to their Lotus environment. Siemens will offer SoftLinx’s Replix FaxCenter for Lotus Notes/Domino product to its PBX customers. Installation and support will be provided by SoftLinx.

Versatility Inc. and Affinity Technology Group, Inc. have announced a joint commitment to deliver highly integrated call center solutions with various loan processing systems. The partnership will create an enterprisewide sales production system delivering real-time "closed-loop" loan entry, decisioning support for loan approvals, credit function processing and loan tracking and booking. Versatility has aslo announced a marketing alliance with InteliData. The two companies have agreed to jointly market each other’s products and work together on future product integration. Versatility Inc. has also announced it will team with NCR to deliver a fullysupported Chinese language call center solution to the Asia Pacific market. Finally, Versatility has joined Aspect Telecommunications’ Affinity Alliance™ program.

Mergers and Acquisition...[return to the top]

Acxiom Corporation has announced the acquisition of Multinational Concepts, Ltd., an international mailing list and database maintenance provider for consumer catalogers, and Catalog Marketing Services, Inc., dba Shop the World by Mail, a leader in cooperative customer acquisition programs.

Harte Hanks Communications, Inc. has announced the acquisition of Mercantile Software Systems, Inc., a provider of open architecture software and systems integration solutions for direct marketing and other applications.

Metromail Corporation has announced the acquistion of Saxe, Inc., a developer of object-oriented, open architecture software solutions and databases.

Quintus Corporation has acquired Nabnasset Corporation, a provider of computer-telephony integration software. SalesLogix Corporation has announced the purchase of Opis Corporation, a provider of customer support software.

Universal Teleservices Network (UTN) has announced the acquisition of teleservices firm Direct Marketing Services, Inc. UTN has also announced the acquistion of The Development Center, a supplier of telephone fund-raising and marketing services to the nonprofit sector.

VocalTec Communications Ltd. and ITXC Corp. have announced the closing of an agreement providing VocalTec with a minority equity stake in ITXC.

International News...[return to the top]

Aspect Telecommunications has announced the company is increasing its international presence by expanding its international management team with three new management positions and by opening new offices in Hong Kong, Singapore and, in the near future, in Japan.

Davox Corporation has announced it is in the process of establishing a subsidiary (Davox Mexico S. de R.L.) in Mexico, to be headquartered in Mexico City. It will engage in marketing and technical support throughout the country.

Harte-Hanks Communications, Inc. has announced it has exercised its option to buy 100 percent of TeleSupport Services, a provider of response management services to the high-technology industry in Europe.

Melita International has announced the opening of a new facility in Mexico City, Mexico, to provide direct sales and firstline customer support to Mexico and all of Central and South America.

Mosaix has announced it will be partnering with Telnorm, a systems integrator and service provider in Mexico.

Rockwell has announced that its Electronic Commerce Division has entered the call center markets in Australia and New Zealand with its portfolio of products and services.

SITEL Corporation has announced a partnership with Corporacion Interamericana de Entretenimiento, S.A. de C.V. (CIE), a publicly traded growth company in Mexico, by acquiring 41 percent of CIE’s teleservices subsidiary, Grupo de Comercializacion Integrada, S.A. de C.V (GCI).

TCS Management Ltd. and Lucent Technologies Belgium S.A./N.V. have announced the signing of a marketing agr eement whereby the Business Communications Systems division of Lucent Technologies Belgium will actively market the TCS TeleCenter System and the TCS NetForce.

Telstra has announced a comprehensive report of the investment opportunities in the Asia Pacific call center market. The study was conducted by ACA Research and was sponsored by Price Waterhouse, Telstra, IBM, Rockwell and American Express.

People...[back to the top]

David W. Brandenburg has been named president and CEO of AnswerSoft, Inc., a provider of inter-application automation solutions. He has also been appointed to its Board of Directors.

Melita International Corporation, a provider of customer interaction and call management systems, has announced its president and COO, J. Neil Smith, will leave his post in January 1998, but will serve as a consultant to Melita during 1998.

ALTech, a vendor of conversational speech recognition software for telephony applications, has announced the appointment of Stuart R. Patterson to president of the company.

R. Scott Davis, founder and president of Affinitec, a call center management software company, has retired his day-to-day duties: he is replaced by Joseph V. Russo, former senior vice president at AAC Corporation.

Davox Corporation, a developer of call management software, has announced that Rusty Coleman is to spearhead the team dedicated to the development and marketing of its IN/UNISON inbound call center management system. Davox has also announced the appointment of Ronald B. Thompson to director of professional services.

Donald J. Vrana has been promoted to chief financial officer and Larry Hefling has been appointed chief information officer of SITEL North America, a provider of outsourced tele-phonebased customer service and sales pro-grams.

O’Currance Marketing Communication Services, a sales department for hire, has announced that Roger T. Muir was named vice president of sales and marketing.

Michael R. Zucchini has been elected to the board of directors at Technology Solutions Company, a provider of information technology and strategic business consulting services.

Impact Telemarketing, a telemarketing service agency, has announced the following: Patrice Bridgeman has been named center coordinator of Impact’s Voorhees, New Jersey location; Deborah Wentzell-Brown has been named director of marketing.

Ron Weber and Associates, a teleservices agency, has named Aiden J. Colie to the position of chief information officer.

Consolidated Market Response has promoted Kevin Fields to head its sales and marketing department.

Martin L. Anderson has been named vice president for call center operations at Daisytek International Corporation’s subsidiary Priority Fulfillment Services, Inc. (PFS) and C. Jeffrey Chick was appointed vice president of sales for PFS. Daisytek is a distributor of computer and office automation supplies and accessories.

Paul Flanders has been named director of marketing, and Larry Mayfield has been appointed support and training engineer at Voiceware Systems, Inc.

Borealis Technology Corporation, a provider of sales force automation solutions, has announced that Michael D’Eath has joined as vice president of business development.

Robert G. Hooson has been named vice president of sales at Xantel Corporation, a developer of customer interaction technology.

Toshiba America Information Systems Inc., Telecommunications Systems Division, which markets the Strata DK family of digital business telephone systems and Toshiba Stratagy and VP voice processing systems, has announced that Chris Harrington has joined the division as vice president of business planning.

Eric Pratt has joined InterVoice, Inc., a supplier of automated call processing solutions, as vice president, telco sales.

IMA – the customer interaction software company – has announced that Kian Saneii has been appointed vice president of worldwide marketing.

Jim Long has been appointed executive vicepresident and president, Enterprise Networks at Northern Telecom (Nortel), which helps customers to design, build and integrate their communications products and advanced digital networks.

Nortel has also announced that Clarence Chandran will assume responsibility for Asia, in addition to his role as executive vice president and president, Public Carrier Networks. David Ball, senior vice president and president, Public Carrier Networks, Europe, will begin a transition toward retirement in 1998. Gary Donahee will be appointed senior vice president and president of that division to smooth the transition.

Comdial Corporation, an innovator of com-putertelephone solutions as well as wired and wireless telecommunications products, has appointed Christian L. Becken senior vice president and chief financial officer.

Shannon Highley has been appointed director of marketing at Telescan Corporation, a hardware and software company specializing in telecommunications and telemessaging equipment.


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