CosmoCom's UCCP Enables Smart Communications (Literally)

To attract and retain customers, especially those in the highly competitive wireless markets takes smarts: especially in finding and deploying customer interactive solutions that permit these key functions in a manner that delivers high satisfaction and minimal churn at low cost.

 

SMART Communications (SMART) is the Philippines' leading wireless services provider, including offering data, 3G and HSPA services, with 40 million subscribers on its GSM network as of the end of 2009. It has turned to another "smart communications" supplier, CosmoCom (News - Alert), to upgrade the customer interaction capabilities of its six-site 1,200-seat contact center network via the hosted Unified Contact Center Plus (UCCP) IP-based solution. UCCP is a product of SMART sister company and information and communications technology firm ePLDT and is built on the high-capacity, high availability CosmoCom platform. ePLDT is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (News - Alert) (PLDT).

 

Using the flexible CosmoDesigner tool, ePLDT designed for SMART a self-service IVR system for callers. Prepaid subscribers, which comprise the bulk of SMART's over 40 million subscribers, can now inquire about their balance details and receive information via SMS, thereby reducing the number of calls for agents.  UCCP also features CTI (News - Alert) that screen-pops callers' information to the agents, saving time, money and improving their experience as customers with SMART.

 

With UCCP, SMART may now also launch outbound marketing campaigns faster, and deploy agents anywhere more quickly and more effectively. With the many innovations built around the self-service capabilities of CosmoCall Universe, SMART's service level metrics are likewise improving dramatically, according to Adrien Tan, Technical Operations Manager at SMART.

 

Going to UCCP permits SMART to deliver consistent levels of customer service and efficient, cost-effective enterprise-wide operations across its multiple locations. UCCP's hosted delivery also minimizes costly integration and inevitable related support issues as compared with installing software on multiple servers.

 

ePLDT's partnership with CosmoCom has enabled the company to offer reliable and cost-effective contact center solutions to its clients.  Customers include local and international private companies, government agencies, small-midsized businesses, and now SMART. SMART operates one of the largest multi-site contact centers that have implemented the UCCP system in Southeast Asia, reflecting the strong and growing global trend toward hosted virtual contact center and software as a service.

 

ePLDT launched UCCP in 2007 as the first all-IP, multi-tenant, hosted contact center solution in the Philippines.  With CosmoCall Universe as its foundation, the UCCP solution, says SMART, offers an improved customer service experience with its multi-channel contact design and its support of the value proposition CosmoCom calls Consolidation 2.0.

 

"We conducted a long, exhaustive trial and evaluation process, before deciding to adopt CosmoCom's all IP contact center platform," said Tan. "The CosmoCom and ePLDT teams quickly proved that they could implement an all-IP, all-SIP contact center that worked with our Nokia (News - Alert) Media Gateways. CosmoCom provided SMART an end-to-end solution that is more flexible and easier to operate. With its unified recording and quality monitoring capabilities, the CosmoCom technology replaced our existing infrastructure. CosmoCom's built-in IVR and CTI capabilities meant that we did not have to invest in more gear and implement expensive, time-consuming integrations to build the self-service applications and get CRM screen pops. CosmoCom and ePLDT gave us the most cost-effective solution for our needs."

 

"We are delighted to welcome SMART to the growing community of telephone companies whose customer contact centers are built on our system," said Ari Sonesh, CosmoCom's CEO. "Some of the largest fixed and mobile carriers in the world are now enjoying the benefits of Consolidation 2.0."