Sword Ciboodle has been included in the Gartner (News - Alert) Magic Quadrant for CRM Customer Service Contact Centers, authored by Michael Maoz, VP distinguished analyst. Sword Ciboodle is one of 15 companies evaluated by Gartner in the report. 

In the report Maoz says that as a result of the economic slowdown, "business leaders are focusing on the central role of customer service to simultaneously lower costs and build customer loyalty. Because the contact center is a key touchpoint for customers at the same time that it includes the Web site, some rethinking and re-engineering are required."

The report sees the combination of three factors — business slowdown, the need to include Web site interactions and the need to lower customer service costs — as "shaping" business decisions. In addition, it finds that the contact center is evolving to embrace the customer, regardless of the channel the individual uses: the Web site, a kiosk, a mobile device, home or a telephone.

"We are delighted to be included in Gartner’s Magic Quadrant report," says Paul White, executive vice president, Sword Ciboodle North America, adding that the company has recently had "a string of successes in the insurance sector" as well as both "growth and increased reach across North America."

Late last year TMC reported that Sword Ciboodle was included on Great Britain’s industry journal Call Center Helper’s Top 10 call center software list. The list is based on the companies and products that have most impressed the British magazine’s editor over the past year.

Sword Ciboodle is the CRM software product for multi-channel contact centers pitched primarily to large companies in sectors such as retail banking, insurance, retail energy and telecommunications. Company officials like to call it the "only BPM-based CRM product that enables all service channels natively from a single platform."

"The industry's multi-channel pain points are well matched to Sword Ciboodle’s strong focus on addressing the business and operational challenges faced by the multi-channel contact centre," added White. "Over the next year, we look forward to building on this strength to expand our global presence."

The Magic Quadrant is Gartner's graphical representation of a marketplace at and for a specific time period. It's basically Gartner's idea of how certain vendors measure against criteria for that marketplace.

Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in the Magic Quadrant, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors placed in the "Leaders" quadrant. The Magic Quadrant is intended solely as a research tool, and is not meant to be a specific guide to action. Gartner disclaims all warranties, express or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.