Contact Center Solutions Featured Article

AT&T's Director of Marketing Discusses Contact Centers

August 07, 2008

AT&T, Inc. is the largest provider of both local and long distance telephone services, wireless service and DSL Internet access in the United States, with 71.4 million customers. In 2005, “Baby Bell” SBC Communications, Inc. purchased former “Ma Bell” AT&T Corporation and then changed the name of the company after the merger to the more iconic AT&T moniker. I recently had the chance to interview Rupesh Chokshi, director of product management for the company.

 
RT: What is the biggest trend you are seeing in the contact center space?  
RC: Adopting new technologies like VoIP, etc. 
 
RT: What should contact center decision makers know before upgrading their systems? 
RC: Focus on a total cost of ownership analysis, and technology enablers to differentiate end client experience. 
 
RT: Where is the most call center growth taking place – U.S. or abroad? 
RC: Abroad. 
 
RT: How is UC (Unified Communications) changing the contact center space? 
RC: Currently most businesses are in the discovery mode for UC. 
 
RT: Is web integration in contact centers finally happening. 
RC: Yes, but people still like to talk over the phone. 
 
RT: How is Microsoft’s entrance into the market changing it? 
RC: Too early to tell. 
 
RT: What about web 2.0 – is it changing the contact center space? 
RC: Yes, to some extent, but we collectively need to focus on the next killer app for a superior end client experience. 
 
RT: What is one surprise we will see in the contact center space in the next year? 
RC: Video-based servicing applications. 
 
RT: Why should people come to hear you speak at Call Center 2.0 and what will you be discussing? 
RC: We are talking about Adopting IP Telephony into the next Generation Contact centers, we want people to know that the market is moving and the time is now to start going IP for your contact centers.  We will discuss how IP, SIP can help contact centers with current and new applications.   

Rich Tehrani is President and Group Editor-in-Chief of TMC. In addition, he is the Chairman of the world�s best-attended communications conference, INTERNET TELEPHONY Conference & EXPO (ITEXPO). He is also the author of his own communications and technology blog.



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