The Contact Center Solutions Community this week has its usual varied mix of recognition, new products and services, customer implementations and even some items that we like to call “Wheelings & Dealings.”
Topping the list of noteworthy items is the reminder I posted of regarding your chance to enter, and possibly win, a unique antic to basement makeover of your contact center. The deadline for Interactive Intelligence’s first of its kind makeover contest that will see the lucky winner get something way more than a refresh of their customer experience capabilities is April 30th, which is fast approaching. Read the article to get links to a description of eligibility and access to entry forms. Remember, “You have to be in it to win it!”
Community host Interactive Intelligence also was in the news this week, illustrating the company’s global reach, with the announcement that it will be a Platinum Sponsor at Dubai Expo. The event will take place from April 1-3 and will host a number of enterprises and business professionals who will meet to learn about the newest mobile and cloud technologies from their peers.
As noted, there were some “Wheelings & Dealings,” this week that caught our eye. First, was the revelation that SAP was buying Chicago-based vendor management system (VMS) provider Fieldglass for an undisclosed amount. The acquisition gives SAP, a cloud-based VMS designed to help companies better procure and manage flexible workforces, including contingent labor and services managed through Statements of Work, such as project-based spend, offshore engagements and independent contractors.
The second deal involved Golden Gate Capital, an investment firm with extensive experience in the technology and software sectors, taking a majority stake in LiveVox, a provider of cloud contact center solutions for the business process outsourcing sector. It came on the heels of LiveBox announcing a strategic alliance with Aspect Software. In fact, Aspect was featured in a story about their new services for capturing and acting on customer interaction insights and which automate debt collection operations.
Before getting to industry hard news, I also would like to recommend the article on findings from a recent survey by CXAct done with 3,000 customers which sheds light on the fact that while multi-channel interaction capability is important, customer still want to talk with somebody, i.e., voice still really matters.
The rest of the news covers a broad swath of activities that are extremely diverse in nature. As you read through the list you will understand the characterization. Items covered include:
Helping customers improve their operations and better engage customers was a central theme for the postings on: how eGain's cloud-based platform is gaining traction with insurance and financial customers, and Simplify360 is succeeding with its multi-channel offers.
This week also saw some helpful insights from ContactCenterSolutions special guest, Pierre Fricke, Director of Product Marketing, Integration and BPM, Red Hat about bringing contact center and CRM innovations to the Middle East retail industry. And, if you are looking for best practices, note that CCNG International, a member of Professional Peer Network (PPN) for Contact Center and Customer Service Executives, is has scheduled three events in May that are part of their 2014 Improving the Customer Experience series.
Wrapping up the week were postings on:
Weekend reading
Once again, I’d like to express gratitude to those of you who have expressed how much you like the recent redesign of the community home page, and how it has made it even easier to access the constantly updated new eBooks, whitepapers, videos, demos, etc. Plus, as a gentle reminder, by all means don’t forget to check out our affiliated channels — Accounts Receivable Management, Business Process Automation, CaaS, Cloud-based Contact Centers and Insurance Technology — for news and insights on specific areas that you wish to explore.
Finally, I continue to recommend the recent webinar Key 2014 Contact Center Trends and Priorities: How you can be ready, as one for downloading if you were not able to participate.