Contact Center Solutions Featured Article

Aspect, a unified communications and contact center software and services provider, has announced the upcoming release of Aspect Unified IP 6.6. This latest release is scheduled for general availability on December 12, 2008 and will include a number of significant new features.


Aspect Unified IP 6.6 is designed to offer an ask-an-expert capability using the instant messaging and presence technology available in Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007. This newest feature enables Aspect Unified IP to seamlessly integrate to Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 to specifically request real-time presence information.

 

Such a process assists with customer interactions and improves first call resolution. Aspect Unified IP 6.6 is designed to unite inbound, outbound and blended multi-channel contact in a single, scalable session initiation protocol (SIP)-based voice over IP (VoIP) software platform.

 

Datapoint, a systems integrator for enterprise and call center communications and an Aspect customer and partner, is currently using Aspect Unified IP 6.6 to successfully identify the availability of knowledge workers, route calls to them and record and monitor the interactions.

"This version of Aspect Unified IP is really changing the way that we can communicate, internally and externally," said David du Toit, chief technology officer, Datapoint, in a Wednesday statement.

"Through streamlined communications processes, we now have the ability to find the expert with the right knowledge in the enterprise quickly, and that is an indispensable tool in getting our customers' inquiries resolved efficiently. We've had a great experience with Aspect Unified IP 6.6 thus far and have seen positive results almost immediately.

These new capabilities help us engage knowledge workers in the customer care process, and training agents on using these tools has been a breeze. We really feel that Aspect Unified IP will help give us a competitive advantage and we expect to benefit from lower operating costs and increased customer satisfaction in the future," added du Toit.

These new unified communications (UC) capabilities within Aspect Unified IP support the company’s strategy to provide solutions and services that enable organizations to take advantage of the potential benefits that UC can provide. Such benefits include improved enterprise productivity through enhanced customer-facing business processes.

"Unified communications offers a very exciting opportunity to significantly change the way companies interact with both their customers and, now within the organization too," said Serge Hyppolite, director of interaction product management, Aspect Software, in the Wednesday statement.

"With this version of Aspect Unified IP, you won't find a tighter integration to Microsoft Office Communications Server available anywhere else, which is making it possible for contact centers to seamlessly leverage experts throughout the enterprise to provide the best customer experience and the most productive business results."

"Leading companies, such as Datapoint, recognize that Aspect Unified IP can provide all of the capabilities necessary to streamline communications business processes, increase productivity, and improve customer satisfaction," added Hyppolite.

"Ultimately, these companies are able to reap all of the benefits that a logical unified communications strategy, combined with a leading unified solution, can deliver."

Other new capabilities that will be available in the upcoming release of Aspect Unified IP 6.6 include: expanded localization with support for traditional Chinese, French, Thai and Greek; inbound queue optimization; reactive blending with Nortel and Siemens ACDs; high availability enhancements; increased security and compliance; licensing flexibility for hosted environments; improved supportability; and migration for Aspect EnsemblePro 5.2.

The reality in the contact center industry is that unless the center has implemented unified communications, they will be unable to effectively compete in an intensely competitive environment. Customers are demanding alternative means by which to communicate with a company and unless the company can support these channels, customers will go somewhere else.

Aspect understands how important it is to not only offer UC technology for interactions with customers, but also to provide the contact center with the tools they need to maximize each and every channel to protect the base and grow the company. This latest release will help to build on the company’s already proven success and presence in the industry, adding even more value to its current offerings.