Designation Targeted at Companies Hosting Cisco Customer Contact Software Platform; Three Companies Receive New Designation
SAN JOSE, Calif., January 23, 2000 - Cisco Systems, Inc., the worldwide leader in networking for the Internet, today announced a new Cisco Powered Network Contact Center Services designation for companies delivering hosted services based on the Cisco customer contact software platform. The designation announced today at the Call Center & CRM Solutions Conference & Expo (Booth # 257) in Dallas, TX, recognizes eCRM (customer relationship management) application service providers (ASPs), outsourcers and service providers who are deploying the Cisco Intelligent Contact Manager (ICM) and/or the Cisco Network Applications Manager (NAM) software components of the Cisco customer contact software platform, to provide outsourced or managed customer contact services for enterprise customers. Cisco today also announced that three customers - Cable & Wireless, Energis and Global Crossing- have received the new designation.
With the new Cisco Powered Network Contact Center Services designation, eCRM service providers, ASPs and outsourcers can now differentiate their value-added hosted customer contact service offerings delivered on an end-to-end Cisco software and hardware infrastructure. The designation furthers Cisco's ongoing efforts to empower its ecosystem of eCRM service providers, ASPs and outsourcers to leverage the Cisco customer contact software platform to deliver quality services to end-users.
In addition to deploying Cisco ICM/NAM software as a hosted or outsourced service, in order to gain the Cisco Powered Network Contact Center Services designation a company needs to undergo a complete assessment of their end-to-end network architecture based on Cisco's data center, Wide Area Network (WAN), 'Last Mile' and Customer Premise Equipment (CPE) solutions.
"In an Internet economy, implementing and maintaining a consistent and complete view of the customer is essential to maximizing profitability," said Bill Hills, senior analyst, IP Telephony Applications, Aberdeen Group. "Many organizations will choose to outsource some or all of this infrastructure precisely because outsourcing to experts is the surest way for them to achieve this goal. The new Cisco Powered Network designation for Cisco's customer contact software platform gives such organizations further reason to believe in the wisdom of outsourcing in order to improve the way they interact with customers."
"Companies today are challenged to deploy technologies that can help them extend new and existing customer relationships, creating greater customer loyalty and quality of experience," said Eugene Lee, vice president of marketing for the Cisco Internet Communications Software Group. "Both emerging and established service providers have stepped forward to meet this demand with various models of hosted or outsourced customer contact solutions. The Cisco Powered Network Contact Center Services designation helps identify and recognize those eCRM service providers, outsourcers and ASPs with a deep commitment to customer service and support."
First Contact Center Services to be Cisco Powered Network Designated
Cisco today announced that three companies have received the new Cisco Powered Network Contact Center Services designation:
Cable & Wireless: Cable & Wireless (www.cw.com) is a global telecommunications business with operations around the world offering a full range of telecommunications services. Cable & Wireless' focus for future growth is on IP (Internet Protocol) and data services and solutions for business customers. It is developing advanced IP networks and value-added services in the US, Europe and the Asia-Pacific region in support of this strategy. With the capability of its global IP infrastructure and its strength in key markets, Cable & Wireless holds a unique position in terms of global coverage and services to business customers. For large enterprises with two or more call centers, Cable & Wireless offers a managed service called NCTI, based on Cisco's customer contact software platform. In addition to network pre-routing, the service includes the Cisco CTI (Computer Telephony Integration) desktop technology, Cable & Wireless' data-directed routing product and network voice response capabilities.
Energis: Energis (www.energis.co.uk) is a FTSE 100 business telecommunications and Internet solutions company in the UK and offers businesses a full portfolio of international voice, data and e-commerce services. It has received the new Cisco Powered Network Contact Center Services designation for its Response Contact product. Response Contact is based on Cisco's NAM software and includes a host of sophisticated value-added services like CTI, network hosted voice response capabilities and advanced control and reporting tools. Response Contact offers customers full control over all solution features, providing a powerful and flexible hosted solution. With the new designation, end users will have the confidence that their software infrastructures are hosted on a proven Cisco technology environment.
Global Crossing: Global Crossing (www.globalcrossing.com), which provides integrated telecommunications solutions over the world's most extensive global IP-based fiber optic network, offers eCRM and customer contact capabilities over its extensive global IP-based fiber optic network. The company utilizes the capabilities of Cisco NAM software, allowing call centers around the world to take advantage of Global Crossing's carrier class IP-based fiber optic network, complete with its Intelligent Network features. In addition to the expected high quality of service levels for their end-users, the designation enables Global Crossing and Cisco to develop joint marketing programs to broaden awareness for Global Crossing's services.
The new Cisco Powered Network Contact Center Services designation gives customers all the benefits of an end-to-end network; simplified, cost-effective network management; higher network availability; more reliable, scalable and secure services; and faster deployment of New World customer contact services. In addition, companies that achieve this designation will be able to work with Cisco in areas of joint sales, marketing, and technology sharing to continually enhance their services and increase their speed to market. Currently, there are over 400 worldwide service providers that are members of the Cisco Powered Network program. Situated in 49 countries, program members offer a wide range of Cisco-based services for businesses of all sizes.
