ICCM 2001, CHICAGO - July 31, 2001 Cisco Systems, Inc., the worldwide leader in networking for the Internet, today announced at the 2001 ICCM Call Center Management Conference & Exposition (Booth # 517) in Chicago, a range of technology and systems integration relationships to support the Cisco Internet Protocol Contact Center (IPCC) solution and further improve the Cisco IPCC solution's industry-leading functionality and interoperability within the contact center. In a related announcement, the company today also outlined the new feature enhancements to the Cisco IPCC solution (see news release also issued today - "Cisco Systems Expands Capabilities of Its IP Contact Center Solution"). These announcements demonstrate the end-to-end capabilities of the Cisco IPCC solution that make it a viable alternative to an ACD (automatic call distributor) for companies looking to transition to an IP-based solution.
The following system integration companies are working with Cisco to support the Cisco IPCC solution: eLoyalty Corporation, Fulcra Solutions, Hewlett-Packard Consulting, IBM Global Services, Innova Solutions, KPMG Consulting, Inc., NetEffect, and Spanlink Communications.
In addition to working with leading Customer Relationship Management (CRM) application providers, Cisco is extending relationships with: Blue Pumpkin Software and IEX Corporation for workforce management to improve contact center productivity; Comverse Infosys, Eyretel and NICE Systems for contact center voice and data recording for interaction analysis; CallCenter Technology, Inc. for contact center performance management; CrystalVoice Communications for Voice over IP (VoIP) capabilities; iNOVA to share enterprise data in single - or multi-site contact environments; and eshare communications for predictive dialer capabilities.
"Today's announcements underscore the marketplace support the Cisco IPCC solution is enjoying from both a development and delivery perspective," explained Brett Shockley, vice president and general manager of the Customer Contact Business Unit at Cisco Systems. "In addition to the functional enhancements to the Cisco IPCC solution, our ability to forge relationships with key technology and systems integration providers ensures that customers can quickly implement the Cisco IPCC solution and that it will interoperate with a range of technology provider solutions."
Cisco IPCC Systems Integration Providers
The rapid implementation of a contact center solution that meets specific business needs is crucial. Consequently, Cisco has worked with leading systems integration firms with proven customer contact practices to implement and support the Cisco IPCC solution. Those companies are:
eLoyalty Corporation: eLoyalty Corporation (http://www.eloyalty.com) focuses exclusively on delivering CRM solutions and services and leverages this expertise to provide implementation services and support for the Cisco IPCC solution.
Fulcra Solutions: Fulcra Solutions (http://www.fulcrasolutions.com/partner) is solely dedicated to deploying Cisco customer contact solutions, including the Cisco IPCC solution, to client organizations ready to embrace the benefits of an IP-based contact center.
Hewlett-Packard Company: Hewlett-Packard Company (http://www.hp.com/go/consulting) is among the largest full-service solution providers for the Cisco IPCC solution, and will also offer the Cisco IPCC solution as a gold-level Cisco reseller throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia Pacific.
IBM Global Services: IBM Global Services (http://www.ibm.com/services/alliances/cisco) is one of Cisco's largest worldwide systems integration providers and offers a wide range of services, solutions and technologies to help companies deploy and integrate the Cisco IPCC solution.
Innova Solutions: Innova Solutions (http://www.innova-usa.com/crm_news.htm), a value-added, certified systems integration provider, can implement cost effective end-to-end Cisco IPCC solutions for customers globally and simulate, through their fully functional CRM lab, the Cisco IPCC solution for customers.
KPMG Consulting: KPMG Consulting (http://www.kpmgconsulting.com), an independent consulting company and proven, high-quality system integration and solution provider, is deploying a cross-industry team with extensive experience in delivering complete CRM solutions to support the Cisco IPCC solution, including all supporting network infrastructure.
NetEffect: NetEffect Corporation (http://www.neteffectcorp.com) is an IP Telephony consulting and engineering services firm working with Cisco to evaluate, plan, design and implement the Cisco IPCC and IP telephony enterprise solutions. NetEffect services support the enterprise migration of legacy call centers to IP telephony.
Spanlink Communications: Spanlink Communications (http://www.spanlink.com/downloads/enterprise/IPCC_datasheet.pdf) has achieved Premier Certification as an integrator for the Cisco IPCC solution and other Cisco contact center solutions, offering a full range of professional deployment services including business and technical consulting, legacy-to-IP migration consulting, system integration, customization, project management, training and support.Cisco IPCC Technology Providers
The Cisco IPCC solution, a key part of Cisco AVVID (Architecture for Voice, Video and Data), is an integrated suite of IP telephony and contact center solutions that provides intelligent call routing and multimedia contact management over a single IP network for multi-site or single-site enterprise call centers.
To enhance the functionality of either a centralized or distributed contact center environment, a number of companies are working with Cisco to ensure their products interoperate with the Cisco IPCC solution. The technology companies supporting the Cisco IPCC solution include:
Workforce Management
Blue Pumpkin Software: Blue Pumpkin Software (http://www.bluepumpkin.com) a leading provider of enterprise workforce management solutions, and its strategic consulting subsidiary Coleman Consulting Group, complement the Cisco IPCC solution to help businesses plan, execute and evaluate workforce optimization strategies.
IEX Corporation: TotalView Workforce Management from IEX Corporation (http://www.iex.com) effectively forecast demand, schedule agents, and manages service delivery across all customer interaction points in the Cisco IPCC solution to deploy resources in the most effective way possible.Contact Center Voice and Data Recording
Comverse Infosys, Inc.: Comverse Infosys' (http://www.cominfosys.com) ULTRA Intelligent Recording platform integrates with the Cisco IPCC solution to provide Voice over IP (VoIP) recording empowering Cisco IPCC users with Contact Center Quality, Enterprise Transaction Management, Customer Xperience Management and Customer Intelligence Analytics solutions to assist in Building the Customer Intelligent Enterprise.
Eyretel: When combined with the Cisco IPCC solution, Eyretel's (http://www.eyretel.com) MediaStore (IP) enables contact centers to use the same infrastructure to digitally process, record and analyze voice and data, including telephone calls, e-mail, web chat, agent assisted web browsing, and desktop computer activity to ensure high quality of customer service. For more information go to www.voiprecording.com.
NICE Systems: Nice Systems' (http://www.nice.com) patented VoIP recording technology is now interoperable with the Cisco IPCC solution enabling enterprises to capture, evaluate, analyze and improve the customer's experience.
Contact Center Performance Management
CallCenter Technology: PRISM, offered by CallCenter Technology (http://www.callcti.com), is a visual application and data integration platform that automatically collects and integrates voice and data from the Cisco IPCC solution for real-time operations management throughout the contact center.
Voice over IP
CrystalVoice Communications: CrystalVoice's (http://www.crystalvoice.com/partners.html) Voice Over Internet products interoperate with the Cisco IPCC solution, enabling both consumers and remote contact center agents to connect over the Internet through the Cisco IPCC solution even over dialup connections for quicker, more comprehensive customer care.Enterprise Data Display
iNOVA Corporation: iNOVA Corporation's (www.inovacorp.com) core software product, LightLink, captures performance data from the Cisco IPCC solution and additional disparate sources, analyzes that data then delivers the critical information in real-time to PC desktops, displays, wireless devices, and the web within and across single - and multi-site contact center environments.
Predictive Dialer
eshare communications, Inc.: eshare. communications, Inc. (www.eshare.com) offers eshare Conversations, an outbound and blended dialer which interoperates with the Cisco IPCC solution to enable customer contact centers to become more productive and efficient by offering agent blending, and consolidated agent reporting.
