CRM - June 2008 - (Page 41)

demonstrating reality while others were [still] talking [about] the roadmap,” explains Todd Sharp, Engage’s director. Engage chose Siemens because it was the only company using its own software to communicate with customers. Sharp says that other vendors were taking two to three months to respond to questions, whereas Siemens had representatives responding immediately thanks in part to its UC software. The UC buzz really kicked into overdrive with the 2007 debut of Microsoft’s OCS, which brought recognition and attention to the issue. In its 2007 Magic Quadrant report assessing the UC space, industry research firm Gartner listed Microsoft, Nortel Networks, and Siemens as frontrunners. Avaya, now marketing its self-described “cheap and easy” UC software, wasn’t far behind. IBM, with its SameTime Lotus program, wasn’t overlooked either, in part due to the company’s announced billion-dollar commitment to UC development. UC and Mobility Road warriors add a new category of communication to the mix. In research firm DataMonitor’s “Trends to Watch 2008: Unified Communications,” technology analyst Aphrodite Brinsmead says that “Mobility is becoming a more significant factor in unified communications from a productivity and cost savings point of view and is likely to help drive investments.” She continues, “To achieve the full benefits of presence, integrated directories and messaging, employees need access to the same functionality on the mobile device as they have on the desktop.” As devices become smarter, analysts predict that UC will likely catch up with them. Ernie Wallerstein, founder of Zeacom, a provider of contact center and telephony integration software, gushed about how UC’s mobility benefits allow him to do business on the road. With UC tying sales data to his email, Wallerstein can receive news of a big sale and promptly call that client for a follow-up thank you. UNIFYING UC AND CRM Unified communications, although useful for executives on the move and for connecting disparate employees, can also provide tremendous aid to customers. Even when customers can’t tell they’re dealing with UC—in fact, maybe because they can’t tell—there are benefits in first-call resolution rates and a shorter wait to talk to the right person. Irwin Lazar, principal analyst and program director for convergence and collaboration at Nemertes Research, refers to this as UC’s “just-in-time, fetch-the-expert” feature. Realizing how central communication is with customers, it’s no wonder that vendors are particularly interested in providing strategies specifically for contact centers. (See “UC for the CC,” page 40.) UC can also help in other customerfacing ways. Engage’s Sharp says that, in real-time application, UC probably is most beneficial with his company’s orderentry system: When a consumer places an order, the system identifies the salesperson on that account; Siemens’ OpenScape can trigger a call for the salesperson to follow up with a thank you. “I don’t have to look up [a] number or depend on [the] sales administrator to tell me that the order has [been] placed,” Sharp says. “I can tell [the customer] I’m out and about and tell them thank you. That’s a tremendously powerful sales technique.” At Virgin Megastores, the Microsoft OCS software is installed on every computer on every selling floor. When a consumer has a question or wants to request a product, the salesperson can immediately access contact information for buyers or store managers—and the salesperson can do more than just leave a message; she can see who is available to serve the customer’s needs immediately. CommFusion’s Pleasant ventures that companies should consider four key elements before deploying a UC strategy: mobility, interoperability, intelligence, and extensibility. She also points out that no vendor currently offers the whole Dare to Reach New Heights of Excellence! By Lior Arussy 240 pp/hardbound/$24.95 ISBN 978-0-910965-79-8 Lior Arussy skillfully illustrates how critical excellence is in corporate strategy and the significant role every employee plays in its delivery. Excellence Every Day is an important read for both executives and employees. — Jill Griffin Customer Loyalty Ask for Excellence Every Day in Your Local Bookstore or Order Direct From the Publisher www.infotoday.com http://www.infotoday.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of CRM - June 2008

CRM - June 2008 Contents Front Office Reality Check Customer Centricity The Tipping Point Making Mashup Masterpieces Trouble in the Air CRM on Twitter Is SaaS Ready for Its Contact Center Close-up? CRM: In the Public Interest Required Reading Lollipop Loyalty Best Practices Series: CRM & eCommerce eGain NetSuite Infor Longwood Software Vovici The Second Coming of 2.0 Believe the Hype About Hosted Contact Centers All Talk So Hot It’s Cool Linksys Gets Shaken, a Community Is Stirred The Risky Risk Business Awana Hears a SaaS Sermon Secret of My Success Re:Tooling Scouting Report Pint of View

CRM - June 2008

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