Home-based agents increase

The number of contact centre agents working remotely or from home is set to double over the next two years, says Search VOIP.

While 18% of contact centres currently employ home-based agents, a survey from Integ Communications has found that this figure will grow to 37% by 2010.

"Having remote and home agents is very clearly enabling companies to enhance their ability to attract quality staff," said Ian Poole, Integ's CEO.

Siemens Enterprise Communications has enhanced the OpenScape Contact Centre portfolio that will provide customers with advanced interactive contact centre features and monitoring in a more cost-effective and easier to deploy hosted package, states Call Centre Clinic.

The new shared interactive voice response (IVR) solution and hosted service management offering will help enterprises deploy contact automation in an effort to deliver superior customer services.

Natural speech technology, enabled by an IVR solution, is an important tool for contact centres today, as they strive to make each customer interaction as positive and effective as possible.

The City of Vancouver has awarded Telus a contract to provide the city's new IP telephony system and contact centre suite, reports Newswire.

Through the $7 million deal, Telus will supply, install and support the city's new IP telephony system and contact centre suite, which will in turn support 200 city sites, including City Hall, the 311 Contact Centre, the Vancouver Police Department, the Vancouver Fire and Rescue Department, the Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation and the Vancouver Public Library.

"We are honoured to have been selected as the City of Vancouver's telecommunications partner," said Peter Green, MD of British Columbia, Telus Business Solutions.