Avaya, a global leader in corporate networking solutions and services, has equipped Cable & Wireless` new contact centre in Manchester, in the north-west of England, with a converged voice and data communications system including Multimedia Contact Centre software, for use in the future. The new upgraded system is capable of integrating voice and data on a single network.
The technology will enable Cable & Wireless, a leading provider of Internet and data services, to manage a higher number of customer enquiries and provide enhanced levels of customer service for its business customers which range from large multi-national corporations, such as Shell and Lloyds TSB, to smaller and medium-size enterprises. Also, the technology will support Cable & Wireless` 400 contact centre agents in their handling of a variety of customer transactions, including billing enquiries, faults, installation enquiries and requests for technical assistance.
The lb1 million system is based on an Avaya Internet Protocol (IP)-enabled DEFINITY G3R Enterprise Communications server and includes supporting equipment and software such as IP-telephones and Avaya`s Call Management System for monitoring, analysing and optimising contact centre operations.
Also, the new converged network uses Avaya`s Multimedia Contact Centre software to enhance response times and provide improved access to information through a routing algorithm that sends requests directly to the contact centre agents best-suited to answer their questions.
"The new multimedia customer contact centre in Manchester is an important milestone in Cable & Wireless` global customer service initiative. The new technology gives us the means to take advantage of the benefits of merging voice and data applications to provide a fast, integrated communication service for our UK business customers," commented Catherine Manock, Cable & Wireless` director, customer service. "We chose Avaya because of the technical superiority of its systems and services and, quite simply, the company is a leader in its field. In a recent Gartner Dataquest report*, Avaya was ranked as the leading provider of enterprise call centre solutions in Western Europe with 28.9% market share."
The Avaya IP-enabled DEFINITY Enterprise Communications Server will allow the contact centre to transmit a combination of voice, data and video throughout the network of its choice, either IP or circuit-switched. Using this technology, Cable & Wireless will be able to capitalise on the benefits of converging voice and data at a pace that suits the needs of its business. For example, in the future Cable & Wireless could direct intra-contact centre calls or faxes over an IP network while routing customer service enquiries over the circuit-based network.
"Cable & Wireless has a dedicated vision to lead the development of the customer-driven economy," said James Pratt, Avaya`s global account vice-president, Service Providers. "The new system offers the scalability and flexibility to match the evolving needs of a best-in-class contact centre and at the same time will help ensure operating costs are kept to a minimum."
Share
Gartner Dataquest report entitled, `Call Centres: Western Europe, 2000 Actuals` listed Avaya as the leading provider of enterprise call centre solutions in the UK and Western Europe in 2000, measured in terms of new and replacement agent seat shipments. This is in addition to Avaya`s call centre market leadership in the United States and Canada, according to Gartner Dataquest.
Avaya - the leader in contact centres
Avaya is the world`s leading provider of technologies to Automatic Call Distribution/Call Centres. The company`s technology ranges from intelligent call routing systems and interactive voice response and recognition systems through to the latest Internet Contact Centre technologies, including text chat, click to talk and escorted Web browsing.
Avaya is an innovator in the use of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software in customer contact centres. Such software is used by businesses to manage all aspects of the customer relationship from initial contact via a variety of channels, to processing and fulfilling transactions and delivering intelligence on customers` preferences -- in short, assisting in the provision of seamless connectivity between people and information to enhance efficiency and provide an improved customer experience.
Avaya, headquartered in Basking Ridge, NJ, is a leading global provider of communications solutions and services that help businesses, government agencies and other institutions excel in the customer economy. Avaya offers Customer Relationship Management Solutions, Unified Communication Solutions, Hosted Solutions, MultiService Networking Infrastructure, and Converged Voice and Data Networks - including the company`s no-compromise Enterprise-Class IP Solutions (ECLIPS) - all supported by Avaya Services and Avaya Labs. Avaya is the worldwide leader in unified messaging, messaging systems, call centres and structured cabling systems. It is the USleader in voice communications systems. Avaya is an official partner for the 2002 FIFA World Cup, the 2003 Women`s World Cup and the 2006 FIFA World Cup championships. For more information on Avaya, visit its Web site at http://www.avaya.com.
Cable & Wireless
Cable & Wireless is a major global telecommunications business with revenue of over lb8 billion (US$11 billion) in the year to 31 March 2001 and customers in 70 countries. 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 more information about Cable & Wireless, go to www.cw.com
Editorial contacts