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Call Centers (ACD) - Enterprise Interaction Center (EIC) | |
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Enterprise Interaction Center® (EIC) is a client/server software product that turns a Windows NT server into a comprehensive communications system for call centers and other interaction-intensive organizations. EIC is an all-in-one call center solution, eliminating the need for proprietary devices such as PBXs, ACDs, IVRs, voice mail systems, fax servers, and CTI gateways. The product turns every PC into a graphical phone with screen pop and universal in-box capabilities.
EIC allows organizations to manage all internal and external interactions on a single Windows NT server with tight integration to other BackOffice products including Exchange, SQL Server, and IIS. Its multi-threaded, Java-based engine is capable of processing thousands of telephone calls, e-mails, faxes, Internet chats, Web call-back requests, voice over Net (VON) sessions, and other interactions per hour. Unlike traditional automatic call distributors (ACDs), EIC can queue and distribute not only incoming telephone calls but e-mails, faxes, chat sessions, etc. Customers receive the same level of service regardless of how they choose to interact with the organization.
EIC includes a graphical application generator - Interaction Designer - which can be used to tailor virtually any aspect of interaction handling including dial plans, ACD routing rules, IVR pathways, fax-on-demand applications, automated e-mail services, and many others. Interaction Designer includes hundreds of building blocks covering telephony, fax, e-mail, Internet, file I/O, database I/O, string handling, and many others.
Interaction Client is an agent-side application that turns any PC running Windows 95 or Windows NT into a graphical communications console from which the user can interact with the world. Telephone actions such as dialing, transferring, and conferencing become simple drag and drop operations. Sophisticated incoming call handling allows users to see who's calling in to them - even if they're already on the phone - and allows them to take the call, transfer it, send it to voice mail, etc. Interaction Client communicates in real-time with the EIC server via TCP/IP, providing dynamic work-group and queue monitoring. Interaction Client also has the ability to perform screen pops of virtually any application including help desk and customer service products from Software Artistry, Remedy, Vantive, Clarify, and many others. The new Java version of Interaction Client endows Java-based network computers (NCs), Java stations, and NetPCs with these same capabilities.
PERFORMANCE
EIC 1.3 has been optimized
to reduce network traffic and server processing overhead. This should allow a
given processor configuration (e.g. Dual Pentium Pro 200 MHz) to handle a higher
overall call volume than previous versions of EIC. In particular, an
optimization in EIC's use of Java has resulted in a 30-40% reduction in the CPU
utilization of the Java process.
TELEPHONY
SERVICES
The
low-level audio processing has been rewritten to offer better performance
for play and record operations.
Support
has been added for the Dialogic DCB conference board. This board supports
up to 96 total conference participants (per board) with up to 32
participants in a single conference call.
The
AOC-E billing protocol has been added to the ISDN services. This allows
European companies to obtain charge information at the conclusion of a
call.
EIC
1.3 supports ADSI phones (e.g. Nortel Powertouch 350) for message waiting
indicators and caller ID displays.
National
ISDN support has been added for North America.
It
is now possible to transfer external participants in a conference call.
AUTOMATIC
CALL DISTRIBUTION
EIC
1.3 supports phone-only ACD. That is, agents can now log in and out of ACD
queues from their telephone keypads and can take ACD calls even if they
don't have a desktop PC or if their desktop PC or LAN goes down.
Direct
support has been added for various ACD features that previously required
extensive handler writing – estimated hold time announcements, place in
queue announcements, whispers, and auto announcements
("smiles").