Nortel focuses on call center technologies

Communications and networking leader Nortel Networks is renewing its focus on the local enterprise and call center service market.

In a recent press briefing, officials of Nortel Networks outlined its varied technologies that could bolster the efforts of existing call centers in the country.

Nortel has successfully installed around 10,000 call centers in Europe and the United States, and is now looking at emerging service markets.

Only The Beginning

Citing the growing interest in the Philippines as a viable location for successful offshore call center operations, principals of Nortel Networks revealed that their technology solutions would be useful for call center operators in the long term.

"Our solutions determine our vision of where customer service is going to go," said Arik Elberse, chief architect of customer contact solutions of Nortel Networks Ireland. "The solutions we can offer our partners in the call center industry will change the industry in a few years’ time."

Elberse referred to Nortel’s technology that enables customer service companies such as call centers to adapt to their customers’ preferences.

The solutions are media-adaptive, meaning they are flexible enough to adapt to call center transactions via PCs, cellular phones, PDAs and other devices.

The solutions are also intelligent enough to identify premium customers and assign them to specific areas of customer service reserved for them.

Elberse added that Nortel has advanced call queuing solutions that can speed up response time and improve service.

He said Nortel has carefully studied the way the customer service segment works and how customer demands and manner of usage have changed considerably due to advances in technology.

"We’re meeting customer needs to develop a new level of service," he said.

Nortel Networks also offers Multimedia Call Center solutions which integrate a higher level of connectivity and offer users and partners additional options over voice and e-mail response and service.

The Multimedia Call Center solution integrates fax, e-mail, online chat and other forms of communications such as Instant Messaging which is an increasingly popular real-time communications tool.

Other available solutions for enhanced call center operations include speech-enabled self-service which merges voice recognition with voice-activated technology and allows for efficient, personnel-free and voice-activated phone services.

Integrated Technologies

Some of the integrated technologies discussed by Elberse include Voice-over-IP (VoIP) applications that enable agents (even those who are working at home or offsite) to be able to handle voice requests using only a data connection.

VoIP’s benefits, according to Elberse, go beyond technological efficiency but also make it possible for call center operators to locate and retain agents in different locations.

VoIP also allows for flexible work arrangements and enables outsourcing of services, including long-distance and offshore partnerships.

Nortel also gave a preview of its Symposium Express Call Center, a server-based software application integrating skill-based routing, call treatment flexibility, extensive reporting and management tools for up to 150 active agents. – Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla