Netopia Extends Web Platform With eCare

Netopia (Nasdaq: NTPA) Wednesday says it is expanding its Web platform with eCare.

The Alameda, Calif.-based broadband gateway and Web platforms provider says the new application allows for live, online customer support over any type of Internet connection.

“Internet-enabled, real-time communication is the most effective component of any company’s eCRM initiative,” says Netopia Jeff Porter VP of Marketing for Web Platforms. “Our new eCare application has universal appeal for enterprises seeking to leverage the Internet to reduce the cost of customer service and support, while increasing customer satisfaction.”

For instance, retailers can visually provide answers for their online customers to questions regarding product or service features and benefits, just like they do in their “brick and mortar” stores.

The new eCare application connects support representatives and customers in real-time, using live chat, co-browsing, URL push, and desktop assist screen sharing.

Companies can use the application to communicate with customers online through a “dynamic chat” service. Netopia says customer service agents can use eCare to help customers finding content and access information by pushing Web pages directly to their customer’s desktop.

eCare also lets help desk and support agents view and control remotely a customer’s screen, mouse, and keyboard.

In the future, eCare is expected to add technical diagnostics tools, electronic software distribution, technical asset management services, and Voice over IP technologies.

Pricing for eCare is available on a hosted per-user subscriber basis and for licensing by distributed enterprises and independent software vendors.