Austin, TX-based ichat, which just changed its name to Acuity Corp., delivered WebCenter 2.0, a scalable solution for Internet-based enterprise relationship management (ERM).
Acuity also announced strategic alliances with leading providers of customer
information, computer-telephony integration and e-commerce solutions.
WebCenter 2.0 is an enterprise-class, Web-centric solution for e-commerce and
online support. The solution is designed to integrate interactive self-service, automated e-mail response, Web-based question queuing and routing, and live interaction through multiple channels, including live text communications, browser screen synchronization, CTI callback and voice/video conferencing.
Acuity said WebCenter allows corporations to deploy Internet-based call centers. It consists of three modules:
- The Web Response Unit (WRU), which enables interactive self-service,
including knowledge base searches and moderated FAQ inquiries. Should customers require live assistance, they may escalate through:
- The WebCenter WebACD, which queues and routes help requests based on
attributes such as the customer’s identity, their URL trail, and agents’ knowledge levels or multitasking productivity patterns. The WebACD initiates connections to:
- The WebCenter Communications Interface Unit (CIU), which manages
multiple forms of live interaction, including e-mail, live text conferencing,
browser synchronization, IP telephony, and circuit-switched integrated with
legacy phone systems.
Based on early customer experience, Acuity said it estimates that WebCenter
will increase e-commerce sales margins by 15 to 25%. Live, Internet-based assistance will improve purchase conversion rates as customers receive
immediate answers to pressing questions, and will result in higher average sales prices through cross-selling and up-selling opportunities.
Acuity announced integration alliances with CIS and sales force automation
providers Siebel Systems, Clarify, Quintus and ONYX; CTI leader Genesys;
enterprise e-commerce provider InterWorld; knowledge management provider
Inference, and Internet commerce/configuration firms pcOrder and SMART
Technologies.
Early WebCenter customers and evaluators include financial service providers
Merrill Lynch and Charles Schwab & Co.; Compaq and Siemens; call center
outsourcer Harte-Hanks; and e-commerce firm Roxy Systems.
WebCenter 2.0 starts at $125,000. It will be available on June 30 for Windows
NT 4.0 on Intel-based hardware.
