Interactive Intelligence hones CIC even sharper.Customer Interaction Center (CIC CIC circulating immune complexes. CIC Circulating immune complexes. See Immune complexes. ) is Indianapolis-based Interactive Intelligence's bundled communications application software suite. CIC was specifically created to accommodate the performance requirements of contact centers and other customer-driven enterprises. It includes traditional TDM (Time Division Multiplexing) A technology that transmits multiple signals simultaneously over a single transmission path. Each lower-speed signal is time sliced into one high-speed transmission. and IP-based switching with SIP support; an all-software IP-based version using Intel's HMP HMP - hybrid multiprocessing software; desktop soft phone with full call control and presence management; automatic call distribution with skills-based routing and multimedia queuing and routing; interactive voice response (IVR (Interactive Voice Response) An automated telephone information system that speaks to the caller with a combination of fixed voice menus and data extracted from databases in real time. ) with optional speech recognition; fax services; screen-pop; Web chat and callback An authentication technique that calls the sender back. After connection is made, the receiving side breaks the connection and calls the sender to ensure that the logon was made from the authorized computer. Callback prevents a stolen ID and password from being used on a different machine. ; unified messaging Having access to e-mail, voice mail and faxes via a common computer application or by telephone. For example, unified messaging may send faxes and digitized voice mail to a mail server that turns them into e-mail attachments. ; call monitoring A call center feature that lets managers listen in on agents' calls in order to improve agent performance. Also called "agent monitoring" and "call logging," it can be done in real time with or without the agent's knowledge, or calls can be recorded for later retrieval. and recording, and other functionality. CIC Version 2.4, released this month, includes a broad selection of new features and enhancements both large and small. Key Feature Enhancements To CIC 2.4 * SIP Media Server. New SIP Media Server more than doubles scalability to support approximately 400 agents in an all-software configuration using HMP, and approximately 1,000 agents in a non-HMP configuration. This extends the cost-savings benefits of an all-software deployment beyond small IP contact centers, to medium and very large IP contact centers, especially those with distributed operations Distributed Operations (DO) is a new warfighting concept being adopted by the United States Marine Corps and is being developed by their Warfighting Laboratory as a response to the changing environment of the Global War on Terror. . Combined with a multiple server configuration, it also gives mission-critical contact centers maximum reliability. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] * Screen recording. New screen recording capabilities automatically link screen capture files with interaction recording files to provide synchronous playback. Screen capture is available for calls and Web chats. By leveraging existing CIC telephony resources, thus eliminating integration efforts, and by offering flexible deployment options based on call volume, these new capabilities help give medium-sized contact centers the type of sophisticated performance optimization features that were previously available (not to mention affordable) to only large organizations. The screen recording features have multiple benefits in the vertical markets: healthcare organizations, for example, are better able to meet HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability & Accountability Act of 1996, Public Law 104-191) Also known as the "Kennedy-Kassebaum Act," this U.S. law protects employees' health insurance coverage when they change or lose their jobs (Title I) and provides standards for patient health, compliance rules, and financial services The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view of the subject. Please [ improve this article] or discuss the issue on the talk page. and public companies are better positioned to conform to Verb 1. conform to - satisfy a condition or restriction; "Does this paper meet the requirements for the degree?" fit, meet coordinate - be co-ordinated; "These activities coordinate well" Sarbanes-Oxley and privacy regulations. * Real-time, alert-based supervisory messaging. New alert capabilities enable supervisors to set thresholds for triggering messages based on real-time statistics. Alerts can be sent to individual users, a single workgroup, or multiple workgroups, and agents can receive them as popup or ticker tape Ticker Tape A computerized device that relays financial information to investors around the world, including the stock symbol, the latest price, and volume on securities as they are traded. messages. Agents can also view their own statistics and time-in-status. Combined, these capabilities help supervisors more efficiently optimize agent performance, while empowering agents to be more productive and serve customers better. Performance Optimization As an optional feature to CIC 2.4's add-on product, Interaction Recorder, new screen recording capabilities automatically link screen capture files with interaction recording files to provide synchronous playback. Screen capture is available for calls and Web chats. Interaction Recorder also offers enhanced agent scoring, giving supervisors the ability to mark a question or question group "not applicable" for more effective evaluation. [GRAPHIC OMITTED] Enhancements to CIC 2.4's Interaction Supervisor application include a new "whisper coaching" feature, which allows supervisors to speak to agents during a call without the caller hearing. For the CIC 2.4 Interaction Client .NET Edition, Interaction Supervisor now allows supervisors to set thresholds for triggering messages based on real-time statistics (e.g., too many calls in queue). Messages can be sent to individual users, a single workgroup, or multiple workgroups. Agents can receive supervisory alerts as popup or ticker tape messages, and supervisors can automatically trigger alerts so agents know when they are about to be put in queue. For agent views, Interaction Supervisor enables agents to see their own statistics versus those of their workgroup, as well their time-in-status to check if they've been on break too long, for example. Speech Features Other interesting features to note include a new speech-enabled message retrieval and status setting component called Interaction Mobile Office, which allows for "hands-free" use. Employees can use speech commands to change status (e.g., "In a Meeting," "Out to Lunch," etc.), process voice mail and e-mail and call co-workers on pre-configured numbers, such as a work, cell or home phone. The speech-enablement feature for voice mail menus is configurable using XML XML in full Extensible Markup Language. Markup language developed to be a simplified and more structural version of SGML. It incorporates features of HTML (e.g., hypertext linking), but is designed to overcome some of HTML's limitations. . This enables users to alter DTMF (Dual-Tone MultiFrequency) The type of audio signals that are generated when you press the buttons on a touch-tone telephone. See also DMTF. DTMF - Dual Tone Multi Frequency menu choices, and import voice mail mappings to replace an older voice mail system without requiring end-user training. Other Compliance Factors In addition to new CIC 2.4 screen recording for assistance with HIPAA compliance, Sarbanes-Oxley regulations and privacy rules, basic 911 location support for emergency personnel has been added to help larger organizations comply with regulatory requirements by supplying the physical location of stations used on the CIC system. It also enables system administrators to configure the phone number that will display when individual employees call emergency services emergency services Emergency care '…services …necessary to prevent death or serious impairment of health and, because of the danger to life or health, require the use of the most accessible hospital available and equipped to furnish those services' . CIC 2.4, which is to be released on November 15th, is sold through a global network of approximately 160 Interactive Intelligence value-added resellers. CIC 2.4 is priced per user or station. Average contact center agent pricing is between $2,500 and $4,000, depending on media and functionality. Pricing includes installation and hard-ware. Average business user pricing is between $350 and $1,000 per station, depending on functionality and system size. For more in-depth information, visit www.inin.com. If you are interested in purchasing reprints of this article (in either print or PDF (Portable Document Format) The de facto standard for document publishing from Adobe. On the Web, there are countless brochures, data sheets, white papers and technical manuals in the PDF format. format), please visit Reprint Management Services online at www.reprintbuyer.com or contact a representative via e-mail at tmcnet@reprintbuyer.com or by phone at 800-290-5460. For information and subscriptions, visit www.TMCnet.com or call 203-852-6800. By Tracey E. Schelmetic, Editorial Director, Customer Inter@ction Solutions |
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