Lucent Technologies Introduces IP-based Phone for Remote Customer Contact Agents.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

Call Center 2000

DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 25, 2000

Softphone Uses Existing Data Networks and Infrastructure to

Equip Remote Agents with Tools and Information

Lucent Technologies (NYSE: LU) today unveiled CentreVu(R) IP Agent, a &uot;softphone&uot; that gives customer care agents the tools to work at home -- or any remote location. CentreVu IP Agent was introduced this week at Call Center 2000 in Dallas.

CentreVu IP Agent gives organizations the flexibility to effectively deploy agents remotely. At the same time, the softphone uses Internet Protocol (IP) connections to help organizations get more use from their data networks.

CentreVu IP Agent addresses a rapidly growing market. According to Datamonitor, the number of virtual call centers in the U.S. - including agents working at home and in remote offices - is growing at 34 percent annually. The number of virtual call centers in Europe is growing at 44 percent annually.

A software-based solution developed by Lucent's Bell Labs, CentreVu IP Agent allows agents working remotely to provide the same high level of customer care that they can in a traditional call center environment. The softphone also supports Lucent's industry-leading call monitoring and reporting capabilities.

CentreVu IP Agent delivers call signaling and phone features to the agent's PC through an IP connection, helping organizations take greater advantage of their data networks. The voice portion of the call is carried through circuit switched telephone lines into the agent's phone to ensure a toll quality connection.

Through an organization's local area network (LAN), CentreVu IP Agent connects agents to their corporate Lucent DEFINITY(R) Enterprise Communications Server (ECS). The DEFINITY's automatic call distribution (ACD) software - enhanced by Lucent call routing solutions such as CentreVu Advocate, Expert Agent Selection, and Best Services Routing -- delivers calls to appropriate remote agents based on the company's business rules and agent skills, just as it would to agents at a centralized contact center location.

A highly customizable graphical user interface gives agents easy and immediate access to customer care functions supported by the DEFINITY. Agents can customize their desktop by selecting their most frequently used phone features for display in a separate window. In addition the solution enables features such as integrated phone directories, last numbered dialed and &uot;screen &uot;pops&uot; with relevant customer data to enable more personalized service.

&uot;With CentreVu IP Agent, companies have more options for managing workforce deployment,&uot; said Linda Dotts, general manager, Lucent Technologies Customer Relationship Management Solutions. &uot;Supervisors can even monitor their remote operations through the Call History feature, which indicates when and how agents logged in, caller names and numbers, and call durations. By giving agents flexibility, CentreVu IP Agent helps companies deliver better customer care.&uot;

CentreVu IP Agent requires a DEFINITY ECS 8.2 release. It will be available worldwide in the first quarter of 2000 at $550.00 per seat.

CentreVu IP Agent is part of Lucent Technologies' Customer Relationship Management Solutions, a broad array of systems, software and professional services that help companies deliver on their commitments to customers. They include multimedia customer care and computer telephony applications, customer relationship management software, predictive dialing solutions and interactive voice response products. For more information on Lucent's CRM Solutions, visit www.lucent.com/enterprise, or call 800-247-7000.

Lucent Technologies, headquartered in Murray Hill, N.J., designs, builds and delivers a wide range of public and private networks, communications systems and software, data networking systems, business telephone systems and microelectronics components. Bell Labs is the research and development arm for the company. For more information, visit its web site at www.lucent.com.