With the latest release, Citrix GoToMeeting offers convenient online meeting and collaboration capabilities. Version 2.0 includes ease of use features, flat-fee All You Can Meet(tm) pricing, built-in security and reliable performance. In addition, the product now offers simple meeting recording and playback and specific application sharing and drawing tools.

Sento has realized operational improvements as a result of implementing the IEX TotalView Workforce Management system. Improvements include reduced time and resources required for scheduling. improved forecasting accuracy, enhanced scheduling flexibility, and payroll efficiencies of 15 to 20 percent.

CashCall, a consumer lending company, selected Concerto EnsemblePro for implementation in its fast-growing Irvine, Calif. contact center. Concerto EnsemblePro provides CashCall, a new Concerto customer, with a unified inbound and outbound multi-channel solution that can be integrated with other contact center products. Call blending will reduce CashCall's agent idle time by handling a mix of inbound and outbound interactions based on demand and traffic.

Utopy, a provider of speech analytics solutions, announced a new paper describing how speech analytics solutions support improvements in quality programs, operational efficiency and customer relationships. This short paper describes the type of information a highly accurate speech analytics solution obtains in order to support a company's understanding of the day-to-day concerns of specific customers.

KANA Software announced its new solution set for the mid-market, and a new partnership with Enterico, an IBM value-added solution reseller division of Continental Resources Inc, in the Midwest and Northeast United States. KANA additionally announced its new Express Suite of SRM Solutions which offers mid-market companies the power to dramatically improve customer service and satisfaction rates while reducing costs.

Chordiant announced that Wachovia Corporation has chosen the Chordiant Enterprise Platform, Component-Based Multi-Channel Business Services and Advisor Application Suite as the foundation of its enterprise case management system. Wachovia will initially implement Chordiant across Wachovia's various lines of business to achieve improved customer service and obtain business process efficiencies through both direct customer contact and web-based applications.

Siebel announced that Leaderpromos.com chose Siebel CRM OnDemand over Salesforce.com for its hosted CRM solution. Siebel CRM OnDemand delivers analytics capabilities that will help Leaderpromos.com improve its online marketing efforts with Microsoft Outlook integration.

Greenwich Associates has improved its market research operations using SPSS software. Harnessing SPSS, Greenwich Associates modernized its data collection process, providing for more streamlined and meaningful interviews, enhanced data quality and faster results for clients.

Salesforce.com/foundation announced more than $100,000 in funding to youth development organizations as part of its 2005 grants program. The grants were given to 21 organizations around the world to support teaching young people valuable technology skills through media-based programs.

bridgeSpeak recently leveraged Empirix's Hammer automated testing system to test drive its new Interactive Voice Response (IVR) solution for auto dealerships. As a result, bridgeSpeak was able to perform three times more performance testing than it could have done manually, and accelerate the delivery of a best-in-class solution to its customers.

  "OUR TAKE" (more)

8/10/2005 - Outsourcing Best Practices - III A few days ago we talked about the best practice of mystery shopping. One reader suggested that this should be a part of the start-up phase of an outsourcing arrangement. He writes:   "The only way to really know is to test and as such run a pilot with test cells to evaluate change in customer satisfaction, loyalty, etc. The most critical element is the system used - it must provide the functionality to show interested parties all the relevant info instantly."   It's a good way to make sure you've done your part to provide the processes and knowledge necessary for the outsourcer to be successful.   Gary Lemke, Publisher (Share your thoughts)