Gartner Eyes Misalignment of Brand Actions and Values

Gartner research has uncovered a serious disconnect between company values and actions amid growing consumer distrust of marketers.

At Dreamforce, Salesforce.com Expands Voice Across Its CRM Application Portfolio

Salesforce unveiled several voice interfaces for its Customer 360 platform today at its annual Dreamforce user conference.

Apple and Salesforce Extend Mobile Capabilities

Salesforce.com is launching reimagined customer experience and learning apps with features exclusive to Apple's iPhone and iPad mobile devices.

Microsoft and Salesforce Expand Strategic Partnership

Salesforce has named Microsoft Azure as its public cloud provider for Salesforce Marketing Cloud and integrated Salesforce Sales and Service Clouds with Microsoft Teams.

LinkedIn Adds Features to Sales Navigator

New Data Validation feature, administrator tools, alerts, and integrations round out the latest set of updates to Microsoft's LinkedIn Sales Navigator.

Adobe and Microsoft Deepen Partnership

Adobe deepens ties between Adobe Experience and Document Clouds and Microsoft's business and cloud apps.

Keep Your Data Up to Date or I'm Gone

Luddites Like Me Like Personal Interactions

Any texts I receive from companies must be relevant, must provide value, and must be personalized.

Salesforce.com Launches Salesforce CMS

Salesforce CMS aims to meld content, data, and personalization.

Microsoft Announces Upgrades to Power Platform at Its Ignite Conference

Microsoft is adding virtual agents, enhanced security, and tighter integrations to its Microsoft Power Platform

Yext Launches Answers for Website Search

Yext Answers lets companies provide AI-powered searches on their own websites.

Acobot Captures Thousands of Leads for Skyfi Labs

The vendor's AI chatbot brought in more than 19,000 sales leads within the first 150 days

Four Tech Trends That Will Transform Marketing Ecosystems

Gartner hypes AI and blockchain for digital marketing and advertising investments

Forrester Advocates for CMO-CIO Alignment

CMOs need to work more closely with their CIO counterparts, a new report asserts

Teradata Introduces Vantage Customer Experience and Vantage Analyst

Teradata is extending its Vantage offerings in the cloud with a new customer data platform and simplified advanced analytics.

Adobe Adds AI to Experience Platform and Audience Manager

Adobe has injected artificial-intelligence-powered personalization and streamlined activation into Adobe Experience Platform and Adobe Audience Manager.

UserTesting Adds Capabilities to Its Customer Feedback Solutions

New products build on the Human Insight Platform and enable companies to more powerfully target customers for research panels.

Sense-Makers Are Sales Closers

Gartner finds that salespeople who help buyers make sense of their options are more successful

Nearly a Quarter of Sales Reps Are Looking for New Jobs

Gartner offers tips for attracting and retaining top inside sales reps

Required Reading: Tips for Truly Memorable Experience Design

Customer service is founded on three pillars called the Service Trifecta

Swrve Boosts User Engagement for Cinedigm

The entertainment studio improved mobile customer click rates, completion rates, and app sessions

Amid Economic Uncertainty, Optimize, Don’t Downsize

Department heads need to look beyond simple expense trimming and instead focus on optimizing what they already have

Microsoft Boosts the AI in Dynamics 365

Microsoft has added apps and features to the Dynamics 365 product line to analyze additional consumer and in-store data.

A Look at Where the Loyalty Lies

Amazon Testing One-Tap Ratings for Customer Feedback

With a new technology that Amazon is testing, shoppers will be able to tap once to leave star reviews for products purchased.

Oracle Announces CX Cloud Updates at Oracle OpenWorld

Updates across Oracle Customer Experience Cloud help companies unify customer data, personalize interactions, and win more business.

Adobe Introduces Customer Journey Analytics

Adobe Customer Journey Analytics provides new layers of insight for marketers.

Confirmit Adds Capabilities to Its Horizons Platform

The latest release of the Confirmit Horizons market research platform offers improved management efficiency and usability.

Bad Software Choices Lead to Half a Billion Hours Wasted Every Year

U.S. companies lose more than $8 billion in productivity every year by choosing software that sales and customer service employees hate to use, research found.

Making Sense of the Acronym-Laden Industry

Companies can now use an API to incorporate AI into their KPI, all to get more ROI and provide a better UX.

The Best Sales Performance Management (SPM) Software and Solutions: The 2019 CRM Market Leader Awards

The Best Data Quality Software and Solutions: The 2019 CRM Market Leader Awards

Craig Charlton, CEO of SugarCRM: The 2019 CRM Influential Leader Awards

Taking a venerable vendor to the next level

Wellford Dillard, CEO of CM Group: The 2019 CRM Influential Leader Awards

On a mission to simplify the MarTech landscape

Harbinder Khera, Founder and CEO of MindMatrix: The 2019 CRM Influential Leader Awards

Promoting sales from a platform perspective

Movable Ink Helps Put Augmented Reality in Motion: The 2019 CRM Rising Star Awards

Striving to democratize the creation of AR experiences

Validity Proves Its Worth in Data Quality: The 2019 CRM Rising Star Awards

Disrupting the CRM industry with four key acquisitions

Yext Is Taking On What’s Next in Online Branding: The 2019 CRM Rising Star Awards

Expanding its cloud-based network of apps and search engines

LinkedIn Launches Insights and Research Hubs

Insights and Research pages are among the new features in LinkedIn's Success Hub for Marketers.

Facebook Influences Buying Decisions More Than 7 Other Social Media Platforms Combined

Salesforce to Acquire ClickSoftware for $1.35 Billion

With the addition of ClickSoftware Salesforce is expected to upgrade Service Cloud and Field Service Lightning.

SugarCRM Launches Intelligent CX Platform

Sugar also unveils No-Touch Information Management and Continuous Cloud Innovation.

Gartner Identifies 3 Actions for Sales Leaders Following an Acquisition

Sales leaders are uniquely positioned to mitigate risk and unlock value, a new report reveals

The Top Marketing Trends: Data Dominates Marketing Innovations

New technologies will continue increasing what companies can do with the data they have

The Top Sales Trends: AI Gives Sales Teams a Boost

Enablement and engagement technologies are taking the tedium out of sales processes

AI Is Top of Mind for Everyone in CRM

The consumer uses for AI are numerous, but just as real are the business use cases.

Don’t Let AI Distract from the Real Problem

It is clear that many organizations still struggle with the same issues they had 10 or 20 years ago.

Diane von Furstenberg Raises Revenue with Personalization

After an online overhaul, Qubit Pro and Qubit Aura were used to create seamless multichannel visitor journeys

Diane von Furstenberg Raises Revenue with Personalization

After an online overhaul, Qubit Pro and Qubit Aura were used to create seamless multichannel visitor journeys

On the Scene—CRM Evolution: CRM Still Faces Challenges, Most Speakers Agree

CRM systems have been around for decades, but interoperability and data silos still have to be overcome

Don’t Let AI Distract from the Real Problem

It is clear that many organizations still struggle with the same issues thay had 10 or 20 years ago.

SAP Unveils 4 Qualtrics CX Offerings at Its Sapphire Now Conference

Months after completing its acquisition of Qualtrics, SAP is launching a host of products for commerce, sales, customer service, and marketing based on the Qualtrics CustomerXM platform.

CRM Still Plagued By Integration Challenges, CRM Evolution Town Hall Concludes

Decades after their introduction, CRM systems still struggle with data diversity and system interoperability, speakers at a town hall discussion on Day 3 of the CRM Evolution conference concluded.

Companies Need to Embrace Digital Transformation, But They Have A Dilemma to Overcome, CRM Evolution Keynoter Contends

CRM Evolution Day 2 keynoter Barton Goldenberg suggests that digital transformation leaders grow revenue twice as fast as laggards.

Conversation Can't Outweigh Content, CRM Evolution Panelists Contend

When it comes to AI, the conversation is only as good as the data feeding into it, speakers maintain.

The GDPR Needs to Have Its Teeth Sharpened

To not follow through on the enforcement side does everyone a disservice

GDPR: A Year Later

What's really changed since Europe's major privacy law took effect in May 2018?

Use of AI in Customer Service Doubled in 2018

Research finds massive growth in the number of companies using artificial intelligence to assist customers and contact center agents

To Sell Globally, Market Locally

Cross-border commerce requires attention to regional nuances, a new report stresses

First-Time Purchases Can Predict Loyalty

MIT research identifies harbinger products that don't lead to future business

Who Really Wins with Vendor Consolidation?

Companies can focus on customer service and process improvements instead of constantly purchasing, integrating, configuring, and customizing complex software.

Best Contact Center Infrastructure: The 2019 CRM Service Leaders Awards

Best Contact Center Search: The 2019 CRM Service Leaders Awards

Avaya Re-emerges with Renewed Purpose and Products: The 2019 CRM Service Rising Stars Awards

A new focus on next-gen service puts the vendor on a strong trajectory

Twilio Flexes Its Customization Muscles: The 2019 CRM Service Rising Stars Awards

With the Flex platform, companies can make the entire contact center experience their own

Vonage Takes Contact Centers to the Cloud: The 2019 CRM Service Rising Stars Awards

The company strengthened its position as a premier cloud contact center provider

SpotHero Reserves Efficient Service with UJET: A CRM Service Elite Customer Case Study

The parking platform provider has cut telephony costs in half

Being an Enabler Has Become a Good Thing

The term 'enabler' now has positive connotations, at least in a business context

Consumer Expectations for Brand Trust Jump 250%

Consumers are far less trusting today amid some high-profile data breaches

Sales Are Hitting Goals, Missing the Mark

Sales performance falls despite reaching revenue targets, CSO Insights finds

Rakuten Marketing Delivers Campaign Success for JanSport

During JanSport's Disney-themed product launch, Rakuten increased brand awareness, customer acquisition, and site performance

The Gig Economy Isn’t New, but It Might Be Worth a Second Look

Your customers' next text, chat, IM, or phone conversation with customer service could be with a freelance agent

PCI Updates Its Data Security Standard Guidance

New corporate guidelines take new channels and technologies into account

Washington’s 311 System Answers the Call with Salesforce

Reduced system downtime, call hold times, and costs have followed the district's migration to Service Cloud

Customers’ Elements of Value Affect Company Performance

In a new report, Bain & Company found that value elements directly influence revenue, market share, customer loyalty, and willingness to pay in 22 consumer categories

I’m Giving You Good Information. Use It!

Knowing which leads to call and which ones to avoid is valuable data

KitchenAid Cooks Up a Winner with CX Social

Adding Clarabridge's social customer care solutions improves speed of response for the appliance maker

Marketing’s Role Changes to Growth Creator

The CMO Council has set out five plays marketers need to adopt to grow revenue

Let’s End the Partisanship

Companies have been bogged down by party loyalties to a specific department (marketing, sales, or customer service) for a long time

It’s Time for Marketers to Go Back to School

The higher education market could benefit from a new marketing technology that takes personalization to a new level

The Four Stages of Content Consumption

The content that B2B audiences consume reflects their position in the conversion funnel, research finds

Sales Is Merging with Science

More STEM graduates are finding their niche in sales careers

TENMAT Builds Revenue with PipelineDeals CRM

The manufacturing company uses its CRM to increase sales by 30 percent

Adobe Acquires Marketo for $4.75 Billion

Marketo's marketing technology is expected to join Adobe's Experience Cloud.

Microsoft Launches AI and Mixed Reality Apps for Dynamics 365

Microsoft today introduced Dynamics 365 AI for Sales, Dynamics 365 AI for Market Insights, Dynamics 365 AI for Customer Service, Dynamics 365 Remote Assist, and Dynamics 365 Layout ahead of its Ignite conference next week.

Sales Require Organizational Overhaul, Better Data

Most sales teams still struggle with infrastructure and processes, study finds

CRM Is Making a Difference

In just the past year alone, we've seen huge advances in artificial intelligence, augmented and virtual reality, blockchain, automated bots, and so much more

Bryan Gold—An Influencer Leader: The CRM Influential Leader Awards

He's showing the way in influencer marketing

Alan Trefler—The Digital Transformer: The CRM Influential Leader Awards

In a book and keynotes, he's emphasized this kind of transformation

Freshworks Sees a Major Rebranding: The CRM Rising Stars Awards 2018

The company makes an expansion into marketing, sales, and recruitment management

Showpad Becomes a Launchpad for AR: The CRM Rising Stars Awards 2018

Making augmented reality a B2B sales reality

X2CRM Breathes Life into the Open-Source Model: The CRM Rising Stars Awards 2018

Renewing its vision and approach to product design and customer on-boarding

The Best Sales Performance Management (SPM) Software and Solutions: The CRM Market Leader Awards 2018

The Best Data Quality Software and Solutions: The CRM Market Leader Awards 2018

Dell EMC Thaws the Frozen Crowd: A CRM Elite Customer Awards Case Study

Outreach with Epsilon yields impressive email open rates

Digital Customer Experience Continues to Gain in Priority

Nelson Hall's Digital Customer Experience study reveals an increased emphasis on top-down CX transformation. (Featured on SmartCustomerService.com.)

It’s a Small World, But It’s Still a Big Deal

There are many considerations and plenty of questions that need to be asked before spreading out across the planet.

E-commerce Communities Alter Companies’ Go-to-Market Strategies

CMO Council urges adoption of the 4Ps of marketing: precision, personalization, persuasion, and perfection

SYNNEX to Acquire Convergys

The deal, valued at $2.8 billion, will see Convergys merged with SYNNEX's Concentrix subsidiary.

Most Consumers Don’t Finish Online Forms

Clutch survey finds that 81 percent of people have abandoned at least one online form, and few return to complete them

Don’t Try to Block the Blockchain

Companies really need to start thinking about blockchain and laying the foundation for it within their organizations.

Don’t Try to Block the Blockchain

Companies really need to start thinking about blockchain and laying the foundation for it within their organizations.

Adobe to Acquire Magento Commerce

The acquisition brings Magento's Commerce Cloud to Adobe Experience Cloud.

This Month, It’s All About the Data

Companies can no longer afford to be so cavalier with valuable customer information

Court Strikes Down TCPA Expansions

Appeals court decision overturns the FCC's new definition of autodialers

Customer Sentiment Is Becoming a New Imperative

Sentiment and emotion analytics are poised for 3,000 percent growth

Companies Don't Need Websites to Benefit from SEO

Links to local search results also rely on accurate and up-to-date information on the Web.

Marketo Acquires Bizable

The combined company will enable marketers to plan, engage, and measure across the entire customer journey.

CRM Evolution/Smart Customer Service 2018: Keep True and Honest Amid Rapid Change

Speakers acknowledge the fast pace of change, but say companies can't lose sight of their customers.

Companies Face a Consumer Trust Crisis

As identity fraud hits an all-time high, the burden is shifting to companies to protect customer data

Personalization Efforts Suffer from Data Issues

While identity theft is definitely on the rise, consumer awareness of the risk has seen a comparable increase, and companies' attempts at personalization might be the ultimate victims.

Because We Thought You Should Know

To keep customers coming back, businesses today need to know as much as they can about them

Best Call Center/Contact Center Infrastructure Software: The 2018 CRM Service Leaders

Best Contact Center Search: The 2018 CRM Service Leaders

The 2018 CRM Service Rising Stars: Clarabridge

Clarabridge spans the customer feedback divide

The 2018 CRM Service Rising Stars: Zendesk

Partnerships bring the Zendesk platform to more devices and apps

The 2018 CRM Service Elite Customers: Boscov's Department Stores

Boscov's bounces back with Moxie's Kbot

IBM Launches Watson Assistant

Watson Assistant uses IBM's cognitive computing platform to create personalized consumer experiences.

Running a Contact Center from the Inside Out

A Q&A with Vince Barsolo, senior vice president of operations at Televerde, which operates contact centers in several women's prisons, giving inmates marketable skills that connect them to a future beyond bars.

Contact Center Staffing Can Be Found in Surprising Places

Some innovative companies are going outside the normal job markets to find talent to staff their contact centers

Google Starts Blocking Intrusive Ads

Mobile and web ads that violate the Coalition for Better Ads standards are subject to removal from Chrome

SpotHero Settles in with UJET

UJET has helped the parking platform provider cut telephony costs in half

The Influence of So-Called Influencers Can’t Be Denied

Considering that word of mouth is still the best way to gain new business, influencer marketing makes a lot of sense—and cents

Let’s Resolve to Do Better with Our Data

By failing to keep customer and prospect records up to date, you could be throwing money away

The Shifting Costs of Customer Contacts

The interactions that require agent input tend to be more difficult, resulting in longer interactions that cost more

Yet One More Case for Customer-Centricity

Open design can improve collaboration and communication, but businesses should make sure it won't impact customer relationships

The Big Four Aren’t All There Is

The CRM software market is wide open for smaller brands to claim a seat at the table

The 2017 CRM Market Rising Stars: Marchex

Dialing into crucial marketing data

Best Data Quality Software: The 2017 CRM Market Leaders

Our finalist and winners in nine categories point the way forward with the latest products and capabilities hitting the market

Best CRM Consultants/Consultancies: The 2017 CRM Market Leaders

Our picks for the top CRM consultancies. The CRM Market Leader Awards helps you analyze your options for CRM consultants.

Voice Biometrics Needs to Adapt for Age

Voice changes over time can challenge the accuracy of some customer authentication systems

Marketers Are Unprepared for Voice Search

Voice assistants are altering consumer habits, and marketers need to adjust

Canada Clamps Down on Spam

Companies are safe from lawsuits for now

Consumers Score a Huge Win

Companies, vendors, and consumers should be prepared to work together to curb the possible misuse of the technology

It’s Time to Get Your Vision Checked

The one-size-fits-all approach, whether with email, marketing, customer service, or any other customer-facing process, no longer works

Customers, Not Bots, Are Taking Over

In customer relationships today, there is no tolerance for slip-ups, no second chance to do better next time

ON THE SCENE—Customer Service Experience: Bots Are Only as Good as the Data

For chatbots to be effective, they need to deliver the right information with little effort

CRM Is More Than Just Technology

Businesses can't rely solely on their system vendors to keep their CRM solutions up to date, functional, and otherwise used by employees.

Cost Considerations Become a Top Concern

As products largely become commoditized and differentiation is harder to come by, cost clearly is setting some vendors apart in 2017.

The 2017 CRM Service Leaders: Contact Center Infrastructure

The 2017 CRM Service Leaders: Interactive Voice Response

The 2017 CRM Service Rising Stars: Cogito, Ergo CRM

Cogito's Dialog can detect emotions and guide agents based on what customers are feeling

How Far We’ve Come in 20 Years

The industry continues to sustain itself with a steady flow of start-ups and cutting-edge innovations that expand what CRM can do

Look for AI’s Role in CRM to Grow

On the CRM front, AI has already found a home in many innovative ways—virtual agents, chatbots, voice biometrics, and more.

Did Data Let Us Down?

While data science has tremendous potential to uncover business insights, it is still a new field of endeavor with very few skilled practitioners

Anatomy of a Contact Center Expansion

How do you transform a contact center operation, ramping up from 25 agents to 120, in a short amount of time? • A Q&A with Jonathan Nall, director of guest services at Wind Creek Hospitality

With Interactions, Salt River Project Helps Customers Keep Their Cool

The water and electricity supplier uses the vendor's virtual assistants to keep its contact centers from overheating

8x8 Lets MOBI Go 24x7

Cloud phone and contact center systems enable MOBI to expand service

Virtual Reality to Become a True Reality

IAB report predicts increased use of 360-degree video amid virtual reality's growth as a marketing channel

Is an Omnichannel Environment Truly Attainable?

Research suggests the need for integrating systems, but it's not an initiative that should be taken lightly

Make CRM Smarter

Innovations in knowledge management make it easier for agents and customers to find information

Retailers Need a Social Media Makeover

Many merchants are not capitalizing on the opportunities social media presents

Apple, Google, Verizon, and Others Join Fight Against Robocalls

The federal government is asking the industry to do more to thwart automated marketing calls

Zang Sends the Right Message for OwnerListens

The communications platform helps keep OwnerListens in the conversation

Robocall Strike Force Advances Plans to Curb Robocalls

Depite efforts to educate consumers, Consumers Union and the FCC say the group's work is not done yet.

Adobe Adds to Analysis Workspace

New capabilities will make powerful insights more accessible.

CafeX Adds in-App Support to Microsoft Dynamics 365

The provider of mobile and web customer engagement solutions will lend real-time customer assistance within Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Customer Service. (Featured on SmartCustomerService.com.)

Lexalytics Releases Salience 6.2

The latest version of the text analytics platform capitalizes on machine learning advances and adds emoji analytics, email processing, and enhanced named entity recognition.

At DreamForce, Salesforce Shows Its Acquisitions Are Paying Off

Einstein and Commerce Cloud are just two of the products introduced following a busy year of acquisitions for Salesforce.

Advocate Uses Hootsuite to Maintain a Healthy Social Presence

Hootsuite is helping Advocate Health Care manage 35 separate social media accounts

Digital Assistants Gain Enterprise Acceptance

Business use of virtual digital assistants, virtual agents, and chatbots is on the rise

Mobile Disruption Alters VoC Programs

Temkin research uncovers five Cs for mobile voice-of-the-customer initiatives

Are Contact Center Metrics Becoming Passé?

New metrics need to take on a more customer-centered approach

Congress Seeks to Protect Consumers’ Right to Complain

The Consumer Review Fairness Act would make it illegal for companies to prevent consumers from writing bad reviews.

West Enhances Its Cloud Contact Center Solution

West has added multichannel capabilities to its Cloud Contact Center, including support for email, web chat, and text; network-based queuing; and inbound and outbound call blending. (Featured on SmartCustomerService.com.)

Citizen Relationship Management Requires a Different CRM

Government can't do what businesses do, but citizens still expect the same kind of customer service

Social Selling Tops Sales Best Practices

Top sales performers have tools in place to establish relationships with customers

Goodbye to Twitter’s Buy Button

Other customer service features are on the way from the social media giant

Hired Makes a Smart Hire with Freshdesk

The online job site sees big service gains from the vendor's customer support system

TCS Releases Customer Intelligence & Insights for Retail

Tata Consultancy Services' new analytics software uses machine learning to help retailers tap Internet of Things data to deliver personalized customer experiences.

Forrester Launches the B2B Tech CX Index

The B2B Tech Index, a follow-up to the B2C CX Index, helps tech companies plot how their customer experiences impact loyalty and retention.

Mobile Analytics Needs a Reboot

While the technology is gaining traction, standard practices are insufficient

Salesforce.com Acquires Demandware

The deal expands the CRM provider's presence in e-commerce

The 2016 CRM Market Leaders: Data Quality

The 2016 CRM Market Leaders: Consultancies

The 2016 CRM Market Rising Stars: Bullhorn Accelerates Sales by Analyzing Digital Conversations

The 2016 CRM Market Rising Stars: Infer Adds Predictive Intelligence to Close More Deals

The 2016 CRM Market Rising Stars: SalesPredict Finds Targeted Leads for B2B Companies

The 2016 CRM Market Rising Stars: Totango Monitors Customers to Ensure They're Successful

The 2016 CRM Market Influential Leaders: Nathan Blecharczyk, Brian Chesky, and Joe Gebbia, Cofounders, Airbnb

The 2016 CRM Market Influential Leaders: Scott McCorkle, CEO, Salesforce.com's Marketing Cloud

The 2016 CRM Market Elite Customers: Doblet

Mobile phone charging provider Doblet has seen revenue increase 845 percent with Salesforce.com

Verint Launches Robotic Process Automation

The new capabilities can automate, manage, and execute time-consuming, manual, and repetitive business processes. (Featured on SmartCustomerService.com.)

MaritzCX Releases SocialCX

SocialCX helps companies enhance their online reputation with quick responses to customer reviews and social feedback

NICE Introduces Engage 6.5

The latest release of NICE's recording platform provides deeper business insights across channels, including chat and Skype for Business. (Featured on SmartCustomerService.com.)

Microsoft Previews Dynamics 365 and Microsoft AppSource

Microsoft Dynamics 365 will be the next-generation cloud version of Microsoft's business suite.

Sprinklr Partners with Microsoft

Sprinklr extends its platform to Microsoft Azure and integrates with Dynamics, Power BI, and Office 365.

On Social, Not All Negatives Are Bad

Companies should use customer comments—both good and bad—to drive brand transformation

Nuance’s Nina Adds a Human Touch to Swedbank’s Customer Service

The multinational bank's conversational virtual assistant resolves 78 percent of queries on first contact

At SugarCon, SugarCRM Adds Data Enrichment, Machine Learning, and Intelligent Agent Technology

People and technologies need to come together to let customers design their own experiences, speakers suggest.

At SugarCon, SugarCRM CEO Outlines a Plan for Digital Transformation

Larry Augustin says that CRM has to move from a "system of record to a system of engagement." Also, SugarCRM announces an enhanced partnership with IBM and an integration with 3CLogic.

Apple to Begin Running App Install Ads

Apple plans to follow Google and Facebook with paid ads in the App Store to increase downloads.

Verint Completes Its Cloud Migration

All Verint Customer Engagement Optimization solutions are now available in cloud, on-premises, and hybrid deployment versions. (Featured on SmartCustomerService.com.)

Interactive Intelligence Reports Growing PureCloud Momentum

While PureCloud adoption is high, the company is not abandoning its Customer Interaction Center (CIC) solution. (Featured on SmartCustomerService.com.)

Marketo, Qlik Acquired by Private Equity Firms

Separate deals see two large marketing technology firms acquired by venture capitalists.

Avaya Enhances CET’s Emergency Response

A new contact center improves how the claims processor handles home emergencies

Brands Bet on Bots

Facebook pushes bots as the new form of customer engagement

Inbound and Outbound Converge in the New Contact Center

Call blending is the new normal as customer service becomes more proactive

15 Essential Tips for an Active Social Community

Focus on creating a valuable and vibrant group to deepen customer relationships

At Customer Service Experience Day 2, Knowledge Plays a Powerful Role

Contact centers have a crucial need for knowledge management, but other technologies are also key. (Featured on SmartCustomerService.com.)

At Customer Service Experience, Speakers Urge Looking Through the Customers' Lens

Customer effort and a customer experience mentality are cited as the keys to improving service. (Featured on SmartCustomerService.com.)

SAP Expands Its Analytics Capabilities

SAP is adding more predictive and machine learning capabilities and unifying its analytics solutions under the BusinessObjects brand.

NICE Acquires inContact

The deal adds cloud and contact center infrastructure technology to NICE's portfolio. (Featured on SmartCustomerService.com.)

At Sapphire Now, SAP and Microsoft Usher in New Partnership

The partnership between SAP and Microsoft brings SAP enterprise apps to Office 365.

ICMI Research Finds Contact Centers Lack Language Skills

Most contact centers can't handle contacts that fall outside their primary languages. (Featured on SmartCustomerService.com.)

At Contact Center Expo, Speakers Stress Standing Out

Customer service has to be unique to be effective. (Featured on SmartCustomerService.com.)

Cyara Releases Virtual Agent

The new solution can test how efficiently contact center agents interact with desktop systems and apps. (Featured on SmartCustomerService.com.)

Tips to Balancing Contact Center Automation Costs and Quality

Caution and customer centricity should guide technology decisions

Ways to Amplify Your Social Media ROI

Organizations must link social media marketing to larger business objectives

Stimulate Lead Volume by at Least 10 Percent with Click-to-Call

Mobile search advertising with click-to-call is key for digital marketing

Pinterest Sees a Direct Lift with Directly

The social site can now hand over support tickets to its online community

Swiftpage Releases Act! 18.1

The latest version allows users to connect Act! to popular business optimization tools.

LiveWorld Unveils Conversation Management Platform

Social media technology combines intelligent triage with case management of conversations. (Featured on SmartCustomerService.com.)

Segmint Enhances Its SegmintOne Marketing Platform

New features include control group functions, real-time capabilities, business intelligence dashboards, and intent KLIs.

Pegasystems Acquires Robotic Automation Software Provider OpenSpan

The acquisition brings together robotics, analytics, and case management to enable more productive contact center employees. (Featured on SmartCustomerService.com.)

ConnectLeader Releases Adaptilytics, a New Predictive Intelligence Engine

The solution identifies the best sales targets and provides the means to contact them.

Vibes Launches Transactional Mobile Messaging

Using Vibes' Catapult mobile marketing platform, companies can send automated service messages across mobile channels.

Fonolo Takes Credit for Reducing Call Abandonment

Credit Union of Colorado improves its customer experience with Fonolo's In-Call Rescue

Digital Dexterity a Dream for Most

Only 7 percent of companies worldwide have mastered the digital domain

U.S. Strikes Data Deal with Europe

A new Privacy Shield accord safeguards against U.S. spying

Chat Apps Top Social Media for Consumers

Messaging platforms are getting crammed with business capabilities

Unified Agent Desktops Connect Reps to Essential Apps

A single interface that houses all of the information an agent could need will increase productivity and efficiency

Inbenta Launches Hybrid Chat, Integrating Live Chat with Artificial Intelligence

Inbenta's Hybrid Chat service enables a collaborative experience between virtual assistants and live customer support. (Featured on SmartCustomerService.com.)

ScribbleLive Launches ScribbleLive Plan for Content Marketing

ScribbleLive Plan is designed to help marketing teams develop and execute content strategies.

InContact Expands Its Customer Interaction Cloud

The latest release from inContact provides omnichannel routing, workforce optimization, voice as a service, and an open cloud platform. (Featured on SmartCustomerService.com.)

Inbenta Integrates with Salesforce’s Desk.com

Inbenta's search platform can provide self-service search capabilities for company customer support knowledge bases.

8x8 Upgrades Virtual Contact Center Solution

The latest advancements for Virtual Contact Center combine quality management, customer journey analytics, and advanced CRM integration. (Featured on SmartCustomerService.com.)

Hallmark Launches Customer Service Solution for Businesses

New program uses Hallmark cards to improve customer service employee engagement and customer experience. (Featured on SmartCustomerService.com.)

Verint Acquires Contact Solutions

The deal extends Verint's Actionable Intelligence vision with real-time, contextual self-service software. (Featured on SmartCustomerService.com.)

The 2016 CRM Service Leaders: Contact Center Infrastructure

The 2016 CRM Service Leaders: Interactive Voice Response

The 2016 CRM Service Leaders: Contact Center Outsourcing

The 2016 CRM Service Rising Stars: [24]7 Adds Deep Neural Networks to IVR Systems

The 2016 CRM Service Rising Stars: NICE Systems Invests Heavily in Advanced Customer Support Analytics

The 2016 CRM Service Elite: Hogsalt Hospitality

DialogTech helps Chicago restaurant group Hogsalt Hospitality capture lost revenue

Data Scientist Is This Year's Hottest Job

Glassdoor rankings identify data scientist as the best job in America

Voice Search Alters the Content Marketing Landscape

Companies need to change their content strategies to appear in voice search results

Sprinklr and Yelp Partner on Social Analytics

Companies can analyze reviews and sentiment data from Yelp to extract insights and act on them to drive business outcomes.

BrightFunnel Launches Account-Based Marketing Analytics

The new solution lets users compare their account-based marketing efforts to more traditional marketing approaches.

Google Will Stream Mobile App Content

The service makes in-app content searchable over the Internet

Facebook Adds to Customer Service on Pages

The social networking site offers tools to help companies better manage customer communications

Five9 Helps Open English Keep Class in Session

Five9's cloud contact center technology lets the online language school contact leads in seconds

THE BOOMER GENERATION: Booming or Busting?

Although some are retiring, don't neglect the members of this very large and prosperous consumer segment

ChannelEyes Launches Optyx on Salesforce AppExchange

A new sales workflow tool gives account visibility to indirect channel sales managers.

SpringCM Updates File It Document Management Solution

File It 4.0, a central repository for managing content and contracts, gets a new, easier-to-use interface.

Lionbridge Expands GeoFluent Real-Time Translation for Omnichannel Customer Care

Lionbridge Technologies has broadened its GeoFluent real-time translation technology to include new omnichannel customer care features for contact centers. (Featured on SmartCustomerService.com.)

FairWarning Issued Patent for Detecting Fraud and Misuse in CRM Systems

U.S. Patent 9,202,189 provides the foundation for FairWarning for Salesforce.

Accelerize Integrates Its CAKE Platform with DialogTech

Accelerize and its digital marketing software division CAKE yesterday announced a partnership and technology integration with DialogTech, a provider of end-to-end call attribution and conversion platforms. (Featured on SmartCustomerService.com/.)

Freeman's Contact Center Continues Its Winning Ways

What does it take to win J.D. Power's Certified Contact Center Program distinction six years in a row?A Q&A with Brenda McCord, vice president of customer support at Freeman.

The FCC Saves Millions with Zendesk

The federal agency's Consumer Help Center costs far less to deploy and maintain

IBM Merges Weather and Business Forecasts

Big Blue's purchase of The Weather Company enhances its ability to provide business insights

Apple and Google Yield Control Over Consumer Data

Consumers can decide which ads to see and how their data is used

Lithium Adds Analytics to Its Community Platform

New analytics offerings enable companies to measure customer satisfaction, benchmark performance, and gauge the business impact of their social communities.

Harte Hanks Launches Data Refinery Platform

Harte Hanks's marketing data integration platform provides specific customer data profiles.

European Union Rejects U.S. Data Privacy Laws

Sharing customer data across the pond will get harder

Slumping Customer Satisfaction Takes a Toll on the Economy

The sixth consecutive quarterly dip bodes poorly for retailers heading into the holidays

E-Commerce Gets Social

Salesforce.com and SAP bring e-commerce capabilities to social communities

USA Business Choice Enlists a Friendly Gatekeeper

A virtual assistant by CodeBaby helps users navigate the insurance provider's Web site

Social Media Is Now a Viable Support Channel

Direct messaging, tighter security, and data integration add to social media's feasibility as a customer service platform

Connectivity Integrates with RingCentral to Enhance Customer Profiles

The combined platforms allow businesses to access—and track—enormous amounts of customer data.

Vidyard Launches Vidyard Live Streaming Media Solution

Vidyard Live enables marketing and sales to see who watches their live events and automatically converts videos for on-demand use.

TouchCommerce Introduces TouchSocial

TouchSocial helps brands provide live chat and personalized self-service options to consumers on social networks. (Featured on SmartCustomerService.com.)

HDI Report Shows Growing Need for Technical Support

The number of tickets at two-thirds of support organizations is on the rise, according to the industry association. (Featured on SmartCustomerService.com.)

How Amazon and Salesforce.com Are Shaping Mobile Customer Support

Video chat apps such as Amazon's Mayday Button and Salesforce.com's Service SOS lead a new breed of mobile customer service apps

Kaybus Puts Knowledge at PlusOne's Fingertips

The contact center operator's agents benefit from up-to-date info

Brands Must Be Loyal to Loyalty Members

Rewards need to be more personalized and tailored to individual program members

Contact Center Outsourcing's Rising Costs

Calls to overseas contact centers take much more time

On the Scene: At Dreamforce 2015, Salesforce.com Strengthens Ties with Microsoft

The two software giants plan to deliver even deeper integrations in 2016

Customers Value Privacy, to a Point

Columbia University research suggests that customers are willing to share personal information with trusted brands.

Vibes Brings Mobile Solutions to IBM's UBX

Vibes is one of the launch partners for the IBM Universal Behavior Exchange (UBX), adding its mobile wallet and mobile marketing technologies to the IBM Marketing Cloud.

Linkable Networks Launches Shopper Attribution Platform

Shopper Attribution helps retailers measure in-store sales driven by digital and social media.

Email Marketing Needs to Keep Up with Mobile

Vendors must keep up with an evolving and challenging market by offering refined new solutions and techniques, finds Frost & Sullivan.

FCC Updates TCPA with Greater Protection Against Robocalls

New rules broaden the definition of robocalls and give consumers more opt-out options

Analytics Advance Through the Cloud

The analytics-as-a-service market is expected to grow fivefold in five years

On the Scene--Customer Service Experience: Explore New Channels, but Invest Wisely

Conference speakers urge companies to integrate channels for a seamless customer experience

Labor First Keeps a Customer-First Approach

A retiree benefits company uses NewVoiceMedia to support growth

The Age of Speech Analytics Is Close at Hand

The "Johnny-come-lately" in contact centers is poised to become "Johnny-on-the-spot"

Zappix Expands Global Support for Its Visual IVR

Zappix now allows companies to provide visual IVR mobile smartphone solutions for iPhone, Android, and the Web in multiple languages.

Salesforce Strengthens Strategic Partnership with Microsoft at Dreamforce

The two software giants plan to deliver even deeper integrations in 2016.

Salesforce Introduces SalesforceIQ, the Thunder Platform, and IoT Cloud at Dreamforce

New Salesforce product launches bring data from multiple sources into common Salesforce apps.

Microsoft Introduces Updates in Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2016

Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2016 will feature enhancements in productivity, intelligence, mobility, and customer service.

Holden Unveils Adaptive Platform for Sales Training

The Holden Adaptive Platform helps foster problem solving and strategic thinking, while instilling effective sales performance-related practices.

Integrate CRM and ERP for Better Intelligence

Businesses benefit when information flows freely between systems

EBay Finds a NICE Way to Save

NICE Systems' Interaction Analytics helps eBay Enterprise dramatically cut average handling times

Business Schools Suggest New Loyalty Metrics

Marketing experts create a five-part model to measure customer commitment

Contact Centers Continue Cloud Migration

ContactBabel sees huge growth in hosted customer support

It Takes More than Coupons to Settle Complaints

Consumers want more than compensation when things go wrong

OpinionLab Introduces Summer 2015 Release of Its Voice-of-the-Customer Solution

Brands are empowered to connect consumer feedback gathered through digital channels with specific physical locations.

Customer Service Experience, Day Three: Companies Are Urged to Take Measured Approach to Omnichannel

Adding channels and technologies shouldn't be done in silos, speakers say. (Featured on SmartCustomerService.com.)

Customer Service Experience Speakers: Create a Service Culture, and Loyalty Will Follow

Conference attendees are reminded that the key to happy customers is happy and informed employees. (Featured on SmartCustomerService.com.)

At Customer Service Experience, Companies Are Challenged to Put Customers First

Speakers urge attendees to stop thinking operationally and start looking at service from the customers' perspective. (Featured on SmartCustomerService.com.)

[24]7 Adds Deep Neural Networks to IVR

Microsoft's DNN technology brings greater speech recognition accuracy to the [24]7 Customer Engagement Platform. (Featured on SpeechTechMag.com.)

Sprout Social Expands Twitter Partnership

Sprout Social now has access to Twitter data and analytics.

Jive Releases Circle, a New Collaboration Tool

Jive rolls out new features for Jive Chime real-time messaging app, including integration with the new Jive Circle.

The 2015 CRM Market Leaders: Data Quality

The 2015 CRM Market Leaders: Consultancies

The 2015 CRM Market Rising Stars: Tealium Pairs Up to Personalize

The 2015 CRM Market Rising Stars: Teradata Moves to Mobile

The 2015 CRM Market Elite: Concur

Infer's predictive lead scoring helps Concur close more deals more quickly.

The 2015 CRM Market Influential Leaders: Jonathan Ive, Senior Vice President of Design, Apple

The 2015 CRM Market Influential Leaders: Satya Nadella, CEO, Microsoft

Purple Forge Taps IBM Watson For City Customer Self-Service App

As an IBM Watson ecosystem partner, Purple Forge is leveraging Watson technology to improve the customer service experience for the City of Surrey in British Columbia, Canada.

Groupe Acticall to Acquire Sitel

French firm acquires the U.S. contact center outsourcing firm.

Conversational Computing Strives to Meet the 'Star Trek' Standard

Speech technology, combined with artificial intelligence, will enable people to interact with machines in a natural way

New IVR Lets Eatery Group Net More Phone Calls—and Business

DialogTech helps Hogsalt capture $75,000 in additional revenue per month

Jive Updates Its Jive-x Social Community Platform

The latest version of Jive-x offers features to make communities more friendly for end users and moderators.

Aspect Software and LiveVox Combine Contact Center Solution with Workforce Management in the Cloud

Partnership and product integration between Aspect and LiveVox helps companies forecast and optimize calling campaigns and agent staffing.

Coveo Launches Intelligent Search in the Cloud

Coveo's search-as-a-service solution unites information across cloud- and premises-based systems.

The Secret to Loyalty Is Less Effort, Speakers at Interactive Intelligence's Interactions Assert

Simply delighting customers doesn't breed loyalty, but it can cost more, CEB research suggests.

Interactive Intelligence Unveils PureCloud Engage at Interactions 2015

PureCloud Engage is designed to help contact centers accelerate business impact, deliver consistent outcomes, and improve the customer and agent experience. (Featured on SmartCustomerService.com.)

NetBase Launches Live Pulse Mashup

NetBase's Live Pulse Mashup brings social media visualizations to the C-suite.

MindTouch Releases Responsive, a New Content Creation Tool

MindTouch Responsive is the result of years of research into online consumer behavior.

In Data Security, It’s a Numbers Game

Requiring multifactor authentication makes it harder for hackers to access information

Kahuna Releases Dynamic Audiences for Facebook Advertising

Dynamic Audiences understands customer conversion, so brands don't advertise products to people who have already bought them.

Influitive Launches Communities for Advocacy-Driven Marketing

Influitive Communities allows marketers to create active B2B communities across the Web.

Qvidian Adds to its Sales Content Automation Platform

Latest release integrates Digital Playbooks for an end-to-end guided selling and content automation solution

Sapphire Now Day 2: SAP Announces Updates to HANA for the Internet of Things

Businesses undergoing a digital transformation should home in on SAP HANA, speakers say.

Sapphire Now Day 1: SAP Launches Updated SAP Lumira

Latest Lumira version offers new visualizations and data access.

CallMiner Partners with SpeechPro to Separate Speakers in Call Center Recordings

CallMiner Eureka incorporates voice biometrics from SpeechPro to isolate each person's voice.

Data Security Should Be in Everyone's Job Description

Protecting valuable customer information should begin in the contact center and end in the executive suite.

Bluenose Discovers Success with Its Online Community

Get Satisfaction's social community platform helps the CSM solutions vendor generate industry buzz

The Customer Expectation–Experience Gap

Brand Keys' Customer Loyalty Engagement Index finds that many companies are unable to deliver on emotional values.

At Microsoft Convergence, Dynamics CRM Gets a Major Overhaul for 2015

Microsoft's user conference highlights product launches and integrations around its CRM line.

Aptean Releases Pivotal 6.5

Newest version of Pivotal CRM offers greater mobile capabilities.

SugarCRM Introduces Sugar 7.6, Bringing Process Management into CRM

The latest release helps companies automate complex customer interactions.

AdRoll Adopts HTTPS as a Standard

HTTPS will make ads safer and more secure for Internet users.

AT&T Breach Puts a Spotlight on Contact Center Fraud

Outsourced contact centers implicated in cell phone scheme involving data for 280,000 customers.

The Switching Economy Hits Home

Poor customer service accounts for most company defections.

Will Apple's Smart Watch Boost Business?

The wearable device can track users' movements, prompting interest from marketers.

VoltDelta Is the Right Prescription for Rx Outreach

The multichannel cloud contact center solution provides IVR, agent infrastructure, and automated prescription reminders for a mail-order pharmacy.

Text Takes Precedence as a Customer Service Preference

A new generation of consumers prefers short message service to other ways to reach agents.

HP Releases Explore 5.0

Updated voice-of-the-customer analytics platform reveals even more valuable insights into customer interactions.

Zappix Releases Visual IVR Platform

Zappix Visual IVR authoring tool allows companies to build mobile and Web apps in minutes.

Microsoft Convergence Day 2 Brings Collaborations to Add Value for Customers

New partnerships with InsideSales.com, FieldOne, DocuSign, Thunderhead, and Ford round out the day's announcements.

Microsoft Convergence Fuels Many CRM Innovations

Day 1 sessions highlight new releases and integrations for Dynamics CRM.

Oracle Adds Instagram and Weibo to Social Cloud

Latest release expands capabilities to reach global consumers.

Ifbyphone Becomes DialogTech

Company rebranding reflects a greater market change around voice communications.

The 2015 CRM Service Elite: Genesys Helps Michigan Aid Families in Need

Call center technology makes reaching help one less hurdle for struggling parents.

The 2015 CRM Rising Stars: IBM's Watson Brings Cognitive Computing to Customer Support

Partners and customers are lined up to bring the supercomputer into the contact center.

The 2015 CRM Rising Stars: WalkMe Unleashes Guided Self-Service for the Web

The 'online GPS' can eliminate site confusion and facilitate interactions.

The 2015 CRM Service Leaders: Contact Center Infrastructure

The 2015 CRM Service Leaders: Interactive Voice Response

The 2015 CRM Service Leaders: Contact Center Outsourcing

Firms Should Embrace Instagram

The image- and video-sharing site now surpasses Twitter in users.

Mobile Payment Evolution Is Underway

Mobile spending projected to reach $1.42 billion by 2019.

HP Updates Its Qfiniti WFO Suite

HP Qfiniti 10.3 extends connectivity to Genesys and Cisco telephony switches and maximizes value from customer interaction data.

Appinions Launches Attention Analytics on Oracle Marketing AppCloud

The application enables content marketers to take a data-driven approach.

OpinionLab Brings Voice of the Customer to Life with Winter 2015 Release

New features make real-time customer feedback more accessible, engaging, and actionable.

U.S. Contact Centers Added 50,000 New Jobs in 2014

Three consecutive quarters of job growth revive U.S. contact center industry.

The Keys to Countering Cart Abandonment

Online retailers need to respond at the right time and with the right message.

SIO Emerges as a New Contact Center Segment

Frost & Sullivan identifies support interaction optimization as a $1.3 billion global market category.

Canon Connects with Fans via Lithium's Social Solutions

The social community platform has become an effective customer service tool.

The Hidden Sources of Poor Customer Service

Interactions should be designed with the customer in mind.

WP Engine Launches GeoIP for Location-Specific Marketing

GeoIP immediately serves localized content down to the ZIP code, without impacting speed or performance.

Clari Offers Free Sales Pipeline Stress Test

With a five-minute setup, sales execs can see at-risk deals to drive immediate action.

EasyAsk Releases Voice Shopper

New EasyAsk Voice Shopper lets customers query e-commerce sites with their voices. (Originally appeared on SpeechTechMag.com)

Alorica Acquires West's Agent Services Businesses

The $275 million deal expands Alorica's capabilities, service offerings, and delivery options.

In Customer Service, It's More Efficient to Be Effective

Rushing customers off the phone might cut costs, but ignores the potential for greater value.

Buffalo Builds Resident Trust with CRM

Kana Software's Lagan Enterprise system revitalizes city services.

There's an App for That, But Does Anyone Care?

Studies point to a decline in mobile app usage among smartphone owners.

Apple Launches Apple Pay

Many retailers aren't buying into the newest mobile wallet solution.

At Dreamforce 2014, Salesforce.com Delivers Wave Analytics Cloud

Salesforce.com entered the $38 billion analytics market with its sixth cloud platform. (Originally appeared on DestinationCRM.com)

Radish Releases ChoiceView for iOS8

The ChoiceView mobile app for visual IVR now supports iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.

WealthEngine and DonorCommunity Partner on Integrated Fundraising Solutions

The partnership enables organizations to better segment and target contributors.

DataSift Launches VEDO Focus to Filter Social Data

Real-time classification of social data into half a million topics moves the industry beyond keyword- based analysis.

The Role of Wearables Expands in the Call Center

Computer-connected headsets could seamlessly link agents and supervisors.

Campaign Management Needs to Cross Channels

Despite improvements,l cross-channel campaign management still has usability challenges.

Genesys Bolsters Michigan Child Support Agency's Overhaul

Parents in need get improved access to services with new call center technology. (This article originally appeared in the Winter 2014 issue of Speech Technology.)

5 Hot Customer Service Technologies

The latest innovations add a sense of immediacy to customer interactions.

SAP Brings Data Discovery to SMBs

With the SAP Lumira Edge edition, SMBs can perform data visualization too.

Support.com Adds Guided Paths Functionality to Nexus

Nexus optimizes live support interactions to resolve more customer tech-support issues.

CallMiner Adds Semantic Building Blocks to Eureka Speech Analytics

Latest release of Eureka Speech Analytics allows users to uncover insights from customer conversations

Work-at-Home Solutions Are Transforming Call Center Operations

At-home agents can be as productive, if not more so, as those in the contact center.

CRM Yields New Efficiencies for City Harvest

The food rescue organization broadens its reach with Microsoft Dynamics.

Customer Satisfaction Plunges Again

American Customer Satisfaction Index sees one of its biggest drops in 20 years.

Business Voicemail Goes Unanswered

Most callers would rather hang up than leave a message.

Verizon Puts a Different Spin on Loyalty Rewards

The new program rewards customers for everyday activities.

SpaceCurve and AirSage Partner on Customer Location Data Offering

Partnership enables companies to create a more complete understanding of customer behavior.

Swiftpage Releases Act! Version 17

New Act! version 17 helps small businesses automate and integrate sales and emarketing.

At Dreamforce, Salesforce.com Unveils Road Map for Service Cloud Updates

Many new features delivered already, with more on the way.

At Dreamforce 2014, Salesforce.com Delivers Wave Analytics Cloud

Salesforce.com enters the $38 billion analytics market with the launch of its sixth cloud in the Salesforce Customer Success platform.

Cirrus Insight Adds Nimble Smart Contacts Integration for Gmail

Salespeople can access Nimble's Smart Contact insights right within their email inboxes.

Automation Creates More Jobs Than It Eliminates

More than two-thirds of companies that have replaced workers with automation added new positions as a result.

Twitter Updates Its Analytics Offering

Tweet Activity Dashboard helps companies see how posts perform.

Medical Alert Puts Five9 on Call

In urgent need of a new contact center system, the emergency monitoring device provider turned to the cloud solution for aid.

Should CSRs Be Paid for Performance?

Why companies must assess the effectiveness of tying agent compensation to contact center metrics.

Oracle Marketing Cloud Extends Partnership with Box

New integration simplifies collaboration and execution of content marketing programs.

Ellison Steps Aside as Oracle's CEO

While he remains as executive chairman and CTO, Catz and Hurd will share CEO duties.

Microsoft Previews Dynamics CRM 2015

Updates to Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online and Microsoft Dynamics Marketing will help marketers and salespeople collaborate more effectively.

TeamSupport Introduces Customer Distress Index

New reporting feature predicts customer satisfaction level.

When VoC and VoE Combine

Bring together the voice of the customer and the voice of the employee to gain a more complete view of customer experiences.

Call Handling Time Continues to Rise

Sales and customer service calls take 16 percent longer today.

How Hot Is Amazon's Fire?

Despite mixed reviews, the smartphone's connection to the largest e-commerce network will facilitate mobile transactions.

Neural Networks Reach into Virtual Assistants

Decades-old neural networking technology is being used to improve voice interactions.

Social Media Monitoring Delivers for Domino's

The pizza chain has social media customer care under control with Astute SRM.

Urban Airship Enables Actionable, Interactive Push Notifications

Action buttons help brands extend engagement outside of apps.

Monetate Introduces Web Site Testing and Targeting

New self-serve testing solution lets users determine who sees proposed changes.

Infor Buys Saleslogix from Swiftpage

Saleslogix will be rebranded Infor CRM and add sales and service functionality to Infor's CloudSuite.

Trumpia Releases Feature for Tracking Clicks in Text Messages

SMS Click-Through Tracking lets users embed links into SMS and email messages and track recipients' click behavior.

Salesforce ExactTarget Launches the Next Generation of Journey Builder

Journey Builder is a comprehensive customer journey solution to plan, personalize, and optimize customer interactions across channels and devices

Brands Deliver Inconsistent Engagements

The phone still outperforms other channels for customer service.

Experian Marketing Services Unveils End-to-End Marketing Suite

The Experian Marketing Suite enables brands to create and deliver authentic customer experiences across all interaction points.

Apple and IBM Forge Global Partnership to Transform Enterprise Mobility

IBM and Apple will collaborate on a number of industry-specific mobile applications and bring more Apple iOS devices to the business world.

NetSuite SuiteWorld: NetSuite CEO Zach Nelson Talks CRM Expansion

Keynotes highlight convergence of CRM, ERP, and e-commerce.

Walmart's Omnichannel Strategy Keeps It on Top

Today's large retailers are connecting with customers in new ways.

The 4 Key Customer Service Omnichannel Considerations

Contact centers have deployed new technologies in silos; integration is difficult but not impossible.

iCruise.com Sees Smooth Sailing with 8x8

8x8's Virtual Office and Virtual Contact Center improve operations at the cruise booking site.

FirstRain Introduces Personal Business Analytics for Salesforce1

FirstRain's Personal Business Analytics for Salesforce1 will be generally available next month.

Infosys to Appoint Vishal Sikka as CEO

The former SAP executive is set to take the reins at the consulting and outsourcing firm.

Pegasystems Releases Customer Process Manager for Insurance

PCMI enables insurers to deliver consistent customer service across channels.

Virtual Receptionists Work for Virtual Law Firm

Ruby Receptionists answers Burton Law's calls from miles away.

Social Networking Offers Increased Agility

Research suggest the need for a smarter combination of enterprise social networking tools.

Ovum Expects Home-Based Agents to Soar by 2017

The annual growth rate is twice that of the brick-and-mortar contact center outsourcing market.

Microsoft and Salesforce.com Announce Strategic Partnership

Industry leaders to deliver new solutions and mobile experiences for mutual customers.

Aptean Launches Process Manufacturing Solution at Its Edge Event

Speakers at user conference express excitement over CRM expansion opportunities.

At Aptean Edge, CEO Paul Ilse Pledges to Keep Solutions Separate

Aptean will continue to offer industry-specific solutions for its different vertical markets.

At SuiteWorld's Second Day, NetSuite's Evan Goldberg Introduces B2B Customer Center

New product enhancements bring greater attention to mobile, simplified user interfaces, and tighter integrations.

At SuiteWorld, NetSuite CEO Zach Nelson Talks CRM Expansion

Keynote highlights convergence of CRM, ERP, and e-commerce systems.

Pitney Bowes Launches Spectrum Spacial Geolocation Platform

Spectrum Spacial helps businesses connect the dots between data and geography.

Commence Previews Customer Portal App

New app lets customers browse FAQs, submit service tickets, and query knowledge bases right from a company's Web site.

Microsoft Dynamics Convergence: Microsoft Homes in on Customer Centricity

Convergence keynote speaker says businesses that serve customers best are P2P (people-to-people).

The New Roles of Customer Service Outsourcers

Labor rates are no longer the main concern as companies consider outsourcing their contact centers.

Snapfish Finds Live Chat a Snap for Customers and Agents

Photo-sharing site uses Live Person to help members with design projects.

Salesforce.com Launches Salesforce1 Service Cloud SOS

Service Cloud SOS provides instant access to agents through a help button positioned inside a mobile app.

Interactive Intelligence to Acquire OrgSpan

The OrgSpan acquisition is designed to strengthen Interactive Intelligence's cloud-based business communications solutions.

Viacom and Mass Relevance Partner to Launch EchoGraph

Social media platform will track and analyze social activity for advertisers.

Salesforce.com Realigns Around Six Industries

Salesforce's new industries strategy will focus on delivering solutions for key verticals.

The General Reboots Agent Training with Intradiem

The online auto insurance provider updates agent skills with Intraday Management technology.

3 Reasons to Boost Your Contact Center's Strategic Value

Today's solutions are lower in cost, offer predictive capabilities, and require less technical know-how to operate.

Contact Center Satisfaction Dropped 10 Percent in 2013

Companies can rebound by providing more multichannel customer service options.

From IVRs to Automated Interactive Customer Contacts

Chat, SMS, and virtual agent solutions have a strong future if deployed wisely.

Lithium to Acquire Klout

Lithium's acquisition of the social influence scorer positions it to expand its data resources.

Aspect Launches Proactive Engagement Suite

Aspect Software's Proactive Engagement Suite is a cloud-based customer communications platform.

Aspect Software Releases Workforce Optimization 8.0 and Aspect Mentor

Aspect's WFO 8.0 and Aspect Mentor expand the reach of speech analytics beyond basic call recordings.

CRM Is in the Midst of an Expansion, Microsoft Execs Say at Convergence

Microsoft's Bill Patterson says CRM has to come together with so many other business applications.

At Convergence 2014, Microsoft Previews New Dynamics CRM Functionality

In his Day 1 keynote, Microsoft EVP Kirill Tatarinov showcases product enhancements resulting from recent acquisitions.

Cobrowsing Presents a 'Lucrative' Customer Service Opportunity

Companies can increase revenue and improve agent efficiency.

Big Data Prompts 'Analytics Everywhere' Solutions

Everyday users can turn data into insight.

Demandbase Updates B2B Retargeting

New functionality in Demandbase's B2B Retargeting solution lets users define who gets retargeted and for how long.

TARP Relaunches as CX Act with a New Corporate Strategy

New name reflects stronger emphasis on employee training to improve interactions.

Pie Digital Launches TotalTechHero Support App for Home Networks

With Pie's TotalTechHero, service providers can troubleshoot and fix networking and device issues with the customer via the cloud.

Jacada and Vocantas Bring Visual IVR to Schools

Scaller solution for higher education now sends surveys to students' mobile phones.

Law Firms Make the Case for CRM

Sixty-three percent of firms plan additional investments in 2014, LexisNexis research finds.

10 Social Customer Service Tips

New channel interactions don't have to be complicated.

IVR Is the Right Prescription for a Native American Health System

Muscogee Creek Nation's Enacomm solution overcomes the challenge of spiking call volumes.

Cirrus Insight Brings Zendesk, Desk.com, and Quickbooks to Gmail

Customer service and accounting applications can be accessed from within Gmail.

Swiftpage Launches Saleslogix 8.1

Saleslogix version 8.1 includes an extensive suite of social CRM capabiltiies.

IBM Invests $1 Billion in Watson for Analytics and Big Data

IBM's Watson supercomputer now has its own group within IBM and a budget of $1 billion to grow its technology and partner ecosystems.

Commence Adds Calendaring and Twitter Functionality to CRM App

Commence CRM Version 5.5 offers instant messenger, Microsoft Word integration, calendar syncing, and mobile features.

Speech Analytics Is the Right Fit for Nautilus

The home fitness brand increases call center efficiency with CallMiner Eureka.

Gamification Comes to the Contact Center

Game techniques keep agents happy, engaged, and better equipped to handle interactions.

The 8 Traits of Customer-Relevant Companies

Ovum research finds very few customer-adaptive enterprises exist today.

Is There Life After Death for Loyalty Points?

Colloquy report shows varying bequeathing policies for leading airline, hotel, and credit card loyalty programs.

Oracle to Acquire Responsys

The software giant will incorporate Responsys' offerings into its Marketing Cloud.

GetFeedback.com Launches, Offering a New Survey Platform

Two former Salesforce.com executives launched startup GetFeedback.com today to help companies design and administer online surveys.

Moxie Software Enhances Its Spaces by Moxie Suite

New features in Spaces by Moxie include simpler user interfaces, tighter security, a chat translation function, and easier content management.

Despite Outages, Customer Satisfaction with Electric Utilities Brightens

Improved communication in Web self-service and proactive outreach have bolstered customer sentiment, according to a J.D. Power study.

In-House Marketers Take on More Roles

ANA reports external firms are on the decline as companies assign tasks to internal teams.

Overcome Multichannel Customer Service Challenges

Effective strategies start with talking to customers.

Online Ticketing System Ticksy Is the Ticket for MDNW

Ticksy helps Web design firm respond to customers quickly and efficiently.

Other Companies Shared the Dreamforce Spotlight

With 135,000 attendees, Dreamforce made for a great launching pad for companies besides just salesforce.com.

At Dreamforce Day 2, Salesforce.com Delivers New Salesforce1 Service Cloud

Powered by the new Salesforce1 Customer Platform, 1 Touch Service allows companies to build and embed service within any product, app, or experience.

At Dreamforce Day 1, Salesforce.com Introduces Salesforce1

Salesforce1 is the new social, mobile and cloud customer platform built to transform sales, service and marketing apps

PCI Council Revises Data Security Standards

Updated standards are designed to help organizations make payment security business-as-usual.

Nimble Integrates with Hootsuite for Social Selling

New Nimble Contacts widget for HootSuite enables business teams to access customer and prospect data right from within the social media monitoring app.

Philadelphia Insurance Listens to Customers

The company sees retention increase after deploying a VoC solution from Confirmit.

Customer Support: Keeping Up with the Digital Migration

The phone is losing ground as a leading communication channel. Can you meet customers where they're going?

Companies Will Promote Products on Social Media

Attention shifts from gathering product feedback to greater customer engagement.

Xerox: The Customer Service Company

The company does a lot more than just documents.

Five9 Acquires SoCoCare

Five9's acquisition of SoCoCare strengthens its position in social and mobile customer care.

UserVoice Launches Customer Service SDK on the Android Platform

Android developers can now keep customers in their mobile apps while offering support and harnessing feedback.

Cablevision Launches Virtual Receptionist for Small Businesses

The new Optimum Voice cloud-based service answers calls with a professional greeting 24/7.

Should Retailers Target Mobile Devices?

Tracking consumers in stores and online brings privacy issues back into the spotlight.

More CPG Companies Are Selling Directly to Consumers

Learning from Amazon.com's success, businesses leverage e-commerce to bypass retailers.

CRM in Sports—Mobile and Social Tech Get the Call

The industry is making up for lost time with a focus on new strategies.

Voice Biometrics Builds a Business Case

Advances in speech security have made it more feasible and reliable as a call center tool.

Rising Support for Automatic Dialers

3C Logic helps a credit counseling service 'keep up with customers.'

Marketo Introduces Conversion Import Integration with Google AdWords

New inbound marketing capability provides insights into offline and online activities together.

Philly Zoo Goes Wild for New Call Center Systems

Mitel deployment helps connect staff with zoo patrons—and each other.

Schools Need to Rethink Their CRM Approaches

Many colleges and universities are only using CRM for marketing, ignoring vital service and sales components.

Customer Retention Requires Open Communication

Research finds a link between customer loyalty and continued engagement.

Which Interaction Channels Are Most Popular?

IVR and email top the list, but online customer support gains ground.

CRM Comes of Age in the Age of Moneyball

CRM Evolution panelists uncover the need to use CRM for more than just selling tickets.

In CRM, as in Life, Time Is Money

Life is a game of milliseconds, and companies that don't waste them will come out ahead.

Companies Need to Shift Their Focus

Companies that cling to a product-centric mentality will go the way of the Walkman.

LiveLOOK Adds In-App Capabilities to Customer Service Solutions

New In-App Co-Browse solution lets customer service agents help customers find what they need in mobile applications.

NICE to Acquire Causata

The deal brings Web and contact center analytics together

The Five Most Irritating Customer Service Statements

Research uncovers the phrases most hated by callers to customer service.

Making the Most of Social Media

Nike is the most "socially devoted" U.S. brand.

VerticalResponse Acquired by Deluxe

The check printing firm further expands into the marketing and business services market with this $27 million deal.

All Business Is Now Social

New Forrester research finds that all business decision-makers are regular users of social media.

Microsoft Plans New Dynamics CRM Version for Fall Release

The new fall 2013 version features a new user interface, greater integration with social and collaboration tools, and more mobile support.

SMB Mobile Adoption Is on a Fast Track

Sixty-eight percent will increase mobile spending in the next year.

Enterprise Software Retools Customer Experiences

Disruptions in the traditional sales model create urgency for vendors and opportunities for end users.

Drug Makers Are in the Midst of a Digital Revolution

Pharmaceutical firms are sharpening their focus on multichannel marketing and analytics.

Vivint Finds Service Success with RightTime

The home automation services company uses agent downtime to increase productivity.

Adobe to Acquire Neolane for $600 Million

Acquisition adds strength to Adobe's Marketing Cloud.

Oracle and Salesforce Enter a Strategic Partnership

Both companies agree to integrate Salesforce.com and Oracle clouds.

AnswerNow Helps Companies Compute Call Center Costs

New Web-based calculator tool provides a dollar value to bad customer service.

The Customer Experience, Defined

Defining the experience is key to improvement.

Pega Moves into Analytics, Cloud, and Mid-Market

Company CEO and founder outlines the company's plans for PRPC 7 and beyond.

T-Mobile Listens to Its Customers

Surveying tool yields positive results for Austrian carrier.

Social, Local, Mobile Transcend Business Searches

Consumers increasingly search for local businesses on mobile devices.

Hesitation Hampers Banks' Social Media Opportunities

Many financial institutions are still not exploiting social media despite changing customer needs.

Microsoft Opens Up at Convergence

Company comes out of its cocoon to help customers get the most value from IT investments.

Voice-Based Microblogs Speak Volumes

How speech technology can improve social media campaigns.

Genesys to Acquire SoundBite Communications

Genesys further extends its cloud-based contact center solutions portfolio with proactive collections and payments, mobile marketing, and customer service applications.

Customer Service Is the Only Metric That Matters

Interactions panelists say customers should be the center of all that happens in the contact center.

Angie's List Founder Lists Customer Service as a Priority

The online customer review site founder advocates empowering customer service reps to fix customer complaints.

Intelliverse and Cincom Partner on Multichannel Contact Center Solution

Integrates voice, chat, email, fax, and customer systems into a single unified agent desktop.

Stress Test Customer Service with Mystery Shopping

Professional shoppers should be used in conjunction with call monitoring, speech analytics, surveying, and voice-of-the-customer feedback management.

Price Shapes Satisfaction

In a tight economy, companies must use VoC solutions for price sentiments.

The 360-Degree View Must Go Further

Competitive advantage requires a multidimensional view of customers.

Marketing and Support Must Collaborate

Customer interactions via social media can't be just about one or the other.

Toronto's Nerve Center Provides Easy Access

Canada's largest city improves customer service with Toronto 311.

Accenture Suggests Rewarding Customers to Increase Adoption of Mobile Payments

A new survey finds that adding financial-management tools and rewarding consumers could increase use of mobile phones as payment devices.

Social Customer Service That Satisfies

Get Satisfaction helps online video broadcast platform provider Ustream benefit from a support community.

Brands Must Make Emotional Appeals

Companies should strive to be less rational with customers.

Market Focus: Automotive Dealers Go Digital

Auto sellers respond to customers with online options.

Should Your Company Abandon Phone Support?

Why several Silicon Valley-area firms have done just that and are sticking with their decisions.

Microsoft Wants to Take CRM Everywhere

The company's stated goal is to support business users wherever they are and on whatever devices they're using.

Microsoft Dynamics CRM Gets Mobile, Social

Company highlights innovations to help businesses unite their organizations, connect with their customers and get the most value from their information technology investments.

Interactive Intelligence Launches Cloud Solution for Small Contact Centers

CaaS Small Center is geared for contact centers with fewer than 50 agents.

Adobe Upgrades Almost Every Aspect of Its Marketing Cloud

New enhancements add better campaign management, mobile and social capabilities, analytics insights, and content management.

Avaya Unveils New Customer Experience Management Tools

New solutions provide integrated Web, social media, text, and email customer interaction options.

Oracle Releases RightNow Cloud Service Update

New features are designed to increase community engagement and improve message relevancy with customers and employees.

inContact Releases New Version of Cloud Contact Center Software

The company expands multichannel offering with Universal Queue, new agent interface, true inbound and outbound blending, and an API-driven cloud ecosystem.

Genesys to Acquire Angel

Genesys expands further into the cloud contact center-as-a-service segment with overall annual recurring cloud-based revenue expected to exceed $85 million.

Customers Tie Price to Satisfaction, Why Don't Companies?

Customer experience professionals and customers need to have a voice in pricing decisions, Forrester concludes.

Sage Sells Its ACT! and SalesLogix Lines

The move represents an effort to divest itself of non-core solutions.

A Leadership Shakeup Occurs at Alcatel-Lucent

CEO steps down amid continued poor economic performance.

Oracle Buys Acme Packet

The deal adds session border control technology to Oracle's communications offering to speed the deployment of all-IP networks.

Anthony Lye Joins Marketing Agency LBi

The former Oracle CRM executive will drive growth of the agency's cloud applications, platform, and data.

Case Management Takes a Dynamic Turn

Progressive contact centers can incorporate adaptability, cross-sell and upsell capabilities, social media integration, gamification, and multiple channels.

Financial Services: Brokers Yearn for Better CRM

Few firms use CRM systems to their full effect.

On the Right Track

Survey program from Mindshare resonates with convenience store customers.

NICE Launches Cloud-Based WFO Suite

The cloud-based offering addresses growing market demand and customer need for flexibility

Consumers Are Happier with Contact Centers

Call Center Satisfaction Index finds Web self-service and email dominate the non-phone mix of contact channels, but social media is playing a critical role.

Temkin Group Delivers Customer Experience Excellence Awards

Five organizations earn top honors for customer experience transformation efforts and results.

Brands Continue to Fail Their Customers

New research from Forrester shows customer service hasn't improved all that much in the past year.

It's Not Too Late to Start on Social

DMG report outlines steps companies need to take to address issues on social media.

IVR Fuels Improved Customer Service for Propane Supplier

AmeriGas offers targeted, more efficient solutions with a speech-enabled phone system from Message Technologies Inc.

Sandy Put Service to the Test

Insurers turned to mobile and social technologies to respond to the October superstorm.

Getting Closer to Customers Tops Big Data Agenda

Companies lack the skills to manage the barrage of information.

Building an Impenetrable Cloud

Companies concerned about data security have more hybrid (public and private) cloud computing options.

Customers Should Help Create Major Innovation

A study finds successful firms involved customers in the new product development process.

Angel Releases Cloud CTI Adaptor for Salesforce

The new cloud solution offers a complete view of the customer for a more personalized customer experience.

Satmetrix Launches NP360

The program offers an extensive assessment of companies' individual Net Promoter programs and how they compare to competitors.

Piecing Together Multichannel Support

Cross-channel support starts with connecting the right channels.

Oracle Expands in Social and the Cloud

At OpenWorld and CX Summit, Oracle reveals its latest product strategy.

ServiceTask Helps Business Clean Up

An Atlanta-area cleaning company finds fruitful results with this appointment scheduling app.

FCC Clarifies Opt-Out Procedures for Text Marketing

The commission says companies can send confirmations of opt-out requests.

Lattice Engines Raises $20 Million in Venture Funding

The infusion of cash will help the big data applications provider accelerate growth and expand its product portfolio.

Many Businesses Are Still Unsure About Social's Benefit

An IBM study finds that more than three quarters of business leaders are struggling to incorporate social media into their daily work lives.

SAP Puts CRM in the HANA Cloud

SAP 360 Customer solution leverages in-memory computing, cloud, mobility, and collaboration tools.

Social Adds to CRM's Appeal

Nucleus Research's Value Matrix highlights new functionality and integration capabilities.

Work-at-Home Solution Flies for Alaska Airlines

The company maintains high standards with telecommuting agents using Envision's Click2Coach.

Companies Struggle to Manage Customer Analytics

A Forrester report highlights big data challenges companies face.

Cross-Channel Design Can Be Transformational

Companies today must deliver cohesive experiences across multiple touchpoints.

The New Measure of Customer Service Success

Why some traditional performance metrics are wrong and what you need to evaluate now.

Salesforce.com Adds Social Analytics Partners to Marketing Cloud

New offering includes mix-and-match options from 20 vendors.

ExactTarget Acquires Pardot and iGoDigital

Acquisitions add SaaS-based marketing Web, and predictive analytics technologies to its portfolio.

Kana Introduces Lagan Express CRM for the Government Mid-Market

Integrated platform ensures consistent customer service across channels.

Social and Mobile Take Center Stage at CX Summit

Oracle pledges continued support for social and mobile apps as part of its CX suite.

Oracle Gets Social with Its Cloud Offerings

Big Red is adding a social media component to all of its Fusion apps.

Oracle Unveils Expanded Oracle Cloud Services Portfolio

New offerings include two applications for social media management.

Oracle Continues to Build Out Its Cloud

At its annual Open World event, the computer giant unveiled four new cloud and storage offerings.

Noble Systems Acquires ALI Solutions

Unified contact center solutions provider gains analytic decisioning platform and top-tier client roster from the contact center analytics firm.

Oracle's Latest Branding Initiative

Central to its CRM strategy is the company's Customer Experience (CX) Suite.

HP Launches a CRM Consulting Service

HP Transformation Services-CEM is designed to help improve operational efficiency in the contact center.

In High Tech, Social CRM Is All the Rage

Technology vendors tap into social media and online communities to let customers serve one another.

IVR Gives This Pharmacy a Healthy Boost

TalkRx keeps a small, family-owned drugstore chain competitive with national rivals.

Moxie Releases an Enhanced Knowledge Spaces

Widgetized customer experience portal enables personalized, on-brand customer experiences.

Salesforce.com Drops Its Application to Trademark "Social Enterprise"

The company will also drop the term from its marketing material in the future.

Trumpia Releases Multichannel Voting Apps

Multichannel Voting uses mobile text and Facebook to collect customer feedback instantly.

Reaching New Heights in Customer Service

Altitude's advanced contact center solution helps Al-Jomaih lead the market.

Outsourced Home Agents Market to Double by 2015

Technical support, communications, and media verticals will see the most growth.

The Numbers Game

Sports team struggle with collecting and analyzing data about their supporters.

HD Voice Clears Up the Phone Experience

Wideband audio could be the next evolution—or revolution—in technologies to hit the contact center space.

Noble Systems Introduces Web Reports for Mobile Contact Center Management

The browser-agnostic reporting tool is accessible from mobile devices, tablets, or off-site computers.

More Channels Makes Customer Service Worse, Not Better

Customer Service Experience panelists think things will only get worse before they get better.

Social Can Yield Positive Results

As social media customer service channels increase, companies can convert interactions to sales leads, product ideation, and reduced contact center costs.

Customer Service Adapts to Multiple Environments

But while customers embrace new channels, businesses have to catch up, Customer Service Experience speakers warn.

Google Pays $22.5 Million to Settle Consumer Privacy Case

The settlement stems from allegations that Google circumvented "do not track" settings in Safari Internet browsers and placed cookies on users' computers.

HP Launches A CRM Consulting Service

HP Transformation Services-CEM is designed to help improve operational efficiency in the contact center.

AT&T Turns to Video to Cut Call Volume

Videos explain bills to customers so call center agents don't have to.

CRM Comes to Campus at a Frantic Pace

Colleges and universities are starting to use CRM solutions to manage relationships with students at every stage.

8x8 Releases Virtual Receptionist

8x8 virtual office services provide SMBs additional ways to maximize employee productivity.

Aspect Releases Mobile Workforce Management Solution

The application provides anytime, anywhere access to operational metrics, agent schedules, and exception management.

The Senate Takes Up Call Center Worker Protection Legislation

A bill similar to the U.S. Call Center Worker and Consumer Protection Act has been introduced into the U.S. Senate.

Avaya Extends IP Office to the Mid-Market

New Avaya IP Office 8.1 enhances mobility, centralizes management, and adds new security options.

Confirmit Launches a VoC Engagement Model

Confirmit Voices aims to help businesses build outstanding VoC programs.

PlumChoice Launches Technology Services Solution

The SaaS-based offering for tech support combines self-service capabilities with agent-assisted interactions.

Customer Service Climbs Firms' Priority Lists

Mobile and online experiences also seen as key business objectives in the immediate future.

Listening to the Voice of the Customer

As companies adopt voice of the customer solutions, customers expect them to act on their feedback.

Service to Sing About

Wren Solutions streamlines internal support and eliminates duplication with TeamSupport.

Forrester Names Its Voice of the Customer Awards Winners

Barclaycard, Cisco, and Vanguard are recognized for their positive customer experiences.

Aspect Launches Next-Generation Customer Contact with Aspect Applications Foundation

The new development platform melds unified multichannel interaction, people management, and technology expertise with Microsoft enterprise applications.

Microsoft Rumored to Be Buying Yammer

Unconfirmed reports have the deal worth $1.2 billion.

Discover Is a Contact Center Superstar

The credit card company collects three Contact Center Excellence Awards from IQPC.

Social Is the Next Great Call Center Tech

Social media use in the contact center is projected to grow 22.9 percent this year.

Most Customer Service Tweets Go Unanswered

In a study of the top 25 online retailers, only 44 percent of customer service questions posted via Twitter were answered within 24 hours.

Twitter: Hearing 140 Million Voices

It's easier than you think to make sense of Twitter.

A Customer Support Portal to Rely On

IRely makes a wise choice with TechExcel's CustomerWise.

Web Chat and Speech Analytics Are Set to Surge

More contact centers will deploy technologies in 2012.

Modern Medicine: A Marketing Headache

Providers struggle in an industry undergoing massive change.

Thunderhead.com Launches its First Cloud App

The ONE Correspond for Salesforce social enterprise app boosts customer service, sales, and marketing communications with personalized interactivity and enterprise mobility.

SAP Continues to Build Out HANA

Newly announced integrations and support agreements make the platform even more versatile.

SAP Unveils Accelerated Cloud Strategy

SAP adds critical components to SuccessFactors suite to boost its cloud offerings.

SAP Moves in Mobile

The company advances applications in the cloud, and expands mobile device management, mobile device support, and platform and application development.

Verizon and VHT Help Organizations Dial Down Hold Times

Joint Voice Call Back offering promises to improve the customer experience.

Interactive Intelligence Introduces Mobile Customer Service Solution

Interaction Mobilizer enables companies to build and deploy customer service applications on mobile devices, bridging the gap between mobile self-service and live assistance.

Lithium Delivers Next-Generation Solution For Social Marketing

Company reimagines the brand-owned marketing community to drive traffic and conversion

White House Unveils Blueprint for a Privacy Bill of Rights

Proposed legislation is a first step in the process to strengthen online consumer protections.

CRM Gets More Professional

Service providers respond to changing market conditions with greater CRM deployments.

In the Air Instead of on the Line

A natural language-based IVR connects US Airways passengers to better service.

ROI of Business Analytics Increases Significantly as Solution Matures

It grows from 188 percent in initial automation phase to 1,209 percent in the predictive phase, Nucleus Research Finds

USAID Cuts Funding for Program to Train Foreign Call Center Workers

Legislative pressure to cut funding to U.S. companies that outsource call center operations overseas hits a Filipino job training program.

HP Helps Organizations Enhance Customer Engagement via Social Networks

HP launches Social Enterprise Services to help organizations implement a social CRM program.

Salesforce's Desk.com Offers Business Analytics and Reporting Tools

Business Insights features reports, dashboards and data collection tools to help SMBs understand their businesses.

Nonprofits Find Money on the Web

Charity no longer begins at home; today, it begins with a homepage.

Improving Ticket Sales When You Already Sell Out

The Boston Red Sox turn to Sports CRM from Green Beacon to heighten the fan experience.

Customer Feedback Falls on Deaf Ears

Only 35 percent of comments ever get a response.

FTC Pushes for Greater Consumer Protections

The agency calls on companies to adopt best practices about collecting and sharing consumer information.

Hold Free Networks Releases Social Sentiment Module

The smartphone surveying and feedback app can be incorporated into a customer service interaction.

Reachable Builds Out Its Contact Management Product

The solution uncovers connections and relationships from contacts to increase selling opportunities.

EasyAsk Debuts Mobile Quiri Platform

Corporate mobile app combines voice, search, mobile display, and interactions.

WorkSpace Communications Launches WorkSpace Warriors Initiative

The program provides efficient, affordable, and customized domestic outsourcing alternatives while giving jobs to returning American veterans.

SAP Expands Hosted Offerings

The company releases SAP Business One OnDemand and expands cloud capabilities in BusinessByDesign.

Backupify Releases a Service for Salesforce.com Data

The Snapshot for Salesforce CRM product lets users create backup files in case of data loss.

Who Benefits from QR Codes?

2D bar codes are a great marketing strategy, at least in theory.

Being Hospitable Means Being Social

Hotel chains open communities to communicate with guests.

Leadership Changes for Microsoft Dynamics CRM

Dennis Michalis takes over as general manager of the product line from Brad Wilson.

Avaya Launches Outsourcing Solutions

Avaya Communications Outsourcing Solutions provides multivendor, custom-managed services for large businesses.

Aspect Inks a UC Distribution Deal with Dell

Dell Services will deliver Aspect's unified communications solutions for next-generation customer contact centers.

Avaya Spotlights Healthcare Technology Innovations

The company introduces collaboration solutions to improve care coordination, patient interaction, and remote/home-based patient care.

Customers Not That into You? It Could Be Your Marketing

New research identifies the brand marketing practices that inspire vs. those that irritate.

SAP Embraces Cloud, Mobile Solutions

The company's new focus includes product enhancements that center around mobility, hosted offerings, analytics, and databases.

VMware and Mitel Bring Desktop Virtualization to the Contact Center

Integrations provide contact center managers centralized administration, better security, and the ability to reduce costs.

Despite Improvements in Service, Two out of Three Consumers Switched Companies in 2011

Switching rises in eight out of 10 industries; loyalty programs do not wield big influence, Accenture reports.

SpeechCycle Awarded Patent for Repeat Caller Process

New patent covers call back disposition and re-evaluation in a IVR-based customer care.

Genesys Sets a New Course

Under its new ownership, the company will enhance its core product portfolio and strengthen its offerings in cloud computing, analytics, workforce optimization, process workflow, and social engagement.

Gen X: Stuck in the Middle

This generation's size and spending power doesn't rival other generations, but its presence and influence should not be ignored.

CRM Is a High-Yield Investment

Business analytics return $10.66 for every dollar spent; CRM systems return $5.60.

Location-Based Services Find Their Place in Mobile Apps

E-commerce apps are a big piece of the development landscape.

Congress Moves to Cut Off Off-Shoring

Proposed legislation would prevent United States firms that off-shore contact center jobs from receiving government funds.

Consumers Want NFC-Enabled Mobile Wallets

An analyst firm predicts that mobile shopping will create a multibillion-dollar industry for credit card companies, online retailers, and mobile operators.

IVR Identifies At-Risk Students

Vocantas IVR helps Avila University reach out to students in danger of transferring or dropping out.

Salesforce.com Makes the Help Desk Social and Mobile with Desk.com

New platforms enable SMBs to offer help desks that are integrated with social media, email, chat, and phone.

Customer Interaction with Utilities via Social Media Is on the Rise

New research also finds a growing number of utilities share information about service issues with customers via social media.

MicroAutomation Releases MicroMessenger Powered by Voxeo

The campaign management and outbound notification app is the first Voxeo Connect Certified Partner application.

Avaya Releases IP Office 8.0

The new product suite offers a comprehensive set collaboration capabilities for consumer-oriented mobile devices.

Leadership Changes for Microsoft Dynamics CRM

Dennis Michalis takes over as general manager of the product line from Brad Wilson.

Can Mobile and IVR Avoid a Fight?

Customer interaction technologies should support one another, not compete

Caber Sure Fit Has Sales Growth Covered

The Canadian home décor and furniture-protection products provider gains a 28 percent sales increase with Sage SalesLogix

Yahoo! Search Yields a Better Sales Tool

The Internet search firm's new sales portal is built around Salesforce's Force.com and Chatter platforms

Are CRM's Worst Years Behind It?

Cloud technologies and social networking will drive future demand

Customer Service Is a Complex Ecosystem

Forrester research finds companies lack integration across channels

Voxeo Launches a Channel Partner Program

Voxeo Connect offers resellers and system integrators new revenue opportunities and a competitive edge.

Congress Moves to Cut Off Off-Shoring

Proposed legislation would prevent U.S. firms that offshore contact center jobs from receiving government funds.

IBM Plans to Acquire DemandTec

The deal expands IBM's cloud-based analytics offerings and beefs up its Smarter Commerce portfolio.

Mitel Enhances Customer Contact Center Solutions Suite

New Contact Center Solutions deliver social media monitoring and enable agents to serve customers from anywhere using any device.

Companies Were Slow to Respond on Black Friday, Cyber Monday

Average call wait times were 139 percent higher for the top 25 retailers on those two days than normal.

Can Voice Biometrics Hack Computer Security?

Speech technology can protect customer data against small-scale attacks.

Oracle to Acquire RightNow Technologies

The $1.5 billion deal is part of an "aggressive" move to offer more cloud solutions, Oracle says.

Legislative Changes Proposed for Robocall Restrictions

A bill in Congress would allow for the delivery of time-sensitive information to mobile phones.

SMB Hosted CRM Market Set to Triple by 2015

Rapid growth in the SaaS CRM market is paving the way for "Social CRM" adoption, says AMI.

Web Self-Service with 'Instant Answers'

A compensation broker reduces agent load with an automated FAQ tool.

Bank Emerges from the Ashes with Salesforce CRM

Huntington Bank returned to profitability quickly by re-engineering its customer service processes.

Salesforce.com to Acquire Model Metrics

With Model Metrics, Salesforce.com adds mobile and social expertise to accelerate the shift to the social enterprise.

Companies Fail the Test with Metrics

New research from the Temkin Group suggests companies are using the metrics data they collect.

VoiceHub Launches Low-Cost Call Router with Speech Recognition

VoiceHub brings a speech recognition-based phone service to entrepreneurs, mobile workers, and small to medium businesses.

10 Ways to Rearchitect Your Contact Center

Hiring, training, and technology are considered keys to raising the customer service standard.

IVR Investment Pays Off at Australian Bank

Westpac Group installs Holly Connects platform to address customer service woes.

Market Focus: High Tech

Can the Industry Deliver Integrated Support?

Marketing Dollars Move to Interactive

Spending in this segment will rival TV advertising by 2016.

Pegasystems Extends Social Media Capabilities in CPM Solution

Offering enables organizations to seamlessly monitor, analyze, and act on social media interactions.

Verint Launches Fully Web-Enabled Enterprise WFM Solution

The offering continues to drive workforce management further into the enterprise with enhanced branch, contact center and back-office operations features.

Avaya Acquires Speech Analytics Vendor Aurix

Acquisition will enable Avaya to add speech analytics to contact center and unified communications portfolio.

Interactive Intelligence to Launch Cloud-based Communications Trial Program

"Quick Spin" program designed to further reduce risk of migrating to communications-as-a-service.

SugarCRM Harnesses the Power of IBM SmartCloud

Sugar 6 becomes the first CRM product available through IBM's software-as-a-service platform.

SmarterTools Moves its Help Desk Software into the Cloud

New SmarterTrack application is scalable across platforms and operating systems.

CRM365 Launches with Next-Gen Intelligence Platform

A new company forms out of Digitas and offers solutions to help companies manage large data collections.

Mzinga Announces OmniSocial 2011

Extended social business ecosystem solution features advanced analytics and business intelligence.

Customer Satisfaction: Don’t Leave Work Without It

A contact center executive at American Express takes a holistic approach to support

Feedback from CSRs Spawns Relationship Care

Redefining IVR’s Role Pays Off

SMBs to Become More Mobile and Competitive

Better connections with customers and more efficient use of resources will drive future IT investments

Foursquare Searches for Revenue Streams

The company plans to start charging merchants for customer data

NFL Flexes CRM Muscle

Not even a threatened cancellation of the season could deter football's loyal customers

Aetna Members Get Ann-swers

The insurer's virtual assistant engages more than 2 million chats, helping ferret out information on benefits, costs, and more

U.S. SMB SaaS CRM Market Set to Triple by 2015

Rapid-growth in the SaaS CRM market is paving the way for "social CRM" adoption, says AMI.

Salesforce.com Acquires Assistly

Assistly provides instant customer-service help desk applications that can be set up in minutes, adding to Salesforce's cloud portfolio.

Enterprise Communications Is Moving to the Cloud

41 percent of all enterprise communications application users worldwide will migrate to the cloud by 2016.

Nuance Builds Out Its Mobile Advantage Portfolio

The new solutions are designed to steer customers to mobile smartphone apps for self-service.

Salesforce Continues Its Push to the Cloud

Benioff calls cloud computing the future of software and systems, Google's executive chairman agrees.

Eloqua Launches Social Media Suite

Social Sign-On, Twitter Dashboards and Klout integration allow B2B marketers to capture, track, and score leads over social channels.

Angel Contact Center Now Available on AppExchange

Cloud-based call center technology is now available to Salesforce.com customers.

WFO Hears The Voice of the Customer

Workforce optimization suites broaden their focus beyond the company

Sprint Goes From Customer Satisfaction Laggard to Leader

Merced Systems helps reverse performance in just two years

Call Center Software Opens A Window of Opportunity

Blinds.com improves bottom line and organizational efficiency with new phone systems

Email Marketing Has the Look

Responsys' third annual Email Design Look Book highlights strategies vital to marketers' future success

Companies That Listen Get Results

Investments in monitoring social media rise but still lag customers' use of it

Acquisitions Pay Big Bounty for Big Blue

IBM is cashing in on its Netezza, Coremetrics, and Unica deals by adding analytics products

Market Focus: Financial Services—Retail Banks Need an Overhaul

Changing consumers' habits requires financial institutions to sharpen their focus on service, according to report

Salesforce.com Unveils the Social Enterprise

New offerings from the company make the social enterprise an easier goal to achieve.

Alcatel-Lucent Unveils a New Strategy for Genesys

Genesys Mobile Customer Engagement Strategy evolves companies from transactional, service-only apps to mobile customer conversations.

Millennials Study Provides New Data on Media, Shopping and Social Habits

The generation is heavily influenced by peer support for shopping decisions, according to the research.

Voxeo Announces Prophecy 11 and VoiceObjects 11

Prophecy adds HD audio and IPv6 and fax support while VoiceObjects brings greater scalability and ease of use.

SMBs to Become More Mobile and Competitive

Better connections with customers and more efficient use of resources will drive future IT investments.

Angel Voice-Enables Social Networks

VoiceForTwitter and VoiceForFacebook give a voice to social media by enabling businesses and consumers to post audio updates via their phones.

Oracle to Buy InQuira

The deal creates a comprehensive CRM solution with advanced knowledge management capabilities and integrated self-service.

Health Insurers Need to Improve Customer Relationships to Compete

Accenture survey finds 80 percent of consumers expect customer services to be easier and more convenient.

A Lot to Manage

CRM can help firms struggling with longer selling processes

New EU Regulations to Affect Email, Online Marketing

Opt-in consent required for emails and for tracking the online activity of Web site visitors

Changing the Channel

Research reveals how consumers will contact customer service within the next two years

Global CRM Market to Grow by $1.3 Billion in 2011

Oracle generates biggest share of $16.5 billion in annual revenue

Verint Will Acquire Vovici

The combination will create a single voice-of-the-customer solutions provider with multichannel analytics, including speech, social media, Web chat, and enterprise feedback

IBM Debuts Cloud-Based Marketing and Analytics Suite

Smarter Commerce offerings combine Web analytics and digital marketing in one integrated suite.

Sage Expands Cloud Services for SMBs

Online ERP and connected services for employers are among the company's new offerings.

Avaya Adds to Its Aura Contact Center Suite

New contact center products enable companies to compete more effectively through personalized customer experiences across media channels

SAP Releases Sales OnDemand

Collaboration tools are among the features in this new application.

AMEX Releases Social Media Tool for SMBs

YourBuzz helps businesses listen to and connect with customers across social channels.

Market Focus: Government--Better Outreach with Outbound

Mass-messaging systems help keep constituents informed

Just the Facts? Not Really

Many firms use analytics data inconsistently and rely on personal experiences when engaging customers

New IBM Analytics Technology Helps Companies Unlock Big Data

IBM's new High Capacity Appliance can analyze up to 10 petabyes of data

Plan to Fail In Social

Companies are likely to make mistakes in social media early on, but the key is to learn from them and move on, ACCE keynoter urges.

Be Top of Mind to Top the Customer Service Charts

Speakers urge companies to engage customers on their preferred channels, and with a set service mantra.

Interactive Intelligence Releases Customer Interaction Center 4.0

Major new release of flagship IP communications software suite adds real-time speech analytics, increased scalability, Web portal access, and private cloud deployment model.

New Research Highlights the Need for Integrated Marketing

Email is still the most effective way of reaching customers, but campaigns should also include the Web, SMS, social media, and other channels.

Nuance Launches Complete Care Multichannel Solutions

Nuance Complete Care engages consumers over the customer contact life cycle with integrated inbound and outbound customer care

Rise in Social Media Requires Businesses to Rethink Customer Value

A new report suggests that new measures of value are needed so that organizations know how best to direct engagement efforts.

24/7 Customer Teams with CEB on a Customer Effort Management Solution

CCC Loyalty View measures the amount of effort a customer has to expend to have his issue resolved.

New EU Regs to Affect Email and Online Marketing

Regulations take affect today that require opt-in consent for email marketing and tracking the online activity of Web site visitors.

Customers Show the Power of SAP

HANA brings the speed of real-time computing to companies all over the world.

Rural Arizona Drives Home Service

Pinal County speeds responses and cuts costs by switching from a hosted to an on-premises contact center suite

Don’t Forget the “C” in Social CRM

Listening to customers should precede any foray into social media, the former leader of @ComcastCares advises

Peer Power

Online communities foster customer loyalty by doing what traditional contact centers cannot

Post While You Shop or Eat

Smartphones allow consumers to share their in-store experiences moments after they happen

Radian6 Deal Enables Salesforce.com To Monitor the Social Web

Valued at $326 million, the acquisition brings social media monitoring platform to CRM giant

SAP's Business Model Is Built on Collaboration

SAP puts the focus on the customer, on-premises, on-demand, and on-device.

Alcatel-Lucent Sells 1,000th Hosted Contact Center Solution

The company sees a large appetite among businesses for solutions offered on a fully hosted or software-as-a-service basis.

Verint Releases New Voice of the Customer Analytics Platform

The solution set, part of its Impact 360 product suite, combines all sources of customer interaction data into a single platform.

ClickFox Reveals Customer Identification Pitfalls During Self-Service

Ten percent of customers can't be identified by automated customer service systems, driving down customer satisfaction.

Customer Experience Professionals Association Launches

A new global trade group is formed to provide members with extensive research, education, and networking opportunities.

Mzinga Releases Customer Experience Solution

The solution combines many social media and customer service tools in a single offering.

Noble Systems Introduces Hosted Enterprise Contact Center Solution

This CaaS offering comes with all of the feature functionality of Noble Systems' premises-based platform.

West Offers a New Social Media Suite

Partnership with Radian6 enhances social media monitoring with tools for querying, analysis, and crafting customer service responses.

Sitecore Releases the Customer Engagement Platform

The new software solution combines analytics, interaction automation, and personalization across channels.

IVR Is Good News for Scripps

Media company leverages Pronexus system to standardize subscription services for 14 newspapers

Speech Analytics Captures Consumer Sentiment

Technologies blend data from different sources, emotional states, and moments in time

Higher Education Increases Marketing

Schools shift focus to generate more inquiries in-house and boost technology investments

Socially Challenged

CRM outsourcers still grapple with social media strategies

Extending the Cloud for Salesforce.com

Active Endpoints leads a new wave of companies consumerizing SaaS through user-driven customizations.

Consumer Groups Cautious About Internet Privacy Effort

Not all consumer groups are sold on the Kerry-McCain bill's ability to protect customers online.

Online Privacy Bill Introduced

Consumer groups hail it as an important step toward protecting consumer information.

Dollar-A-Day Coupon Service to Launch

New Web-based service will also feature automated lead-generation and customer service options.

Verint Releases Audiolog 5 for SMBs

Contact center software enhancements support mobile and multimedia customer interactions.

Astute Launches Social Media Management Solution

Astute SRM helps companies increase customer engagement, optimize social business processes, and drive innovation.

Consona Releases Upgraded Knowledge Management Solution

The latest version delivers new features to meet the needs of the world's leading high-tech product and complex service and support environments.

Salesforce.com Acquires Radian6

The deal is worth $276 million in cash and $50 million in stocks.

Sage Delivers New Mobile CRM To Sage SalesLogix Users

New Sage SalesLogix Mobile enables rich CRM functionality on popular devices; browser-based design allows rapid mobile CRM deployment.

SpeechCycle Launches SmartCare Mobile

The solution is the first customer care solution developed specifically for the smartphone.

PCI Council Releases Supplemental Guidance for Protecting Telephone-Based Payment Card Data

New resource helps merchants and service providers understand and implement PCI DSS requirements for voice recordings.

Cincy’s Zoo Goes Ape for IBM

Cognos solution leads to 50,000 new visits and revenue growth

Savings Follow BlueCross BlueShield to Tennessee

Nexidia's QuickStart helps health insurer reduce call times and volume and improve self-service on the Web

IVR Personalization: Strike the Right Balance

Too much familiarity can repel customers, so designers must take pains to build the right systems

Market Focus: Telecommunications—Rewards for Reliability

Telco loyalty programs increasingly have the right ring

Global Coalition Loyalty Program Membership to Top 1 Billion in 2011

Fourteen percent of the world's population belongs to at least one such program, according to Finaccord

AutoTrader.com Integrates Live Chat Solution

Chat solution provides auto dealers with multiple avenues to create more personal connections with shoppers online.

SpeechCycle Launches a New Mobile Division

Customer interaction management solutions vendor creates a new division to meet demand for business-to-consumer smartphone applications.

Executives Need a New Perspective on Billing

A new survey finds companies miss opportunities for customer connections in the billing process.

Deal-a-Day Spending Likely to Reach $3.9B in U.S. by 2015

A compound annual growth rate of 35 percent is expected during the next four years.

Call Recording System Identifies Agents by Voice

New system uses speaker recognition to identify agents on call recordings.

Global Coalition Loyalty Program Membership to Top 1 Billion in 2011

Fourteen percent of the world's population belongs to at least one coalition loyalty program.

Gripes About U.S. Contact Centers Rise

Since 2008, complaints have jumped by 40 percent, says analyst firm

Egyptian Unrest Puts Call Centers To the Test

Companies scramble to relocate outsourced operations in the wake of violent political protests

Hotels Go Mobile for a Better Stay

Properties create apps to reach prospective guests and the ones they have

SAS Acquires Assetlink

The combination of companies will usher in a greater adoption of integrated marketing management.

Vivisimo Releases New Customer Experience Optimization Solution

Industry research underscores the immediate need for a consolidated, real-time view of information across all data sources.

Less Automation Needed to Elevate Satisfaction with the Wireless Customer Experience

Satisfaction is much lower among customers who go through automated response systems than live agents, new J.D. Power & Associates research finds.

A Gray Area

Today's seniors can't be left out of IVR design decisions.

Apple Continues to Lead in Call Satisfaction, Sees Decline in Problem Resolution and IVR Satisfaction

Dell posts gains in IVR performance in Vocalabs study of phone-based tech support.

Americans Receive 7 Billion Survey Invitations Per Year

Of those, 2.6 billion are completed, according to Vovici research.

Contact Center Recording Systems Market Expected to Grow 55 Percent by 2015

Pelorus Associates expects the total worldwide market to hit $1.24 billion in five years, up from $800 million today.

Utopy Announces 3 New Speech-Based Solutions

First Call Resolution, Handle Time Optimization, and Call Volume Reduction enable contact centers to make better use of Utopy's speech analytics platform.

Is Genesys 8 the Eighth Wonder?

G-Force '10: Genesys Telecommunications Labs' updated customer service suite promises to manage customer conversations across channels and time.

Vlingo Users Gain More Control

Version 3.0 of the vendor's mobile voice solution expands text-to-speech functionality as well as BlackBerry support.

Few Changes in Gartner Magic Quadrant on Contact Center Infrastructure

Alcatel-Lucent joins some familiar faces in the Leader space: Aspect Software, Avaya, Cisco Systems, Genesys Telecommunications Laboratories, Interactive Intelligence, and Nortel Networks.

Voxeo Acquires VoiceObjects

The voice platform vendor helps itself to a portfolio of self-service applications.

Enghouse to Acquire Envox Worldwide for $14 Million

Parent company of contact center solutions provider Syntellect snaps up another peer.

Verizon Launches Hosted Speech Platform

New offering gives users the flexibility and oversight typically associated with on-premises solutions without the large capital costs.

The Right Numbers

CRM, together with telephony technologies, leads to better sales for a direct marketer.

The Phone Refuses to Die

G-Force '08: Despite the increasing popularity of Web interactions, customers keep calling.

Genesys Opens Its Intelligent Customer Front Door

G-Force '08: At its annual user conference, the Alcatel-Lucent unit expands on the launch of its latest offering.

Making Sure Agents Stick to the Script

Contact center solutions provider KomBea claims its new offering is "turning the live agent call-handling game on its head."

A NICE Way to Handle Cranky Holiday Calls

As the shopping season approaches, retailers can expect disgruntled customers.

Genesys CEO Leaves for Nuance Post

Wes Hayden becomes president of Nuance Communications' new Enterprise Division, part of Nuance's shift from point technologies to integrated enterprise solutions.

Genesys Says Do a Better Job

Despite improving satisfaction scores, call centers need to provide more positive experiences for consumers; the lesson can also be applied to other channels.