Nortel Launches New SIP Contact Center Capabilities

Video, Voice, IM in One Customer Session

Nortel announced new capabilities for its SIP Contact Center 6.0 solution that adds new dimensions to customer service through a versatile range of communication choices.

Customers benefit from capabilities that will let them interact with agents via video or start a call with one means of communication then change to another within the same session. If a customer is waiting for agent assistance, information relevant to their inquiry can be pushed to them through web pages.

"Nortel's SIP Contact Center solution creates a breakthrough consumer experience by providing customers a range of methods through which they can receive support," said Dave Murashige, general manager, Multimedia Applications, Nortel. "It helps businesses drive ongoing competitive advantage by offering customers a multi-modal approach such as starting a call with voice, moving to video and using Instant Messaging at the same time. What once would have taken multiple sessions can now be done in one."

Nortel's SIP Contact Center 6.0 helps customers get information faster when they access the contact center via the company's web site because they are automatically pushed a web page that references the information they need while they wait for an available agent. Also, once they are speaking with an agent, expert advice is not limited to one agent. A virtual team of knowledge experts can collaborate via phone, web, email, chat, IM, or video.

Companies such as Vantis Credit Union, a financial company based in Winnipeg and serving 22,000 members, are already using the Nortel SIP Contact Center solution to improve customer service and employee productivity.

"As a result of Nortel's SIP-based solution, we are restructuring our internal processes for easy retrieval access of our member files to provide excellent service at any time, all while reducing our cost base," said Michel Audette, President and CEO, Vantis Credit Union. "It is about bringing in new tools, that can be deployed easily, and ultimately help us better communicate with our members."

The Nortel Contact Center uses industry-standard SIP interfaces, simplifying solution deployment and enabling true integration with a multivendor SIP architecture. Having a native SIP application means there is no data interpretation needed so information can pass through the network faster, allowing companies to easily add multimedia services.

SIP is the first technology protocol designed to support multimedia communications across any device.

"SIP is revolutionary," said Alec Ko, executive consultant, CGI. "A customer will make the decision to buy - or not buy - a particular item based on customer service. Today's savvy buyer wants more for their money; they want a company that stands behind their offerings. What better way than to give them a quick, one-stop arena for getting the answers they need to be productive. At the end of the day, that's what they'll remember most."

Nortel's Contact Center 6.0, is a next-generation SIP-based multimedia contact center designed to be open and interface with any endpoints whether mobile, IP, SIP or TDM. It offers a single architecture that enables managers to adapt any contact center to meet diverse customer needs and accelerate customer resolution, often in a single session.

By Nortel