White Paper: Using Web-based Support Tools to Improve Customer Service

Many service-centric organizations have already integrated their in-house service and support applications with Web interfaces, or deployed systems designed for the Web from the ground up. They’re better integrating channels through customer interaction platforms, greatly expanding self-service functionality, undertaking knowledge management initiatives, and extending their reach through remote support and maintenance tools.

This informative white paper from Supportindustry.com and sponsored by LogMeInRescue and Parature, examines the latest trends and technologies in using Web-based support tools to improve customer service.

Get your copy today!

NetSuite files for $75M IPO
NetSuite, billionaire Larry Ellison's software company that sells computer programs accessed over the Web, filed to raise up to $75 million in an initial public offering. Ellison, the founder and chief executive of Oracle, controls 74 percent of NetSuite common stock, according to the company's S-1 filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The company posted $67 million in revenue last year and is among the oldest players in the rapidly growing market for "on demand" software, but NetSuite has yet to turn a profit.

Report software piracy, get a shot at $1 million
The Business Software Alliance (BSA), the global organization representing the nation’s leading software manufacturers, announced that it will intensify efforts to battle software piracy in the workplace by increasing its current rewards incentive from $200,000 to $1 million from July to October 2007. This unprecedented increase by the BSA highlights the software organization’s commitment to fighting software piracy in U.S. businesses. According to an independent study conducted by the International Data Corps. (IDC), the information technology (IT) industry’s leading global market research and forecasting firm, the U.S. suffered $7.3 billion in losses in 2006 resulting from software piracy. The BSA Rewards program was launched in the U.S. in the fall of 2005. The program encourages individuals with detailed information about software piracy to come forward and confidentially submit the infringement(s). Since the 2005 launch of the Rewards program, BSA has successfully settled with hundreds of companies, bringing in nearly $22 million as a result.

New FrontRange™ Voice Release Integrates Software for a Single “Install and Call” Solution
FrontRange Solutions, an established global leader in IT Service Management, Voice Applications, and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) solutions for the Mid-Market and Distributed Enterprise, today announced the availability of version 5.1 of FrontRange Voice, a complete communication solution for dynamic companies of all sizes. FrontRange Voice 5.1 combines several technologies to create a single IP telephony solution that is developed entirely in software so customers just need a PC, a broadband voice provider and an Internet connection to begin calling. FrontRange IPCC 5.1 integrates with the company’s GoldMine, HEAT and ITSM to provide support for office phones and call centers without the complicated setup previously required, simplifying the process to install and call.

CompuCom Calls on SupportSoft to Help Raise the Bar Higher in Delivering World-Class Technology Support
SupportSoft, Inc., a provider of technology problem resolution software, announced that CompuCom Systems, Inc., an IT outsourcing company, has selected and successfully deployed SupportSoft software as a key component to its IT services offering. CompuCom is using SupportSoft's software for the e-support component of its Integrated Infrastructure Management (IIM) solution. SupportSoft self-healing software incorporates patented technology to help proactively solve problems before users even know they exist. SupportSoft's self-service software enables IT outsourcing firms to provide personalized self-service solutions for end-users, helping to keep them even more productive. SupportSoft assisted service software enables IT outsourcing firms to remotely diagnose and automatically resolve end-user problems -- either over the phone or via online chat.

Webinar Series - Best Practices in Customer Support
We are pleased to announce "Best Practices in Customer Support" Webinar Series sponsored by Parature. This thought leadership webinar series is delivered by some of the industry's leading minds. Register for one or register for all depending on the topics that interest you.

Join leading Customer Support Industry Experts, Sheryl Kingstone, Nancy Rubin, Michael Buckham-White, Paul Erickson, and Carlos Quezada to learn the 'latest and greatest' tips and techniques for streamlining your support teams to provide excellent service and support to your customers.

Register Today!

Instant messaging systems have moved from the fringe to become a key part of an enterprise’s collaboration infrastructure and are increasingly displacing existing forms of communications from ad hoc telephone calls and emails to pre-planned meetings and video conferences. Enterprises are beginning to invest in IM and associated technologies accordingly.

Just as the deployment of email in corporations in the early 1990s proved an unparalleled success for businesses, analysts said that a similar phenomenon is occurring with IM. IM is increasingly being used as a vehicle for rapidly disseminating critical information to the entire enterprise, groups of users or individuals in cases such as natural catastrophes, health issues, network outages or schedule changes. In some cases, the IM network remains operational when phone or e-mail systems are down. In addition, IM’s is growing in importance to customer relations departments and call centers where it is being used to foster closer relationships by providing faster and easier access to the most relevant part of the organization.
More...

Top Ranked Business Intelligence Tools Vendors Maintain Positions as Acquisition Activity and SMB Vendors Impact the Market
In a year marked with continued acquisitions by major business intelligence (BI) vendors of companies within the BI and adjacent software markets, new version releases, and effective marketing and sales efforts by many small and medium-sized BI vendors, the rankings of the largest vendors remained unchanged. Although the overall rankings were not affected, the growth rates of the top 15 vendors differed significantly, affecting vendor shares.

As in other steadily maturing markets, the share of the top 10 BI tools vendors continues to increase with Business Objects, SAS, Cognos, Microsoft and Hyperion making up the top 5. IDC expects acceleration in the BI tools market to start in 2009 – what remains to be seen is whether it will be manifested in revenue to software vendors, or simply through the broader reach of BI.

IDC's study also reveals that interest in advanced analytics for forecasting, optimization, and other decision support techniques is growing as organizations look to move beyond using BI tools only for query and reporting. Additionally, the Americas region continues to be the largest segment of the BI tools market with 52.8% of share, followed by EMEA and Asia/Pacific.
More...

Employees Use Web 2.0 and Knowledge Management to Add Value to Their Organizations
LexisNexis, a provider of information and services solutions, has announced the results of a nationwide survey to provide insights into how Information Professionals (IPs, or someone who strategically uses information in his/her job to advance the mission of the organization through the development, deployment, and management of information resources and services) are adding value to their organizations through technology and knowledge management. The survey also explores where IPs see the future of technology.

Information professionals are savvy when it comes to leveraging technology to make information more valuable, relevant, and accessible, with 93% of IPs saying they currently use intranets for managing and distributing information, and seeing collaborative workspaces (57%), wireless (44%), and portals (51%) as very important for the future.

The survey revealed an interesting breakdown and frequency of information sources accessed. With Web 2.0 it’s no surprise that information professionals are very in-tune; nearly four in ten access Weblogs at least weekly (39%), and more than a third access wikis (34%).

For more traditional sources there was even greater usage. More than nine in ten surveyed access news Web sites (92%), and company Web sites (93%) at least weekly (or more often). Video or audio podcasts were rarely accessed. Less than two in ten access video podcasts (16%), or audio podcasts (15%).

When respondents were asked, “What is the most successful new initiative/service that you have launched in the past year?” the top five responses were:

• Document search, retrieval, delivery, and access enhancements, such as centralizing the document collection into a common ILS or Integrated Library System, OpenURL linking, RSS feed, taxonomy, and library portal integration, development and/or enhancement.
• Embed and/or migrate IP services within business units.
• Increase, provide, and/or offer new training.
• Enhance or standardize process and quality control procedures.
• Provide assistance and services proactively.

Other notable mentions included digitizing important and/or historical print sources, providing collaborative workspaces, and creating wiki-type databases.

More...

Tech Cos' Green Approach May Not Always Lead To Cash
Being "green" is all the rage with technology companies these days, but what's not clear is if the environment-friendly approach is bringing in more greenbacks. Tech buyers say they desire devices that are kind to the environment but they haven't shown a strong predisposition to buy them - except when it saves them money. However, interest is there among CIOs. H-P, for instance, has seen a 120% increase worldwide in the number of inquiries connected to the environment since the last half of 2006. In 2005, the company saw $6 billion in requests for proposals that had some environmental element.
Full Article...

Customer service depends on customer
How stores treat customer complaints, returns and other service matters varies and can depend a lot on how the customers handle themselves, experts say. For those cases when retailers don't give you what you want, experts recommend fighting for your rights in a professional manner..
Full Article...

Keeping Customers From Walking Out the Door
Businesses are getting better at analyzing customer data to determine satisfaction levels and the potential for cross-selling products. But what if companies could gain insight fast enough to stop unhappy customers before they bolted?
Full Article...

Defining the Next Paradigm of IT Outsourcing
Today's IT infrastructure world is in a state of turmoil. The costs of maintaining the existing infrastructure continue to come at the expense of innovation and strategic value. The only question now is whether companies will embrace the new paradigm or remain committed to supporting, maintaining and defending the old one. Once again, outsourcing partners cannot deliver true operational excellence if their business models are based merely on skilled labor. They must have world-class processes, methodologies and systems in place if they are to scale in a cost-effective way to meet the growing infrastructure demands of business. Moving forward, what should companies look for in an infrastructure outsourcer? This article presents several key capabilities to expect and seek.
Full Article...

Include Management Costs When Calculating Software as a Service Benefits
Software as a service (SaaS) applications are typically rented on a per-user-per-month basis. There are no up-front licensing costs, and no need for up-front equipment and development resources. The subscription fee covers software maintenance and operational costs as well as any upgrades. However, perhaps the toughest aspect of SaaS pricing is figuring out whether the subscription pricing leads to a higher total cost of ownership (TCO) than deploying the software internally.
Full Article...

How to Talk to Customers: Create a Great Impression Every Time with MAGIC
by Diane Berenbaum and Tom Larkin

Filled with case studies and anecdotes, How to Talk to Customers demystifies the most critical aspect of customer service: conversations employees have every day with customers. In this must-have resource, Diane Berenbaum and Tom Larkin outline a proven system based on their MAGIC customer service training program. MAGIC, which stands for Make A Great Impression on the Customer, can help anyone become the type of communicator that makes their customers feel special.

More Info...

The CRM Solution Center provides you unlimited access to white papers, case studies, detailed product information and more. Registration is quick and easy -- in 30 seconds or less, you will be on your way to accessing this valuable resource
Click here to start searching!

Multichannel Service & Support Survey of Executives: Report of Findings
Supportindustry.com and eGain Communications Corp. recently conducted a survey of contact center, helpdesk and customer service managers and executives, focusing on multichannel customer service and support -- its importance, the current state of their multichannel capabilities and challenges in implementing and managing it.

To get a complimentary copy of the report, click here.

Editorial suggestions, feedback & comments:
Carolyn Healey, Editor - chealey@supportindustry.com

Advertising Information:
adinfo@supportindustry.com

Thank you for reading Supportindustry.com's weekly newsletter!
Copyright © 2007, supportindustry.com