by alec on October 30, 2009
Here at eComm, the last demo of the conference is one of the most impressive. Voxygen’s “next generation Caller ID” revolutionizes customer service by linking actions on a web site to a click to call button. The example they showed included a customer who browsed a camera shopping website, filled in a form for a call back, and then received a call from the customer service rep. At the call center, the representative received demographic and caller information, plus an entire history of what the customer had been browsing on the site, and up-sale tips. Result: A better and faster customer experience, with more revenue for the vendor, and lower costs.
The technology operates by assigning a unique temporary number to each support incident, and then attaching the information collected from the web site to the information popped onto the screen when the call center agent answers.
The commercial implications are obvious, but what about applications in support, learning, and coaching? The possibilities are endless. This is a winner for sure.
by alec on October 30, 2009
Yesterday’s eComm saw an emphasis on value creation on telecom networks. Talks ranged from Dean Bubley’s instructive and provocative discussion of LTE and how it is being held hostage by ordinary telephony, through to demonstrations of applications that embed voice into the new categories of “flow” applications. Stuart Henshall showed how voice can be embedded into a twitter stream with his Phweet application, and Tim Panton showed a similar application with voice conversations embedded into Google Wave. Voxeo’s RJ Auburn showed how, with their platform, conversations can easily exist on either text or voice channels, transitioning simply from one to another, without the developer having to differentiate between media in the application.
Two investors joined the stage as well – Sean Park of Nauiokas Park, and Michael Jackson of Mangrove. A major focus of the day became value creation through disruptive technologies as a result. Adding fuel to the fire, Park argued that today’s telecom business should be two separate businesses, network management, and applications delivery because of financial considerations. According to Park, networks throw off predictable cash flows, which makes them appropriate for debt financing vehicles, while applications need capital infusions in the form of equity to get build.
Meaty stuff.
