Primus adds search integration to customer support software

Customer support workers will have broader, faster access to relevant problem-solving information thanks to new search technology integrations in Primus's SolutionSeries problem resolution software. Users can now access text-based information stored in E-mail, document management and groupware repositories using Fulcrum's Knowledge Network and SearchServer and Verity's Information Server. Both Verity and Fulcrum have signed on as Primus as Business Solution Partners.

For organizations that put heavy emphasis on customer service (e.g. tech support or call centers), the integration means that reps spend less time searching for the right information, and more time on the phones passing it on to the customers.

For Primus, the deal spells additional functionality and a leg up on other problem resolution software vendors. "In today's competitive environment, the ability to turn information into a knowledge asset is a significant factor in maintaining solid customer relationships," said Primus president and CEO Mike Brochu. "If you can bring all the knowledge assets of the enterprise to bear on making [the customer support interaction] a positive experience, you're going to increase customer loyalty." By teaming with Fulcrum and Verity, Primus is giving customer-centric organizations the power to "rapidly transform corporate data into solutions that solve specific customer problems."

For Verity and Fulcrum, the integration provides an excellent chance to gain a foothold in a market segment where fast access to relevant customer and product knowledge is critical. "We're in the business of helping our customers get at the right information so that they can quickly make decisions that will ensure success,"said Fulcrum VP and GM Dan Scharf. Via Primus integration, "we are empowering our customers to transform corporate knowledge into valuable customer support solutions." Anthony Bettencourt, Verity's senior VP of worldwide sales and marketing agrees: "The faster and the more accurately you can solve a customer's problem, the stronger your customer relationships will be."

Primus's move to integrate full-featured, multi-source search technology into the customer service desktop moves its software ahead in two key areas of knowledge support, according to the Delphi Group. First, the technology makes potentially available the full content of a range of an organization's text repositories: E-mail, groupware, structured document repositories, and databases. "Removing the walls of existing silos of unstructured information through readily accessible indexes is a key first requirement for making corporate knowledge discoverable," says Delphi. Secondly, the addition of knowledge retrieval capabilities to the customer support desktop for "is a prerequisite to achieving the kind of productivity and effectiveness improvements companies are seeking in their customer service efforts.