Call me KM

Anticipating the expected explosion of Web-based customer contacts, eGain has introduced new software that it says enables call centers to evolve into multi-channel contact centers.

At the heart of eGain eService Enterprise (E3) is a module that integrates its KM applications, inbound and outbound e-mail management, real-time Web assistance and four types of Web-based self-service in its new offering. Previously available only as stand alone, linked channel to channel or via professional services, the integrated applications speed the deployment of multi-channel contact systems, eGain says.

The company adds that the Web-based channels complement existing phone-based infrastructure and support intelligent escalation of customer inquiries across all touch points: phone, e-mail, real-time text chat and co-browsing and Web self-service.

E3’s knowledge management, blended queues for real-time interactions and cross-channel reporting and monitoring provide entry points. These options build upon standard call center workflows, immediately improving agent productivity and management effectiveness. These features contribute to the software’s quick ROI, says eGain.

Further, the company claims, E3 provides the industry's only knowledge solution that uses a single conversational interface to access both case-based knowledge and unstructured corporate documents. As a result, as a company builds structured knowledge cases, users can access additional information using a familiar interface. E3's knowledgebase can be used by both agents and customers and can be accessed by all channels..

Extensive self service is another highly touted E3 feature, with four types offered: a customer service portal, automatic FAQ generation, a virtual Web-agent and guided problem resolution through case-based reasoning.

eGain estimates that through access to unstructured data, an initial knowledge management solution can be deployed in as little as three weeks, gradually building the knowledgebases with structured cases over time.E3 integrates with prevalent enterprise systems including CRM applications such as Clarify, Remedy, Siebel and Vantive; and knowledge sources such as Verity, Microsoft Site Server and Lotus Notes. eGain adds that to speed the integration with Oracle, SAP and legacy systems. E3 includes forms-based configuration, with preset options for using ODBC, JDBC, HTML and XML.