Business improvement to follow network convergence
1 min read
73% of businesses that better collaboration with customers, suppliers and commercial partners is the most important business benefit to come from converged IP telecoms and data networks.
That’s the headline finding of a global study among 236 senior execs conducted by the Economist Intelligence Unit for AT&T.
Currently, just 8% of companies run their contact centres, for example, on an IP networks, but the research suggests that the figure will rise sharply to 39% by 2008 as firms continue to adopt multi-channel approaches to customer service including video links, email, phone, fax etc.
Meanwhile, 42% of the EIU’s respondents said their firms will utilise web chat or messaging, and 39% intend to use mobile text, versus today’s 16% and 21% respectively.
Interestingly, companies increasingly see modern business intelligence tools as part of the new customer-focused improvement portfolio. The survey shows they agree with the idea that software agent technologies will provide useful, high quality feedback able to direct customer service, business activity and product and service development.
“With all the advances of new IP-based technology allowing more innovative ways to connect with customers, there are also major challenges for the enterprise,” says Bill Archer, president of AT&T’s EMEA operations. “This survey shows that while IP creates a scalable, robust, and global platform for integrated CRM technologies, a firm’s customer service will still only be as good as the humans delivering it.”
Archer continued, “Managers and staff alike will increasingly require multiple skills to make the IP-based contact centre work to best effect. The demand for technical aptitude will increase, but strong interpersonal skills will remain important as ever.”
