Call-Center Vendors Target Microsoft CRM
Competitors Avaya and Genesys Telecommunications Laboratories also are working on similar strategies, which they trumpeted late last week at Microsoft's partner conference in New Orleans.
Siemens' packaged integration will provide a number of new features for Siemens' HiPath ProCenter Suite, said Al Baker, vice president of product management at Siemens Global eCRM Solutions, Thornhill, Ontario.
Those features include automated screen pops that trigger customer records when an incoming call arrives and brings them into view, a routing mechanism that uses customer information to route calls to specific service representatives, and conferencing functionality that lets call center representatives determine whether a colleague is available and enables them to add them to a customer service call.
Baker said Siemens expects its existing channel partners to form relationships with Microsoft CRM VARs to sell the product. The pricing for accounts will be unique, however. He estimated that basic functionality can be delivered for between $20,000 to $25,000 on top of an existing Microsoft CRM implementation.
Siemens' partnership approach appears similar to that of Avaya, Basking Ridge, N.J., which earlier this year began selling a solution that integrates its Avaya IP Office product with Microsoft CRM in a controlled introduction. IP Office is a telephony and data server that supports up to 256 users.
During the partner conference, Avaya disclosed that is working closely on those deployments with Norcross, Ga.-based I.B.I.S., one of Microsoft's top CRM solution providers.
"Avaya's IP telephony solutions provide tremendous value to our clients as well as to our own organization," said Andy Vabulas, CEO of I.B.I.S., in a statement. "Specifically, IP Office transforms Microsoft CRM into a realtime communications medium by making relevant customer and prospect data instantly available during our phone conversations. This capability dramatically improves the effectiveness of our sales and support organizations."
Meanwhile, Genesys moved late last week to become a Microsoft ISV partner. As part of the pact, the company will offer its Gplus Adapter for Microsoft CRM, said Jim Nelson, vice president of midmarket at Genesys, a Daly City, Calif., company that is part of the Alcatel corporate structure.
Nelson said Genesys already provides adapters that link its call center offerings with softtware from PeopleSoft, SAP and Siebel. The latest deal will open up a broader customer base for his company's technology, he said. "It's what we consider to be a big white space in the market," Nelson said. Genesys is targeting midmarket prospects with call centers staffed by about 150 service representatives.
Genesys plans to deliver its adapter in the first half of 2004, after Microsoft CRM 1.2--which is expected to support international markets--becomes available.
The company also stuck a pact with systems integrator Avanade, which will deliver offerings combining the Genesys and Microsoft technologies, Nelson said.