IBM will release customer management software in early 2008 aimed at bridging communication gaps between customer service agents and network technicians in telecommunications companies, the company has announced.
IBM said the software will allow service providers to analyse the quality of their services to a degree not possible before. Before a customer has the chance to complain about a service issue, the software will help allow operators to pinpoint network problems ahead of time and speed up the resolution, IBM claimed, thus lowering call-centre costs for these businesses.
The IBM Tivoli Netcool Customer Experience Management package allows instant access to data enabling service providers to manage user accounts by customer, location, device, time, grouping and service through one dashboard view.
The technology is aimed at removing the problem of customer service agents having insufficient information about network issues. The package will provide them with real-time and advance information about network problems.
A better understanding of usage patterns by customer service agents may also lead to proactive management of service issues for high-volume and major customers, IBM said.
“The new Customer Experience Management solution is a further step in connecting network operations to the front line of quality service delivery,” said Kieran Moynihan, vice-president and chief technology officer of telecommunications software, Tivoli Software, IBM. “Network management is a customer-impacting function and next-generation telecommunications is all about placing the customer at the heart of the business.”
By Niall Byrne
