Genesys (News - Alert) Telecommunications Laboratories, a software unit of Alcatel-Lucent, provides enterprise software to deliver best-in-class customer service by providing multi-channel IP solutions and connecting customers with the right resources.

The company also works with Toronto-based Sangoma Technologies (News - Alert), an IP Telephony equipment vendor, to help them provide best-in-class SIP solutions for IP contact centers.

Sangoma offers voice cards, gateways and connectivity software that can be seamlessly integrated with IP Telephony applications to power the some of the most innovative PBX (News - Alert), IVR, Contact Center and carrier solutions in the market.

I recently caught up with Dudely Larus, senior product marketing manager, Outbound & Proactive Product Lines at Genesys, to find out more about the company’s solution, what it offers for the IP contact center, and their work with Sangoma.

Our exchange follows.

SV: For those who might not know Genesys, can you describe what the company does, with a special emphasis on solutions related to IP Telephony and the IP Contact Center?

DL: Genesys, a part of Alcatel-Lucent (News - Alert), is one of the largest contact center providers in the world and has a special focus on the customer and the customer experience.  We call this, “Dynamic Customer Engagement.”  What it means is that we optimize business outcomes by proactively engaging customers with the ideal service experience, through any channel.

These are not just words.  Genesys has created an IP-based framework called Cross Channel Conversations that coordinates inbound or outbound phone, e-mail, SMS text messages, chat, Web self-service, video calls, fax, and other multimodal applications.  We track individual interactions and create ‘conversations’ that can be made up of multiple interactions over time from many different channels.

So, whether a customer conversation starts on the Web or through an IVR, for example, we personalize the response, and synchronize brand, offers, messages, and interactions across voice, Web and mobile channels.      

SV: How did Genesys end up working with Sangoma?

DL: Well, according to analysts, Genesys is one of the world’s largest outbound providers.  We have accomplished this by creating a fully open, standards-based SIP architecture across all channels including outbound and outbound IVR.  Our emphasis on openness means that we actively support best-of-breed SIP solutions as well as existing third party ACDs/PBXs that are often key customer investments.  

To that end, Sangoma is a key partner in our open IP strategy. Their SIP solutions including CPA “Call Progress Analysis” and IP media gateways incorporated into Genesys solutions help power some of the world’s leading companies including large financial institutions and utilities.  

SV: How do CPA and automated dialer products help outbound contact center managers optimize performance, save money and meet increasingly stringent regulations?

DL: Because outbound is increasingly being used in customer service situations, CPA is fundamental and its accuracy is paramount for creating the best customer experience.  Outbound delivers incredible productivity and a significant portion comes from accurate CPA.  Combined with pre-dial treatments that may target how to contact a customer, CPA analyzes and detects how a customer is responding.  Positive results must be quickly identified so that the connection is crisp, compliant and pleasing to the customer.  Other categories of call detection such as ‘no answers’ or ‘answering machines’ must be properly identified and coded for follow-up based on business rules.  The objective, and Sangoma does a great job, is to create a great customer experience while also providing compliant and efficient operations.       

SV:  What are key attributes of the Genesys outbound solution?

DL: In addition to our open SIP architecture, what stands out is that Genesys outbound is 100 percent software-based and fully integrated into the Genesys Framework.  Genesys outbound is designed from the ground up to operate with third party switches, corporate databases, and third party components.  The software perspective makes it extremely flexible and easy to operate.  And, by being fully integrated into the Genesys Framework, any type of outbound communication is coordinated with other customer interactions and channels to provide a superlative customer experience.  

SV: I understand two Genesys user conferences are being held this month in North America and Europe. Can you tell us a bit more about the G-Force events and what one should expect to see there this year?

DL: G-Force brings together our customers, partners, industry experts along with the Genesys team.  Designed for business leaders, customer service executives, contact center managers or IT professionals, G-Force delivers a unique program designed to share knowledge and exchange ideas. G-Force North America is being held in Chicago starting April 13 with G-Force EMEA quickly following in Amsterdam.  G-Force APAC will also follow later in the year in Melbourne, Australia.