inContact, a provider of cloud contact center and workforce optimization software, has introduced the second major release of Customer Interaction Cloud for 2016, version 16.2. Updates include new capabilities across key components of its unified solution, including omnichannel routing, workforce optimization, analytics, Voice as a Service, and Open Cloud Platform.
"One of the big areas of this release is helping agents be more productive when handling omnichannel, non-voice interactions," says Chris Bauserman, vice president of product and segment marketing at inContact, which was acquired by NICE in May in a $940 million deal.
"This release is really about helping our customers' agents deliver better experiences to their customers," Bauserman says.
As part of the system upgrades, inContact added a new Regional Latency Reduction solution to its Voice as a Service platform. The solution can evaluate each call to minimize latency and ensure that high-quality voice service is delivered to every customer. Also with the 16.2 release, Mean Opinion Scores are isolated for each segment of a call so inContact experts can troubleshoot call quality and availability in minutes.
inContact's agent interface, My Agent eXperience (MAX), was also enhanced to enable agents to handle routed voice calls through an integrated WebRTC-enabled softphone.
Also included in version 16.2 are enhancements to omnichannel routing for email, chat, and social media interactions. A new email inbox offers email handling flexibility, prioritization, and control of routed email. Improved chat handling features new typing indicators. New social media routing allows companies to blend Facebook and Twitter messages into the work queue of dedicated, specifically-trained agents.
"It's all about helping agents be more productive without sacrificing the customer experience," Bauserman explains. "Agents can now handle more channels more efficiently."
The 16.2 release also includes enhancements to Agentless SMS and blends a new Outbound Agentless Email feature into the inContact Personal Connection to further help companies capture and convert revenue opportunities, proactively solve customer challenges, and send relevant reminders.
Bauserman says this capability will enable companies to send "personalized, proactive outbound communications through text or email channels," with the goal of "helping to drive revenue growth and customer loyalty."
In addition, a new purpose-built Supervisor Interface features upgrades to the inView Performance Management dashboard, including improved internal messaging, chat, mobile, and collaboration tools.
"We're really helping agents and supervisors by providing a single interface," Bauserman says.
The release also offers new and improved integrations to leading CRM systems and automatic call distribution systems. For example, upgrades to inContact Agent for Salesforce provide core functionality, including new email inbox capabilities while new and expanded Avaya and Cisco integrations with inContact Call Recording and inContact Workforce Management make it possible for contact centers to retain their current premises-based ACD equipment and add or upgrade to the latest cloud-based inContact Workforce Optimization software as part of an overall hybrid IT strategy.
"Customer experience is the new battleground," said Paul Jarman, CEO of inContact, in a statement. "We are constantly innovating in the cloud to ensure contact centers have the most advanced features to meet the expectations of their customers and to help them achieve their business goals faster and easier, with greater flexibility and confidence."
This latest release is inContact's second upgrade to the Customer Interaction Cloud this year. The previous release took place in March and featured enhancements to omnichannel routing, workforce optimization, voice as a service, and an open cloud platform.