New Unified Communication apps for SA contact centres

Aspect updates software offerings

Aspect Software has updated its product portfolio adding six new unified communication (UC) applications for contact centres.

The UC applications utilise the capabilities of the company’s platform products – Aspect Unified IP and PerformanceEdge, which are based on Microsoft.Net Web services.

Aspect Unified IP also provides session initiation protocol (SIP)-based voice over IP (VoIP) capabilities which provide organisations with a common platform to allow computer hardware and software to easily interoperate.

According to Henry McCracken, regional sales director, Africa at Aspect Software, standards-based software can help ensure interoperability with UC applications like presence engines, unified messaging, instant messaging, conference calling and contact centre capabilities, increasing the likelihood of a more successful UC deployment.

“What’s more, SIP applications can enable contact centres to more easily ‘mix and match’ equipment and applications from multiple vendors making previous technology investments more cost effective – very important when every budget Rand is hard to come by,” he says.

UC applications leverage a software-based UC architecture, designed to help companies reduce communications silos while leveraging presence for specific customer-facing business processes.

“These new UC applications are making a powerful statement from Aspect to the market – the company is committed to bringing specific capabilities for different business processes that will help organisations as they adopt a unified communications strategy and bring the contact centre into these initiatives,” says Blair Pleasant, president & principal analyst, COMMfusion. “By introducing the UC applications, Aspect is demonstrating its understanding of the importance of integrating UC with business processes and the ability to deliver software and services tailored to a company’s requirements.