Avaya chooses to launch Customer Interaction Express in EMEA
Networking vendor claims that its latest technology will benefit its channel partners
For the first time in its history, networking vendor Avaya has chosen to launch its latest technology in EMEA rather than the US.
The firm last week unveiled Customer Interaction Express (CIE) version 1.0, a contact centre software suite tailored for SMEs. The product handles all incoming and outgoing customer transactions across multiple media channels, including phone, email, fax and Short Message Service. CIE, aimed at firms with between 50 and 1,000 staff, incorporates technology gained through Avaya’s acquisition of Tenovis (CRN, 17 October 2004).
Speaking to CRN, Sven Fisher, senior manager, mid-market contact centre product management at Avaya, said: “We can’t say this is a brand-new technology because it is taking Avaya’s product forward through the Tenovis acquisition. But it is an all-in-one software suite, rather than a gallery of point products. We decided to launch in EMEA because there is more demand from SMEs in the region.”
Fisher claimed that CIE, which is due to be rolled out in the US later this year, will benefit Avaya’s channel partners because it is the first time a vendor has offered a tailored SME contact centre product built from the ground up, rather than relying on a watered-down enterprise offering.
Ian Calder, commercial director at Avaya partner Centrix, said: “CIE is a true multimedia offering. Before, everything was cobbled together from bits and pieces.
“This is a great result for partners because in the past we have always had to integrate third-party solutions into the Avaya offering, which causes confusion and is costly for the customer. CIE 1.0 is a stable product that hits all the hotspots.”
Calder added the product also offers upsell opportunities and allows partners to escalate the offering and add extra functionality.