A Thai software company has released new call center software that promises to bring an unprecedented level of flexibility to marketing campaigns via any touch points--ATM screens, credit card point of sale machines, instant messenger, television or even the mobile telephone--while promising to integrate with all existing enterprise and management systems.
Chalermpon Punnotok, CEO of CT Asia, showed off Infocentrix 4.0 SOA, a call center platform designed with a service-oriented architecture so that it is extensible and can provide as much or as little functionality as needed.
For instance, for the voice component, the system can interface with PBXs from any major manufacturer. For those without an existing call center system, it can use Skype for both incoming and outgoing calls for a complete software-only call center solution with only an Internet connection.
The software is designed so that it provides contact center services that can then be taken and integrated in any point of contact. This means that it can provide the call center and campaign logic, which can then be fed to an ATM screen to offer bank customers targeted services while transacting at the ATM.
Chalermpon put forth another scenario where someone with a Starbucks loyalty card could receive an SMS after buying a cup of coffee, offering a special offer at a nearby bank branch. In that case, the actual Starbucks point of sale machine is the point of contact.
Another possibility is to integrate the call center into a cable TV set top box to offer campaigns via the remote control or even push the contact center right into the customer's pocket with a 3G mobile phone application--something he is working on for a Japanese telecom operator now.
Chalermpon claimed that CT Asia is the only player in the market that offers this level of flexibility. He said that all the call center incumbents were still too worried about protecting their legacy, proprietary hardware systems to open up and mash-up.
The users can use as much of CT Asia's graphical user interface or as little as they wish. For instance, when used with SAP business application, Infocentrix app is hidden behind the main screen, with only the SAP "Make Call" button present.
Another system integrator could take the same logic and create a virtual phone in the Second Life virtual world community and manage customer calls that way.
CT Asia has recently moved into Vietnam and signed Viet Securities as a customer. Vietnam has over 80 banks, most of which are at an earlier stage of evolution in their contact centers. Chalermpon has set his sights on 70 percent of the Vietnam market and believes that the timing is perfect as customers in Vietnam are looking at replacing their legacy systems.
CT Asia has also signed an agreement to partner with IBM to go into markets in Japan, the Philippines and Vietnam. IBM will help provide contacts and sponsor events, and IBM hardware will be the platform of choice in return.
Chalermpon believes that software development provides a huge opportunity for Thailand. Rather than going after outsourcing projects--which requires huge numbers of programmers the country does not have--he believes in finding a niche, such as his extensible SOA call center solution, doing it well and then marketing it successfully overseas.
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