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it, and even use presence features to see which colleagues are available to answer a question.


Consumer applications are invading the enterprise It isn’t just consumer devices that are making their way into the enterprise, but consumer applications as well. Using multimedia instant messaging to send text, photos, video and contact information to family and friends is commonplace, so why not use the same technology to communicate with colleagues in the workplace? If you can see far flung acquaintances via a simple video application on your home PC or laptop, it seems normal, even expected, to have the same easy-to-use technology at work. Even gaming is invading the workplace in new and profound ways, with game-like interfaces becoming central to many business processes. In fact, Gartner analysts say that by 2014, more than 70 per cent of Global 2000 companies will have at least one ‘gamified’ application.


Gaming holds particular promise for innovation processes, customer service, training and other important corporate functions that benefit from a high degree of engagement and interaction. If you make gaming part of your unified communications network, for example, you can connect people in real time for more effective collaboration. You simply build an online environment that simulates a shared office or conference room. Employees in remote sites around the globe can build better rapport and establish closer personal relationships by working virtually as if they


were in the same location. They can attend meetings, participate in joint training sessions or even share a private conversation as if they were standing side-by-side.


Customers are demanding a broader ‘on ramp’ For years companies have relied on the telephone for customer service and support. But a recent Global Consumer Preference study shows that well over half of consumers prefer to use email or the web to contact a company instead of the phone. Innovative organisations are responding by significantly expanding the ‘on ramp’ customers can use to reach them. The result is faster and more flexible service, whether a customer prefers the web, instant messaging, email, desktop or mobile video, a kiosk or some other channel of communication. New contact centre widgets are even allowing companies to build connectivity into online social networks. Using a mouse or the touch screen of a mobile device, customers can click to reach your company in the fashion they prefer, without having to dial a phone number or type an email address. Your agents can readily share documents and multimedia content online so the customer can make a purchase decision or resolve a problem.


It should be no surprise that contact centres are becoming central command posts for this complex mix of media, especially when it comes to social networks. In addition to managing customer contacts, agents are using new applications to monitor the Internet for opinions about their company and its offers. They are tracking


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trends and proactively engaging customers using including Twitter, Facebook, blogs and other social media channels. They also are using online video to deliver information across multiple platforms, reaching millions of prospects with a single, integrated campaign. The channel community plays a critical role ensuring that social media and apps are truly integrated with the rest of the company’s existing communications and back office operations. This breaks down silos between different departments and provides consistency across communications, ultimately leading to an improved customer service experience.


Addressing the infrastructure challenges Incorporating consumer- driven trends into your workplace is not without its challenges, from potential security issues to reliability concerns. So begin by taking a hard look at your underlying infrastructure. Make certain you centralise your network operations and applications so your security policies can be broadly implemented. Look for platforms designed to integrate multivendor networks, operating systems, devices and applications. Select unified communications and contact centre applications with the flexibility to handle multiple types of communication channels. Offering the kinds of multimedia interactions expected by today’s always- connected, on-the-go employees and consumers can help you increase both the effectiveness and productivity of your organisation, closing more business and driving higher levels of customer satisfaction.


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