By Computerworld Philippines Staff
February 18, 2010

Convergys has entered into a global strategic relationship with software giant Microsoft Corp. to “change the game” for communications providers and utility companies.

According to Convergys, it is set to launch the Convergys Smart Communications Suite powered by Microsoft – which the company claims is the “first pre-integrated and pre-configured billing and customer care platform to rapidly deploy and launch new and exciting business and consumer services.”

Bob Lento, president of Information Management, Convergys, said the company’s partnership with Microsoft is aimed at helping both their customers to grow faster and provide a better customer service experience.

“Working together, we are providing new capabilities to service providers to launch new services faster, provide superior customer service experiences, and create new or enhance business growth plans at a total cost of ownership that simply can’t be matched,” Lento said. “The result is a solution that ushers in a new era of affordable innovation and customer-centricity.”

Convergys will be delivering the solution suite powered by Microsoft. It will provide a comprehensive next-generation business support system (BSS) that dramatically improves the customer experience. By combining Microsoft Dynamics CRM and Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 with the modular business support system capabilities of Convergys, the solution supports a shared vision of enabling service providers to rapidly deliver a wide range of new and differentiated services.

The Smart Communications Suite is currently undergoing development. Convergys described the technology as inherently flexible to meet the demands of companies and the growing demands of their customers.

To offer a compelling alternative to rival billing and CRM platforms, the solution is designed to be scalable and interoperable with existing systems and third party applications, as well as with varying deployment models. Its open and well-defined architecture means it can help companies achieve faster-time-to-market for new services with reduced implementation time and automated workflows for most common business processes.

Convergys added the low cost licensing options and maintenance costs associated with the solution can rapidly reduce cost-to-market for new services. The company expects that with integration of the highly scalable Microsoft Dynamics CRM into the Convergys Smart BSS Solutions portfolio, it will bring the well-known and easy-to-use customer care tools based on Microsoft Office, Outlook, and SharePoint across all service providers’ customer care channels.

Call center agents are projected to benefit from a customer-centric, simplified user interface, helping ensure that they can move customers quickly and intuitively between sales channels and promotions, to deliver the best possible customer service and reduce call-handling times. A single catalogue that enables easy bundling of new products will help agents with more targeted cross/up-selling opportunities that have a positive impact on the service provider’s revenue, profitability, and churn, Convergys said.

With the inclusion of SQL Server 2008 R2 in the solution, Convergys can offer customers and prospects the best commercial database from a performance and pricing perspective. And while delivering excellence in data compression, partitioning, availability, and encryption at no extra cost, the SQL Server will enable communications providers to centralize and manage critical customer information.

“Microsoft’s value added services and strong internet delivery platform combined with Convergys’ communications-focused billing and customer care provides a unique solution for new entrant and established communications service providers to introduce new services and rapidly gain new revenue,” said Larry Goldman, head of Subscription Research at Analysys Mason.

“We are delighted to be working closely with one of the top vendors in the communications industry to offer a truly flexible billing and CRM platform,” said Austen Mulinder, corporate vice president, Communications Sector of Microsoft. “Our relationship signals greater choice for service providers looking for a more agile, cost-efficient platform that can support the delivery of the next wave of differentiated services.” – Tom  S. Noda

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