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LATEST NEWS |
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 Centrelink implements biometric security
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Welfare agency Centrelink has activated a biometric voice authentication system as it moves to replace its PIN and password-based system.
The system, implemented by Telstra and supplied by both Nuance and Kaz, is expected to free up Centrelink agents by automating processes frequently accessed by customers. Centrelink says the voice verification system will not only improve the security of accessing personal details over the phone, but will improve the efficiency at its contact centre, which handle about 28 million calls a year.
Centrelink is contacting eligible customers to sign up to the new system. Clients who routinely access self-service functions, such as lodging payment forms and updating simple information about income, are deemed most suitable for the system. "Speaker verification is unique because it's based on both physiology characteristics and behavioural aspects and not many biometrics are based on both," Centrelink project manager Ross Summerfield told reporters. Enrolment is a once-off, five-minute process that requires a customer to say his or her name and customer access number three times, count one to nine and submit a minimum of three secret questions. |
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Excelior spends up on Bendigo contact centre |
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Outsourcer Excelior will spend $500,000 on new IT at its Bendigo contact centre as well as receiving a $300,000 education and training grant from the Victorian Government.
Excelior chief executive John Watkinson said the government funding was vital to keeping jobs in the region and facilitating expansion. He said the IT investment would ensure the contact centre remained one of the most advanced in Australia.
"While we have had some significant success in attracting additional contact centre work to Bendigo, dramatically slowing the phased ramp-down of jobs that we had feared after our major client AAPT withdrew, we needed this State Government assistance to maintain our viability," Watkinson said. "I expect that over the medium to long term the team at Excelior Bendigo will more than demonstrate that this faith in them was warranted. The funding enables us to provide a blended contact centre solution, providing businesses and governments with the opportunity to access the same high level of services that we have been providing to the corporate sector for many years." |
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ATO selects Optus for outsourced network deal |
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The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) has chosen Optus for a managed network services contract, including contact centre infrastructure, worth more than $60 million.
The ATO said in a statement that it was in final negotiations with the telco on the five- to seven-year contract, which includes the provision of data and voice carriage services, video-conferencing services and contact centre infrastructure. Optus beat out Telstra, Dimension Data and CSC to the contract.
"We expect to complete our contract negotiations in the coming weeks and will provide more information on the contract after that point," ATO second commissioner David Butler said. The contract was one of three replacing the office's whole-of-agency contract with incumbent EDS. |
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SA to develop new training for fire and emergency services agents |
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South Australia's Fire and Emergency services sector will develop an emergency contact centre training facility as part of a new round of state funding.
The $1.8 million in funding is designed to expand Country Fire Service and Volunteer Marine Rescue fleets, extend fire-ground radio communications and better prepare emergency contact centres. Of the funding, $448,000 will be used by the SA Metropolitan Fire Service to establish communications training facilities.
Emergency Services Minister Michael Wright said each year there is a contingency allocated, which allows for access to emergency funds for major incidents and other requirements that can arise. SA Fire and Emergency Services Commission chief executive David Place welcomed the announcement. "This funding will assist our staff and volunteers be better prepared to deliver the services required to respond when incidents occur," he said. |
| 'your call' blog ... By Dr Catriona Wallace |
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 callcentres.net 10 Contact Centre Industry Trends and Guidelines to the Professional Nose Blow
I am in Lisbon, Portugal. Bloody marvellous! I am here to speak at the CCPortugal event about the Asia Pacific contact centre industry and off-shoring trends. Surprisingly, when I do these sorts of events in Europe, the audience seems not to know too much about our region. Sad but true. So I will give lots of stats on Australia, India, Philippines, Malaysia, China, Singapore etc and no doubt answer the usual questions about the quality of service provided by Asian based off-shored operations.
Now, of late I have been doing a number of Service Strategy consulting gigs and diagnostic reviews of contact centre operations and as part of talking about strategy I am often asked about latest trends in the industry. So I thought I would include these below:
#1 Increased proportion of customer contacts being handled by the contact centre
Currently over 80% of all customer interactions with organisations they are customers of are handled by contact centres. This percentage increases year on year. A decreasing number of customer interactions are handled by face to face or field force employees. Thus the contact centre is becoming an organisation's most strategic business unit.
Contact centres (other than internet transactions) will continue to be the most cost efficient service delivery channel in an organisation.
#2 Increased responsibility for revenue generation
Contact centres will become the primary channel for revenue generation activities for organisations. The Australian contact centre industry currently generates about AU$45billion in revenue annually.
Contact centres (other than internet transactions) will continue to be the most cost efficient revenue generation channel in an organisation.
Read the full blog entry here... | |
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