Avaya, a global leader in enterprise communications systems, software and services, announced that its next generation customer service solution – Avaya Aura® Contact Center – was chosen as the top contact center product in an independent comparative lab review conducted by MierConsulting. MierConsulting is a leading independent consultancy specializing in the comparative assessment of communications and network products.

In the review (accessible here), MierConsulting looked at products from three leading contact center vendors and gave Avaya Aura Contact Center top marks across the categories. In its assessment, MierConsulting concluded that: “Avaya Aura Contact Center 6.1 raises the bar on the integration of multiple channels, offering one of the most effective agent interfaces we have seen in recent years for cleanly blending a mix of voice calls and text-based contacts.”

“This recognition from MierConsulting reinforces our strategy of offering companies the ultimate multimedia contact center solution that places a priority on customer experiences,” said Anthony Bartolo, general manager, Contact Center Solutions. “As we enter the new year, Avaya will continue to innovate in customer service with capabilities for delivering enhanced customer service for a new era.”

Avaya Aura Contact Center is a multimedia work assignment application for midsize contact centers that connects customers and their information to the right agent or expert via any communications mode (i.e. voice, video, e-mail, chat). In the comparative review, Avaya Aura Contact Center 6.1 was tested against Cisco Contact Center Express 7 and Interactive Intelligence Customer Interaction Center 3 in a range of areas. MierConsulting’s comments on Avaya’s superior results were reflected in categories including:

* Multimedia-contact handling: “All contact types are nicely blended in a single top window…The interface is richer, cleaner and easier to use than Cisco’s or Interactive’s.”
* Web-based administration: “The system is managed and administered almost entirely via a clean, consolidated Web-based interface, facilitating log-in and thin-client access from anywhere.”
* Single fully-blended queue: “Features the ability of the same agent to receive any supported contact types via a single multi-channel (mixed contact type) queue, as well as inbound/outbound call blending.”
* Context-sensitive prompts and auto suggest: “State of the art. E-mails are searched for keywords, and responses are suggested or automatic. IMs are searched too, and routed based on keywords.”

“Avaya’s new contact center solution is oriented towards making the most of an agent’s time and productivity, while ensuring a top-notch customer experience,” said Edwin E. Mier, head of MierConsulting, LLC. “We were impressed with the solution overall, and in our opinion, Avaya is advancing what is possible in customer service via multiple media channels.”

Avaya Aura Contact Center is gaining momentum among all kinds of businesses, with companies finding new ways to serve customers more quickly and efficiently. One business that has implemented Avaya Aura Contact Center is Optimus, an integrated telecommunications company based in Portugal. The company’s main goal was to transform their call center into a multimedia customer service operation.

“We need to be fully equipped to handle customers through chat, e-mail, voice, social networks — whatever media the customer wants,” said Francisco Monteiro Gomes, core and services operation manager. “With Avaya Aura Contact Center, we now have the means to profile customers more efficiently, and then interact with them via their preferred channel. There is clearly an evolution underway in customer service, and with Avaya’s contact center technology, we can now be part of it.”