New platform promises enhanced contact center experience

"Omnichannel" C1Conversations scheduled for May go-live

In May 2024, UIT will launch a new contact center platform that promises to enhance the user and service agent experience.

C1Conversations, the cloud-based contact center platform from C1 (formerly ConvergeOne), will be the University of Utah’s automatic contact distribution system for routing inbound contacts to available agents (staff). It replaces the U’s current platform, Avaya Elite Multichannel, a Windows-based contact center software suite that Avaya no longer supports. C1Conversations will be used by the University of Utah Health Information Technology Services (ITS) Service Desk, Campus IT Help Desk, and U of U Health Care Navigation Center.

According to the vendor, C1Conversations integrates voice and digital technologies — from phone calls, emails, texts, and live chats to artificial intelligence-powered virtual assistants — into a single interface.

“C1 conversations is technology agnostic; it works with several of our existing platforms like Avaya, ServiceNow, and Salesforce, and it allows us to keep delivering a blend of omnichannel experiences to our users,” said Syndi Haywood, associate director for UIT Voice Systems and Business Administration.

To appreciate C1Conversations, it helps to understand the rapidly evolving user support ecosystem. “Call” centers became “contact” centers when they stopped exclusively relying on phones and adopted new channels like email, live chat, and SMS/text — often referred to as “multichannel” services.

A typical “multichannel” contact center experience might go like this: A user contacts a support team and is routed to a “Tier 1” service agent trained to solve common problems. If the agent can’t resolve the issue, they may transfer the user to another representative. The conversation starts over because none of the previously-gathered information transfers.

This not only frustrates users who must repeat themselves, it also results in longer wait times.

An “omnichannel” platform, like C1Conversations, refers to a contact center system independent of any particular channel, meaning channels are integrated into a single platform where a user’s encrypted information is securely passed from agent to agent. In an omnichannel experience using the example above, the initial agent might place the user into a chat with another agent. If the user’s issue needs to be escalated again, the next agent has access to all previous chat logs and the original agent’s notes.

As a result, “efficiency increases, and processes are streamlined to benefit the user,” said Kevin Buchan, an IT project manager with the UIT Project Management Office.

According to Haywood, this real-time transfer of information is aided by a feature integrated into U-managed systems like ServiceNow, Cisco Webex, and Avaya Communication Manager called screen pop, which “pops” user information onto agents’ computer screens when a user contacts the organization.

Haywood said C1Conversations offers a host of advanced integrations, such as a generative AI intelligent virtual assistant, but initially UIT will turn on features only related to voice, SMS, and email. Haywood also noted that the new platform provides helpful reporting and analytics information.

 

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