Service Automates Customer E-Mail Response

Island Data on Friday will release a new version of its hosted service for handling customer queries sent via e-mail and the Web. The system looks at the tone, urgency - even the profanity - of a message to provide an appropriate reply.

Island Data's ExpressResponse service is used by high-tech firms such as Canon, Adobe Systems, Novell and Symantec to intercept common customer questions and issue automated responses without involving a support technician at a call centre. Issued in just seconds, the responses are created by pulling together information gathered from newsgroup postings, frequently asked questions, e-mail and Web forms. Messages that the system can't answer are escalated to the call centre.

"Companies do a terrible job of Web self-help and an even worse job of responding to customer e-mail," says Guy Jones, senior vice president of marketing and co-founder of Island Data. "Our goal is to take care of everything that happens before [a customer] gets to a human."

Version 5.0 features message analysis, which automatically captures attributes such as tone and urgency to pull intelligence out of the message and to issue a customized response. The new version also provides real-time hooks into knowledge management systems, with user feedback loops for continuous improvement. And it features enhanced reporting capabilities.

ExpressResponse supports multiple languages, including English, French, Spanish, German and Kanjii. It can input customer queries into call centre software from Clarify Inc., Vantive Corp., Kana Communications Inc., eGain Communications Corp. and others, and it can push information into datawarehousing and knowledge management systems.

Competitors in the online customer support area include Kanisa Inc., RightNow Technologies Inc. and AskJeeves Inc.

ExpressResponse starts at $US7,500 a month, with a one-time set-up fee ranging from $US10,000 to $US40,000. Implementations take two or three weeks.

Founded in 1995, Island Data has 35 enterprise customers and revenue is expected to top $US10 million next year. The Carlsbad, Calif. company has 60 employees and raised $US7.75 million in venture financing.

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