SPANLINK COMMUNICATIONS INTRODUCES WEBCALL SOFTWARE

Company also announces major dealers, partners

MINNEAPOLIS-Spanlink Communications, a leading developer of Interactive
Computer Telephony software, has announced the introduction of WebCall,
the first software application that allows a customer who is browsing a
company's World Wide Web site to talk to a live customer service
representative on the telephone with a click of a button. 

WebCall links an organization's home page or Internet presence to a new or
existing call center system or customer service center. According to Brett
Shockley, Spanlink's chief executive officer, WebCall offers marketing,
electronic commerce and "help desk" benefits.

"From a marketing perspective, it turns normally anonymous Web browsers
into customers by making it easy to talk to a company representative about
the product or service they are interested in," said Shockley. "WebCall
enhances electronic commerce on the Internet by letting a customer shop on
the Web, but buy from a real person." 

Shockley adds that WebCall offers companies more opportunities to sell
additional products or services once they get a customer on the telephone,
and it offers customers more secure transactions by allowing them to give
credit card information to a live person.

"The product also makes customer service and product support calls more
efficient because information supplied by customers via the Internet will
be at the call center staff's fingertips when they actually call and speak
to the customer," Shockley said. "The customer support representative can
call a customer with an answer rather than waiting for the phone to ring
and answering it with a question." 

For example, a customer could fill out a question form on a Web site
equipped with Spanlink's WebCall, click on "Talk to a Real Person," and
receive answers from a customer service representative over the phone
within seconds. With information already in front of them, customer
service representatives can eliminate asking the customer numerous
questions to determine the cause of the customer problem or question. 

Spanlink Signs Major Dealers, Partners

Spanlink markets WebCall through its own direct sales force, as well as
through authorized dealers. Spanlink also announced that AT&T and Inacom
have been selected as authorized WebCall dealers. Spanlink is AT&T's
largest INTUITY development partner and co-marketer. 

"Ease of access for the consumer and ease of acquisition for the
information supplier, along with intelligent implementation and support,
set the foundation for future success of multimedia communication
services," said Marty Parker, strategic marketing director with AT&T
Global Business Communications Systems. "Advances such as WebCall help
build that foundation." 

"Spanlink and Inacom share a similar philosophy when it comes to the
strategic necessity of providing the next generation of communications
products and services," said Eva Fujan, General Manager, Indirect Sales
and Operations, Inacom Communications. "A key to our convergence strategy
is to bring on product lines that enhance our core competencies in
technology management and communications, and the Internet plays a key
role. WebCall is a logical addition to our convergence-related product
line." 

In addition, Spanlink is a member of Netscape's Developer Partners program
and is working with Netscape's server and browser technology as part of
its ongoing developments in the WebCall product line. 

How Spanlink's WebCall works

Because WebCall is a packaged application, Spanlink customers can buy and
install the product quickly, linking it to existing Web sites and
accessing it with any browser software. WebCall uses "intelligent software
agents," called ExtraAgents, to connect Internet users to live customer
service representatives. 

When potential customers access a Web site that's equipped with Spanlink's
WebCall, they can request an immediate call back from a live customer
service representative or designate a specific time to receive a phone
call. Customers also can ask for more information via fax or e-mail. 

If a customer selects the "Talk to a Real Person" option, WebCall asks for
their telephone number, displays a message indicating the expected wait
time until a customer service representative will call them and transfers
the request from the Web site to the telephone system. An ExtraAgent waits
in queue on behalf of the customer until a representative becomes
available, and the customer receives a call within seconds. 

Sensitive financial information, such as credit card numbers, can be
collected using the system's advanced speech recognition software or by a
live customer service representative. 

Because the majority of a transaction is conducted on their Web site,
companies implementing WebCall will save significant amounts of network
and personnel expenses normally associated with a live call center. The
call center needs to be used only for the secure portion of the
transaction or for personalized assistance. 

WebCall operates with most major telephone systems, and WebCall
applications can be loaded co-resident on AT&T's INTUITY Interactive
Multimedia Response System. 

Uses for WebCall range from retail sales to technical support

Spanlink will market WebCall to companies in a wide range of industries
such as financial services and retail, and in a number of specific
applications such as sales and marketing, technical/product support and
customer account services. 

"The evolution of the Internet from a basic marketing medium into a two-way
business communications tool depends on advances like WebCall," said
Shockley. "By providing customers with convenient, secure access to
companies, and by offering companies more efficient, regular communication
with their customers, WebCall satisfies both sides of the sales equation."


An interactive demonstration of WebCall is available on-line at
http://www.spanlink.com. Customers who want more information can call
Spanlink Communications at (800) 452-8349. 

Spanlink Communications, an emerging force in the Interactive Computer
Telephone integration and Voice Processing industries, develops software
solutions and provides turnkey systems and support services for customers
such as AT&T, Cigna, Compaq, Panasonic, Prudential, Shell, Star Tribune
(Minneapolis), USA Today, multiple Sparkasse banks in Germany, and many
other customers throughout Europe, Latin America, Canada and the United
States.

Spanlink Communications
One Main Street SE
Minneapolis, MN 55414
612-362-8000,  fax 612-362-8300
 
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