Johannesburg, 03 Nov 2005
Avaya has announced that Allstate Insurance Company has deployed Avaya Internet Protocol (IP) telephony solutions to new locations in the US and Canada.
Avaya`s IP-based contact centre applications, powered by the Avaya Customer Interaction Suite, are used by Allstate to manage customer calls and route them intelligently based on customer-entered criteria. Allstate links its contact centres and manages them as a single, virtual organisation - routing customers to the employee best able to handle a claim or inquiry based on language or area of expertise, regardless of where the call originates.
As part of its implementation, Allstate has deployed over 10 000 IP endpoints across its organisation.
The new network evolves Allstate`s existing Avaya communications infrastructure, continuing to support both traditional and IP telephony concurrently, and allowing the insurer to evolve its operations at its own pace. Both traditional and IP telephony endpoints are able to communicate while the transition is under way and can be managed as part of a single network.
"How satisfied our customers are depends on how responsive we are when they have major life events such as Hurricane Katrina," said Catherine Brune, senior vice-president and chief information officer for Allstate. "We need to be able to ramp up our customer care operations quickly and efficiently when a hurricane, tornado or other disaster creates a spike in claims activity. Avaya`s IP telephony solutions are a natural fit and already help us pull in additional resources and improve responsiveness to our policyholders when they need us the most - as well as to operate our business more efficiently on a day-to-day basis."
Allstate is also using Avaya IP solutions to enhance the business continuity of its own operations during catastrophic events. Using any telephone, PC or laptop computer, employees are able to log into the network from home or another work location and make and receive calls just as if they were in the office. This includes equipping workers with the Avaya IP Softphone - a software-based phone on one`s PC or laptop - which enables Allstate to tap the talents of mobile employees and telecommuters in locations other than `brick and mortar` contact centre facilities.
"The solutions used by Allstate reinforce the significant value IP telephony brings to businesses who must address real-time challenges quickly and efficiently, while ensuring the highest levels of customer service and satisfaction," said Lou D`Ambrosio, group vice-president, Avaya. "Avaya`s IP telephony and contact centre solutions help businesses of all kinds use intelligent communications to connect people, processes and customers in a 24/7 world."
The Avaya communications solution for Allstate is based on Avaya Communication Manager, the company`s industry-leading IP telephony software that delivers intelligent communications capabilities to businesses. Avaya Media Servers and Gateways are used to host the software and distribute more innovative communications features to employees, regardless of where they are based. Backup servers provide seamless survivability capabilities if a connection to the primary server is lost.
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