-- Significantly improved operational efficiency and declined the agent drop-out rate

Tokyo, Japan, October 23, 2008 – Japanese contact center outsourcer, WOWOW Communications, Inc. has selected Avaya to improve operational efficiency of multiple contact centers in different cities. Avaya Japan has provided locally developed contact center software, AgentMAP®, which enable contact center supervisors to visually monitor status of contact center agents in real time. Using AgentMAP, WOWOW Communications is able to display the operational status from multiple contact centers at Yokohama, Okinawa, Sapporo, and other locations on supervisors’ PC screens in the form of seat charts. This enables supervisors to manage the entire operation visually, and improve the operation efficiency by allocating agents to centers where calls are concentrated. In addition, the features of AgentMAP add improved monitoring of agents’ calls, resulting in closer communication between supervisors and agents, and reduced agent drop-out rate.

AgentMAP is an application for contact center supervisors that displays data from call management system “Avaya Call Management System (Avaya CMS)” in real time, and shows agents’ status visually through colors and icons.

WOWOW Communications undertakes the outsourced operation of contact centers, as well as operates as a viewer support center fro WOWOW who is pay satellite television broadcaster focusing on movie and other entertainment. Since WOWOW Communications became an independent company in 1998 and with the expansion of contact center outsourcing business, it has increased the number of contact centers and the number of seats. Contact center operation requires constant monitoring of status of agents and resolve problems in short time. Before WOWOW Communications deployed AgentMAP, it monitored the status at each contact center using Avaya CMS, displaying detailed data to tables and graphs. WOWOW Communications has now installed AgentMAP, which shows the status at centers in the form of seat charts, as part of an initiative to further improve the quality of its service with speed and customer response.

As a result of deploying AgentMAP, the status of all centers can be monitored more efficiently; for example, there is no longer the need to open multiple windows to monitor multiple centers. This enables supervisors to respond to the status promptly providing support from other centers to centers where calls are concentrated.

Normally, when supervisors monitor an agent’s conversation with a customer, they need to enter the agent’s extension number, so some time is required between checking an agent’s status and monitoring the conversation. With AgentMAP, however, conversations can be monitored simply by clicking on the agent’s seat icon shown on screen. This enables supervisors to monitor agents’ calls more frequently. Consequently, supervisors can communicate more closely with agents, pointing out mistakes and praising good responses immediately. WOWOW Communications considers that such feedback has also resulted in reduced drop-out rate among agents.

With normal call management systems, only agents log in, but at WOWOW Communications, supervisors are required to log into AgentMAP. This has improved communication among supervisors at different centers.

Looking ahead, Avaya Japan will proactively suggest IP telephony solutions to help WOWOW Communications enhance its service quality even further.

About Avaya Inc.
Avaya delivers Intelligent Communications solutions that help companies transform their companies to achieve marketplace advantage. More than 1 million companies worldwide, including more than 90 percent of the FORTUNE 500 ™ , use Avaya solutions for IP Telephony, Unified Communications, Contact Centers and Communications-Enabled Business Processes. Avaya Global Services provides comprehensive service and support for companies, small to large. For more information visit the Avaya Web site: http://www.avaya.com.