NETCALL TURNS UP HEAT FOR BETTER E-COMMERCE

NETCALL TURNS UP HEAT FOR BETTER E-COMMERCE

Online shopping is set to take on a new dimension with the introduction of two-way screen interaction which lets customers sit back and 'enjoy the show' while information about anything from a new house to their next holiday appears before their eyes on the PC screen.

HotDesk, developed by NetCall, delivers real-time screen interaction between a call centre and a customer's web browser. Its launch marks a further departure from the idea that e-commerce is about passive self-service towards a truly interactive, one-to-one approach that directly tackles the growing demand for more personal contact and better customer care in the online arena.

HotDesk allows businesses to talk to customers on the phone and simultaneously offer two-way screen collaboration to guide them to new products and services on their website.

As a web callback service NetCall800 connects live phone calls from Internet customers to a company's call centre. Adding HotDesk, with its page-push and collaboration features, sets up a direct link to a customer's web screen - at the customer's request. The process is simple, quick and requires no customer participation. For customers, seeing relevant new information appear immediately before their eyes is highly impressive and can improve sales conversion ratios.

HotDesk automatically presents the agent with key customer data so they can handle the enquiry quickly and professionally, so improving performance and increasing customer satisfaction. When responding to an enquiry, agents can display all types of promotional information about new products and services, and can send web pages, price lists and order forms direct to the customer's screen. HotDesk can also support live presentations and product demonstrations.

HotDesk offers any business with a telephone, PC and Internet connection a low-cost,
low-risk web-enabled service that can be up and running in hours, without the need for
any additional hardware or software.

Successful implementation of the service is underway with some key NetCall customers, including Regus, Jobs4u and Garland's Call Centres, while other customers are putting it to trial.

Steve Corkin, director of sales and marketing at NetCall says, "HotDesk equips any business to collaborate with its customers on a real-time, highly personal basis. It offers a level of functionality normally possible only by making a significant capital investment in new systems. As a powerful delivery medium, HotDesk can help any business to exploit the full potential of e-trading via the web."

Additional notes - HotDesk
· HotDesk supports a diverse range of applications including online sales, technical support/help desk operations and call centre services.
· It works with any telephony hardware and software systems already in place.
· It uses the customer details delivered with calls using NetCall800 web callback to launch customer contact and email applications.
· It can work in large call centres, virtual call centres and SOHO environments.
· Additional functionality is provided to ensure an intelligent, well-managed call flow and overflow routing during busy periods.

For more information/photography/or to trial HotDesk online contact Theresa Prevost/Helen Limbrick at Warman & Bannister, +44 1223 314545, or email HelenL@warban.com

About NetCall

NetCall develops and delivers customer response solutions for e-commerce that can entirely change the way a company deals with its customers. NetCall enables businesses to radically improve customer service and capture response to online, WAP, TV and print-based communications by instantly connecting people to someone they can talk to, at anytime in real time. NetCall's HyperPhone LinkTM technology is a powerful interactive toolset that can initiate a live phone call and capture customer data from any digital stimulus.

NetCall applications are low-cost, reliable and scalable; they integrate easily within any existing telephony and IT environment with no need for additional software and hardware. The company uses its proprietary software to manage calls across its international network of servers and telephony nodes situated in the UK, USA and South Africa.

Over 2000 companies subscribe to NetCall's services. The company has OEM relationships with IT partners to develop new applications. Its solutions span many vertical market sectors including retail, travel, leisure, call centres, financial services, distribution and logistics, TV and classified advertising.

NetCall achieved highest ranking of any technology company in the latest (March 2000) Bain & Company/Management Today e25 index of European e-commerce.

NetCall's European headquarters and R&D centre are based near Cambridge UK. NetCall's North American HQ is in Boston, USA. The company is listed on the Alternative Investment Market (AIM) of the London Stock Exchange.

For more information/photography contact Adrian Smith/Theresa Prevost/Helen Limbrick at Warman & Bannister, +44 (0)1223 314545 or email TheresaP@warban.com

For further information and news about NetCall visit: www.netcall.com