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eGain SLaaS(hes) Customer Service Software Implementation and Risks
March 10, 2009
Software-as-a-service (SaaS (News - Alert)) a.k.a. hosted software is becoming popular in especially cost-conscious contact centers for delivering customer care solutions thanks to an appealing value proposition consisting of low/no-upfront costs, scalability, and minimal maintenance.
These attributes have been added to and incorporated in an enhanced SaaS method by eGain and branded by the firm as ‘solution-as-a-service (SLaaS). SLaaS, it says, offers the flexibility of no long-term contract or minimum monthly payment. It includes the added benefit of a best-practice solution implementation at no charge. No value, no payment.
At the same time SLaaS eliminates common adoption barriers to needed customer care solutions that have been delivered by SaaS or by premises-licensed installations. These include upfront investment, future lock-in to the solution, risks of failure, protracted time-to-value, and pay for non-use.
“Solution-as-a-Service (SLaaS) is a unique combination of value-based pricing with hosted software and bundled services on tap,” says Johan Jacobs, Research Director at Gartner (News - Alert). “SLaaS has the potential to transform enterprise software adoption in a tough economic climate.”
The first eGain solution to be delivered by SLaaS is eGain SelfService, SLaaS Edition. Available immediately in the U.S. and Canada, it enables organizations to choose from a comprehensive set of self-service interaction options. These include chatbot, dynamic and contextual FAQs, search, browse, guided help, and escalation to call, chat, or e-mail.
As part of this service, eGain will:
- Host the eGain SelfService software
- Design, implement, and manage processes related to content and customer interactions, Self-service interaction options, and a common knowledge base for all self-service options
- Provide self-service usage report
The solution has a 100 percent value-based pricing, determined by the number of user sessions conducted. These are: 1 - 9,999 sessions per month: $0.15 per session, 10,000 - 49,999 sessions per month: $0.13 per session, and 50,000+ sessions per month: $0.10 per session
The need to control costs while meeting customer expectations of "always-on" service has made web self-service a priority for most businesses, says eGain. However, a one-size-fits-all approach to web self-service does not work. Companies are finding that they need to provide multiple ways to access information based on query type, user type, and customer lifecycle to boost user adoption and maximize ROI.
“The SLaaS edition of eGain SelfService is a risk-free way to deploy technology with dramatic ROI," points out Ashu Roy, Chairman and CEO of eGain. “Businesses get a rich, proven self-service solution for which they pay absolutely nothing unless they get the guaranteed value.”
Brendan B. Read is TMCnet’s Senior Contributing Editor. To read more of Brendan’s articles, please visit his columnist page.
Edited by Jessica Kostek
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