Noble Systems (News - Alert) has long been on the leading edge of contact center solutions. The firm was founded in 1989 by James K. Noble, Jr., who utilized early predictive dialing software in his own contact centers and sought and found ways to improve the technologies. It has grown to become a key multinational supplier of inbound and outbound contact handling, IVR, unified communications and workforce management products.

 

TMCnet.com recently interviewed Lee Allum, vice president of marketing at Noble Systems to find out what is happening with the firm and to get its take on key industry trends:

 

 

Lee Allum: As the market and customer needs change, so do we. In that respect our direction has remained very consistent through 20 years of serving the contact center industry. Noble was created by call center veterans who brought a much-needed operational perspective to software and services. That perspective still informs our choices today.

 

In 2009, we took significant steps to increase market share and broaden our offerings to enterprise and SMB customers. In September, we acquired TouchStar’s (News - Alert) premise-based business line encompassing the TouchStar brand and product line which is well known within the collections and teleservice industries. In November, we acquired the Liberation® unified communications platform and related client-base from TDI (News - Alert)/TeleDirect, a brand that is established within the cable, resort and newspaper industries.

 

Looking ahead, we are aggressively pursuing new acquisition opportunities, continue organic growth to expand Noble’s market position and solidify our suite of services.

 

TMCnet: Where does Noble Systems see itself in the contact center marketplace in the wake of deals such as Avaya (News - Alert) acquiring Nortel's enterprise division?

 

LA: We’ve always been successful by responding to customers, not competitors. The contact center marketplace has experienced a great deal of change in recent years and we’re proud of where we stand today: a market leader in outbound dialing services and a fast-growing competitor in the unified communications space. We’ll continue to compete for business based on our ability to meet customer’s needs.

 

TMCnet: Outline your plans with TDI and Touchstar. How do these acquisitions enhance your offerings and your marketplace position?

 

LA: TouchStar and TDI were recognized as respected brands in a host of industries where we sought increased exposure and market share, so the acquisitions were a natural extension into areas where we were already actively pursuing business. In addition, their software and services allow Noble to extend its enterprise offer into SMB markets and expand its WFM and speech analytics tools. We’re excited about the technology and market visibility each acquisition produced.  

 

TMCnet: There is increased interest in hosted as a low/no-Capex and more flexible option to premise-installed solutions. How does Noble Systems see hosted versus on-premise?

 

LA: Businesses are always searching for the perfect blend of convenience and reliability that doesn’t compromise on productivity or security. For some, that means looking into a hosted product to reduce the need for infrastructure and in-house support staff. However, there are trade-offs. While hosted solutions may offer some benefits to the smaller center, as the size of the organization increases, the cost advantages that come from a hosted solution are often outweighed by the management, control and design flexibility features that only a customer premise-based solution can provide. Many of our clients simply cannot compromise on security, reliability and need to meet strict compliance and security requirements. In addition, many potential hosted product users have found that when they apply an ROI calculator that includes depreciation schedules, the overall cost of a hosted product is often higher than a customer-premised solution.

 

TMCnet: What future does Noble Systems see in outbound and with this the market for predictive dialing in the wake of do-not-call legislation and the shift by consumers to 'cannot call' cell phones from landlines?

 

LA: No question, the outbound market has undergone a great deal of change and consolidation. In recent years the market has evolved from one that was driven by blind dialing, which led to legislation and do-not-call lists, to a relationship dialing model. The new outbound landscape is driven by growing companies in banking, collections, travel, communications and other industries that rely on outbound services to stay in touch with customers and conduct business. It’s a significant market and one that we have served for years through innovative, award-winning solutions.

 

A good example of this can be found in Noble’s relationship with Wake Forest University Physicians, the physician practice organization for Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center. Like all medical facilities, it needs to reach patients for scheduling, registration and payment. With Noble’s truly blended outbound solution, their patient services center agents increased their average number of outbound calls by 475 percent and improved completed registrations by 80 percent. According to Associate Vice-President Denise Fetters, Noble’s predictive dialer paid for itself within the first month of operation.  

 

 

LA: We’re mindful that even in the best of times, our customers look to us to help them do more with less. We also recognize that today’s customer relationship challenges are multi-dimensional and far more complex than the telephone-based platform of years ago. That’s why our solutions are uniquely scalable and flexible to meet our customers’ needs – no two of which are ever exactly alike.

 

One of the best ways to reduce costs while retaining customers is through improved workforce management. The Noble Workforce Optimization Suite leverages the large amount of rich data gathered in the contact center environment to help customers improve their ability to forecast activity, manage staffing levels and monitor performance.