CRM : Self-Service

Software Magazine, April, 2000

RightNow Technologies has announced RightNow Web 3.1, a major upgrade to the company's main product suite. RightNow Web builds on the system's customer self-help capabilities by integrating new modules for e-mail management, live customer interaction, and contracts management. Additionally, the product is guaranteed to be completely implemented in 15 days.

Customers can search the knowledgebase for answers and the system will begin to anticipate the needs of the user. If customers are unable to find the information they seek, they can send an e-mail. E-mail's new Smart Assistant feature captures the request and applies proprietary artificial intelligence and neural network technology to analyze the query. The system either replies with a suggested list of solutions or routes it to a customer service representative. The customer can rate the effectiveness of the proposed answers. The customer input is also captured to increase accuracy of future automated responses. Customers may also interact with a customer service representative through the RightNow Live Java-based utility. In addition to chat sessions, it allows the support representative to remotely control the customer's viewable Web page.

The RightNow Contracts module is designed for companies that provide service contracts to their customers. This allows these companies to manage contracts by incident or by expiration date, and deliver support accordingly. When a user exhausts their service contract, they are prompted to renew.

Pricing for RightNow Web ranges from $29,995 to $49,995 for a two-year license, and includes unlimited product updates and support. RightNow Web supports SQL databases such as Oracle8, Oracle8i, and Microsoft SQL Server, and server operating systems such as Windows NT, Linux, and Sun Solaris.