Microsoft has chosen CafeX Communications, a supplier of mobile and web customer engagement solutions, as its preferred solution provider for real-time customer assistance within Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Customer Service.
The combined solution embeds CafeX's real-time customer interaction channels within Microsoft's Unified Service Desk and web clients for Dynamics 365. A customer browsing a company's website or mobile app can tap to request live help from a service representative. The rep is passed information about the customer in advance, and both parties can move seamlessly between text chat, co-browsing, voice, and video collaboration to resolve issues. Tight integration allows reps to interact with customers without leaving Dynamics 365.
"The agents have all the tools they need to serve customers right at their fingertips," says Sajeel Hussain, chief marketing officer and executive vice president of strategic partnerships at CafeX. "It's all right there as part of the Microsoft Dynamics agent console."
Remote assistance is powered by Live Assist, CafeX's Web Real-Time Communications (WebRTC) solution, which Hussain says is "redefining the way customer service is done."
Live Assist's co-browse technology enables agents to view customers' mobile apps or web pages from within Dynamics 365, draw annotations, push files, fill out forms, and perform other remote functions. Sensitive data can be hidden to protect user privacy.
LiveAssist, Hussain says, "is all about providing a one-touch, one-click way for customers to get in touch with an agents," while at the same time "equipping agents to provide a much richer experience to customers."
And because the entire system is deployed in the cloud through Microsoft Azure, "there is no need to deploy anything locally," Hussain points out.
CafeX LiveAssist is available as an add-on to Dynamics 365, but all the provisioning, updating, and other installation happens automatically once users activate the LiveAssist application.
"It's a wholly integrated solution," Hussain says. "It's a very seamless experience for provisioning and administration of the product."
According to Hussain, CafeX and Microsoft have been working together on this project for the past nine months or so.
"Microsoft has a market-leading CRM product, but it lacked omnichannel capabilities, with the ability to engage with customers on their terms and in the channel of their choice," Hussain says.
Jujhar Singh, corporate vice president of Microsoft Dynamics CRM, said in a statement that the integration allows for "intelligent custmer journeys":
"Omnichannel is at the heart of any successful customer engagement solution. With CafeX as our preferred solution provider, we are able to bring to market a highly differentiated offering to better serve the changing needs of our customers. Enterprises can now extend real-time assistance within the context of business processes to create more unified and intelligent customer journeys."
Trials for the unified solution will begin next month with general availability planned for early next year. The initial offering will feature web chat and co-browsing, with click-to-call and video collaboration to be added in a subsequent release.
Hussain expects the product to be especially appealing to companies in financial services, insurance, healthcare, retail, and government. "It's good wherever there's a need for digital collaboration between agents and customers," he says.