Apropos Technology Helps Citizens of European Capital 'Connect to Cardiff'

Multi-channel contact center solution streamlines access to 128 public services and satisfies social inclusion requirements 


OAKBROOK TERRACE, Ill., Aug. 23  /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Cardiff, the capital of Wales and "Europe's Youngest Capital City," has selected contact center communications management software from Apropos(TM) Technology (NASDAQ:APRS) to improve its citizen-facing Connect to Cardiff contact center. In addition to helping Cardiff Council modernize its communications infrastructure, Apropos' multi-channel communications support has helped it meet the government's social inclusion standards.

Cardiff Council, the capital's local authority, realized it needed to overhaul its switchboard function after conducting a perception study, learning citizens' preferences in accessing government services. The most prevalent feedback focused on efficient telephone service and expanded communication options, especially online support.

Prior to standardizing on Apropos' Interaction Management Suite, which is resold as Mitel Commander by Apropos partner Mitel Networks and runs on the company's voice messaging system, the Mitel 3300 Integrated Communications Platform (ICP), the Council maintained 400 separate phone numbers for accessing 128 government services. Reaching the right department was nearly impossible, as citizens encountered phone directories that had been designed for Council employees, and not the general public. With the combination of Apropos and Mitel, the new system's routing capability now requires only one main phone number, with Apropos providing an easy-to-navigate menu of core Council services.

Additionally, Apropos helps Connect to Cardiff comply with the U.K. government's social inclusion directive, which focuses on making public services more accessible to citizens. Along with enhancing telephone support, Apropos enables Cardiffians to interact with the contact center via e-mail, Web chat, the Council's Web site, SMS text messaging, voicemail and fax. As Cardiff is a bi-lingual city with over 300,000 citizens, Apropos' support of both English and Welsh communications furthers the Council's ability to meet social inclusion requirements and comply with the Welsh Language Act.

"Apropos is a critical part of our contact center, as it enables us to manage, track and measure thousands of interactions across a variety of communication channels," said Isabelle Bignall, head of contact center services at Connect to Cardiff. "It has helped us to create an integrated strategy for information-age government, where the people of our city determine how they interact with the Council, not the other way around. Overall, Apropos has helped make Connect to Cardiff a better advocate for our citizens."

As citizens can exercise choice in contacting the Council, Apropos has also proved valuable in helping Connect to Cardiff deal with a significant increase in inbound traffic. The volume of calls has increased eight-fold since the Apropos installation, from an initial average of 6,000 calls per month to a current average of 50,000 calls. The number of non-voice interactions has also expanded. Whereas two percent of inbound interactions were initially non-voice, the contact center now receives more than 20 percent of citizen communications through non-voice interactions, with Web chat proving particularly popular.

According to Bignall, "We are happy to reach out to the full community with such offerings as Web chat, which is especially helpful to citizens who are hard of hearing. It makes a big difference for us on the social inclusion front, and our citizens have responded positively to it."

Bignall, recently announced as the U.K.'s Call Center Manager of the Year by the Call Center Manager's Association, will be presenting her Apropos success story as part of the company's upcoming user conference. Scheduled for September 11-14 at the InterContinental Hotel in Chicago, Apropos World 2005 User Group will highlight best practices in contact center operations and customer experience management, as well as the latest trends in multi-channel customer support, business continuity planning and self-service applications. Additionally, the U.K.'s Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is leveraging Bignall as a "Best Practice" consultant for other public sector contact centers.

About Apropos Technology

Apropos Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ:APRS) develops communications management solutions for contact center operations. Apropos solutions are largely used when differentiated levels of service and support are required to effectively service the customer base. Organizations rely on Apropos' solutions to prioritize and intelligently route customers to the right service agent and measure contact center performance as well as enhance business continuity across the enterprise. Apropos solutions integrate with existing CRM systems to manage and archive voice, e-mail, Web chat, VoIP or fax interactions. Founded in 1989, the company serves over 300 clients worldwide from its corporate headquarters in Oakbrook Terrace, IL, and from its European headquarters in the United Kingdom. Additional information about Apropos and its solutions can be found at http://www.apropos.com/ .

About Mitel

Mitel is a market leader for voice, video, and data convergence over broadband networks. With a focus on the user experience, the company delivers advanced communications solutions that are easily customized for individual business needs. Mitel solutions extend from intuitive desktop appliances and applications through to Applications and Services Gateways that enable business process integration and enhancement. Customers are provided with innovative ways to leverage their resources and migrate to the benefits of IP communications at their own pace. Mitel is headquartered in Ottawa, Canada, with offices, partners, and resellers worldwide. For more information please visit http://www.mitel.com/ . 

DATASOURCE: Apropos Technology, Inc.



CONTACT: Brian Schwartz of Apropos Technology, [phone],

 ; or Nina Dally of Mitel, [phone],





Web site: http://www.mitel.com/

http://www.apropos.com/

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