Digital Self Service to Target Credit Card Debt in Canada

CNW Group Ltd

Digital Self Service to Target Credit Card Debt in Canada


TORONTO, Aug. 16, 2012 /CNW/ - Digital payments specialists, Telrock have launched a self service payments application, SmartCollect in Canada this week, offering customers a range of quick and discreet ways to make payments on current and overdue accounts, through a choice of digital channels.

As 'Standard and Poor' recently cut their outlook from "stable" to "negative" on seven Canadian banks, there is a requirement for new thinking on the intelligent management of consumer debt. SmartCollect is set to take on the challenge, having previously helped European financial institutions, such as Nordic Credit Card Company, EnterCard owned by Barclays. The software application has improved collection rates and reduced costs while supporting customers who fall into arrears. It allows customers to set up and manage final settlement payments, promises to pay and payment plans through their choice of seven different interactive communication channels including smartphone apps, social media, web portals and SMS, acting as a virtual agent for lenders.

According to Ipsos research, "83% of Canadians use their mobiles 'on the go'," giving lenders the ability to alert customers straight to 'their pocket' and reminding them to pay. Self service is also becoming increasing important as "82% of Canadians say technology has made banking more convenient, enabling them to bank whenever and wherever it suits them," reported by CBA.

Telrocks' SmartCollect results show, over 26% of customers pay within 15 minutes of receiving "payment due" notifications, 40% within 30 minutes and 74% within 48 hours, with the mobile channel proving to be most effective by providing a significant improvement on manual call center and paper based methods. A recent survey on debt collection by IT firm, Sopra Group concluded "the debt collection industry faces heightened pressures on recovery rates." They also found "81% of those surveyed agree costs are escalating because debt collection is taking longer. Over 50% of the respondents said they want a new technology-based solution."

Jerry Ferlisi, General Manager of Telrock Americas explains, "We have found many debtors are too embarrassed to talk about their debt or forget to make payments, while these customers tend to use digital services frequently. SmartCollect gives customers the discretion to manage their debt by simply replying to an SMS, without having to discuss their financial difficulties with an agent. We have found customers using this technology are more likely to stick to their payment arrangements, while lenders can focus their call center effort directly on debtors in more serious need of their help."

Telrock is a UK and North American based software Development Company launched in 2002, and the first to launch mobile payments into the UK financial market. They have developed digital services in collections, fraud and acquisitions for clients such as Bank of America, Capital Once, RBS, SSE and Deutsche Bank, though this is their first move into North America.

SOURCE: Telrock

IBM Plans to Acquire Texas Memory Systems

 IBM Plans to Acquire Texas Memory Systems

Company’s high-speed memory solutions to boost IBM’s Smarter Computing approach to IT

Armonk, N.Y. - 16 Aug 2012: IBM (NYSE: IBM) today announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Texas Memory Systems (TMS), a leading developer of high-performance flash memory solutions. TMS is a privately held company based in Houston, Texas. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Founded in 1978, TMS designs and sells high-performance solid state storage solutions. Unlike hard disk drives that rely on spinning disks and robotic arms, solid state systems are high-speed data storage solutions based on Flash or RAM memory that can provide significantly faster throughput and data access while consuming less power.

TMS offers its solid state solutions as the RamSan family of shared rackmount systems and Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe) cards. The products are designed to help companies improve performance and reduce server sprawl, power consumption, cooling, and floor space requirements, all of which in turn can help clients save money, improve performance and invest more in innovation.

“The TMS strategy and solution set align well with our Smarter Computing approach to information technology by helping clients realize increased performance and efficiencies at lower costs,” said Brian Truskowski, general manager, Systems Storage and Networking, IBM. “Solid state technology, in particular, is a critical component of our new Smarter Storage approach to the design and deployment of storage infrastructures, and part of a holistic approach that exploits flash in conjunction with disk and tape technologies to solve complex problems.”

Estimates are that the amount of solid state storage solutions being shipped into the enterprise will grow significantly, reaching nearly 3 exabytes by 2016.

Following acquisition close, IBM plans to invest in and support the TMS product portfolio, and will look to integrate over time TMS technologies into a variety of solutions including storage, servers, software, and PureSystems offerings.

“IBM understands the positive and dramatic impact that solid state technology can have on storage and server infrastructures, and once the acquisition is complete we look forward to advancing the technology even further. With the global reach of IBM, we expect to grow the engineering staff and product lines much faster than we could before,” said Holly Frost, founder and CEO of TMS.

TMS employs approximately 100 people. The deal is expected to close later in 2012.  

About TMS

TMS, headquartered in Houston, designs and sells solid state storage systems that accelerate demanding enterprise applications. Its award-winning RamSan product line has continually delivered fast, reliable, and economical solutions to a broad range of enterprise and government clients around the world.

For more information on TMS, please visit www.ramsan.com and follow us on twitter @TexasMemory. 

About IBM

For more information on IBM Storage, please visit www.ibm.com/storage and follow us on twitter @IBMStorage.  

IBM and the IBM logo are trademarks of International Business Machines Corporation, registered in many jurisdictions worldwide. For a current list of IBM trademarks, please see www.ibm.com/legal/copytrade.shtml. Other company, product or service names may be trademarks, or service marks of others.

Except for the historical information and discussions contained herein, statements contained in this release may constitute ‘forward-looking statements’ within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially, as discussed in the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

 

Unprecedented opportunity for Canadian companies to drive their e-commerce engines

Deadline extended: big prizes for big impact - Unprecedented opportunity for Canadian companies to drive their e-commerce engines

OTTAWA, Aug. 14, 2012 /CNW/ - Thousands of dollars worth of shipping and direct marketing and advertisements on the most recognizable brand in Canada: these prizes are part of the Canada Post E-commerce Innovation Awards, launched earlier this summer. This competition will recognize successful innovation in e-commerce and help to boost Canada's digital economy. Companies, big and small, that ship to Canadians are eligible and now have until August 31 to submit their entries.

"This time of year, businesses are readying for the holiday season and the possibility of saving advertising and shipping costs can make a significant difference on the bottom line. We want to help further launch these companies as they help build our digital economy," says René Desmarais, Senior Vice-President, Parcels at Canada Post.

With the help of a blue-ribbon expert panel of judges, Canada Post will select the best entrants and announce the winners on October 16 in Toronto. Estimated at $1 million, prize packages include a free shipping contract with Canada Post, a free direct marketing mail campaign and advertising on Canada Post properties (online and on trucks and facilities).

Businesses, large and small, that ship to Canadian consumers are eligible and must submit their entries by Friday, August 31. There are five categories: Best multi-channel retailer; best online retailer; best new e-business; outside the box achievement and consumer champion.

For more details on the criteria and prize packages, please visit canadapost.ca/ecommerceawards.

About us:

Canada Post is the country's leading provider of business-to-consumer delivery. By reaching more than 15.1 million addresses, and operating the country's largest retail network of nearly 6,500 post offices, Canada Post is ideally positioned to offer affordable and reliable service, with convenient pick-up and return options. Together, Canada Post, Purolator Inc. (Canada's largest logistics company) and SCI Logistics offer market-leading end-to-end solutions for e-commerce shippers by leveraging the assets and expertise of the Canada Post Group of Companies.

SOURCE: Canada Post

For further information:

Media Relations
613 734-8888
medias@canadapost.ca


































































Montreal-based Sky Motion Launches Free, High Accuracy Weather App

Sky Motion Launches Free, High Accuracy Weather App, Powered by its Proprietary Technology and Platform

MONTREAL, Aug. 15, 2012 /CNW Telbec/ - After three years of R&D, Software developer Sky Motion Research Inc. announces the official launch of SkyMotion, a suite of mobile and desktop applications based on its new weather forecasting platform, that will most accurately tell you when precipitation will start and end.  The app can be downloaded for free for the iPad, iPhone and iPod touch.  For other smartphones, tablets and other computers users, an online version is also available for free on its website.

Unlike traditional weather apps, SkyMotion takes the guesswork out of the Probability of Precipitation (P.O.P.).  Using geolocation, radar observation, motion tracking and other technology borrowed from the computer graphic and video game industry, the application provides highly-localized forecasts by tracking every rain cloud's movement over the U.S.A and Canada in real-time, automatically creating a new personal forecast every five minutes that is unique to the 1 km2 user's location.  Additionally, the SkyMotion app can be used year-round as it tracks all types of precipitation such as rain, snow and freezing rain.

With over 40 years of combined experience in image processing, software and video game development, Sky Motion Research's Founder and CTO, André LeBlanc, and CEO, Maxime Julien, are re-inventing short-term weather forecasting. They are confident that SkyMotion offers people the most accurate precipitation forecasts currently available on the market.

"This technology is beneficial for industries, businesses, and anyone who checks weather forecasts on a daily basis", says Julien. "Imagine the difference it could make for people engaging in outdoor activities, commuters, festival organizers, construction crews, even farmers. Having advanced knowledge of precipitation saves time and money, and helps people make the most out of their day by working around the weather."  In fact, Julien notes that current users have quickly made a habit of checking the application several times a day.

Start using SkyMotion today: http://www.skymotion.com

About Sky Motion Research Inc.
Incorporated in 2008, Sky Motion Research Inc. is an emerging technology company concentrating on development of short to term, highly accurate, highly localized weather forecasting technologies. Its product, SkyMotion, provides users with the most accurate precipitation information for the next two hours for a 1 km2 selected location, resulting in effective time and/or cost management.

SOURCE: Sky Motion Research

For further information:

Katherine Boushel
Publicist
kboushel@gmail.com
514 962-5283

Dell Bulks Up its SMB Storage Portfolio with its Densest Storage Array, Zero-Percent Leasing and Updated Backup and Recovery Appliance

Dell Bulks Up its SMB Storage Portfolio with its Densest Storage Array, Zero-Percent Leasing and Updated Backup and Recovery Appliance

Date : 8/16/2012
Round Rock, Texas










 

  • New PowerVault MD3 dense arrays can scale up to 180 hard drives and store up to 540 terabytes in 12U of rack space
  • New features added to DR4000 disk backup and disaster recovery appliance with DR Rapid Data Access offers tight integration with Symantec backup applications and helps ease remote office backup through many to one replication

 

Dell DR4000
Dell today announced its densest storage array yet with the new PowerVault MD3, storing up to 180 terabytes of data in a 60-drive, 4U rack enclosure. Paired with zero-percent fair market value (FMV) financing from Dell Financial Services (DFS) the new PowerVault MD3 provides small- and medium-sized organizations with easy access to flexible enterprise solutions for all stages of growth. Additionally, Dell added new features to the DR4000 disk-based backup and recovery appliance designed to include tighter integration with Symantec OST (OpenStorage) and to support the ability to replicate from multiple appliances to one.

The MD3 dense arrays are ideal for entry-level, medium-sized, or enterprise organizations that seek high-performance computing from a small form factor to save space, power and administrative costs. As a 12U configuration, with one MD3 dense array combined with two MD3 dense expansion enclosures, the storage solution can scale up to 180 hard drives, store up to 540 terabytes of data, and supports Fibre Channel, SAS and iSCSI protocols.

The new MD3 dense arrays include Dynamic Disk Pools (DDP) that help maintain affordable, high-bandwidth computing by recovering failed drives faster than traditional RAID environments. DDP when combined with the high performance tiering on Dell’s MD3 dense storage array can deliver continuous data protection with improved productivity and lower total cost of ownership.

"Dell continues to invest in its SMB and mid-market storage solutions to help customers looking for the right balance of performance and value,” said Brett Roscoe, general manager, Dell Data Management Solutions. “The dense array design of the new MD3 combined with enhanced software capabilities across our MD and DR products provide the power to do more with a growing set of features and capabilities that provide new levels of efficiency and performance."

The MD3 dense array meets a range of needs from customers setting up their first storage installations to those preparing for the dramatic growth of Big Data. Application management spans from general purpose computing to high-bandwidth, high-performance computing environments.

The MD3 dense array is available globally this month with the same software, firmware and management features as the PowerVault MD3 series, offering customers the same benefits of the PowerVault MD platform but in a smaller design. As a truly modular platform, customers can non-disruptively grow storage with their business and quickly respond to changing conditions with a flexible infrastructure designed to support high-performance computing applications.

Dell PowerVault Zero-Percent Leasing
The zero-percent FMV lease offer helps small to medium-sized organizations manage their expanding data storage needs while preserving their valuable capital for more tactical day-to-day business needs. The special 36-month FMV lease is available to qualified customers who lease $5,000 or more on combined enterprise solutions that include PowerVault storage, PowerEdge servers and PowerConnect switches.*

“To keep up with larger competitors, small and medium-sized organizations need flexible systems equipped to address changing market dynamics and the demands they put on IT,” said Antonio Julio, executive director, Commercial Enterprise Solutions, Dell. “From financing to storage, Dell equips our customers with the flexible and agile solutions they need to drive innovation on a much larger scale.”

DR4000 Backup and Recovery Updates
Dell is announcing new updates to the DR4000, an advanced disk-based backup and recovery solution that features innovative deduplication and compression capabilities from Dell’s Ocarina Networks acquisition. Since it was first announced in January at Dell Storage Forum London, the DR4000 has been popular with SMB customers who want to augment or replace traditional backup and recovery environments with disk- based solutions for their speed, access and reliability.

The updated DR4000 supports the ability to replicate from multiple appliances to one, enabling customers with remote offices or locations to replicate to a centralized location.

New updates to the DR4000 also include support for Symantec OST (OpenStorage), an API that enables third-party intelligent storage devices to tightly integrate with Symantec backup software applications. When a DR4000 is used with OST, the backup application becomes aware of the properties and capabilities of the appliance, and can better control back up images. The DR4000 with DR Rapid Data Access can significantly increase performance and can now backup up to 4 terabytes of data per hour when using Symantec OST.** The new DR4000 features are available this month globally.

Pricing and Availability
The zero-percent PowerVault offer is a 36-month zero-percent FMV lease on all PowerVault storage components with a minimum purchase of $5,000 or more and runs from Aug. 4, to Nov. 2, 2012 in the U.S. This FMV lease offers customers low monthly payments and end-of-lease options designed to give customers choice and flexibility.

About Dell
Dell Inc. (NASDAQ: DELL) listens to customers and delivers innovative technology and services that give them the power to do more. For more information, visit www.dell.com.

Join us at Dell World 2012 – The Power to Do More. Technology professionals will learn from one another and identify key challenges and opportunities connected to the top forces changing business today. Learn more at www.DellWorld.com or follow #DellWorld on Twitter.

Oracle Simplifies Application Access with New Oracle Secure Global Desktop Release

Oracle Simplifies Application Access with New Oracle Secure Global Desktop Release

Latest Desktop Virtualization Solution Provides Richer User Experience, Enhanced Security, and Easier Deployment

Redwood Shores, Calif. – August 16, 2012

News Facts

Today, Oracle announced general availability of a new release of Oracle Secure Global Desktop, a highly scalable and reliable application access solution that provides secure, browser-based access to applications hosted in the data center, from a wide variety of client devices.
Oracle Secure Global Desktop 4.7 improves the user experience through support for multi-monitor configurations, richer graphics and audio; delivers out of the box security; expands the list of supported server operating system and Internet browser versions; and supports faster deployment through Oracle VM Templates.
Supporting the industry’s broadest range of server-based applications, including Web-based applications from Oracle and other vendors, and standard Windows, Linux, UNIX, and legacy applications, Oracle Secure Global Desktop helps lower the risk, time and cost of delivering applications to the enterprise.
Oracle Secure Global Desktop is part of Oracle Virtualization, the industry's most comprehensive desktop-to-data center virtualization portfolio; enabling customers to virtualize and manage their full hardware and software stack from applications to disk.

Richer User Experience, More Secure, and Easier to Deploy

Oracle Secure Global Desktop 4.7 delivers a richer application experience by providing:
Multi-monitor support: Can increase productivity in organizations such as contact centers by allowing users to run multiple applications on different physical monitors at the same time.
Bi-directional audio: Expanding on the existing support for audio output for Windows applications, Oracle Secure Global Desktop now supports microphones and other audio input devices. This enables the use of dictation, conferencing, training, and other applications requiring audio interaction.
Enhanced Linux and UNIX graphics display: Oracle Secure Global Desktop now supports improved performance for 3-D applications utilizing OpenGL 1.3 graphics extensions. This provides a richer user experience for customers in Federal Government, Healthcare, Education and other industries where the regular use of graphically intense applications is becoming more common.
Oracle Secure Global Desktop 4.7 provides optimal out-of-the-box security through pre-configured security settings, eliminating the need for additional effort by administrators. This helps ensure consistency for large enterprise deployments.
Oracle Secure Global Desktop 4.7 adds support for the latest Internet browsers and server OS platforms including Internet Explorer 9, Chrome and the latest Firefox ESR browsers, and the Oracle Linux 6 and Oracle Solaris 11 operating systems.
For nearly instant deployment, a new Oracle VM Template is available as an alternative option for installing and configuring Oracle Secure Global Desktop. This Oracle VM Template is a ready-to-run Oracle VM virtual machine that eliminates the installation and basic configuration steps for the operating system and Oracle Secure Global Desktop.
Oracle Secure Global Desktop can run on Oracle Exalogic Elastic Cloud to provide secure remote access directly to Oracle Applications co-resident in Exalogic for an exceptionally responsive user experience.

Supporting Quote

"IT organizations need a single solution that can deliver secure remote access to all of their data center applications – not just Windows based applications," said Wim Coekaerts, Senior Vice President of Oracle Linux and Virtualization Development. "Oracle Secure Global Desktop is an easy to deploy and use solution that enables users to access Windows, Linux, UNIX, and legacy applications in a way that provides a rich user experience and high security while reducing complexity for both IT and the user.”

Supporting Resources

Relevant Blog: Wim Coekaerts

About Oracle

Oracle engineers hardware and software to work together in the cloud and in your data center.  For more information about Oracle (NASDAQ:ORCL), visit www.oracle.com

Trademarks

Oracle and Java are registered trademarks of Oracle and/or its affiliates. Other names may be trademarks of their respective owners.

Contact Info

Teri Whitaker
Oracle
+1.650.506.9914
teri.whitaker@oracle.com

Kristin Reeves
Blanc & Otus
+1.415.856.5145
kreeves@blancandotus.com

The Next 36 showcases top ventures from Canada's preeminent young entrepreneurs

The Next 36 showcases top ventures from Canada's preeminent young entrepreneurs

Investors and business elite from across North America flock to annual Venture Day

TORONTO, Aug. 15, 2012 /CNW/ - Many of Canada's biggest names in venture capital and angel investing met the young co-founders of 7 new ventures launched this year by The Next 36. These businesses pitched solutions to major challenges in healthcare, human resources, retail and education.

Supported by more than 50 Canadian business leaders - including Galen Weston, Paul Desmarais Sr. and Jim Pattison as founding patrons - The Next 36 aims to transform the country's most promising undergraduates into high-impact entrepreneurs and nation builders.

Venture Day also featured keynote remarks from high profile technology entrepreneurs including, Graham Weston, chairman & co-founder of Rackspace (a NYSE listed company with a $7.5B market cap), an in-kind sponsor of The Next 36 ventures, and Razor Suleman, chairman & founding CEO of Achievers. "Research shows that all net new jobs come from companies less than 5 years old, so a country's prosperity depends on its ability to generate high impact entrepreneurs." said Weston. "The Next 36 provides a magical combination of capital, mentorship and education to young Canadian entrepreneurs, unlike anything I have ever seen in the US or anywhere else."

Tuesday's graduation ceremony was capped by the presentation of three highly-coveted awards: The 2012 Valedictorian is Jane Wu, a commerce graduate from Queen's University.  Wu's venture PenyoPal, teaches kids how to speak Mandarin through interactive mobile games. In June, it was selected the Best Overall 1.0 Startup at the Launch Conference in Mountain View, CA.  It was one of eight stealth ventures, selected from over 300, and the only Canadian start-up given the opportunity to compete. "The Next 36 is transformational because of the people that support it." says Wu. "In 8 months, I have built a lifetime's worth of relationships with world class entrepreneurs, CEOs and like-minded young leaders." Rafal Dittwald, also a co-founder of PenyoPal and an engineering science graduate from The University of Toronto, was chosen by the program's co-founders as winner of the Satchu Prize, named in honour of Founding Chair, Reza Satchu.  The recipient of the Outstanding Venture Award was Kira, an online platform that accelerates the interview process using video. Kira's co-founders come from the University of Waterloo and University of Windsor.

As the newest alumni of The Next 36 forge ahead with their businesses, the program is gearing up to welcome its next wave of students. The application process is open with early applications accepted until September 18, 2012.

About The Next 36

For more information, please visit: www.thenext36.ca

The goal of The Next 36 is to increase Canadian prosperity by developing Canada's next generation of high impact entrepreneurs. Started by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs, The Next 36 provides a series of life changing experiences and relationships to young Canadians with the potential to build and lead great organizations. Each year, 36 promising undergraduates are selected from a variety of academic disciplines, and from across Canada, through a rigorous national selection process. The young entrepreneurs build a business in the mobile or tablet space together in teams.  For eight months they are provided mentorship from some of Canada's top business leaders, up to $80,000 cash from top venture capitalists, and academic instruction from some of the world's top faculty. The program is spearheaded by a founding group of 50 high-profile business leaders, entrepreneurs, and academics. Its Founding Patrons are Paul Desmarais, Sr., W. Galen Weston and Jimmy Pattison.

SOURCE: The Next 36

For further information:

For further details or to speak to a participating student, please contact:
Jon French
Director, Marketing & Events
The Next 36
jon@thenext36.ca






































































Avaya Boosts the Seamless, Customer Service Experience that Builds Brands

Avaya Boosts the Seamless, Customer Service Experience that Builds Brands

For Immediate Release:15 Aug 2012

  • Company highlights the ROI of next generation customer service at industry conference
  • Brand imperative for today’s businesses: reach customers through more channels faster and unify the experience -- or customers go elsewhere
  • Avaya Customer Experience Interaction Management Solutions enable and unify multi-channel customer service,  enabling an increase in both customer and business value
Basking Ridge, NJ – The voice of the customer is louder than ever, and companies need to be aware of how their brands are being affected, according to Avaya, a leading global provider of business communications and collaboration solutions and systems.  For many industries in today’s highly competitive markets, the quality of customer service is a key factor setting them apart from the rest; however, companies are challenged on several fronts to provide that extraordinary customer experience. 
 
At SpeechTEK 2012, yesterday, Dr. Val Matula, senior director of Multimedia Research for Avaya Labs, told an audience of hundreds of IT, marketing, and customer service executives from a wide variety of industries about the risks and rewards inherent in the quality of customer service they provide, and how they can leap the hurdles to deliver Gold Medal service.  Among the rewards:
  • 83 percent of customers will buy more from companies that make doing business easier1
  • 70 percent of customers will spend more money for good customer service and 15 percent will spend 20 percent more2
To reap those rewards, companies need to embrace a multi-channel model that enables the customer to reach them at any time, using any method of communication and any device.  But perhaps more importantly, the varied channels of communication any given customer may choose at any particular moment – including both self and assisted service -- need to be spun into a common thread that unites with his or her history. Equipped with this “customer context” and easy access to the subject matter experts who can be tapped for further support, companies increase satisfaction through first and fast resolution of the customer’s need.
 
The findings of a survey of financial services customers in the U.S. released earlier this year bear out the need for companies to equip contact centers with the tools that enable customer access backed by a seamless multi-channel service experience. According to the survey:
  • 24 percent of financial services customers would be happy to use click-to-call and 14 percent would like to use video chat.
  • Mobile banking is gaining popularity as well, with more than one-quarter (27 percent) of respondents already trying some form of it and 34 percent of U.S. consumers eager to make mobile payments. 
  • The call center remains the preferred first stop for resolving a complaint or issue
Avaya Customer Interaction Management Solutions are designed to empower companies, customers and agents.  The company's recently announced mobile, video and social media customer experience applications are enabled by the global contact center market leaders' Avaya Aura communications infrastructure, and a broad portfolio of self-service, interaction management and workforce optimization solutions.  Companies across the Fortune 500 as well as mid-size organizations such as nTelos Wireless, Integrated Medical Partners and the Minnesota Wild are taking advantage of Avaya’s Customer Experience Interaction Management Solutions and reaping the rewards.

Supporting Quotes: 
 "Today’s brands are not built in side conversations. Instead, they're being built, or destroyed, in social media, so it's important that a company knows what's being said, can filter out that which is actionable – remembering only 10 percent or less of the buzz might be actionable – and quickly take action. The tools that enable companies to listen to social media need to be tightly connected to their overall customer service operations and strategy, so the right resources can be activated at the right time, opportunities can be captured, customers can be wowed, and if the customer has an issue, a PR crisis averted."
Dr. Valentine C. Matula, senior director, Multimedia Research, Avaya Labs
 
"Customers expect organizations to recognize them immediately when they make contact. They want brands to know them, to anticipate their needs, and to meet them immediately. There is very little “wiggle room” in today’s market for a company to delay in responding to a customer concern – it’s very easy for customers to change loyalty, and with social media, broadcast their satisfaction – or dissatisfaction – with the way you treat them."
Jorge Blanco, vice president, Product Marketing, Avaya
 
Additional Resources
Avaya Customer Experience Interaction Management Solutions
The Road to a Better, More Profitable Customer Experience whitepaper
Bringing Social Media Interactions into the Contact Center whitepaper
 
Tags: Avaya, contact center, customer service, customer experience, customer interaction, brand differentiation
 
About Avaya
Avaya is a global leader in business communications and collaboration, providing unified communications, contact centers, data solutions and related services to companies of all sizes around the world. For more information please visit www.avaya.com.
 
Certain statements contained in this press release are forward-looking statements. These statements may be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "anticipate," "believe," "continue," "could," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "might," "plan," "potential," "predict," "should" or "will" or other similar terminology. We have based these forward-looking statements on our current expectations, assumptions, estimates and projections. While we believe these expectations, assumptions, estimates and projections are reasonable, such forward looking statements are only predictions and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control. These and other important factors may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. For a list and description of such risks and uncertainties, please refer to Avaya's filings with the SEC that are available at www.sec.gov . Avaya disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
 
1BTGS, January 2011
2Wall Street Journal, April, 2011

Optimal Payments Integrates its NETBANX Payment Gateway to RONA's New E-commerce Website

Optimal Payments Integrates its NETBANX Payment Gateway to RONA's New E-commerce Website

MONTREAL, Aug. 15, 2012 /CNW Telbec/ - Optimal Payments (LSE: OPAY), a leading online payments provider, announced today the integration of its NETBANX payment gateway to RONA's new e-commerce Website. RONA, a national chain of home renovation superstores, recently launched its online store allowing customers to purchase items online or reserve them for in-store pick-up.

Consumers shopping on the RONA website can create an account, which can be used to facilitate subsequent purchases, or make a one-time guest purchase. A hosted-payment page, imbedded into the checkout process and using iFrame technology, allows them to enter their credit card information directly into the NETBANX, PCI DSS compliant environment. This significantly reduces RONA's PCI exposure and liability during the check-out process.

The NETBANX solution complements RONA's acquiring relationship with Desjardins Group to offer Visa, MasterCard and RONA's private label credit cards as payment options. To minimize fraud losses, all transactions are verified using NETBANX fraud detection and protection tools including cardholder authentication, CVV validation and 3D Secure verification. The NETBANX back-office suite provides RONA with comprehensive reporting including data by card type.

Linda Michaud, Vice President, Information Technologies at RONA mentioned that "Using the NETBANX gateway to process payments from its e-commerce site allows RONA to offer multiple payment options, minimize our PCI compliance requirements and reduce our fraud exposure."

"We are thrilled to be Rona's e-commerce partner", said Martin Leroux, Executive Vice President Sales and Marketing. "This relationship with one of Quebec's premier brands is part of our on-going goal of providing reputable local and international companies with A to Z customized payment solutions."

About NETBANX®

NETBANX, a part of Optimal Payments, is a trusted provider of secure online payment gateway solutions.  Since 1996, thousands of e-commerce, MOTO, and multi-channel businesses around the world rely on the NETBANX gateway and services for the payment processing of credit/debit cards, online direct debit and alternative payments as well as the management of online payment fraud.  The NETBANX gateway is state-of-the art, geo-redundant and PCI-DSS Level 1 compliant.  A robust and flexible platform, it can be configured or customized to meet the card-not-present needs of any businesses from local e-commerce websites to large scale international online businesses.

For more information about NETBANX visit www.netbanx.com.

About Optimal Payments

Optimal Payments is a global provider of online payment solutions.  Trusted by businesses and consumers in over 180 countries to move and manage billions of dollars each year, merchants use the NETBANX ® processing service to simplify how they accept and settle credit card, direct-from-bank, and cash payments; and the NETELLER ® payment account to increase margins, capture new customers and increase their lifetime value. Being an independent provider has allowed the company to support tens-of-thousands merchants around the globe across a wide range of industries.  Optimal Payments Plc is quoted on the London Stock Exchange's AIM market, with a ticker symbol of OPAY. Subsidiary company NETELLER (UK) Ltd is authorized and regulated as an e-money issuer by the UK's Financial Services Authority (FSA).

For more information on Optimal Payments visit www.optimalpayments.com or subscribe at www.optimalpayments.com/feed.

About RONA

RONA is the largest Canadian distributor and retailer of hardware, home renovation and gardening products. The Corporation operates a network of more than 800 corporate, franchise and affiliate stores of various sizes and formats under several banners, and a network of 14 hardware and construction-materials distribution centres which are flexible and perfectly adapted to the diverse needs of its clientele. RONA is also a leader in the specialized plumbing and HVAC market, primarily serving commercial and professional customers with a network of close to 60 sales outlets across the country.

About Desjardins Group

Desjardins Group www.desjardins.com is the leading cooperative financial group in Canada with assets of $196.4 billion. Drawing on the strength of its caisse network in Quebec and Ontario and its subsidiaries across Canada, it offers a full range of financial products and services to its 5.6 million members and clients. Desjardins specializes in Wealth Management and Life and Health Insurance, in Property and Casualty Insurance, in Personal Services, in Business and Institutional Services. As one of the largest employers in the country and among Canada's Top 100 Employers for 2012™, Desjardins is supported by the skills of its 44,645 employees and the commitment of nearly 5,400 elected officers. A new education and cooperation program is now available to Desjardins members and the general public. For more information, visit www.desjardins.com/co-opme

SOURCE: Optimal Payments Inc.

For further information:

Optimal Payments
North America
Carla Erlick, Vice President Sales and Merchant Services
514.380.2716
carla.erlick@optimalpayments.com

UK 
Andrew Gilchrist, EVP Corporate Affairs 
+ 44 (0) 1624 698 713
investorrelations@optimalpayments.com











































































Orion Health advances Saskatchewan's EHR to improve access to lab results]


Orion Health advances Saskatchewan's EHR to improve access to lab results

eHealth Saskatchewan using clinical portal as part of Lab Results Repository

TORONTO, ON –– August 15, 2012 –– Orion Health, a leader in
electronic health records (EHR) and healthcare integration solutions has
implemented its Orion Health Clinical Portal to eHealth in the province of
Saskatchewan. The portal is enabling healthcare providers to access
patient laboratory results with greater speed and accuracy anywhere in the
province. The solution supports the Saskatchewan Lab Results Repository
that aims to place lab results in the hands of healthcare providers
faster, thereby improving the care experience for the province’s more
than one million citizens.

"We are excited to support Saskatchewan's efforts in becoming a fully
functioning electronic health records environment," says Mike Craig, Vice
President, Orion Health. "Our Clinical Portal is a proven solution that
presents patient data in a quick and accessible way across the entire
continuum of care. The solution will help increase diagnostic accuracy and
improve patient safety by providing physicians and clinicians with patient
information and results right at the point of care."

With The Orion Health Clinical Provider Portal, healthcare providers in
Saskatchewan now have the ability to search and view the following:

*       Patient Clinical Information: Access to view a patient's related
clinical information for patient demographics, and laboratory results for
general laboratory, microbiology, pathology, and transfusion medicine in a
person context view; Access to view PDF laboratory reports;
*       Lab Results: Access to view cumulative and graph numerical lab results
via the Results Viewer, which provides the viewing functionality for
Laboratory Results;
*       Clinical Access: Set up of roles and groups to manage viewing of data by
users and apply relevant person access restrictions; Provide a consent
override screen, as well as a printable patient consent form
*       Authentication:  Integration to Lightweight Directory Access Protocol
(LDAP) and OpenSSO to create a single sign on environments and limit EHR
data access and ensure the protection of health information
*       Integration of the Portal to the EHR Index

"eHealth Saskatchewan were looking for an eHealth solution that could
aggregate patient data from existing systems into a central portal,"
explains Mike Craig. "Orion Health's Clinical Portal layers on top of
existing data structures, eliminating the need to rip-and-replace
electronic health infrastructure. It also equips them with the flexibility
and control to expand functionality for their changing environment."

Orion Health's Clinical Portal will integrate with three repositories
across Saskatchewan: labs, drug, and  diagnostic imaging. More
specifically, the portal  currently integrates with the following eHealth
applications:

*       Health Information Access Layer (HIAL): The HIAL will be the integration
engine between eHealth data repositories and the Orion Health Portal.
*       Shared Client Index (SCI): The SCI product will be used as the client
registry that will store the patient demographics data.
*       Saskatchewan Laboratory Results Repository (SLRR): SLRR is eHealth
Saskatchewan's Clinical Data Repository for Lab Results.
*       Consent Services: The eHealth Saskatchewan Consent Service module will
store the consent directives.

Future releases will integrate drug and diagnostic imaging.

About Orion Health
Orion Health is a global, independently-owned eHealth software company and
one the world’s leading provider of electronic health records (EHRs) and
healthcare integration solutions. Worldwide, Orion Health solutions are
used in 30 countries by more than 300,000 clinicians. In Canada, thousands
of clinicians and hundreds of provider facilities and OEM partners rely on
Orion Health to facilitate data exchange between hospitals, health systems
and EHRs, resulting in improved care coordination, increased cost savings
and efficiencies, and enhanced quality of care.  Orion Health is a
preferred Canada Health Infoway Solution.  More information can be found
at  <http://www.orionhealth.com/> http://www.orionhealth.com

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