Barry Zipp, Director of Enhanced Voice Services, MCI

Q How long has MCI been involved in automated speech technology?

A For several years now. We've been testing speech in the lab since the early days of the technology, and went commercial with Speaker Independent Voice Recognition - "press or say 1" - a few years ago. Aside from convenience for cellular and cordless phone users, SIVR didn't really do much for the end user, but it was a good first step and helped expose the general population to speech. We then added Automatic Speech Recognition to our Enhanced Call Routing service; that's where customers really started to see the benefits of speech as opposed to touch-tone. Then, with the advent of Voice XML, we rolled out Voice Portal in 2001. Voice Portal includes ASR, text-to-speech, Web integration, and additional features such as outbound dialing and voice authentication.

Q Sounds like you have quite a history with automated speech. What shifts have you seen in the marketplace over that time?

A More and more, customers now understand the concept of what automated speech can do for them. They grasp the potential Return On Investment, and they see that the general population is becoming increasingly comfortable interacting with automated speech. There's a lot less trepidation about quality of service than there was just a couple of years ago. There used to be a perception that self-service involved a trade-off between cost savings and quality customer care; now many businesses understand that automated speech can actually improve caller satisfaction while decreasing costs. As a result, instead of concentrating our pitch on what Voice Portals are and how they can benefit customers, we're putting more focus on what WorldCom's capabilities are and why it's a smart choice to go with us.

Q So, what are some of the key advantages that MCI offers?

A First, we offer the benefits of a hosted solution: low up-front costs; a reliable, redundant, secure platform; and platform management services such as upgrades and capacity management. This means that customers don't have to invest in capital equipment to deliver a speech solution, and they can focus their IT resources on their core business rather than maintaining an on-premises speech platform, managing and testing upgrades, etc. Second, we have the expertise to deliver the right solutions; not all speech ASP's can make that claim. Not only do we have the expertise to create user-friendly interfaces and effective error handling; we also employ consultative sales practices that help ensure customers are selecting applications that can realistically meet their business objectives. Finally, we offer a comprehensive suite of call center services and other telecommunications services. We have the capability to work with customers to develop an overall communications strategy, including speech as an integral component.

Q You mentioned call centers. Is Voice Portal a call center product?

A That's one of the sweet spots where we're putting a lot of focus. Voice Portal fits in nicely with many of the other self-service products we offer that can greatly improve efficiency in the call center. It's easy to demonstrate a compelling ROI in many cases. And Voice Portal enables customers to automate some high-volume tasks - like address changes - that simply can't be automated with touch-tone. But Voice Portal also offers many opportunities for cost savings or revenue generation outside of the call center - like speech-enabling Web applications to reach a broader audience, automating corporate directories, or supporting outbound emergency notifications.

Q Can you give an example of your consultative sales practices?

A One customer, a major retail chain, wanted to build an application that was very involved, and included potentially tedious tasks like collecting e-mail addresses. We didn't see anything that was impossible to do; but we did feel that by delivering everything the customer was asking for, they'd end up with an interface that would be cumbersome and frustrating for their callers. This example supports our maxim: "Just because you can do it, doesn't mean you should do it." We advised against implementing that application; ultimately, the customer found another provider to build the app. Sure enough, callers grew frustrated and the customer dumped the project. There's no point in automating a process if it will ultimately "turn off" callers. There are enough opportunities out there to deliver applications that actually improve the caller experience while providing an outstanding ROI.

Q What's an example of your sales process resulting in a successful implementation?

A We've worked quite a bit with AAA South. They anticipated that some of their members might be averse to an automated speech system, so they tested the waters on various levels before diving in. They understood that a solution hosted in the network would entail low up-front costs and would enable them to manage the uncertainty of caller acceptance. We worked with them to select a couple of "starter applications" - account information and literature request. Rather than forcing their callers to use the automated speech system, they offered that as a choice. AAA South learned about caller preferences and tendencies, and has since added three more applications. We're currently working with them to add two more.

Q This sounds like an application focus, rather than an enterprise speech strategy. Can you comment?

A We view it more as a pilot program strategy. Yes, it ultimately makes sense to look across the enterprise to determine how speech can be used strategically to decrease costs, improve customer care, and drive revenues. Many customers are at the point where they're ready to work with us to map out and execute that sort of comprehensive strategy. But for other customers, it would be a costly mistake to try to tackle too much right off the bat. Strategic decisions can't be made without the benefit of tangible experience.

Q So, ultimately you advocate a "speech strategy?"

A We advocate a comprehensive, evolving, enterprise-wide communications strategy, with speech as a critical component.