ComputerTalk Announces General Availability of ice 11

It’s finally here! We at ComputerTalk are excited to announce the general availability of ice Contact Center 11, our latest version.

The updated version includes various new and improved features, such as:

• Multi-contact handling
• Redesigned iceMonitor
• Enhanced iceSurvey
• Segmented recordings
• Enhancements to increase usability and accessibility 

Multi-Contact Handling

Multi-contact handling allows ice users to handle multiple incoming interactions at the same time. That is, an agent may handle instant messages (IMs) or emails while on a call. This feature enables customers to reach an agent faster and spend less time waiting in queue, ultimately improving speed of service. The maximum number of contacts any individual user can handle can be set in iceAdministrator, meaning that inexperienced users will never have to accept more contacts than they are comfortable handling. Agents can also use their Personal Access Queue (PAQ) to prevent themselves from receiving additional contacts if necessary.

Redesigned iceMonitor

There are a few changes to iceMonitor in ice 11. The first is that the new iceMonitor is built on HTML 5, removing the dependency on Silverlight. This change means that, unlike previous versions, the use of iceMonitor is not limited to specific internet browsers.  Agents can now use iceMonitor in the browser of their choice, including Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari, and more.

The second major change to iceMonitor is its new layout for better visibility, as well as a grid view to replace the older tile view in a responsive, mobile-friendly design. Previous versions of iceMonitor used tiles to display information on users, queues, and teams. In ice 11, the same information is displayed in a grid, allowing viewers to see more information at once rather than being limited by the amount of space available.

The columns and rows that are visible in the grid can be configured to meet your specific preferences, so you can always see the information that’s most important to you.

iceMonitor’s settings pages have also been modified to have a more user-friendly look and feel. Alerting options have now expanded to include audio alerts in addition to the previously available alerts.

Enhanced iceSurvey

In ice 11, iceSurvey can be used to automatically deliver post-interaction surveys for multiple modalities: voice, email, and IM. Survey results can then be used to make improvements to customer service and increase loyalty. Voice surveys are completed over the phone while email and IM interactions are sent web links to a survey.

The new version of iceSurvey also makes it easier to set up surveys with an intuitive look and feel, similar to ice evaluations.

Audio recordings for surveys are no longer managed through an IVR, but rather, are managed directly on the iceManager website.

The new iceSurvey has greater configurable options, allowing you to set up display options, post survey thank you messages, and more.

Survey results can now be viewed in iceJournal, rather than in iceReporting only.

Segmented Recordings

ice 11 has been updated to include segmented recordings. Previous versions of ice involved a single recording for each call. Now, recordings and transcripts are divided into segments based on each user who was involved in handling the call. Users can now be restricted from viewing portions of a call that they were not involved with, ultimately improving user privacy. Different types of users have different levels of access to view recordings.

Enhancements for Accessibility and Usability

ice 11 has been updated to comply with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0/2.1 and Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). These regulations ensure that ice is accessible to people with disabilities through the use of proper color contrasts and text sizes.

Next Steps

If you would like to learn more about ice 11, you can click here to watch a Slice of ice recording about it or you can contact your account owner.