Alcatel, the telecommunication equipment manufacturer, has agreed
to pay $136m (£93m) in stock for Telera, a company specialising in
Voice Extensible Markup Language (VoiceXML) systems.
Alcatel hopes to add self-service features to the live call centre
systems developed by Alcatel's contact centre subsidiary, Genesys
Telecommunications Laboratories.
Under Alcatel's control, Telera will, at first, work on voice
self-service systems, the market for which Alcatel said it expects
to grow to $600m (£410m) by 2005.
Alcatel said it plans to integrate these systems with existing live
customer assistance products developed by Genesys.
The technology would bring Web-based, self-service applications to
telephone users with technology that is expected to lower the cost
and complexity of installation.
Traditionally, call centres run by enterprise customers or service
providers have had to develop two independent systems - one that
end users could use to access over the Web and another that could
be used to access data by telephone.
Possible market opportunities that arise with a system that can be
accessed by phone or the Web include services for end users such as
automated product support and order tracking.
Telera's Voice Web Application Platform can be deployed either in
customer premises equipment or as a carrier network service. One of
its largest customers, Qwest Communications International, will
continue to work with the newly merged companies, said Prem
Uppaluru, Telera's chief executive officer.
Alcatel said it expects the deal to close in July, subject to
approval by Telera's shareholders and regulators.
Also in July, Genesys is expected to release its first call centre
product that incorporates Telera's technology. Additional products
that will combine technology from Telera, Genesys and Alcatel are
in the pipeline, the companies said.