The Next Killer App

Article excerpts...

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"So what is this ultimate killer app that I've stumbled upon? Simple: An application that allows a person receiving an e-mail to instantaneously initiate a voice call between the sender and receiver of the e-mail message. Perhaps this sounds trivial, and it really isn't rocket science, but the plain truth is that this is a great service that we all need."

"If you have any experience in the Internet telephony market you will recognize that there are dozens of companies that allow you to click an embedded e-mail link and initiate an Internet telephony conversation between users. This is not news. What surprises me is that I am raving about technology that is less technically challenging than a VoIP connection. The reason I am excited and think these types of services have a bright future is that they are based on a phone-to-phone connection. Of course IP telephony is an acceptable way to communicate as well but let's face it, until multimedia computers with telephones connected to them become commonplace, it isn't reasonable to expect our clients to use their PCs to speak with us."

"There really is a huge opportunity in the broader e-sales/s-service market for a variety of ASPs to flourish. By utilizing the above service adapted to the Web, a company can choose not to spend precious resources on the hardware and software needed to add the human touch to their Web sites. The beauty of the ASP model is that it allows customers to pay a fee per transaction. Of course the ASP and customer can choose a different arrangement if they like. Another major issue facing customer interaction centers is that it is becoming increasingly difficult to hire agents that are able to answer e-mail, perform chat functions, and take phone calls. The latest study I've seen estimates that it costs three times as much to hire an agent that can handle Internet interactions versus a traditional call center agent. From this perspective, it is a matter of corporate necessity to maximize the number voice interactions your company receives at the expense of all other transactions."

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Tehrani, Rich - (2000, October) The Next Killer App - Internet Telephony