HTK launches new SaaS multi-channel media platform for inbound and outbound automated customer contact

26 October 2009: The UK leader in public mass-notification solutions, HTK, is expanding into customer service and marketing automation with the launch of its new web-based digital media platform that provides a unified, personalised and micro-targeted approach to customer interaction.  HTK Horizon™ delivers a more effective and valuable customer experience by integrating a wide range of inbound and outbound communication technologies, including interactive voice response (IVR), SMS & MMS mobile messaging, email, web and wap sites, as well as fax, pager and Airwave SDS. The system also supports full integration with VoIP-enabled contact centres.
        
HTK Horizon is ideal for a wide range of applications from sales and marketing, billing and payments and customer service, to operations management and providing emergency warnings and information. And because it is a web-based, Software as a Service (SaaS) solution, it is fast to implement and easy to integrate, with on-demand, usage-based pricing and no up-front costs.

By integrating with CRM data, acquired customer knowledge and geographical mapping tools, HTK Horizon delivers ‘one-to-one’ personalised interaction to improve customer satisfaction and loyalty while reducing costs and enhancing revenue potential. 

“While automated electronic communication by IVR, SMS and email can save up to 90% compared to other forms of customer contact, too many companies have used the technology to save costs at the expense of customer satisfaction,” said Marlon Bowser, CEO at HTK. “HTK Horizon is designed to reduce these friction points and provide customers with an experience that is tailored to them individually. By harnessing and integrating the very best in customer interaction technologies and making it easy to access via the web, Horizon can help organisations of any size return to good old fashioned customer service, as well as save money.”

Horizon lets users send personalised outbound messages across a range of communication channels, while inbound response channels can be set-up for end-to-end campaign management with dashboard style reporting in near real-time. Additional plug-in applications enable the automation of a wide range of day-to-day business processes such as appointment and payment reminders, marketing campaigns, customer surveys and information capture.

HTK has worked with several customers in the development of Horizon, including Cable & Wireless, BT and Specsavers. UK mobile operator O2 is already using Horizon to interact with its pre-pay and post-pay mobile customers using SMS call to actions and personalised inbound IVR response.

“HTK has helped to revolutionise the way we manage our information IVR,” says Chris Brown, Communications Manager at O2 UK. ”Ultimately, they have delivered a market leading solution that gives our millions of customers a personalised, easy way to self-serve a huge range of information, maintaining great customer experience and satisfaction.”

HTK Horizon is built with the highest levels of security and fault tolerance, and is compliant with open industry standards such as JSR-168 for web portal applications, XML web services and the latest speech technologies.

There is no up-front cost and usage licenses start from just £25 per month for single user.

About HTK
UK-based HTK provides hosted solutions for interactive multi-channel marketing, automated customer service and intelligent customer contact, helping organisations to sell more and serve better, at lower cost.

Founded in 1996 and privately owned, HTK delivers solutions to SME and large enterprises, telecommunication service providers and the public sector. Customers include Cable & Wireless, BT, Specsavers and O2 as well as numerous local authorities.  HTK software is used by more than 30 of the 43 UK Police Forces, and HTK developed the recently launched national myUKinfo.com web portal for migrant workers and employers.

Press contact:  Allie Andrews, PRPR, Tel: 01442 245030, Email: allie@prpr.co.uk

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