For Immediate Release: 19-Jun-2002
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIAAvaya Inc., (NYSE: AV) a leading global provider of voice and
data networks and applications to businesses, today announced that
its technology had been selected by leading automotive group
Inchcape Motors Australia (IMA), as one of a number of initiatives
to enhance it's ability to provide a higher level of customer
service. IMA is launching a new concept in automotive retailing in
Melbourne where customers can "experience" the brand in an
interactive environment supported by the latest communications
devices. The Melbourne complex, Subaru Interactive @ Docklands is
the first of its kind in the world. Avaya, through its Platinum
partner Touchbase, will provide IMA with a range of communications
solutions that allow staff at the new complexes to be fully mobile
while they deal with customers and for all inquiries to be handled
"with a maximum of two hops". In addition, the Avaya technology will interface via wireless
technology with a number of the multi-media and on-site
entertainment concepts that will be used to enhance the customer
experience. IMA expects the Avaya Enterprise Class IP Solutions (ECLIPS)
package to pay for itself within five years by allowing the company
to introduce a range of efficiencies in communications. They
include savings in phone costs by running voice calls over the
internal data network, linking the company's customer service
centre to the Web, providing wireless phones for staff and
installing intelligent messaging systems. The centerpiece of IMA's Avaya ECLIPS solution is a DEFINITY®
G3si Communications Server installed at Inchcape's office at
Wetherill Park in Sydney which will be linked to the company's
other offices, dealerships and service centres throughout Australia
by VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol). The Avaya DEFINITY®
Wireless Business System (DWBS) will provide the wireless
communications. Avaya BCMSVu Call Centre Software and Agents Deluxe
Software will be used to make the Inchcape customer service centre
as responsive as possible to customer inquiries. Employees will be issued with a unique extension number and have
access to a bank of pocket-size Avaya DWBS phones. Wherever they go
at each site, they will be able to pick up one of the Avaya DWBS
phones, enter their details and then receive calls as well as data,
fax and email messages. "One of the criteria set by our management was that if the
customer rings, emails or faxes, the message must get to the person
that can answer the question with a maximum of two hops," said
David Starr, IS Manager for Inchcape Australia. "So if the
appropriate person is not at their desk, the call or message will
follow them to wherever they are. "We are also deploying Avaya Unified Messenger® (UM) for
Microsoft® Exchange. This will allow us to access all of our data,
email, phone and fax messages from our Outlook mailbox. Even if we
are in a car, we will be able to ring in from a DWBS phone and
Avaya Unified Messenger® will read our emails or play back our
voice mails or give a synopsis of our faxes. We can send them,
redirect them or do what we want with them, even while we're not in
the office." Starr said this functionality would take another leap when
Inchcape introduced A5-size tablet PCs which would work with the
Avaya DWBS phones to give mobile staff even more options. "Our sales staff will be able to walk around with customers and
pull up information onto these tablets or show them a whole range
of things on the screen," he said. "For example, our sales people
will be able to say 'We have this car in yellow, but this is what
it looks like in pink with roof racks'." Inchcape will also use Avaya ECLIPS to enhance a number of the
events and multi-media activities planned as part of the "customer
experience" at the Melbourne complex. "The site in Melbourne is not only a showroom and interactive
area, but is also an AWD (all-wheel drive) track and a driver
training track where you can actually experience the vehicles,"
explained Starr. "We will have open days where a qualified driver
will be able to drive on our skid pan and talk on his Avaya phone.
His commentary will be amplified through a speaker system so he can
explain to our visitors what he's doing." Inchcape plans to bring in live video coverage of car rallies
and other events, which will be projected onto large screens around
the complex. Computer games and interactive entertainment will also
be incorporated into the multimedia environment. Another novel aspect of the Inchcape concept that is being
facilitated by the Avaya technology is the absence of traditional
receptionists at all of its sites. "When you walk in the door, someone will greet you and point you
in the right direction but there will be nobody sitting at a
reception desk or answering a switchboard," said Starr. "Outside calls will be handled by a customer service centre
based on Avaya ECLIPS in the Sydney office with another ECLIPS
system in Melbourne as a back-up. The people in the customer
service centre will put you through to whoever is appropriate to
handle your inquiry. For instance, they will be able to oversee the
service engineers and then pass you through to one that's currently
in the office and unengaged." Carlton Taya, managing director, Avaya South Pacific, said his
company was proud to have been selected to contribute to Inchcape's
highly imaginative use of information technology. "What Inchcape is creating in Australia is an exciting showcase
of voice and data convergence," Mr Taya said. "It attests to
Avaya's convergence leadership that Inchcape chose our technology
to help make this innovative concept a reality." Inchcape is also planning to use Avaya to link its customer
service centre to the Web so that prospective customers can merely
hit a "press to talk" button to have a conversation with a company
representative when they want more information about cars on a
website. Initially the Avaya network will include Inchcape's major
locations in Sydney and Melbourne but will progressively be
extended to other sites and dealerships throughout Australia over
the next few months. About Avaya
Avaya Inc., headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., is a leading
global provider of voice and data networks as well as
communications solutions and services that help businesses,
government agencies and other institutions including more than 90
percent of the FORTUNE 500® excel in the customer economy. Avaya
offers Customer Relationship Management Solutions, Unified
Communication Solutions, Service Provider Solutions, MultiService
Networking Infrastructure, and Converged Voice and Data Networks
including the company's no-compromise Avaya Enterprise-Class IP
Solutions (ECLIPS) all supported by Avaya Services and Avaya
Labs. Avaya is the worldwide leader in unified messaging, messaging
systems, call centers and structured cabling systems. It is the
U.S. leader in voice communications systems and services. Avaya is
an official sponsor for the 2002 FIFA World Cup games, the FIFA
Women's World Cup 2003 and the 2006 FIFA World Cup tournament. For
more information about Avaya, visit its Web site at http://www.avaya.com. About Inchcape
Inchcape, as an international automotive services group, provides
quality representation for its manufacturer partners, a choice of
channels to market and products for its retail customers and a
range of business services for its corporate customers. Operating
primarily in the UK, Greece, Belgium, Australia, Hong Kong and
Singapore, its key partners are Toyota, Subaru, Ferrari, Jaguar and
Land Rover. Inchcape's activities include exclusive Import,
Distribution and Retail, Business Services, automotive E-commerce
and Financial Services. For further information, visit us at www.inchcape.com. | 
