Frost & Sullivan Identifies Customer Care Risks from Cyber Threats
-- White papers examine payment card security threats and social media issues
MOUNTAIN VIEW, California, May 23, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Every credit card transaction conducted over the Internet introduces a security risk for the cardholder. Data stores can be hacked, card numbers overheard, data streams might be vulnerable to interception; even contact center agent integrity is not beyond question. To increase controls around cardholder data and reduce credit card fraud, the industry-wide Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council first defined its Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) in 2004 and updated it in October 2010 to current version 2.0.
Frost & Sullivan's white paper, Protect Customers with PCI Compliance, analyzes the risks for data breaches and theft in the contact center, and helps contact center managers understand the actions that can be taken to increase agent vigilance and data security. Taking steps to identify and prevent cybercrime in customer contact channels involves a rigorous multilayered response. This includes meeting and complying with the PCI DSS standard by submitting to and passing periodical comprehensive scoping, assessment, validation, and reporting requirements, and by meeting the standard between assessments.
"Compliance with data standards like PCI DSS is entwined with preventing data theft. To manage both issues often requires expert advice and recommendations from experienced companies like SPS," said Frost & Sullivan Industry Analyst Brendan Read.
Strategic Products and Services (SPS) offers PCI DSS compliance consulting and advice. SPS also supplies a wide range of other services that support PCI DSS compliance including interactive voice response (IVR) and call recording solution selection and implementation.
"PCI considerations come up in many parts of a contact center's business processes, many of which have implications on technology choices for encryption, recording, data storage and retrieval," said SPS Chief Technology Officer, Mike Taylor. "Requirements differ, based on the customer's industry and size of the data center operation. SPS provides guidance to ensure that customer data management is PCI-compliant, especially in the areas of IVR systems and call recording. We tell them what is required and what is possible for an operation in their industry and size."
Frost & Sullivan also released a white paper titled: Enabling Successful Social Media Customer Care, which is another goal for many contact centers that are engaging with customers through social media channels. Customers are already using social media to voice issues, obtain information and support, and to collaborate and network with other customers. Contact centers that successfully monitor and engage with these channels gain an opportunity to display highly proactive customer service. But integrating contact-center systems with social media channels introduces new business challenges and opportunities, along with the significant IT integration requirements. Security concerns, confidence scams, and even implications for PCI compliance over social media can raise additional requirements.
Click HERE to access the white papers and videos related to this release (http://bit.ly/14yxGqa).
"Social media is fundamentally different from all other customer engagement channels in that it transmits public conversations one-to-many rather than private ones one-to-one. This factor, above all, makes providing effective and secure customer care over the social channel challenging," said Read.
To be successful with social media, Frost & Sullivan recommends that firms create a single department responsible for customer engagement strategy across all media – one that has ongoing participation by other departments, including Corporate Communications, Marketing, and Legal.
Making use of customer social media usage requires advance planning, supported with the right blend of social monitoring software. Using such systems, customers are associated with targeted "social profiles" which enable the firm to pursue a strategic and customized social strategy that correctly targets individual customer contacts. Policies must also be put in place to govern what content may be published to social media channels by contact-center agents.
"Blending social media into the wider picture of the total customer experience requires a thorough approach, combining business process consulting and communications technology," said Taylor. "A strategic communications partner like SPS can help you understand what's possible, develop and prioritize your plan of action, and provide a single point of accountability through implementation."
About Frost & Sullivan
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About SPS
Strategic Products and Services (SPS) is a global, multi-vendor systems integrator of business communication solutions, including contact center, unified communications and private cloud. SPS has helped companies worldwide to boost revenues, overcome business obstacles and gain an edge on the competition.
Named Avaya Partner of the Year 2012, SPS has earned numerous awards and recognition from its strategic partners. For the past six consecutive years, SPS has risen annually in the top 300 of CRN's annual Solution Provider 500 (formerly VAR500), a listing of the largest information technology solution providers, integrators, and service companies in North America – most recently placing at 104 on the 2012 list. SPS was also recognized by Everything Channel on the CRN Fast Growth 100 list for 2012 and 2011. Visit www.spscom.com to learn more.
Media Contact:
Mireya Espinoza
Frost & Sullivan
Corporate Communications – North America
P: +1.210.247.3870
F: +1.210.348.1003
mireya.espinoza@frost.com
http://www.frost.com
Theresa Goodreau
SPS, Director of Marketing
P: 888.777.7280
tgoodreau@spscom.com
http://www.spscom.com
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