| Microsoft Customer Care Framework | |
|---|---|
 A possible implementation of CCF 2005 |
|
| Developer | Microsoft |
| Latest release | 2008 / September 21, 2007 |
| OS | Microsoft Windows |
| Platform | x86 |
| Natural language(s) | multi language |
| Status | Active |
| Genre | Integration, Automation and Process Enhancement |
| License | MS-EULA |
| Website | www.microsoft.com/CCF |
Microsoft Customer Care Framework (CCF) is a Microsoft .NET-based framework which is commonly used to address issues faced by service providers caused by multiple line of business (LOB) systems while interacting with their customers.
Contents |
Overview
Microsoft Customer Care Framework (CCF) is a product that provides a unified desktop view integrating and aggregating data from Line of Business applications, application work flow and automated processes. The Customer Care Framework provides a core set of functions which can be used for customer support avenues including voice call via call center agents, Internet portals, web chat and many others. The framework leverages other Microsoft server products including the BizTalk Server, Host Integration Server and SharePoint. CCF requires the use of Microsoft SQL Server and Microsoft IIS for the server side, which it uses to provide a base core set of web services. CCF is targeted mostly at medium to large enterprises. In a common scenario, it is utilized in customer care organizations to enable an increase in contact center efficiency, reduction in operating costs, and improvement in the quality of customer service. CCF was originally developed for the large call center requirements of the telecommunication industry by Microsoft. Since release, Microsoft Partners have deployed it to many other different types of organizations for many different usages, some not related at all to direct customer interactions. CCF is different from most products from Microsoft in that a large amount of source code for the product is provided, this is due to the view that as a framework as much as a product. The framework allows for a definite SOA methodology requirement [1][2][3] on development on the server and agent desktop side, but this is not mandatory and non-SOA development can be done and is normally the case for phase one of an implementation. [4]
Agent Desktop
The primary user interface for CCF is the agent desktop. This is a desktop-based data visualization smart client application that presents data aggregated from various LOB & OSS/BSS application front ends and presents them in an unified view. CCF does not include any Agent Desktop application out of the box, rather the controls, related classes and source code are provided as part of the framework, which can be leveraged by the enterprise to create the application that meets their needs.
Disadvantages
- CCF imposes a large amount of time and cross-skilling be placed on developers and implementors prior to work commencing. This prevents many Microsoft partners from proceeding to using it or recommending it.
- CCF is .NET-based smart client, as a result of which some call centers may not choose it due to issues such as requirements of operating systems or preference for pure web based clients.
Competition
- Being a very specialized product which causes it to have a small user base it also has a small group of competitive products, with the main one being Jacada WorkSpace, which is a J2EE- based solution that cover both the agent desktop and the back end.
- Microsoft CCF also faces internal competition from the Composite UI Application Block (CAB) offering which provides many similar features of interface and application delivery (events, hosted applications, hosted forms etc...). It does not however provide telephone or call center specifics, but has had a greater adoption among developer because of its less specialization as a product. As of the 2008 version, CCF makes use of CAB itself.
Releases
- Customer Care Framework 1.0: released early 2003
- Customer Care Framework 1.1: released 2004; uses .NET Framework 1.1
- Customer Care Framework 1.2: released 2004; uses .NET Framework 1.1
- Customer Care Framework 2.0: released 2005; uses .NET Framework 1.1
- Customer Care Framework 2005 (version 2.5.0): released Jan 2006, uses .NET Framework 1.1
- Customer Care Framework 2005 (QFE 1, version 2.5.1): released April 2006, uses .NET Framework 1.1
- Customer Care Framework 2005 (QFE 2, version 2.5.2): released 2006, uses .NET Framework 1.1
- Customer Care Framework 2005 (QFE 3, version 2.5.3): released August 2006, uses .NET Framework 1.1
- Customer Care Framework 2005 for .NET Framework 2.0 (version 2.6): built on a modified 2.5.3 base; requires .NET Framework 2.0. Contains significant bug fixes to those base areas of CCF where the code is not available.
- Customer Care Framework 2008[5]: released 21 September 2007. uses .NET Framework 3.0
Notable Customers of CCF
References
- ^ Microsoft, Customer Care Framework 2005 .NET 2.0 Edition Deployment Guide, (September 2006), 8-9
- ^ Microsoft, Customer Care Framework Web Cast Level 300, (February 2007)
- ^ Microsoft expands its way into the contact center, Link, (19 January 2006)
- ^ Yves Pitsch, SOA and Microsoft Customer Care Framework, (February 2006)
- ^ Yves Pitsch CCF 2008 Is There, (21 September 2007)
