SupportCenter Plus - Product Roadmap

Note: This is only a tentative schedule.  The implementation of feature(s) may vary based on internal priorities and time.
( Last Updated : 22nd Aug 2008 )
Q4 2008

Multi Channel Support - I

  • Chat Integration
    • A chat interface embedded into the customer portal
    • Ability for customers to chat with Support Reps online
    • Ability to convert the chat conversation into a new request or attach it to an existing request as a conversation
  

Customer Portal Enhancements

  • A completely configurable web portal including what should appear on login & what should appear after login
  • A simple url for the portal like for example http://server_name/portal
  • Configurable option for contact to close a request
  • Ability for contacts to search through their requests
  • Ability for contacts to run already created reports
  • Ability for users to register themselves (or) with administrator approval
  

Contract Enhancements

  • Support Rep based billing to be incorporated as one of the billing types (just like the hour-based, incident-based)
  • Display the whole contract history with renewals in a single view
  • Service Entitlement - Ability to configure to warn/do not allow to create requests/disable login/disable solution browsing etc when the contract has expired
  

Request Module Enhancements - I

  • Ability to mark request conversations as public/private
  • Support for secured email fetching (POPS, IMAPS protocols)
  • Moving request description from database to files
  • Reply Templates
  • Navigating to the Next/Previous requests from the request view page
  • Option to record the "Last Action Performed" on the request and report based on it
  • Ability to auto-cc a set of people (technicians, account managers, customers, customer managers) per account when a request is created for an account
   

Solution Enhancements

  • Ability for Support Reps to submit solutions for approval and Support Reps with higher privileges would be able to approve solutions
  

Active Directory Integration

  • Ability to import & periodically synch Support Reps with Active Directory
  

Q1 2009

Department based settings

  • Every organization, big or small, is divided into departments based on the activity they do, based on the products they develop or handle.  The needs and configurations of one Support Team representing one department may not be the same for another department.  For example, the Support department handling the queries of a Chat software would like to set the Categories as Connection related Queries, Editor Queries, Chat Transcript Export Queries.  On the other hand the Support department handling the queries of a Network Management Product would have categories as Monitoring Queries, Alert Queries, Discovery related Queries, Protocol related Queries etc.  So, there is a need for every department to have configurations that suit their job.
  • Almost all configurations based on Department
  • Support Reps will be able to view data from their departments only.
  • Please note : When including this feature there will be license implications
  

Brand New Interface

  • We are bringing in a brand new interface.  The main goal of this interface is ajax-based faster loading pages with loads of usability enhancements.  Every piece of software revisited to improve the usability and performance.
  

Search Enhancements

  • Search is one of the most important enhancements that is required in SupportCenter. A tool like SupportCenter should be able to quickly dig out any information.
  

Multi-Channel Support - II

  • Computer Telephony Integration (CTI)
    • Integration for most common EPBAX software
    • Ability to display the caller history to the Support Reps as soon as a call lands on the line.
    • Ability to pick the call through the software
    • Ability to dial a number through the software.
    • Ability to convert a telephone conversation into a new request or attach it to an existing request as a conversation
  
 

Request Module Enhancements - II

  • Form customization enhancements
    • Different templates having different set of fields
    • Ability to define the order of appearance of fields
    • Ability to define a set of tasks along with templates
    • Ability to define dependent fields
    • Ability to define more additional fields like boolean fields, check boxes, radio buttons etc.
  • Automatically search the knowledge base/solutions (ajax-based) when creating requests & suggest solutions to the user creating the request.
  • Request Event Timeline - Graphically representing each event that occurred on the request on a time line.
  • Chronological order of events on the requests
  • Changing rate/hr when entering the time entry
  • Ability to define formulae, operators etc for additional fields.
  • Different rates during working hours & after hours,weekends, holidays etc
  • Including response times in SLAs
  • Ability to define personalized signatures
  • Ability to configure the print options - what to be included, the order etc
  • Ability to "Add Request & Close" from Request Creation screen for adding a request & then setting the status to close in one action
  

Calendaring

  • Technician Calendar
  • Integration with Outlook Calendar
  

PDA Client Support

  • Ability to connect to Supportcenter server using a PDA.  This would help field technicians to check their requests and act upon them remotely.
  
 

Account & Contact Enhancements

  • Ability to add products for sub-accounts
  • Automatically assigning a new contact to an account based on domain
  • Role support for Account Managers (Please note : When including this feature, there will be license implications.)
  
 

 
Q2 2009

Exposing APIs for third-party application access

  • Integration with third party applications through APIs
  

Defect Tracking System

  • A module that will work in conjunction with the Request module.
  • Defects & enhancements can be tracked and customers can be kept posted.
  

Admin Module Enhancements

  • Ability for administrator to define the default view for Support Reps, Contacts & Account Manager 
  • Marking configurations as inactive/obsolete.
  • Enhancements in Business Rules
    • More fields like the reports
    • Ability to define notifications as an action
    • Configurable option to run through multiple business rules
    • Configurable option to apply business rules even when editing a request.
    • Ability to define rules to automatically assign Support Reps based on various factors like the Support Rep load etc.
    • Business rules in conjunction with operational hours, shift timings etc.
  

Data Archiving

  • Ability to archive the data that was created before a given time period.
  
 

Survey Settings

  • Configurable options when & whom to send the survey ( per department, per account, per Support Rep etc )
  • More options when creating survey (regarding the question types and answer options etc)
  • Enhanced survey based reports
  
 

Report Enhancements

  • Reports where parameters are dynamic & got at the time of running the report
  • Reports to be run on last n days.
  • Top N, Highest N, Least N, Lowest N options when running reports
  • Defining the layout (where the entities like header, footer, data, chart etc) of the reports
  
 

Role Enhancements

  • Ability to provide more fine grained permissions to Support Reps & Account Managers not just the simple view, edit etc .  For eg.  Authorized to edit/reset the due date, change the status, approve time entries etc
  
 

Request Module Enhancements - III

  • Time sheet approval module
  • Enhancements in the Reminder section
  • Ability to view the replies sent out from Supportcenter in a separate view
  • Improved Request/Reply Editor
  • Trash Support - Deleted requests can be retrieved from the Trash View