Nonetheless, integration is an area that needs improvement, Richardson says. And he acknowledges that Quiq Connect doesn't leverage the data it captures very well. To help address that problem, a feature to be released this year will let companies offer their users different support levels, including a standard access level that's limited to certain areas of the knowledge base and a premium support level that gives users access to more information. A Market in Questions Chris Martins, an analyst at Aberdeen Group, says collaborative customer service applications like Quiq Connect, which can deliver rapid answers to customer questions, are here to stay. But Ward warns that the company's technology doesn't give it a sustainable competitive advantage.
Outside experts can also contribute.
The company's Broad Mind offers a Web interfacce for customer questions. It doesn't allow outside experts to contribute. Customers can buy the software or use it as a hosted service. It supports chat sessions and online surveys to capture customer statistics. It's available as software or as a hosted service.