Document:

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                                                                   Exhibit 10.84

                              CONSULTING AGREEMENT

     THIS AGREEMENT is made effective as of November 29, 2001 by and between
Barry M. Ariko, an individual ("Consultant"), and Aspect Communications, Inc., a
company based in San Jose, California (the "Company").

     Consultant has been involved in fields of particular interest to the
Company and is by education and/or experience qualified and skilled with respect
to the Consulting functions described herein. The Company wishes to retain Mr.
Ariko as a Consultant to the Company, and Mr. Ariko desires to perform such
services. Accordingly, the parties agree as follows:

     1.  Consulting Services. Consultant will serve as an advisor to the Company
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and will provide information, counsel and assistance as requested by the Company
in furtherance of the Company's desire to move the sales force from its current
culture, models, policy and procedures to one that is better targeted towards
growing revenue for the Company's full suite of products in today's market (see
Attachment A - "Schedule and Objectives for Consulting on Development of Aspect
Sales), and will perform such other services as are agreed upon from time to
time by Consultant and the Company's senior management (collectively, the
"Consulting Services"), specifically either Ms. Beatrice Infanti, CEO or Mr. Rod
Butters, COO. Consultant agrees that some Consulting Services may be sought by
the Company over the telephone, in person at Company's offices, or through
written or email correspondence. This consulting engagement terminates on June
30, 2002.

     2.  Consulting Fee. The Consultant agrees to perform the scope of
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Consulting Services described in Attachment A for a minimum fee of $30,000 which
will be calculated as follows: in connection with the services provided under
this Agreement, and effective upon the Company's approval hereof, Consultant
shall be paid at the rate of $3,000/day (not to exceed eight (8) hours/day) for
his services ($2,000/day for meetings of four (4) hours or less), $500/hour for
telephone consulting (minimum charge of $125) and time spent preparing for
meetings or responding to email requests. Meetings that require the Consultant
to travel overnight will be billed as a multiple day engagement.

     3.  Payment and Reimbursement of Expenses. (i) Company shall pay the
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Consultant monthly and within five (5) days of Company receiving an invoice from
the consultant; (ii) Company shall reimburse Consultant for Consultant's
reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with any meetings of
the Company's Advisors (including first class airfare), and (iii) for other
pre-approved out-of-pocket expenses directly related to services rendered by
Consultant under this Agreement. Reimbursement shall be subject to Consultant
promptly providing to the Company an itemized expense statement and receipts
supporting all such reimbursable expenses. Reimbursement shall be made by the
Company according to its usual and customary accounting and payment procedures.

     4.  Confidentiality.
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         (a) Consultant acknowledges that, during the course of performing the
Consulting Services, the Company may be disclosing certain nonpublic information
and materials concerning its business to Consultant, including but not limited
to information regarding its projects, products, technology and know-how,
industry and competitor analyses, services, potential customers, personnel,
business plans, finances and other commercially valuable information
(collectively "Confidential Information"). All nonpublic information disclosed
to Consultant in connection with the Consulting Services will be presumed to be
Confidential Information and shall be treated as such.

         (b) Consultant agrees that the Confidential Information will be used
by Consultant only in connection with Consulting Services and will not be used
in any way that is detrimental to the Company.

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         (c) Consultant agrees not to disclose, directly or indirectly, the
Confidential Information to any third person or entity, other than
representatives or agents of the Company. Consultant will treat all such
Confidential Information as confidential and proprietary property of the
Company.

         (d) The term "Confidential Information" does not include information
that (i) is or becomes generally available to the public other than by
disclosure in violation of this Agreement, (ii) was within Consultant's
possession prior to being furnished by the Company provided that the source of
such information is not and was not bound at the time of delivery by a
confidentiality agreement with or other contractual, legal or fiduciary
obligation of confidentiality to the Company, (iii) becomes available to
Consultant on a nonconfidential basis from a source other than the Company
provided that such source is not and was not bound by a confidentiality
agreement with or other contractual, legal or fiduciary obligation of
confidentiality to the Company with respect to such information, or (iv) was
independently developed by Consultant without reference to the Confidential
Information.

         (e) Consultant may disclose any Confidential Information that is
required to be disclosed by law, government regulation or court order. If such
disclosure is required Consultant will give the Company reasonable advance
notice so that the Company may seek protective order or take other action
reasonable in light of the circumstances.

         (f) Consultant shall continue to be bound by the terms of the
confidentiality provisions contained in this Section 4 for a period of two (2)
years after the termination of the Consulting Services by Consultant.

     5.  Other Matters. Consultant understands that the Company is not seeking
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to obtain any information that is proprietary to any prior or current business
relationship of Consultant. Consultant shall not, in performing services for the
Company, make use of any such proprietary information of third parties.

     6.  Assignment: Further Assurances. To the extent necessary for the
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Company's complete ownership of all property rights embodied in the Confidential
Information (i.e. to the extent the Confidential Information cannot legally be
considered "work made for hire" and with respect to patent, trade secret and
other rights), Consultant hereby sells, assigns, grants, transfers, and delivers
to the Company, and its successors and assigns, all Consultant's right, title
and interest in and to the Confidential Information, and the right to secure
patent rights, copyrights, and other intellectual property rights throughout the
world, and to have and to hold such rights in perpetuity. Consultant further
waives for himself/herself and his/her successors in interest, any right they
may have now or in the future to terminate or waive this assignment. Consultant
agrees to assist and cooperate with the Company in obtaining, maintaining, and
enforcing any U.S. or foreign patents, copyrights, trademarks, service marks,
trade secrets or other intellectual property rights relating in any manner to
the Consulting Services, including, but not limited to, executing applications
therefor and other documents relating thereto, and rendering all such assistance
and testimony as may be reasonably necessary to protect the rights of the
Company or its designee. All such filings and enforcement activities shall be
conducted at the Company's expense.

     7.  Relationship of the Parties: Terminable At Will. In the performance of
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all services under this Agreement, Consultant shall be an independent contractor
and not an employee, agent, partner, joint venturer or co-venturer of the
Company. Consultant shall have no right to bind the Company, transact any
business in the name of the Company or on its behalf in any matter, or make any
promises or representations on behalf of the Company. As an independent
contractor, Consultant shall be solely responsible for all income, self-
employment, social security, medicare, unemployment or other federal or state
withholding or taxes applicable to compensation paid to Consultant by the
Company under this Agreement; provided, however, that the Company shall have a
right to make any and all tax withholdings reasonably deemed necessary or
advisable by the Company. This Agreement and the relationship of the parties are
terminable at will by either party, at any

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time, with or without cause. If terminated by the Consultant, the minimum fee
provisions of the contract is thereby waived.

     8.  No Conflict: Valid and Binding. Consultant represents that neither the
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execution of this Agreement nor the performance of Consultant's obligations
under this Agreement will result in a violation or breach of any other agreement
by which Consultant is bound. The Company represents that this Agreement has
been duly authorized and executed and is a valid and legally binding obligation
of the Company, subject to no conflicting agreements.

     9.  Indemnification of Consultant. The Company will, to the extent and in
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the manner permitted by applicable law, indemnify Consultant against expenses,
judgments, fines, settlements, and other amounts actually and reasonably
incurred in connection with any proceeding, arising by reason of the fact that
Consultant is or was providing Consulting Services to the Company; provided,
however, that Consultant shall have no right to indemnification on account of
(i) acts or omissions of Consultant constituting intentional misconduct or a
knowing violation of law; (ii) any transaction with respect to which Consultant
personally received a benefit in money, property or services to which Consultant
was not legally entitled; or (iii) any activities by Consultant that constitute
a breach or default under any agreement between the Company and Consultant.

     10. Assignment. This Agreement may not be assigned.
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     11. Merger; Entire Agreement; Waiver; Severability. This Agreement, except
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as supplemented or modified in writing between the parties, constitutes the
entire agreement between the parties with respect to the subject matter hereof.
No waiver of breach shall constitute a subsequent waiver of any subsequent
breach, and if any provision of this Agreement be held invalid, the remaining
provisions shall remain enforceable.

     12. Governing Law. This Agreement shall be governed by, construed and
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enforced in accordance with the laws of the State of California (without giving
effect to any choice or conflict of laws provision or rule).

     "CONSULTANT"                       /s/ Barry M. Ariko an individual
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                                        Barry M. Ariko

     "COMPANY"                          By: /s/  Rod Butters
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                                        Name:  Rod Butters
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                                        Its:  Group President
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                                                                   Exhibit 10.85

                               EMPLOYEE AGREEMENT

In exchange for my becoming employed (or my employment being continued) by
Aspect Communications Corporation, or its subsidiaries, affiliates, or
successors (hereinafter referred to collectively as the "Company"), I hereby
agree as follows:

Employment at Will

I agree that this Agreement is not an employment contract and that I have the
right to resign and the Company has the right to terminate my employment at any
time for any reason, with or without cause. This is the full and complete
agreement between myself and the company and no employee or representative of
the Company has any authority to enter into any agreement to the contrary.

I will perform for the Company such duties as may be designated by the Company
from time to time. During my period of employment by the Company, I will devote
my best efforts to the interests of the Company and will not engage in other
employment with any Aspect competitor, customer or supplier without the prior
written consent of the Company. I will not accept a position with any other
company if the time demands of the position will impair my ability to fulfill my
obligations to the Company.

Definitions

As used in this Agreement the term "Inventions", means designs, trademarks,
discoveries, formulae, processes, manufacturing techniques, trade secrets,
inventions, improvements, ideas, original works of authorship or copyrightable
works, including all rights to obtain, register, perfect and enforce these
proprietary interests.

As used in this Agreement, the term "Confidential Information" means information
pertaining to any aspects of the Company's business which is either information
not known by actual or potential competitors of the Company or is proprietary
information of the Company or its customers or suppliers, whether of a technical
nature or otherwise.

Assignment of Inventions

Without further compensation, I hereby assign and agree to assign to the Company
or its designee, my entire right, title, and interest in and to all Inventions
made by me during the period of my employment unless the Invention was developed
entirely on my own time without using the Company's equipment, supplies,
facilities, or trade secret information: and (a) the Invention does not relate
at the time of conception or reduction to practice of the Invention to the
Company's business, or the Company's actual or demonstrably anticipated research
or development; and, (b) the Invention does not result from any work performed
by me for the Company, whether or not during normal working hours. No rights are
hereby conveyed in Inventions, if any, made by me prior to my employment with
this Company which are identified on the back of this Agreement or on a sheet
attached to and made a part of this Agreement, if any. I acknowledge that all
original works of authorship which are made by me (solely or jointly with
others) within the scope of my employment and which are protectable by copyright
are "works made for hire," as that term is defined in the United States
Copyright Act as in effect of this date.

I agree to perform, during and after my employment, all acts deemed necessary or
desirable by the Company to permit and assist it, at its expense, in obtaining
and enforcing the full benefits, enjoyment, rights and title throughout the
world in the Inventions hereby assigned to the Company. Such acts may include,
but are not limited to, execution of documents and assistance or cooperation in
legal proceedings.

This Agreement does not apply to an Invention, the assignment of which to the
Company would violate applicable law, including an Invention which qualified
fully under Section 2870 of the California Labor Code. I agree to disclose in
confidence to the company all Inventions made by me to permit a determination as
to whether or not the Inventions should be the property of the Company.

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Confidential Nondisclosure

I agree to hold in confidence and not directly or indirectly to use or disclose,
either during or after termination of my employment with the Company, any
Confidential Information I obtain or create during the period of my employment,
whether or not during working hours, except to the extent authorized by the
Company, until such Confidential Information becomes generally known. I agree
not to make copies of such Confidential Information except as authorized by the
Company. I will return or deliver to the Company all tangible forms of such
Confidential Information in my possession or control, including but not limited
to drawings, specifications, documents, records, devices, models or any other
material and copies or reproductions thereof.

I represent that my performance of all the terms of this Agreement and as an
employee of the Company does not and will not breach any agreement to keep in
confidence proprietary information, knowledge or data acquired by me in
confidence or in trust prior to my employment with the Company, and I will not
disclose to the Company, or induce the Company to use, any confidential or
proprietary information or material belonging to any previous employer or
others.

No Solicitation

I agree that for a period of twelve (12) months immediately following the
termination of my relationship with the Company for any reason, I shall not
either directly or indirectly solicit, induce, recruit, or encourage any of the
Company's employees to leave their employment or attempt to solicit, induce,
encourage, recruit employees of the Company, either for myself or for any other
person or entity.

No Conflict

I agree not to enter into any agreement, either written or oral, in conflict
with the provisions of this Agreement. I certify that, to the best of my
information and belief, I am not a party to any other agreement which will
interfere with my full compliance with this Agreement.

Survivability

This Agreement (a) shall survive my employment by the Company (b) does not in
any way restrict my right or the right of the Company to terminate my
employment, (c) inures to the benefit of successors and assignees of the
Company, and (d) is binding upon my heirs and legal representatives.

Compliance

I certify and acknowledge that I have carefully read all of the provision of
this agreement and that I understand and will fully and faithfully comply with
such provisions.

Employee

   Print Name: Susanne Hereford            Signature: /s/ Susanne Hereford

   Date: 6/19/01

Aspect Communications Corporation

   Print Name: Peter S. MacGregor          Signature: /s/ Peter S. MacGregor

   Title: Staff Manager                    Date: 6/19/01

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                               LIST OF INVENTIONS

                                      NONE

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