Alcatel, Genesys to purchase IBM CallPath assets

(Telephony) Network vendor Alcatel and its subsidiary, contact-center solutions provider Genesys Telecommunications Laboratories, announced plans to purchase IBM’s CallPath computer telephony software today to offer a stronger overall solution in the contact center market.

“They partner in assisted service solutions and we focus on unassisted solutions,” an IBM spokeswoman said.

The software integrates voice and data communications in contact centers. The acquisition will be finalized in June. Financial terms and conditions were not disclosed.

“We believe that we can offer a better overall solution by partnering with Genesys, who specializes in assisted service solutions,” an IBM spokeswoman said. “This allows us to focus on our call voice systems business.”

Under terms of the deal, 54 IBM CallPath employees will be offered positions with Genesys. The employees are located in Research Triangle Park, N.C., where Genesys plans to expand its operations and open a development site to work more closely with IBM.

The companies will jointly market and provide contact-center solutions based on Genesys’ Universal Queue Routing, Internet Contact Center and Outbound Solutions and IBM’s DirectTalk, WebSphere Voice Server and WebSphere Application Server. This builds on an existing product integration between Genesys’s and DirectTalk’s platforms.

In addition, Genesys joined IBM’s PartnerWorld program, which lets members jointly provide e-business customers with IBM-based products, technologies, services and financing.

The announcement expands Genesys’ relationship with IBM Global Services, which began in August 2000.