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Accenture believes that these devices are not isolated gadgets, but an evolution of the communications infrastructure. As people grow comfortable using camera phones socially, they will use them to interact with businesses and government agencies. While telephones enable people to say something to a business or government representative, camera phones enable people to show something. The question is, will organizations be prepared to handle these new interactions? Our Multimedia Response Center prototype illustrates some of the challenges and benefits of enabling multimedia call centers.
How does the prototype work? Imagine that a witness to a crime captures a photo of the incident and sends it to the police. Using the Multimedia Response Center application, the emergency response center agent accepts the photo, while also accessing numerous security cameras in the area. He identifies which cameras are likely to be relevant, reviews images from both witnesses and nearby security cameras, then selects, annotates and forwards the most useful images to officers so that they can take immediate action.
Accenture predicts that camera phones will change the way people interact with many businesses. For instance, a computer manufacturer could use photos or video sent from the customer to help guide them through repairs. Photos taken immediately at the scene of an accident could help insurance companies reduce the chance of claims fraud.
We believe that camera phones will result in a fundamental change in business-consumer communication dynamics, and a substantial redesign of customer service processes and systems. Businesses and governments will need more than the ability to accept attachments to take advantage of camera phones. They will need to integrate these new media streams with existing business applications and processes in order to effectively interpret and act on the information, thereby improving organizational performance.
Read more about how camera phones can give eyesight to call centers.