There are plenty of innovative products in the burgeoning online service market. Today's Internet savvy customers demand the same (or better) service online that they'd receive via any other channel -- they want convenience, responsiveness and personalized attention. And customer-facing online service technology is rising to the challenge.

In our judges' opinions, one vendor in particular outshined the rest. They gave Parature's Online Customer Support Solution Version 5.6 the highest possible rating in the "Ease of use" category. One judge noted that Parature offers "strong multichannel functionality and features."

Parature's flagship product is Web-based and composed of eleven modules, including knowledge base, ticketing, discussion boards, chat, asset system, product catalog, contact and e-mail management, surveys, reporting, activity scheduler and document management. Companies can start simple and then add modules and features over time as business grows. Version 5.6 offers an intuitive interface that was clearly designed with the end user in mind -- easy navigation and strong search capabilities.

Annual subscriptions average between $25,000 and $50,000 depending upon the modules desired and number of seats purchased.

Kerry Glance