El Segundo, California-based Inference Corp has extended the range of its case-based retrieval application development tools. The tools, which are designed for client-server environments, are used to develop customer support or help desk applications. The extensions to the suite are Case Generator and Tester modules, and support for Solaris, HP-UX, Oracle7 and Sybase 10. The suite, collectively known as CBR2, is designed to help guide people answering customers’ phone calls and queries to the answer to the caller’s query as quickly as possible. Mike Thoma, senior vice-president of marketing, describes it as software with attitude. It will answer the question you asked but ask if you wanted to know more. CBR2 was developed from the kind of case studies doctors use to help diagnose complaints, hence case-based retrieval. The system uses a selection of cases or solved problems, suitable for the organisation, with which to answer queries. Much of its theory has its roots in the expert systems with which Inference was once more heavily involved. One of CBR2’s users, Xerox Corp, found that there were really only around 250 things that could go wrong with its photocopiers, although the symptoms could be varied. So its help desk was designed with the 250 cases as a source of information for those staffing the help desk to use to answer queries. The number of call-outs Xerox engineers made were reduced by about 30%. The Generator module indexes text files and documents so that they can be searched by the search engine, Case Point. This addition means that as well as the cases, users can also access any reference document using the same graphical user interface. The Tester tool is an automated tool for evaluating diagnostic cases. Additions to the Express 2 Help Desk include two-way communication with customers using electronic mail and improved links to user applications among other things. A 10-user system is priced at around ú25,000; the Generator option is available for another ú20,000 and the Tester will cost an extra ú5,000.
