OREANDA-NEWS. BT today announced it is incorporating personalised video capabilities into its Cloud Contact portfolio of services, using industry leading technology from Idomoo. This will enable businesses to send short, individually tailored, high-quality videos to millions of customers.

The Cloud Contact personalised video service, which has already been piloted by two leading UK retail banks, allows businesses to create a video message template and then easily integrate data relevant to an individual customer to generate a unique and personalised message. Personalised voice narration and individualised data ensures that each customer knows the video is uniquely his or hers.

Businesses can use the service at every stage of customer engagement, from initial marketing, through on-boarding, to statements and other regular customer communications. Most languages are available for both text and voice - and these can be selected by the customer as they watch the video. The service can also be used to provide information to customers who have difficulties with traditional printed documentation, for example people with visual impairment.

The service is delivered from the cloud, meaning there is no initial capital investment. It can be fully integrated with an organisation's web presence, enabling near real-time creation of personalised videos, delivered direct to a customer's device, which can be a computer, tablet, smartphone or smart TV.

Andrew Small, vice-president, Unified Communications and Customer Relationship Management (CRM), BT Global Services, said: "Our new service helps businesses connect with their customers in a much more creative and engaging way. It helps them create deeper, more personalised interactions, thus improving customer service and increasing sales. This ultimately leads to greater confidence in brand and increased customer loyalty, resulting in great business outcomes. Whether it is sending account updates, loyalty-point notifications, new offers or any other kind of customer communications, personalised videos provide a new way to reach customers."

Yaron Kalish, co-founder and CEO of Idomoo, said: "BT has a great track record in working with innovative companies like ours and we are pleased to be partnering with them. We believe personalised video will continue to have a huge impact on the way companies communicate with their customers whether it's for periodic communications like statements, or specific promotional campaigns. We are looking forward to building on the success we have already seen with BT in the financial services market, to help deliver personalised video solutions around the globe."

Aphrodite Brinsmead, analyst with Ovum, says: "Using Idomoo's personalised video solutions is a novel way to attract customers' attention. Today's customers are bombarded with information and advertising across the Web and mobile devices, and Idomoo's videos offer a new way to portray data in a visually stimulating format. The solution will enable enterprises to automate parts of live customer service conversations, reach a large audience, and intrigue customers. As the video can be watched at a convenient time for the customer it has the advantage of being less intrusive than an outbound call."