11/18/2008 -- Longtime partners Cisco Systems Inc. and IBM Corp. were at it again this week, expanding an existing relationship -- in the suddenly not-so-chic banking sector -- which they first notched last year when they announced new Optimized Self-Service and TelePresence solution modules for their combined Front Office Solutions for Retail Banking effort.

The two partners say the latest wrinkle in their relationship now has a green tint: The new TelePresence and Optimized Self-Service modules facilitate virtual client/teller interactions, thus eliminating "the cost, time and carbon footprint associated with physically traveling to meetings."

"Building on our focused collaboration, IBM and Cisco are providing our joint banking clients with the innovative offerings in telepresence and self-service technologies to help banks cost-effectively improve sales and service delivery in response to customers' anytime-anywhere banking needs," said Paul Jameson, director of marketing for Financial Services with Cisco, in a statement. "Banks may improve collaboration with customers to enhance the relationship through the delivery of more personalized products and services."

Not coincidentally, the offering is also consistent with a banking industry effort to minimize costly person-to-person customer interactions. Cisco touts several use-cases for the new TelePresence module, such as improved customer interactions, enhanced intercompany collaborations, and the requisite "internal efficiencies," chiefly resulting from reductions in travel costs and more consistent communication between banking executives.

The Optimized Self-Service module, on the other hand, is designed to facilitate access from kiosks, cell phones, PDAs and landline telephones. The goal, Cisco and IBM say, is to "provide a consistent quality user experience to banking clients." To that end, Optimized Self-Service taps Cisco's Unified Communications Manager and IBM's Lotus collaboration stack.

"We are working closely with partners such as Cisco to help our banking clients as they strive to provide a consistently excellent customer experience and quality of service across all channels, whether in the branch or via phone, Internet, video, telepresence or however," said Sunny Banerjea, a global solutions executive with IBM, in a prepared release. "While self-service channels can give you greater reach and lower the cost of service, they can also distance you from your customers. However, with IBM and Cisco Front Office Solutions for Retail Banking, banks have the communications technologies, collaborative capabilities, and rich digital media to allow them to provide their self-service customers with a more 'high-touch' experience." --Stephen Swoyer