Microsoft Dynamics Partner Roundup: D365 CCaaS in New Zealand; New execs; New AI platform for D365 on-prem; Updated supply chain tool

In this week's Microsoft Dynamics Partner News Roundup: 

• Westpac NZ launches Microsoft AI tool to support human-to-human customer conversations
• iCatalyst strengthens enterprise transformation capability with two senior solution executive appointments
• Aptean introduces AI platform and AI agents for Business Central on-premises customers
• Key Dynamics Solutions launches Supply Chain 2.0

Westpac NZ becomes first major NZ company to launch Microsoft AI tool to support human-to-human customer conversations.

Westpac NZ has announced that it has rolled out a Microsoft platform with built-in AI to help staff talk more effectively with customers and cut down wait times in its contact centers.

The bank noted that it recently started introducing Microsoft Dynamics 365 Contact Center as a Service (CCaaS). When a customer calls, the AI system helps the service representative by instantly pulling up the customer's banking details and showing information about any products they ask about in real time, according to the company. All of Westpac's contact centers are located in New Zealand.

Russell Jones, Westpac NZ's chief information officer, said that bringing in this new technology is an important step forward.

"We're really excited to be the first bank in New Zealand, as well as one of the first in the world, to introduce CCaaS," Jones said. "We expect to deploy the product to all our contact centres by August, meaning configuration, delivery, testing and full deployment will have been completed within the space of one year."

iCatalyst strengthens enterprise transformation capability with two senior solution executive appointments

iCatalyst, an Australian-owned Microsoft solutions partner, has added two senior leaders to its team, Ulrich Theaart and Jason Cuolahan, as delivery executives to support its growth across Australia.