The National Library of New Zealand needed a solution to be able to offer an online chat service to all of the New Zealand schools, so allfields stepped up to the challenge and quickly customised and deployed Smartchat.
In January 2011 the AnyQuestions service switched from the previous chat software we used to SmartChat from Allfields. Where the previous chat software was clunky, unwieldy and unreliable, both for students and operators, SmartChat is a breeze to use. It is simple to use with the back end features we need to support our service (such as statistical reporting and the ability to download transcripts).
Allfields have also made a number of customisations for us to suit our needs and these have resulted in a greatly enhanced product. Both the operators, and most importantly, the students love the new chat software, with comments like “Whoah! AnyQuestions upgraded!” common.
Robert Baigent – AnyQuestions/UiaNgāPātai Service Manager
our approach
Allfields have been managing and hosting two key National Library sites, www.anyquestions.co.nz and www.uiangapatai.co.nz, which are designed to help school children by providing real help with their homework. As part of the service the National Library of New Zealand required an online chat system where the students log in by filling out a form on the AnyQuestions or UiaNgāPātai site which then adds them to a queue where a helpful librarian is waiting to assist them with their homework question.
Some of the key requirements were:
- Student chat interface through a widget hosted on the AnyQuestions and UiaNgāPātai sites
- Operator/Administration area
- Multiple operators and students online at the same time
- Multiple queues (for both English and Maori speaking students)
- Transferring of student to another operator
- Scripted replies
- Reviewable Transcripts
- Advanced Reporting
the result
Allfields successfully customised and deployed ‘SmartChat’, a solution that met all of the requirements of the National Library of New Zealand. The site was launched at the start of February to coincide with the new school year. Since then it has served over 1,000 chat sessions (now averaging several hundred per month), connecting students with the information they need.
