Methods for providing cross-vendor support services

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored therein, which when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform a method for product support services, the method comprising:

• receiving, at a services application programming interface (API) of a support center, a first request from a first user for support services of a first product provided by a first client of the support center, wherein the support center provides support services for a plurality of products provided on behalf of a plurality of clients, wherein each of the plurality of clients represents one of a product manufacturer, a product distributer, and a product retailer of the products, wherein the first user has purchased the first product from the first client and has registered the first product with the support center for support services;
• receiving, at the services API of the support center, a second request from a second user for support services of a second product provided by a second client of the support center, wherein the second user has purchased the second product from the second client and has registered the second product with the support center for support services;
• identifying a first knowledgebase (KB) associated with the first client and a second KB associated with the second client, wherein the first KB contains information describing one or more solutions of one or more problems of the first product that have been previously identified and the first KB has been compiled specifically tailored to the first client's needs, and wherein the second KB contains information describing one or more solutions of one or more problems of the second product that have been previously identified and the second KB has been compiled specifically tailored to the second client's needs;
• identifying a third KB that contains information describing one or more technical solutions to one or more technical problems common to the first product and the second product, but are not specifically related to the first client and the second client;
• enabling the first KB and the third KB to be accessible by a first agent assigned to provide support services of the first product to the first user without exposing the second KB to the second agent;
• and
• enabling the second KB and the third KB to be accessible by a second agent assigned to provide support services of the second product to the second user without exposing the first KB to the first agent;
• establishing a first communication session between the first user and the first agent to enable the first agent to conduct a live support session to provide support services of the first product to the first user using the first KB and the third KB;
• and
• establishing a second communication session between the second user and the second agent to enable the second agent to conduct a live support session to provide support services of the second product to the second user using the second KB and the third KB, such that confidential information of the first KB of the first client and the second KB of the second client is not shared across different clients during the first live session and the second live session.

A system for product support services provided by a support center, the system comprising:

• a processor;
• a memory coupled to the processor;
• a services application programming interface (API), executed in the memory by the processor, to receive a first request from a first user for support services of a first product provided by a first client of a support center, the support center providing support services for a plurality of products provided on behalf of a plurality of clients, wherein the services API is configured to receive a second request from a second user for support services of a second product provided by a second client of the support center, wherein each of the plurality of clients represents one of a product manufacturer, a product distributer, and a product retailer of the products, wherein the first user has purchased the first product from the first client and has registered the first product with the support center for support services, and wherein the second user has purchased the second product from the second client and has registered the second product with the support center for support services;
• a knowledge manager, executed in the memory by the processor, coupled to the services API to identify a first knowledgebase (KB) associated with the first client, a second KB associated with the second client, and a third KB that contains information describing one or more technical solutions to one or more technical problems common to the first product and the second product, but are not specifically related to the first client and the second client, wherein the first KB contains information describing one or more solutions of one or more problems of the first product that have been previously identified and the first KB has been compiled specifically tailored to the first client's needs, and wherein the second KB contains information describing one or more solutions of one or more problems of the second product that have been previously identified and the second KB has been compiled specifically tailored to the second client's needs;
• an access control module, executed in the memory by the processor, coupled to the knowledge manager to enable the first KB and the third KB to be accessible by a first agent assigned to provide support services of the first product to the first user without exposing the second KB to the second agent and to enable the second KB and the third KB to be accessible by a second agent assigned to provide support services of the second product to the second user without exposing the first KB to the first agent;
• and
• a multi-channel communication system to establish a first communication session between the first user and the first agent to enable the first agent to conduct a live support session to provide support services of the first product to the first user using the first KB and the third KB, and to establish a second communication session between the second user and the second agent to enable the second agent to conduct a live support session to provide support services of the second product to the second user using the second KB and the third KB, such that confidential information of the first KB of the first client and the second KB of the second client is not shared across different clients during the first live session and the second live session.