Abstract: Apparatus and methods for producing ultrashort optical pulses are described. A high-power, solid-state, passively mode-locked laser can be manufactured in a compact module that can be incorporated into a portable instrument. The mode-locked laser can produce sub-50-ps optical pulses at a repetition rates between 200 MHz and 50 MHz, rates suitable for massively parallel data-acquisition. The optical pulses can be used to generate a reference clock signal for synchronizing data-acquisition and signal-processing electronics of the portable instrument.

Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure relate generally to methods and systems for monitoring customer service channels and directing a customer's interaction with the customer service channels based on previous interaction information. A database may be operable to receive and analyze information from a plurality of customer service channels. The database may be operable to receive, store, analyze, categorize, search, and report the information received from the customer service channels, wherein a customer service system may utilize the information in the database to direct customer interactions.

Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure relate generally to methods and systems for monitoring customer service channels and identifying possible improvements for customer service channels. A computer system may comprise one or more analysis applications operable to receive and analyze information from a plurality of customer service channels. Customer service channels may include retail stores, customer care centers, and websites.

Abstract: A customer care knowledge management system. The system comprises a server computer comprising more than one search engine, configured to search an answer to the problem in the document, in a social community, and in at least one external website, wherein a social community is a computer managed online social community. The server computer further comprises a user interface server application, configured to combine search results from the more than one search engine, attach relevant discussions in a social community to the document, wherein a discussion is an aggregation of comments, replies, or posts on a topic, issue, or subject matter, filter at least some search results based on a profile of a customer care agent and the type of the problem, and notify at least one subject matter expert of the problem if no answer is found.

Abstract: A method of sending proactive notification of potential wireless communications service impacts. The method comprises when a top cell tower on a user equipment's notification cell tower list is forecast to have potential service impact, wherein a top cell tower is the cell tower with the most traffic volume usage by a user equipment on a notification cell tower list of the user equipment, sending a notification to the user equipment a predefined period of time before the potential service impact is forecast to occur, wherein the format of the notification is selected based on at least one of the type of a subscriber of the user equipment, a wireless communications service plan type, a call pattern, an interaction-with-customer-service pattern, and a churn risk level, wherein a churn risk level corresponds to a possibility of a subscriber transferring to another mobile communication network.