Will Google Make Its Big Contact Center Move in 2025?

Despite significant potential in its AI, data strategy, and pricing, Google is yet to grab the CCaaS bull by its horns

3
Contact CenterNews Analysis

Published: January 16, 2025

Floyd March headshot

Floyd March

Over the last seven years, Google has leaned increasingly into the contact center space.

However, many in the sector have been wondering when the giant will grab the bull by the horns.

That begs the question: could the time be in 2025?

A quick history lesson will tell us about the movements to date. 2018 saw Google tentatively enter the contact center space with the release of the AI suite with agent-assist, chatbot-building tools, and real-time transcriptions.

This was followed up in 2022, with the vendor drastically extending its proposition with a fully-fledged CCaaS platform. New features, many of which the sector has become familiar with, included an agent desktop, IVR, and multiple customer engagement channels.

In the couple of years that followed, there was a relatively quiet patch from a Google perspective before further momentum in 2024 when it rubberstamped the CCaaS credentials with big client wins. 

In an exclusive interview with CX Today, Amit Kumar, CCaaS Product Manager at Google, highlighted these megadeals, including a 10,000-seat win in North America.  

Yet, despite these wins, alongside its recent launch of the Customer Engagement Suite with Google AI, many in the sector still feel Google has yet to make that big statement of intent in the CCaaS space and take the challenge to the likes of NICE, Genesys, and Five9. 

Speaking to analysts on a recent 10 CCaaS Providers to Watch Out for in 2025 YouTube video, Liz Miller, VP & Principal Analyst at Constellation Research, echoed these sentiments. 

She said, “Over the past year, I’ve seen more colleagues wondering if Google is serious about becoming a major player in the contact center world in 2025. 

 While some companies, like Cisco, have clear plans for the future, Google’s path seems a little more uncertain.

Google Could and Should Utilize Its AI Momentum in 2025

One thing that works in Google’s favor for 2025 is the momentum it has built on the AI side, particularly with the Gemini product, which is a standout model. 

Access to that first-party AI could be significant in a space where AI is set to have a profound impact.

Miller continued: “They also have an impressive cloud infrastructure, and their pricing structure is hard to beat. But the real question is whether they can transition from just offering contact center intelligence and connectors to actually being recognized as a legitimate CCaaS provider. 

They have potential, but I’m still watching to see if there’s real substance behind all the hype.

“The sector has not received much feedback from customers saying that Google’s solutions have fundamentally changed how they view contact centers.”

Additionally, Google’s enterprise efforts have previously faced criticism for not gaining the marketing attention they warrant.

This has been especially apparent in the Unified Communications space. There, Google has made attempts, but those efforts haven’t had the backing to compete with the likes of Microsoft, Slack, and Zoom.

Google Has Another Edge In How It Could Handle Conversational Data

Alongside first-party AI and flexible pricing, Miller believes that Google may also have an edge in how it handles data. She said:

If they were to leverage customer conversations to create custom models and inputs through Gemini, it could dramatically change the intelligence model in ways that would be beneficial for enterprises.

Indeed, with these custom models and inputs, Gemini may not only better track customer trends but automate actions on the back of them.

Miller continued: “I think that’s where they [Google] have the most opportunity, but equally, that seems to be the place they’re not looking at at the moment.” 

As Miller pinpointed these significant possibilities, Zeus Kerravala, Principal Analyst at ZK Research, remained skeptical.

He told CX Today: “I think this time next year, we’ll be asking the same question. I think they’re an interesting one to watch, but I don’t really expect anything different this year than we’ve seen in previous years.”  

Will Google Make Its Big Contact Center Move in 2025? – The Future Remains Unclear

It seems as if 2025 will be yet another year to watch for Google, and the ball is definitely in its court. 

One eye will be on future developments, but the other will be on where they intend to put the output of CCaaS and all the conversations into data that somehow transforms how an enterprise or even how a midsize organization can leverage Gemini differently. 

To uncover the panel’s insights on the 10 CCaaS Providers to look out for in 2025, check out the full video here.

 

Artificial IntelligenceCCaaS

Brands mentioned in this article.

Featured

Share This Post