The rise of cloud technology and as-a-service solutions has been evident for some time. For years, companies have been moving to Unified Communications as a service, and cloud-based communication platforms for better flexibility and reduced costs. However, the rise of the pandemic in 2020 could mean that CCaaS becomes the only way forward for brands in 2021 and beyond.
In a short period, the COVID-19 outbreak changed everything we thought we knew about business and the consumer world. Suddenly, face-to-face interactions were a thing of the past, and companies needed to determine what true customer care looked like in a virtual environment.
What’s more, as offices and traditional contact centres began to shut down, companies had to invest in remote working strategies faster than ever. Before the pandemic, CCaaS, (Contact Centre as a Service), technology was at around 20% penetration. Now, without a cloud strategy in your company, you could find that you’re unable to ensure ongoing business continuity, and customer satisfaction.
The Value of CCaaS in Consistent CX
By 2022, Gartner’s Magic Quadrant tells us that CCaaS will be the preferred adoption model for around half of all contact centres. That means that in the space of just over 2 years, the penetration of CCaaS will have doubled – thanks primarily to the impact of the pandemic.
When CCaaS began making its way into the communication and customer engagement environment, it was an obvious next step for companies already investing in UCaaS and similar technologies. If you already have your internal communications strategy on the cloud, then it makes sense to make your contact centre cloud-based too.
Contact Centres as a Service promised agile companies the flexibility to update their services and increase their number of agents quickly and conveniently. The cloud is capable of scale at an incredible pace, and it’s easy to add new features and services to the mix with little initial investment. Yet, despite the benefits that CCaaS has to offer, many companies stuck with their legacy equipment.
Larger companies, and those with heavy investments in on-premises tools weren’t willing to make the switch to the cloud straight away. Unfortunately for those companies, the pandemic meant that CCaaS was no longer an option.
Without access to contact centre technology on the cloud, a business cannot continue to offer sales support and service when the office isn’t open. Teams need to be able to unlock the same functionality they get from the contact centre wherever they are. The cloud gives companies the tools they need to maintain business continuity no matter what happens in the wider world.
Companies can no longer afford to lag behind their competitors in the age of remote employees and digital transformation.
CCaaS Opens the Door to Flexible Growth
The most obvious benefit of CCaaS to arise from an assessment of corporate response to COVID-19, is that it allows for ongoing business continuity. You can run your contact centre anywhere with CCaaS and ensure remote employees can offer the same level of service.
However, CCaaS also has more to offer than protection. It can also be the key to growth and innovation in an age where consumers are becoming increasingly demanding. In times of crisis and uncertainty, like this, customers are looking for brands they can trust.
