As customer expectations continue to evolve, cloud-based contact center solutions are beginning to emerge as a table-stakes investment for managing their communications.
The cloud offers consistent agility that supports businesses in adapting to changing trends, channels, and customer demands. However, finding the right CCaaS solution to empower a customer service team is becoming more complex.
Indeed, increasing cloud contact center migrations have prompted a host of new entrants to begin exploring the CCaaS space. Microsoft, Google, and Salesforce are some of the big names attempting to take over the contact center market.
As a result, the CCaaS market is increasingly suffocated, with businesses having many options to choose from.
Of course, choosing a large-scale vendor that also offers CRM or UCaaS is tempting for many. After all, they may support integrations and remove complexity from the overarching contact center architecture.
Yet, thanks to increasing interoperability, such benefits are watered-down at best.
Bigger Isn’t Always Better: Exploring the CCaaS Space
New CCaaS entrants may appear to offer several benefits, like stability and reliability. However, their solutions currently lack the depth of more seasoned players – particularly regarding voice.
Choosing to focus on supporting digital media first, these new CCaaS vendors sometimes have gaps in their voice channel support.
Moreover, their focus is sometimes divided between building up core capabilities and developing specialized features that deliver differentiated experiences.
Acknowledging this, these stalwart vendors have become platform businesses, allowing smaller providers to build off their technology to deliver true innovation.
For instance, Microsoft allows CCaaS providers to make the Teams experience better – despite having a cloud contact center solution of their own, which aligns with Teams.
Perhaps this is an admission that specialist vendors are the bearers of innovation, and the solutions of these market entrants alone cannot deliver the differentiated experiences many customers crave.
In addition, they often bring specific expertise and the agility to innovate faster.
Indeed, stalwart CCaaS vendors focus all their attention, R&D activities, and creativity on developing robust all-in-one platforms. These offer powerful, flexible and universal interoperability with leading CRM, WFO, and AI systems.
Not best of breed, but something much more innovative – bring your own CRM, bring your own WFM, and bring your own AI.
CCaaS veterans also offer bundled solutions, if you choose not to bring your own, working closely with brands to create a customized contact center that meets their unique needs from scratch.
With such white-glove service, businesses can enjoy the expertise and reassurance of specialists, assisting them in delivering specific modular tools or entire contact center ecosystems.
Indeed, this close relationship is often pivotal when migrating legacy applications into the cloud as seamlessly as possible.
Looking Beyond Size for the Ideal CCaaS Solution
While many new CCaaS entrants have experience building cloud products, many will likely have to roll up system integrators or global consultancies to build their contact center expertise.
After all, a contact center solution is mission-critical for many mid-market and large enterprises. It is not something to throw at the wall to see what works. Background experience, expertise, and capacity for innovation are all essential considerations when implementing CCaaS.
Perhaps this is why specialist CCaaS vendors are thriving in an increasingly saturated space. Indeed, many large-scale vendors seem to be swirling in a pool of sameness.
Yet, ultimately, to select the best CCaaS offering, businesses need to look beyond the size of the vendor. Innovation and creativity – alongside the support and service of a smaller provider – can deliver the best results.
Rather than focusing on size alone, brands should think about:
- Their Cloud Journey: Many of the CCaaS solutions offered by more prominent vendors support companies already in the midst of their cloud journey. However, some companies may need different flavors of cloud deployments, including hybrid cloud environments. In this instance, a nimble provider capable of integrating the cloud with legacy tools is often the better choice. These companies can also assist with a step-by-step migration.
- A Strategy for Innovation: Brands should ask themselves whether the CCaaS provider they plan to work with listens closely to their customers and builds their feedback into their innovation plans. More focused vendors often do this.
- Their Geographical Footprint: Consider geographic needs and language requirements, ensuring the vendor supports operations in critical locations and has a highly experienced team ready to assist.
- The Scalability of CCaaS: One of the most significant benefits of cloud migration is scalability. Yet not every CCaaS platform scales to the same extent. Global operations must stay wary of this. Be wary of hidden usage costs that get magnified as the system scales.
- The Role of the Contact Center: Is the contact center deemed essential to business success? Are the basic functionalities enough, or are the bells and whistles crucial? In cases of the latter, CCaaS specialists are likely the best option.
Other critical considerations may include assessing whether the vendor facilitates an expanding channel mix, offers CPaaS for advanced customization, and provides an intuitive agent interface.
From this list, niche CCaaS vendors seemingly still have lots to offer over larger competitors.
Some Smaller Vendors Stand Out
Aside from the enterprise vendors now entering the CCaaS space and providers featured in analyst reports, such as the Gartner Magic Quadrant, particular vendors are quietly going about their business, delivering excellent results.
ComputerTalk is an excellent example, with more than 35 years of experience in the cloud contact center environment, building unique solutions for individual customers.
Indeed, it offers a comprehensive range of contact center “modules” to choose from, which allows brands to implement new functionality at their own pace.
ComputerTalk also offers that all-important white-glove service, with their contact center experts helping to customize their contact center from start to finish. As such, businesses can implement the ideal selection of tools without paying for unnecessary add-ons.
“Our goal is to create lasting partnerships with our clients by working with them to understand their business, challenges, and plans so we can align our roadmaps,” added Dennis Menard, Advanced Solution Specialist at ComputerTalk.
At ComputerTalk, each customer is unique and their solution is delivered by an experienced in-house team of skilled professionals.
Additionally, because vendors like ComputerTalk focus exclusively on the contact center, they offer tried and true native connectors to third-party systems – not just providing out-of-the-box technology, and they support and fix any interoperability issues that may arise. They are a one-stop shop for all of your contact center needs.
To learn more about ComputerTalk’s CCaaS offerings, visit: www.computer-talk.com.
