Since 2017, AWS has supported Genesys in its CCaaS venture, giving the vendor access to its microservices architecture.
Yet, as AWS has evolved its Amazon Connect solution – taking on Genesys at the top-end of the CCaaS market – some would have expected this alliance to have wavered.
Instead, the two businesses signed a Strategic Collaboration Agreement (SCA) last month to double down on their partnership. This is both a joint development and a go-to-market agreement.
Why? “To help organizations create exceptional experiences through deeper coordination of technologies and intelligent, automated solutions,” according to the press release.
Nevertheless, the move may seem odd as they are direct CCaaS competitors.
In 2017, that was not quite the case. At this time, Amazon Connect was a set of building blocks that developers could arrange to create a differentiated offering. Meanwhile, Genesys went to market with more of a complete offering.
As such, there was a lot of logic in the partnership – as brands pick the option best suited to them.
Yet, as the years rolled on, AWS recognized the desire in the market for connected CCaaS offerings and now also offers pre-built solutions.
As it did so, the vendor added many base CCaaS functionalities and is now catching up with market leaders, as the latest Gartner Magic Quadrant highlights.
So, why strengthen the partnership with one of its most prominent market rivals? Scratch below the surface, and there are incentives for both.
The Incentives for Genesys
Being part of the AWS marketplace offers Genesys an opportunity to expand its footprint and engage a new batch of prospective customers.
In doing so, it may highlight the depth of its CCaaS capabilities, some of which go beyond what Amazon Connect currently offers.
An example of this is in the native WFO solutions. While Amazon Connect is catching up here – rolling out new workforce management tools last year – Genesys offers a deeper AI-powered portfolio.
Interestingly, Genesys developed this AI on AWS and may use it to differentiate itself from Amazon Connect and attract enterprise customers.
As Rebecca Wetteman, Principal at Valoir, said in conversation with CX Today:
It’s a great way for Genesys to look at the uninitiated AWS audience and make it clear to them that they may need both.
As a result, teaming up with AWS may allow Genesys to present itself as the premium, enterprise-grade player in the marketplace.
Moreover, now Genesys is channelling all its resources into its Cloud CX offering, the move may be a tactic for Genesys to tie itself closer to Amazon Cloud.
Finally, as this is a joint development, Genesys may take the opportunity to access other tools within the broader AWS ecosystem – including Polly, Lamda, and possibly Lex.
These tools can undoubtedly add value to a CCaaS environment and may inspire additions to the future innovation roadmap for Genesys.
The Incentives for AWS
While Amazon Connect is winning enterprise customers in CCaaS and challenging market leaders, it is still much newer to the game than the likes of Genesys, NICE, and Talkdesk.
The good news is that it releases feature updates and enhancements at an unrivalled speed. Yet, it still trails these stalwarts in some of its capabilities.
For instance, Gartner noted: “Some clients indicate that Amazon Connect’s reporting capabilities within the UI lack the granularity and flexibility they require.”
With a joint go-to-market proposition, AWS may tap into the Genesys portfolio to plug some of these potential gaps as it catches up.
Yet, from a more general perspective, the move is likely part of the AWS strategy to offer a cloud ecosystem that transcends the CX industry.
As Liz Miller, VP & Principal Analyst at Constellation Research, said: “Can we think of anyone who isn’t partnering with AWS?
At Constellation Research, we have an awards program, and we have this “best partnership” category. Everybody put forward their partnership with AWS.
“It became impossible to decide between all these entries, so we eventually gave the award to AWS and everybody.”
Miller’s story underlines the value AWS places on interoperability. It seemingly acknowledges that not every business will use the same communications tools in such a crowded space. There are just too many.
Instead, AWS ensures they all work together and does an excellent job of giving its customers the APIs they desire – even if that means teaming up with rivals.
The Final Verdict: Good News for AWS, Genesys, and End-Users
Genesys gains significant benefits from this agreement. It can reach a new audience, present itself as a premium CCaaS offering, and harness the broader AWS ecosystem for future innovation.
While AWS might not enjoy the same bonuses, it can strengthen its proposition with a joint go-to-market offering and expand its already extensive marketplace.
As such, not only does the deal make sense from a business perspective, but AWS and Genesys clients will likely see the benefits in the long run. It’s a win-win-win.
