Cloud-based technology is one of the most exciting, and in some ways the least understood, innovations in the contact center industry today.

It’s understandable why this is. On the one hand, cloud technology allows for an easier storage and portability of massive amounts of data and software, which makes establishing a fully functional contact center with customer data a much easier process, even without a physical location.

On the other hand, there’s a sense of amorphousness about the cloud, something that people might find hard to define. But it’s important to come to grips with cloud technology, because it’s almost certainly a harbinger of a future that mixes both virtual and physical call centers. Here are some ways that the cloud is changing call centers today and in the years to come.

Just to make our topic a little clearer before we start off, cloud-based contact center technology allows businesses to their operate their software systems online, without needing on-site servers.

The contact center’s data storage is all in the cloud, and the servers typically either belong to the service provider, or are operated through a third party.

Hardware and infrastructure could be becoming a thing of the past

Other than a healthy, high-bandwidth internet connection, cloud-based customer service systems don’t require any costly infrastructure or hardware.

So that connection is the only real expense a business needs to take into account when it comes to expenses. It’s important to remember, however, that without that crucial bandwidth, your cloud-based call center can’t operate.

But while that monthly subscription fee (the most typical way to purchase access) will be a more frequent expense, it won’t be as costly as running an entire physical server. It’s difficult to imagine the modern-day or future call center not taking these revolutionary cost-cutting measures.

Customization and upgrades are easier than ever

Contact center software that’s based in cloud technology, like the Verint Media Recorder Workforce Management solution, is getting faster and faster, and customization is easier than ever.

Contact centers can scale their system to their own size or best practices, and removing users is an incredibly simple process. If you’re a call center that changes staffing levels seasonally, cloud technology can allow you to add and remove members of your staff based on the level of demand.

This allows the call center to expand or contract their workforce as needed.

Less hardware leads to fewer technical difficulties

As we mentioned above, there’s a lot less physical equipment involved in cloud-based call centers, meaning that reliance on hardware is becoming a thing of the past. This increases the reliability and quality of the calls coming into your center

In general, as long as the connection is strong, fewer calls will be dropped, conversations will be easier to hear, and a cloud-based contact center will have an advantage on those that still rely on physical assets. It’s easy to see what an edge that could give one contact center over another.

Cybersecurity features are up to or surpass all industry standards

When cloud technology was first being introduced to businesses, it had a reputation for being less secure than physical servers.

But the truth is that cloud providers are just as concerned as any other technology provider about cybersecurity. Reputable providers have made it a priority to stay ahead of the curve in terms of keeping customer and business data safe.

Want to learn more about how the cloud can help your organization? Read our post “How the Right Technology Can Make You a Better Manager.”