A spring 2013 study by CMIQ shows that more contact center stakeholders are either planning to install or investigate new cloud and hosted technologies in 2013 and 2014, but some major factors still stand in the way. In their Spring 2013, Executive Report on Call Center Technology, Adoption, Reliability and Usability, CMIQ surveyed 111 contact center and customer management leaders from the likes of Best Buy, American Express, GlaxoSmithKline, John Deere and more, representing contact centers of various sizes.
The researchers focused on both cloud (Internet-based, including benefits associated with Internet resources) and hosted (requiring a direct data link) solutions. Of those surveyed, 46.4 percent are using and 62.5 percent are investigating cloud solutions while 57.6 percent are using and 26.9 percent are investigating hosted solutions. They found that both solution styles were gaining headway, for the most part, due to the ease of adding new channels as well as cost effectiveness.
Reluctance to Adopt Cloud and Hosted Solutions for Some
While cloud and hosted solutions are a good fit for some contact centers, there are still a significant number of holdouts. The biggest concern regarding cloud solutions is security (50 percent) with level of investment in on-premise technologies (25 percent) and concerns about integration with current on-premise technologies (25 percent) tying for second place.
The contact center leaders considering hosted solutions have the same concerns, but at different levels. The primary inhibition here was loss of investment in legacy on-premise technology (50 percent), followed by security (38.9 percent) and potential for integration issues with current on-premise systems (16.7 percent).
Choose Your Vendor Wisely
The study also found that here was minor concern about losing control when handing over the reins to an outside vendor in both scenarios: 8.3 percent for cloud solutions and 11.1 percent for hosted solutions. While the study did find that vendor reliability wasn’t a concern for most of those surveyed, finding a quality vendor who you can trust should help ease those concerns that are important to you and your enterprise.
When you do decide to start investigating new cloud and/or hosted solutions, interview recommended vendors and ask for references. Integrating any new contact center technology will take from months to years to plan, install and launch. Make sure the vendor you choose demonstrates these qualities:
One of the biggest benefits of cloud and hosted technologies versus on-premise systems and solutions is the flexibility to integrate new technologies as they develop. This should be a big part of the conversation you have when interviewing vendors.
What steps does your company take to help my company protect this new investment and make it viable and adaptable for years to come?
At KOVA Corporation we develop custom, enterprise contact center and workforce management solutions unique to the individual organizations we serve. We can help your enterprise determine which solution – cloud, hosted, on-premise – or combination of solutions would work best in your environment. Contact a KOVA representative to discuss your options.
