February 03, 2012
Moving to the Cloud Considered a Risk; Even with IVR
By Susan J. Campbell, TMCnet Contributing Editor
Companies are examining the potential in moving capabilities to the cloud, but this migration is often considered a risk. Customer service organizations today are taking a new approach with technology, releasing some of their previous control issues by welcoming the cloud. According to this 1to1 Media report, the cloud is able to effectively manage costs and improve customer interactions.
When moving the infrastructure to the cloud, many business leaders are beginning the migration journey with IVR (Interactive Voice Response). Hosted IVR has made a significant impact in the overall market for hosted contact centers in North America, according to Frost & Sullivan (News - Alert). Hosted IVR revenues are expected to grow to a solid CAGR of nearly 8.6 percent and reach about $1 billion in the next five years.
From a contact center solution standpoint, the cloud can drastically improve services by combining speech automation and intelligent agent routing with outbound notifications and mobile applications. The result is a more convenient approach for those customers who have little time to actually go to the bank or shop in a physical store.
Despite a common misconception, the cloud happens to have one of the highest levels of security and compliance with constant monitoring and updates for both hardware and software. This quality of service ensures that bank contact center customers have the best possible customer service experience possible in a OPEX model.
While a majority of companies can reap the rewards of a cloud-based delivery model, not every enterprise finds the cloud a good fit. In certain environments, an on-premise IVR would be a better option. If a company has already taken on the financial costs associated with integrating a modern IVR infrastructure, making the business case to move to a subscription-based investment can be a challenge.
Other organizations that might want to stay put in their on-premise system include those already leading the pack in terms of call center experience compared with any other businesses in their market. They enjoy IVR capability with effortless customer interaction and personalization, feeling no pressure to make a change.
While many of these options make sense and work for those particular niche businesses, using the cloud for an IVR delivery model still offers a powerful value proposition for a number of companies.
Want to learn more about the latest in communications and technology? Then be sure to attend ITEXPO East 2012, happening now, in Miami, FL. ITEXPO (News - Alert) offers an educational program to help corporate decision makers select the right IP-based voice, video, fax and unified communications solutions to improve their operations. It's also where service providers learn how to profitably roll out the services their subscribers are clamoring for – and where resellers can learn about new growth opportunities. For more information on registering for ITEXPO registration, click here.
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Susan J. Campbell is a contributing editor for TMCnet and has also written for eastbiz.com. To read more of Susan’s articles, please visit her columnist page.
Edited by Jennifer Russell
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