Cloud-based Contact Center

The US Contact Center Decision-Makers' Guide, 2013 – 6th edition
This newest edition of the Decision-Makers' Guide from ContactBabel offers the largest and most comprehensive study of all aspects of the US contact center industry: Performance, operations, HR, and technology, including the degree to which centers are turning to cloud-based solutions. Read the survey results and analysis from more than 200 contact center managers and directors in this exclusive version of the Decision-Makers' Guide, sponsored by Interactive Intelligence.

Building the Business Case for a Cloud-Based Contact Center Solution
Cloud-based contact center solutions are altering the dynamics and responsibilities of operating environments. As a value proposition, business and IT managers have found the cloud’s cost-effective service appealing. But to make sure senior management is also comfortable with the financial advantages of a cloud-based solution, it’s essential to build a solid business case first. Read how in this comprehensive report from DMG Consulting, sponsored by Interactive Intelligence.

The Total Cost of Ownership of Cloud and Premise-Based Contact Center Systems
Contact centers looking to expand or refresh their technology infrastructure should consider comparing the total cost of ownership (TCO) of cloud-based tools with that of traditional premise-based systems. Hosting has traditionally been viewed as a cost-effective option for small centers without capital expense budgets, but Ovum believes that it is also a viable alternative for some larger centers looking at more complex and sophisticated technology environments. This report looks at TCO comparisons for cloud and premise-based contact centers over a five-year period. It includes comparisons for centers in different situations, ranging in size from 50 agent positions to 750 agent positions, and incorporates different levels of technology commitments.

Supporting Multiple Channels of Customer Engagement: How Cloud-Based Contact Centers Expand Interaction
Customers want more ways to interact with businesses, and there is definitely a competitive advantage when companies offer innovative ways to do so. Enter cloud-based applications for multichannel communications, and why 63% of companies surveyed are considering them for their contact center. Read more in this Research Perspective from Ventana Research.

CIO Market Pulse: Communications-as-a-Service
According to a new survey from IDG Research Services, more IT leaders are turning to the cloud “as a service” model to deploy businesses communications applications. And they’re doing so in a number of industries, at an increasingly significant rate. Read the survey’s findings, and the rationale of IT leaders for choosing the cloud, in this CIO Market Pulse white paper sponsored by Interactive Intelligence.

The Inner Circle Guide to Cloud-Based Contact Center Solutions
That cloud-based contact center solutions are appealing right now comes down primarily to the increased functionality of hosted applications and the proven success and acceptance of the cloud itself. This report from ContactBabel, sponsored by Interactive Intelligence, details the drivers for cloud-based contact center solutions, along with key factors for implementation and use.
US version
UK version

Cloud Contact Center Market Trends: Movement from Best-of-Breed to Suites
For contact centers, moving to the cloud is no longer the question. The question is: What’s the best approach? According to the findings in this Executive Brief from Frost & Sullivan, best-of-breed and full-suite cloud solutions are both viable approaches at this point. Long term, however, full-suite cloud solutions will become the preferred model. Read what factors are driving the full-suite trend.

Business Communications: The Next Wave in Cloud-Based Computing?: Study compiled by IDG Research Services, in conjunction with CIO Custom Solutions Group
Cloud computing has quickly established its rightful place in modern IT organizations, helping enterprises become more agile while keeping costs in line. And with near-mainstream appeal, the new delivery model has proven its stripes with applications like messaging, storage and CRM. Now, technology innovators are applying what they’ve learned—and what they’ve gained—to business communications. This recent study by IDG Research Services explores how and why enterprises are taking communications into the cloud.

The Contact Center

Next-Generation Mobile Apps Improve Self-Service: Capabilities for Empowering and Satisfying Customers
Mobile apps may finally be fulfilling the purpose of customer self-service. But to realize the potential of these apps, businesses must make a fundamental shift in their orientation. According to this latest Research Perspective from Ventana Research, next-gen self-service apps must empower users to continue transactions seamlessly, from the starting point of a transaction until all issues are resolved.

Mobile Apps Advance Customer Self-Service
Nearly two-thirds of customers who try to solve issues online or through an interactive voice response (IVR) system inevitably choose to speak with an agent. Can smartphone applications change this interaction landscape for the better? Ventana Research discusses the effect of self-service mobile applications on customer service strategy.

The Future of Customer Service in a Mobile World: Smart, Connected Interactions
The way customer service is delivered will change over the next five years thanks in large part to the abundance of smart devices and applications that give customers the freedom to actively engage with businesses. Daniel Hong and Keith Dawson from Ovum take an extensive look at how smart devices can revolutionize the customer experience.

Frost & Sullivan survey and report: Emerging Trends and Technologies Shaping the Contact Center Industry in the New Economy
After months of cost controls taking top priority, contact center executives say their organizations are finally planning to start investing again in new technologies and service initiatives. Among the top considerations: multimedia interaction channels, proactive customer contact, hosted contact center solutions, and social media. Read the full report for why these trends are at the top of the list.

The All-in-One Research Report Series from Benchmark Portal Inc.

Report #1: BenchmarkPortal's Research Report: A comparison of All-in-One versus Multi-Point Contact Center Solutions
Contact center managers, CTOs and IT professionals surveyed by BenchmarkPortal say they prefer a single, all-in-one source for all technology needs-and that they want their chosen single-source vendor to provide best-in-class functionality. Read the report's full results.

Report #2: BenchmarkPortal's All-in-One Cost Report
In 2006 BenchmarkPortal published findings based on a contact center survey showing that all-in-one systems were preferred over multi-point systems. This report explores the costs of both systems, with survey findings showing a lower total cost of ownership for all-in-one versus multi-point contact center systems. Read the report's full results.

Report #3: Technology Adoption/Migration Strategies for All-In-One Contact Center Solutions
Last in the BenchmarkPortal Series, contact center managers tell what they learned about migrating to an all-in-one solution: That a rip-and-replace approach isn’t needed, that migration can successfully follow different paths, and that self-knowledge, meticulous planning and ongoing integration capability are key.

Unified Communications

Today’s Enterprise Workforces: Remote But Not Isolated : Survey Conducted by IDG Research Services, in Conjunction with CIO Custom Solutions Group
In conjunction with CIO Custom Solutions Group, IDG Research Services recently surveyed enterprise decision-makers on IP communications and remote employees, and the results were favorably uniform: IP telephony keeps remote employees connected, communicating and collaborating as effectively as their in-office counterparts. Read what else respondents had to say.

IT Spending in a Down Economy: Smart Investments Make for Competitive Advantage
The economy is the topic of many water-cooler discussions and boardroom debates worldwide. IDG Research discovers how today’s economic conditions are affecting CIOs' purchase decisions.