Michael Burrows, Enterprise Architecture Practice Lead Engineering at Miratech provides his thoughts on CCaas and AI
In the ever-evolving world of communication technology, staying up to date with the latest advancements is crucial. This is especially true for businesses that rely on communication tools to connect with their customers and employees.
In this blog, I’ll delve into the latest trends in UCaaS and CCaaS, and examine the critical questions businesses need to ask themselves when considering a move to the cloud.
The Rise of CCaaS Solutions
Contact Center as a Service (CCaaS) solutions have been gaining momentum and market share over the last several years, as more on-premises legacy solutions announce their end-of-life. CCaaS solutions have been created with the purpose of replacing the entire contact center ecosystem with one product.
As with many Swiss Army knife tools, CCaaS platforms are good, but there’s room for improvement across all features and functionality. For many smaller contact centers, an out-of-the-box CCaaS works fine, but as the size and complexity of the contact center grows the need for bespoke CCaaS solution increases.
Big contact centers face a tough choice with CCaaS solutions: settle for mediocre service or start building a set of integrated products. Sometimes, CCaaS vendors offer integrations in their marketplace, but it costs extra each month. Alternatively, companies can have their tech teams create integrations themselves. However, in most cases, doing this in-house requires a lot of time and specialist talent. Alternatively, they can leverage an experienced systems integrator like Miratech to develop custom contact center solutions.
Challenges and Realities of AI Adoption
In today’s contact center industry, the buzzword everywhere is AI. But do we truly grasp what AI entails and how it operates? And is the adoption of AI as widespread as commonly believed?
Surprisingly, the adoption rate of AI within contact centers is not as common as one might think. Many companies are devising strategies to test AI technology and enhance customer experiences. The fear of delivering a negative experience has, in some cases, led to a state of paralysis where organizations struggle to initiate their AI journey.
The other challenge with AI is that the technology is in its infancy stage, and constantly evolving. Major players like Google, Microsoft/Nuance, and Amazon are in the fray, alongside numerous niche vendors such as Kore.ai, Cognigy, and Yellow.ai. However, this list merely scratches the surface, as each provider offers unique solutions with diverse strengths and weaknesses.
Crafting a Strategic CX Approach with CCaaS and AI
As larger and more complex contact centers consider transitioning to the cloud, they face a lot of challenges with the current market offerings. Questions inevitably arise: Can contact centers truly be managed effectively with a CCaaS solution? Should we pursue a best-in-breed contact center strategy, integrating various products? Which AI engine is best suited for our needs?
Answering these questions is not only tough, but it is also unique to each organization. Each company should outline their priority use cases and requirements, then carefully evaluate available products and strategies. It’s crucial to be realistic from the outset: there’s no perfect product, only one that aligns with your company’s goals for delivering exceptional customer experiences.
Some larger and more complex contact centers have looked to begin their cloud journey by first implementing the conversational AI experience they envision, and then working on the CCaaS solution later. This approach helps mitigate the complexity of migrating all features and functionality at once.
Unfortunately, there’s no one-size-fits-all solution for migrating to CCaaS and leveraging AI to transform your customer experience. Given the magnitude of this decision, it’s vital to partner with a trusted partner like Miratech – capable of offering impartial insights, outlining both the strengths and weaknesses of various vendors and solutions tailored to your organization’s needs.
Conclusion
As businesses navigate the complexity of contact center technology, it’s important to start the process with insight from a vendor neutral advisor who can give guidance to your core decision making team. Miratech stands as a trusted partner, offering comprehensive CCaaS services, from seamless migration to expert integration and implementation.
With over 25 years of experience in developing contact center solutions for global leaders, our strategic CX expertise ensures tailored solutions that drive exceptional customer experiences. Partner with Miratech to embark on your journey towards contact center transformation and elevate your customer engagement.
Reach out to us if you’re interested in learning more.
Bio Michael Burrows
With over 27 years of expertise in Contact Center, Application Development, Reporting/Business Intelligence, and Database Development, Mike has navigated major vendor products like Avaya, Genesys, Five9, and Cisco, while ensuring compliance with Financial Services industry policies.
