When cloud computing first emerged, it was thought of as largely a small business solution. Large enterprises were wedded to on-premise systems because they had expensive infrastructure in place, and most couldn’t see past that.
However, as the cloud has matured, large organizations are switching in droves – particularly in the contact center. The reasons are many, but they include technological improvements, aging infrastructure, budget constraints, better cloud security and more. Here, in more detail, are the top reasons enterprises are making the cloud shift – and why you should, too.
Reason No. 1: Aging Infrastructure/Legacy Systems
As legacy contact center software is aging and becoming increasingly obsolete, enterprises are faced with a choice: replace it at a cost of tens or hundreds or thousands, or consider a more affordable and nimble cloud solution. Enterprises weren’t willing to consider the switch when they still had years of life left with on-premise systems, and that made sense. But as it comes time to replace legacy software, large enterprises are taking a closer look at the cloud.
Reason No. 2: Affordability
We touched on this above, but it’s a big one. Contact center operations are a major expense for large enterprises, and call center leaders are constantly looking for ways to reduce the bottom line without sacrificing quality of service. Enter the cloud. Cloud call center software offers the same advanced features as on-premise software, but for a low per-agent monthly fee. Few if any upfront expenses are required. Cloud systems also require fewer internal resources to manage. All of the maintenance and upgrades are taken of for you by the vendor.
Reason No. 3: Scalability
With legacy on-premise systems, enterprises were wedded to the size of their existing infrastructure. Expanding phone systems and software was difficult, expensive and time consuming, so at the time of purchase companies had to take their best guess at what their needs would be five years down the road. With cloud call center software, adding or reducing the number of agents – and thus adjusting the monthly bill – can usually be taken care of with a quick phone call. Reason No. 4: Flexibility Choosing a call center software vendor used to be a weighty decision because enterprises were committed to them for many years – even decades. The investment was too great to switch vendors when problems arose. With cloud software, few vendors require long-term commitments. If you’re unhappy with the software, you’re free to switch. It’s preferable to do the research in advance and find a vendor that is the best fit, of course, but if something doesn’t work out you’re not tied down. Enterprises appreciate that freedom. Reason No. 5: Better security Cloud security has vastly improved. Vendors know that if their products are not secure, they will not be able to compete in the market. These days, cloud call center software is often more secure than software that is managed in-house. Not all vendors are alike, of course, and it’s crucial to find out exactly what kind of security tools, safeguards and procedures your vendor uses. But, in general, the widespread fear that cloud software puts data at a greater risk is dissipating. Reason No. 6: Collaboration With cloud call center software, agents across separate locations have access to the same information, allowing them to work collaboratively. Agents can work from remote locations or from home with access to all the tools and information they need. Some enterprises have gone as far to allow a bulk of their agents to work from home, which dramatically reduces overhead expenses. This was just not possible with on-premise call center software.
Kunnect sells 100% cloud-based call center software that includes a predictive dialer to businesses and political campaigns. Our software, hosted seamlessly in the Amazon platform, manages all inbound and outbound calling for a flat rate of $125 per agent per month with a flat deposit of $125 per user. There are no hidden fees.