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FEATURE: CLOUD SOLUTIONS
Contact centres must
embrace the cloud or else
The digital business
environment highlights
how much technological
disruption is impacting
on organisations. Paul
McIntyre, Chief Sales
Officer at Elingo, says it
is now about having ‘to
adapt or die’ and this is
particularly evident when
it comes to the use of the
cloud in telephony.
F
ifty years ago, telephony platforms
were completely hardware-based.
Fast forward to the present and you
have predominately software-driven systems
focused on delivering a true omni-channel
customer engagement framework. There
has never been a better time to empower
customers using innovative solutions that
more readily evolve to meet the changing
market requirements of a connected world.
Cloud first
The recent 2018 Genesys Cloud
Transformation Survey: African Small and
Medium Sized Contact Centres has found
that over the past three years, 56% of
respondents have adopted cloud computing.
Considering that Microsoft and Amazon are
due to launch their data centres in South
Africa during the next year, this figure is likely
to increase even more.
Despite these concerns, the fasting growing
channels in Africa when it comes to the
cloud are instant messaging and web chats
with email still the most dominant service in
consumer segments. According to the report,
service providers must be able to illustrate
not only their experience, but also innovation
and best practice capabilities when it comes
to the cloud.
Driving change
If contact centres are to completely embrace
the cloud, someone in the organisation
must take the lead, begin the journey and
navigate the pitfalls as best they can. This
is always going to be a daunting process.
Fortunately, selecting a trusted solutions
provider who has access to world-class
products, has a proven track record and can
show the depth of the skills required, provide
an excellent starting point.
Critically, it is not just about the technology.
To really drive change, companies must
remember that the customer is king. As
such, the customer wants to be served
in the channel of their choice and when
it suits them. Also, contact centres must
be cognisant of the customers’ history
of engagement and how it relates to the
matters at hand. Thanks to the cloud and
the integration it enables, the true omni-
channel environment is no longer a pipe
dream but something that is expected.
This is where the Customer Experience
Officer becomes integral to linking
the cloud, the contact centre, and the
customer. This person must have the finger
on the pulse of the customer, but also
needs to be empowered and can move
quickly based on the demands of these all-
important stakeholders.
In this regard, the ‘CEO’ must facilitate
the required changes in business structure
and procedure as well as take the lead in all
aspects dealing with the customer experience.
Cloud fundamentals
Cloud technologies are facilitating the ease
of access to many customer experience
applications. By design, they are abreast of
the rapid evolution of platforms and increased
technology sophistication. The cloud is also
changing the cost matrix from CAPEX to OPEX
including on-demand functionality that can
easily be switched on or off.
Africa has accepted the cloud as a business
enabler. These are exciting times for any
organisation (and contact centre) who would
like to meet customer expectations quickly,
easily and cost-effectively. n
Paul McIntyre, Chief
Sales Officer at Elingo
Most contact centres are using the cloud
in some form. This can include customer
relationship management, voice services
and analytics. However, security, risk and
compliance concerns remain some of the
barriers limiting adopting on the continent
even if this is mostly down to perceptions
that exist around the cloud.
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