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There are large call centers, there are small call centers. There are also virtual call centers, or a well-organized but geographically distributed collection of call center personnel and resources tied together by one robust, VoIP-based telephony system and a cloud-based contact center solution.

There are many reasons companies today might utilize a virtual contact center. Budget reasons may prevent the purchase or leasing of a large, formal call center. A company might be using home-based agents to save overhead and boost service quality. A company might use multiple small call centers all over the world in order to pursue a “follow-the-sun” model. Or while the company may have a traditional contact center, it might have a frequent need to tap experts who may be in other locations or on the road.

A virtual call center can connect a company by integrating a central office with outsourced locations, partners and remote offices, providing benefits both for workers and the customers they are serving, according to 8x8 (News - Alert) Inc.’s Senior Product Manager Rob Townsend in a recent blog post. A VoIP-based cloud contact center solution allows companies to unite and integrate call center employees, sales and support personnel into one system, creating a virtual contact center.

One of 8x8 Inc.’s clients, veteran-focused employment agency Direct Interactions, recently “went virtual” with its contact center for two reasons: because the model fits with the company’s mission and values, and because it makes great business sense.

“Especially in today’s economy, and for the future of our country, it’s important to keep jobs in the US. Our business is cost-competitive and environmentally sustainable because all of our employees work from home, explains Jonas Nicholson, CEO of Direct Interactions. “With a virtual call center, there is no need for a centralized, physical call center location that limits the talent pool and creates unnecessary overhead. With 8x8 Virtual Contact Center, problem solved.”

Nicholson’s claim that a virtual contact center set-up can help keep jobs in the U.S. is a valid one. While many companies have sought contact center services offshore, they have achieved mixed results. They may have saved money, but the quality of the support they offer may have taken a hit. With a virtual contact center model, organizations can use home-based agents or open an overflow contact center in a less expensive part of the country.

While the end result may be invisible to the customer – he or she can be easily transferred between locations, or routed nearly anywhere – the results will be very visible to the contact center implementing the solution. Such virtual contact center solutions tend to save companies money, boost the quality of service and find multiple operational efficiencies.