Contact Center Software

A new report from market research firm DMG Consulting names Contactual a “leading” provider of hosted contact center software.

According to the report, 2008 was actually a decent year for the hosted contact center software market, despite the recession, and the first half of 2009 “is proving to be even better.”

The report suggests that many companies are going the hosted or Web-based route to upgrading their contact center systems because it is a faster and more affordable way to get the advanced features and capabilities they need in order to hold down operating costs, while at the same time maintaining service levels.

Most providers of hosted contact center systems offer a suite of software solutions including ACD, IVR, call recording/monitoring, performance management, workforce management, surveys and reporting -- all tightly integrated on a single platform. Many companies are finding that there is great value to getting all of the applications bundled on a single platform, as opposed to deploying separate “best-of-breed” solutions – which leads to integration issues, increased network complexity and increased maintenance – which in turn drives up cost.

 

In fact, the report finds that some companies adopted hosted contact center software because of the recession: Instead of saying “we can’t afford to buy new technology,” they said “we have to invest in new technology now in order improve our operations and save money down the road.” Many of these companies, the report finds, “are not risk takers in the classic sense, but rather companies that see hosting as an opportunity to do business differently, without a significant initial investment.”

 

“The recession has been very kind to many hosted contact center and CRM application providers,” said Donna Fluss, president of DMG Consulting, in a release. “End users who can’t afford or do not have cash available for a major capital investment are seeking alternatives and turning to hosted solutions.”

The report finds that companies are gravitating to hosted contact center software for other reasons – for example, customers get free software upgrades as part of the service without having to worry about how to implement the upgrades or the cost of new licenses when new versions come out. In addition because most hosted contact center software is delivered as a managed service, companies don’t need to concern themselves with maintenance and troubleshooting of the software, hardware or infrastructure – thus reducing the load on a company’s IT department.

Quick deployment, minimal cash outlay, rapid return on investment and the opportunity to “try before you buy” are other top advantages cited by satisfied customers.

 

DMG predicts that the future for hosted contact center solutions “is very promising.” It forecasts that growth for the hosted contact center infrastructure market will be 30 percent in 2009, 35 percent in 2010 and 20 percent in 2011.

The report provides “actionable information” that prospective buyers can use to select -- and successfully implement -- a hosted contact center solution. It offers detailed analysis on leading vendors, product functionality, benefits, market trends and share, opportunities and challenges, pricing, return on investment (ROI), best practices and customer satisfaction.