VirtualLogger Shows How to Prosper In a Tough Economy

By Rich Tehrani (News - Alert)

These are obviously challenging times for most businesses but there are those companies who do well in this environment. Some like those providing hosted/SaaS (News - Alert) solutions are prospering in part because of reduced CAPEX budgets.

VirtualLogger is one such company that in the face of predictions of contact centers scaling back and contracting in 2009 has increased its revenues and by more than 25 percent. Upon hearing that excellent news and wanting to get the firm’s insights I immediately contacted the company and interviewed Cliff LaCoursiere (News - Alert), VirtualLogger’s SVP Sales and Business Development.

• Please tell me about your company
VirtualLogger was founded to provide a unique offering in the contact center call recording and quality monitoring (QM) market by delivering products as a service. The Software as a Service (SaaS) delivery model is a proven success in related businesses, including hosted CRM and ACD offerings. By leveraging a hybrid SaaS approach, VirtualLogger provides a unique offering in the cost sensitive small to medium call recording/QM market.

• You recently had great revenue news, please share the details
VirtualLogger has experienced its Q1 recording and QM revenues growing at a 28 percent annualized rate. We attribute this growth rate to the company’s unique delivery approach. VirtualLogger delivers recording and QM services on a payas- you-go delivery model, virtually eliminating up-front costs. The result is that we can offer a positive ROI in months rather than years

• Why do you think the economy has actually helped boost sales?
We believe that the current economic slowdown has put a spotlight on the value and financial advantage of the VirtualLogger delivery approach. The slowdown has increasingly forced call centers to scrutinize spending, look to alternate approaches to providing better services levels at lower costs, and preserve capital. VirtualLogger not only offers better service levels at lower costs, it also reduces upfront cash requirements and protects clients from downside risk. • How many agents does a typical customer have?
VirtualLogger is squarely focused in the SMB market space, so our typical contact center size is approximately 75-250 agents.

• How does your solution integrate with other hardware/ software in a contact center?
VirtualLogger records on either the trunk or station side of an IP or TDM telephone system. The technology is compatible with all major brands of switches and ACD’s including Avaya, Cisco, Aspect, Nortel, NEC (News - Alert), Intertel and others.

• Do you expect sales to slow if the economy picks up?
Just the opposite; the economy has issued a wakeup call forcing companies to look more closely at expenses. Any initial uptick will encourage business to invest while the uncertainty during the early stages of a recovery will make business cautious. The answer to this dilemma is a model that allows investment while protecting against downside risk. Once contact centers see the value of the delivery model, we expect the trend to continue, since its likely companies will continue to look for good values to reduce expenses and make the most of cash.

• Why should companies consider hosted recording solutions?
Companies will continue to adopt hosted recording at an increasing rate to reduce upfront costs, avoid technological obsolescence, and perhaps more importantly, have the flexibility to scale their services needs as business swings and seasonality effect revenue.

• And why choose VirtualLogger?
VirtualLogger is the first company to offer recording and quality monitoring as a service. We have years of experience, and have developed the technology to deliver reliable services at a cost that’s unbeatable by company’s selling premise based solutions. We think that’s a winning combination and customers are voting with their dollars to prove the point.

• What is next for your company?
We try not to pre-announce products, but it’s safe to say that we’ll be adding features akin to much larger suite offerings in the contact center market. Since VirtualLogger sells a service, we have to earn our keep every day, so we tend to listen carefully to what our customers want.

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