As contact centers and daily operations have become more complex, more and more companies are seeking to outsource this crucial corporate function. Organizations are finding that in order to remain competitive and still deliver the level of service that customers demand, the daily operations of the contact center are expanding beyond their scope of expertise.


Corporate contact center leaders and worldwide CRM service providers recently gathered in Brussels for the Altitude Software Workout07 – CRM Outsourcers User Group Conference, to discuss industry trends and map the future.

During this three day event, these industry leaders discussed the complex landscape of the contact center industry and the biggest trends that were impacting daily processes as well as expectations for the future.

One of the things that this group identified as a trend in the contact center industry was an increase in business specialization. This is possible as more and more contact center-linked corporate functions are being outsourced in a growing number of industries.

This group also pointed to highly diversified organizational solutions. The contact center industry worldwide is seeing an increase in the need for sophisticated skills and a diverse demand for flexible solutions, including agents at home, nearshoring and shared remote experts.

Those organizations that operate in the contact center space have seen an increase in legal requirements and regulations, especially if operating in the United States. As a result, these contact centers have a need for effective, reliable operational technology solutions that will allow them to understand and comply with new legal requirements and regulations.

As the face of the contact center is changing, these experts also identified the need for technology that supports Virtualized contact centers, enabling centralized hosting, fast multiple site deployments, home based agents, the extension of the contact center into the whole enterprise, shared remote experts and delocalization.

One of the consistencies in the contact center industry is the constant change. While each of the trends identified here are key elements gaining attention in the industry throughout the world, not all elements apply to each and every contact center. Many have very different operational structures based on the industry that they serve and even the location of their customers.

What is certain, however is that consumer demand is changing. It is becoming more intense as consumers are demanding more information in less time and better service deliverables overall.

This generation of consumers also has more options than ever to make a swift change if they are unsatisfied. With that kind of pressure, the contact center must be consistently innovating to ensure that it is ahead of consumer demand to remain in the game.