8x8, an integrated cloud contact center and unified communications platform provider, today announced the latest 8x8 XCaaS (Experience Communications as a Service) integrated cloud contact center and unified communications platform innovations, including AI-powered voice conversational self-service and the ability to elevate contact center interactions to video, further integrations with Microsoft Teams, and 8x8 video meeting enhancements.
The updates for 8x8 Contact Center include the following:
- Video Elevated Customer Support, enabling contact center agents to elevate customer interactions to video directly within 8x8 Agent Workspace, to troubleshoot issues. It embeds 8x8 secure video interaction capabilities directly into 8x8 Contact Center.
- Call handling is now directly handled within 8x8 Agent Workspace, without the need for an external hard phone or softphone.
- Deeper Salesforce integration with 8x8 Contact Center to set up, configure, route, initiate (SMS Only), and reply to SMS and WhatsApp messages.
- 8x8 Webchat Quick Replies, using 8x8 scripting functions to build out questions and quick replies to interact with customers; all of which can then be routed back to an agent providing the necessary context to begin the live conversation.
- 8x8 Supervisor Workspace enhancements, including the addition of interaction retrieval pages; access to barge, monitor, and whisper functionality within the Agent Table widget; enhanced filtering; a new widget highlighting trends in accepted interactions; the ability to create and manage multiple pages; the ability to change agent status; and support for French Canadian.
Enhancements for 8x8 Unified Communications include the following:
- 8x8 Phone App for Microsoft Teams, enabling PSTN calling without requiring per user Teams Phone licenses, installing desktop plugins, or running additional software outside of Teams. Built on 8x8's direct routing service, it unlocks native calling functionality within Teams.
- 8x8 Video enhancements, providing an optimized interface and customization options to support large audience events, such as company-wide town halls, or for specific use cases, such as auctions and other large audience events. Additionally, 8x8 meetings now provide the option to turn off video hardware acceleration, resulting in improved shared content legibility and support for the modern AV1 video codec.
- 8x8 Work usability and interface enhancements, with call recording filters, the ability to import personal or company contacts from Microsoft Office 365 and Outlook into 8x8 Work for desktop, enhanced microphone automatic gain control (AGC), and an embedded call quality alert for connection status.
Enhancements to 8x8 CPaaS communication APIs include the following:
- SMS fraud prevention with the 8x8 Omni Shield solution integrated with real-time messaging, across web and mobile applications, and proactively detect and prevent fraudulent activities through automated fraud alerts, real-time notifications, live traffic monitoring, and instant phone number assessments.
- Voice IVR capabilities to build an automated phone system that handles actions, such as routing calls and capturing phone numbers to provide users with real-time information through self-service, or automatically routing calls to an agent for further support.
- Smart Channel Routing, which< identifies telecom operators charging premium SMS rates based on predefined operator settings, seamlessly routing SMS messages to more cost-effective alternatives.
- Sender ID Dashboard on 8x8 Connect, to track the process of SMS Sender ID registration by operators on 8x8 Connect, providing visibility into the status of registration requests, issues or delays, and troubleshooting.
- 8x8 Voice API enhancements with 8x8 App to App Calling with automated fallback to PSTN, access to comprehensive voice logs on 8x8 Connect, and the ability to create customer call flows while incorporating specific actions, such as sending voice messages or text-to-speech.
- 8x8 Communication API enhancements, with WhatsApp reporting on 8x8 Connect, multi-browser support for 8x8 Video Interactions, and two-factor authentication on 8x8 Converse.
"At 8x8 we are committed to providing our customers with a customer engagement, communications, and collaboration platform that not only offers the highest levels of innovation, but is reliable and easy to use," said Hunter Middleton, chief product officer of 8x8, in a statement. "Our highly tailored and seamless integrated cloud contact center and unified communications platform not only improves employee and customer communications and collaboration, but it does away with disjointed, siloed information and resources. Instead, everyone across the entire organization is empowered to provide the best possible experiences for their customers, regardless of whether they sit in the contact center or elsewhere, which leads to overall happier customers and employees and positive business growth."