An increasing number of UK contact centers have started a cloud implementation process in a bid to migrate their services, according to new research from the 2013 Cloud Contact Centre Survey, conducted by Call Centre, in association with Interactive Intelligence.
The research, which looks to better understand the use of cloud technology within contact centers, shows that 78 percent of those polled have moved into the implementation phase. Additionally, 41 percent have either already chosen their cloud provider or are currently exploring options and deploying pilots, while 36 percent are taking steps to learn more about the cloud.
The results reinforce the findings from Interactive Intelligence’s 2012 research, which predicted 2013 would be the year of the cloud for UK contact centers. Carried out in December 2012, the survey revealed that 73 percent of contact centers already operate in the cloud, were actively looking or would like to move their operations to the cloud.
“The most recent UBM survey carried out in April of this year shows almost eight out of 10 contact centers have now moved into a cloud implementation phase,” said Dave Paulding, regional sales director UK, Middle East & Africa, Interactive Intelligence, in a statement. “The results demonstrate how perceptions surrounding cloud solutions have changed and, for many of the UK’s contact centers, it is not a case of if but when.”
The 130 respondents surveyed cited technical and functional factors as the key elements driving adoption of cloud in contact centers. When rating the importance in each category a high proportion (47 percent) stated that speed of solution and other functional capabilities were “very important,” whereas slightly less (45 percent) said technical factors such as flexibility, scalability, simplicity and security were “very important” to their contact center.
When asked opinions on how cloud adoption will impact their contact center, an equal number said the biggest areas would be reduced costs (60 percent) and improvement to their customer service offering (60 percent). Just 13 percent said it would have no significant impact.
When asked to rate what skills are necessary to make a buyer’s choice, those surveyed highlighted assessing and understanding cloud risks as the most essential (40 out of 130 respondents). The area requiring additional consultation and business support to help inform a decision was IT issues (41 percent) including security, integration and management.
Additionally, the research showed that when asked which part of the business is most interested in adopting cloud, the highest proportion was in IT (56 percent), followed by sales and marketing departments (26 percent). Survey respondents also said that when asked about consulting for cloud solutions, the highest percentage of contact centers (58 percent) look to vendors to help inform their decision.