8x8, an integrated cloud contact center and unified communications platform provider, today launched Proactive Outreach for 8x8 Contact Center, enhancing customer messaging capabilities.
By leveraging 8x8's programmable SMS and WhatsApp capabilities natively in 8x8 Contact Center, organizations can now send highly personalized outbound messages at scale, with inbound responses directly routing to their agents or bots with full context and rich reporting. They can also track outbound SMS performance and expenditure with advanced reporting and analytics as well as delivery receipts for all messages. The solution automatically selects the best routes using 8x8's intelligent message routing to ensure outbound messages are delivered while automated fallback resends undelivered or unread messages to alternative messaging channels.
Key features of 8x8 Proactive Outreach include the following:
- Notify: One-to-many, personalized outbound messaging, with direct routing, reporting and analytics. Ideal for sales and marketing promotions, reminders, and product announcements.
- Interact: One-to many and two-way messaging, which includes Notify capabilities plus automation, API access and inbound routing to contact center agents or bots. Ideal for customer service, support, and real-time feedback.
- Alert: Instant, mass outbound notifications, using pre-made templates for sharing time-sensitive, critical information. Ideal for power outages, weather warnings, and emergency situations.
"As customer expectations continue to shift, demanding more and more from organizations, technology vendors need to provide the products that allow organizations to effectively meet those new and changing expectations and demands," said Hunter Middleton, chief product officer of 8x8, in a statement. "By introducing Proactive Outreach for 8x8 Contact Center, we are enabling organizations to better serve their customers through highly personalized, scalable outbound messaging, enhancing customer satisfaction and empowering contact center agents to be more productive and efficient."
"With Proactive Outreach, mid-size businesses now have access to native notification for SMS and WhatsApp without the need for a third-party solution," said Sheila McGee-Smith, founder and principal analyst of McGee-Smith Analytics, in a statement. "Now, instead of do not reply to this SMS, companies can offer a direct transfer to contact center agents when required."
8x8 Contact Center is built on 8x8’s integrated cloud contact center and unified communications platform, which includes business phone, team chat, video meetings, and SMS capabilities.