The chief exec revealed the reshuffle on an earnings call with investors to demonstrate that RingCX is not purely an SMB play.

RingCentral’s customer support agents previously used RingCentral Contact Center, which sits on NICE technology.

“As an additional proof point of RingCX’s ability to scale, including more advanced use cases, we have also recently moved the entire RingCentral customer service team of over 1,000 support agents to RingCX,” Shmunis said.

“This was done cost efficiently, in a few short weeks, and without disruption.”

“We now know firsthand that RingCX can handle use cases not only for smaller and simpler businesses but also for larger enterprises,” he said later during the call.

“And our use case is actually, internally, not that simple.

“We have hundreds upon hundreds of queues that we’re managing to optimise. We are running a sizable call centre and are processing lots of lots of traffic and with the agent count well over 1,000.”

Shmunis said that RingCentral is transitioning its internal support agents onto RingCX, with around three-quarters already making the move.

NICE Relations

The CEO also addressed the future of the NICE partnership but was coy on whether it would be extended.

The pair last extended the alliance in a “multi-year” deal back in 2021.

“RingCX is our go-forward solution,” he said.

“RingCentral Contact Center, RingCC, is still out there. We still have time left on the [NICE] inContact relationship. Perhaps it may even be extended; who knows, never say never.

“I’m not saying it will or will not, just to be clear.

“… What we are doing is we’re disrupting the entire CCaaS space with our new AI-driven and AI-first RingCX product.”

Strong Results

Shmunis was speaking as RingCentral revealed financial results that beat the estimates it had given previously.

Total revenue increased nine percent year over year to $609m, with enterprise ARR up 11 percent to over $1bn.

“Our outperformance was driven by continued strength in our core UCaaS market, combined with strong traction from our new products, in particular, RingCX,” Shmunis said.

The CEO said that conversational intelligence platform RingSense now has more than 1,200 customers, up 45 percent from the previous quarter.

Meanwhile, RingCentral Events added more than 100 customers in the quarter.

Speaking on an earnings call with investors, the chief exec said the AI-powered service, called Five AI Agents, will function across voice and digital channels.

“Five9 AI agents are designed to achieve unprecedented levels of comprehension, capability and autonomy using generative AI,” he said.

“This allows them to deliver great customer experience while also reducing the volume of interactions that need to be routed to human agents.

“With these AI agents plus AI-empowered human agents, Five9 is delivering the new CX designed to result in higher customer satisfaction scores, happier employees and improved efficiency for organisations around the world.”

Burkland said the AI Agents will sit in the self-service front end of Five9’s AI offering, complementing the existing AI Agent Assist technology, which augments human customer service.

They will identify, authenticate, drive intent, inject knowledge, apply reason, take actions completely independently, and without the need for a human”, he added, calling them “a new paradigm” for customer experience.

The CEO was speaking on an earnings call as Five9 released its quarterly results. Sales for the quarter ending 30 September rose 15 percent to $264.2m, topping the previous record quarterly high reported earlier this year.

AI was pegged as the driver behind this growth. Burkland said the average annual recurring revenue (ARR) of new logo wins including AI has been five times the size of wins without AI over the last four quarters.

“With the acceleration of AI, CX is changing right before our eyes, and we call this the new CX,” he added.

“This new CX is delivered by our AI-powered platform that stays aware and engaged throughout the entire customer journey, delivering value in many ways we previously could only imagine.”

Customer Wins and Verint Partnership

While Five9 execs did not reveal any customer names, they did give a glimpse into some recent wins.

They highlighted a global wireless carrier deal, which they expect to be worth $4m in ARR, and a global manufacturer deal in partnership with Verint, worth $1.6m in ARR.

The Verint partnership also came under the spotlight in the wake of a RingCentral announcement made earlier the same day.

RingCentral revealed a deal with Verint that will give RingCX customers access to Verint’s workforce engagement management and CX automation technology.

An analyst on the earnings call quizzed the Five9 CEO on the implications of the new partnership.

“They partner with the entire market of CCaaS players and I think it’s important for their business for them to be open and partnering with more than just Five9,” he said.

“We’re their number one partner; we just won their partner of the year again, but we don’t have any issue with them partnering with other players, and we get that.

“That interest expands their market opportunity, and RingCentral is at the low end of the contact centre market.”

1) How AI is driving Cisco’s CX strategy
2) New features including context summaries and suggested responses
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Cacheflow will bolster HubSpot’s Commerce Hub product, which has processed $1bn in gross merchandise value since launching in 2023, the latter said.

Yamini Rangan, CEO of HubSpot, said: “We’ve seen strong year-over-year growth with Commerce Hub, which gives our customers an easy way to manage payments and unify their customer and transaction data.

“With Cacheflow, we’re doubling down on our vision for commerce by addressing two important areas of the buying experience: subscription billing and configure, price, quote (CPQ).

“Cacheflow is a leader in this space and has helped companies automate the purchase process to capture revenue faster. We’re excited by the impact they will have on customers of Commerce Hub.”

Cacheflow was founded in early 2021 and left stealth that November, at which point it revealed a $6m seed round. A $10m round led by GV (formerly Google Ventures) followed in 2022.

HubSpot stated that Cacheflow simplifies B2B software sales and purchases with billing and subscription management solutions.

The solution automates the SaaS sales flow process using a single, no-code platform.

Customers can customise quotes, finalise deals using interactive links, and easily upsell and renew customers.

Co-founders Sarika Garg and Brian Zotter previously held senior roles at numerous tech firms, including Salesforce and SAP.

Garg said:

“We made it our mission to reimagine the old CPQ and billing space, helping businesses automate revenue management, shorten the sales cycle, and get paid fast.

“We believe deeply in the power of our solution and are thrilled to join HubSpot and the Commerce Hub team.”

In Other News…

Earlier this week, HubSpot introduced its new App Cards, which aim to help customers maximise the use of their third-party tools.

App Cards were first announced at the INBOUND 2024 conference in September. They are designed to replace traditional CRM cards and offer richer app experiences.

These Cards give users more flexibility and customisation in managing data across HubSpot and other platforms, reducing the need for tab-hopping and context-switching.

Earlier in the year, HubSpot was reportedly an acquisition target of Google owner Alphabet, but talks are rumoured to have stalled before talks reached any detailed due diligence.

]]> https://www.cxtoday.com/contact-center/how-to-compare-ccaas-platforms-in-2024-the-complete-guide/ Tue, 01 Oct 2024 14:08:13 +0000 https://www.cxtoday.com/?p=44275 Figuring out how to compare CCaaS platforms can be complex, particularly now that the solutions offered by contact center as a service vendors evolve. Business leaders don’t just need to ensure they’re choosing a platform that supports the right channels and routing capabilities.

They need to think about how they can future-proof their customer experience (CX) strategies with scalable, intuitive platforms that can rapidly adapt to suit their needs. Today’s companies have many factors to consider, from how they’ll implement generative AI into the contact center, to how much they’ll rely on automation to improve business efficiency.

If you’re ready to upgrade your contact center with state-of-the-art CCaaS solutions, here are the key factors you should consider in your comparison.

Step 1: Assess Implementation Options and Global Reach

First, it’s worth noting there are various ways to implement CCaaS solutions into the business landscape today. When you’re comparing CCaaS platforms, you can choose between all-in-one systems, built and implemented by contact center leaders, or even build your own cloud platform.

Many vendors also offer an opportunity to integrate contact center capabilities into existing tools, like Microsoft Teams, allowing companies to unify their UCaaS and CCaaS technologies. On top of that, there are various types of “cloud” to explore, from public cloud solutions to private cloud systems.

Consider your specific needs, carefully. Ask yourself whether you have the resources required to build your own CCaaS stack, or whether you need a pre-built system. Consider how much flexibility you need when it comes to customizing your CCaaS technology. Additionally, make sure you think about the global reach of the provider you choose, giving your company the freedom to scale.

Step 2: Compare CCaaS Platform Integration Options

One of the biggest benefits of CCaaS platforms, over traditional contact center solutions, is their flexibility. Not only can companies customize their contact center solution with different features, but they can integrate their platforms with various critical tools.

Ensuring your CCaaS platform can integrate seamlessly with customer relationship management (CRM) tools ensures your agents can personalize customer experiences, and maintain a comprehensive view of the buyer journey. Connecting your platform to your workforce management tools makes it easier to optimize resource allocation and boost workplace efficiency.

You might even want to think about how well your system will integrate with your UCaaS (Unified Communication as a Service) tools, to enable effective collaboration and knowledge sharing between teams. Prioritize robust integrations and API options when comparing CCaaS providers.

Step 3: Consider Crucial Features

When you compare CCaaS solutions, you should notice that most of the top platform come with the same essential features. However, even the core features of a platform can vary in their performance and scope. For instance, different omnichannel CCaaS platforms may offer support for different channels, like SMS, messaging apps (such as WhatsApp) and video conferencing.

Most platforms will offer access to routing tools, but more advanced platforms can support enhanced routing strategies, like intent tagging and skills-based routing. Some of the most important areas to focus on when you compare technologies include:

• Omnichannel functionality: The platform you choose should allow you to communicate with customers on all of their favorite channels, from email to live chat. They should also unify those channels, making it easy to share context from one environment to the next as customers move through their journey with your company.
• Routing capabilities: While basic ACD and IVR features are common in CCaaS platforms, companies can unlock additional value with advanced functionality. For instance, access to NLP-powered IVR systems can enhance routing capabilities, by making it easier for systems to detect customer intent and match customers to agents with the right skill set.
• Reporting features: Access to advanced analytical and reporting tools is crucial in the CCaaS landscape. Your ideal platform should make it easy to track everything from average handling time and agent performance metrics to customer sentiment.

Step 4: Compare CCaaS Platform Advanced Features

On top of the core functionalities mentioned above, various advanced features are becoming increasingly essential to contact center success. For instance, artificial intelligence built into a CCaaS platform can deliver numerous benefits.

Generative AI tools can deliver exceptional self-service experiences to customers, improving satisfaction rates and reducing agent call volumes. AI solutions can also improve analytical strategies, with insights into customer sentiment and satisfaction rates.

Automation tools, such as no-code and low-code workflow builders, can help businesses boost contact center efficiency. They can reduce repetitive tasks like transcribing calls or entering data into a CRM system, making teams more productive.

Some solutions even give companies the power to implement “proactive” customer service strategies. For instance, a system can automatically remind an agent to follow up with a customer after a specific period about a product or purchase.

Step 5: Remember the Agent Experience

Employee experience has always been crucial in the contact center. Engaged, happy, and supported employees are more productive, efficient, and capable of meeting customer expectations. Now, however, it’s becoming even more important for companies to focus on enhancing agent experiences when they compare CCaaS solutions.

Customers now have the opportunity to solve simple problems alone with the help of AI and automated systems. This means the queries agents deal with in the contact center are becoming more complex. Choosing a CCaaS solution that supports agent experiences, with a unified environment for omnichannel communication, direct access to data, and collaboration tools is crucial.

You may even consider investing in cutting-edge technology to enhance agent experiences, such as AI-powered agent assist tools. These can offer real-time coaching, support, and guidance to team members, instantly surface valuable information, and streamline problem-solving.

Step 6: Compare CCaaS Security Features

Finally, security, privacy, and compliance are critical considerations for any company investing in new contact center solutions. The average contact center collects and generates huge volumes of data every day, and this information needs to be protected.

As compliance standards continue to evolve, companies that compare CCaaS platforms need to ensure their solutions can adhere to the demands of new regulations. This means thinking about everything from how data is encrypted, collected, and stored on every channel to what access controls are available to limit access to sensitive information.

For companies investing in AI-powered contact centers, there’s also a growing demand to consider how AI systems work and their potential challenges regarding ethics, data security, and customer privacy. Look for a vendor with a strong focus on regulatory compliance, transparent privacy practices, and a wide range of advanced security tools.

Choosing the Right CCaaS Platform

An effective CCaaS platform is crucial to success in today’s experience-focused landscape. The right technology will ensure your agents can serve customers effectively on all channels while helping to reduce operational costs and enable business agility.

When you compare CCaaS platform vendors, make sure you think carefully about everything from implementation options, to scalability, security, advanced features, and agent experience.

Salesforce has introduced AgentForce, an AI-powered solution aimed at transforming customer service interactions.

AgentForce automates a wide range of repetitive tasks, reducing the workload for customer service agents and enabling quicker response times.

The solution also delivers real-time, tailored responses to customer inquiries, which significantly improves efficiency and customer satisfaction.

By leveraging AI, AgentForce integrates seamlessly with Salesforce’s existing platform, allowing businesses to manage customer interactions more intelligently and personalise services, all while minimising operational costs.

Twilio Expands Global Availability of Branded RCS Messaging

Twilio has announced the global release of branded RCS (Rich Communication Services) messaging, which allows businesses to send rich, branded, and interactive messages to customers.

This service allows messages to feature dynamic media, including images, videos, and action buttons, enhancing customer engagement.

With RCS messaging, companies can create highly interactive and visually appealing communications that go beyond standard SMS.

Twilio said the global rollout ensures businesses can now leverage this advanced communication tool to engage customers on a more personal level across various markets worldwide.

ServiceNow Launches Xanadu to Supercharge Productivity

ServiceNow has launched Xanadu, a platform designed to elevate productivity by automating customer service processes and streamlining workflows.

The platform integrates AI and automation to address common bottlenecks in service management, offering businesses the opportunity to improve service delivery and response times.

Xanadu is designed to scale across various industries and service models, enabling organisations to reduce inefficiencies while maintaining high standards of customer care.

ServiceNow said. a robust solution for enhancing customer and employee experiences by integrating seamlessly withXanadu provides s.

Avaya Launches Experience Platform Public Cloud in India

Avaya has launched its Experience Platform on the public cloud in India, marking a major step in expanding its presence in the region.

The platform offers a suite of customer experience (CX) solutions designed to be scalable and flexible. It caters to businesses looking to enhance their service offerings through cloud-based infrastructure.

Avaya’s public cloud launch in India will help organisations modernise their customer service operations, providing them with the tools to manage interactions more efficiently, ensure rapid deployment, and reduce maintenance costs.

Pulse for Salesforce is a new version of Tableau Pulse designed to provide pre-built metrics and AI-powered insights directly within Salesforce CRM, starting with Sales Cloud.

The solution is built on Salesforce’s Einstein 1 Platform and uses generative AI to integrate intelligence into CRM users’ daily workflows.

Ryan Aytay, CEO of Tableau, said: “Historically, sales leaders and teams have lacked personalized, accessible data insights in their daily flow of work.

“Analysts often spend considerable time on ad hoc requests and repetitive queries, slowing down decision-making and business growth.

“By integrating Tableau Pulse’s AI-driven insights into Salesforce, we’re addressing these needs and enhancing data-driven decision-making to help businesses accelerate growth.”

With Pulse for Salesforce, users can access personalised and contextual metrics from Tableau Pulse within the Salesforce platform.

Pulse for Salesforce delivers insights, trends, and an AI-powered Q&A experience, Salesforce said.

Sales teams can access summaries of key trends within Sales Cloud and explore further using Pulse’s simplified insights experience, helping them understand metrics like win rate and total sales.

Salesforce said the new offering will enhance CRM productivity, improve customer relationships and drive business value.

Launched in February, Tableau Pulse aims to surface insights for its users using generative AI automatically.

Salesforce said over 50 of its worldwide partners are already using Tableau Pulse, including Atrium, Biztory, Capgemini, Deloitte Digital, InterWorks, Keyrus, The Information Lab, and USEReady.

Other Salesforce News

Salesforce has made a number of announcements in recent weeks.

The vendor announced the acquisition of PredictSpring, a leading omnichannel retail platform, to enhance its Customer 360 capabilities and retail presence.

It also introduced its first product discovery solution for customer service, which aims to improve user experience through better issue resolution and personalized support.

Additionally, Salesforce deepened its commitment to generative AI with the release of the Einstein Service Agent, designed to automate and optimise customer service tasks using advanced AI technologies.

The “key win” came in Twilio’s Segment business, which has been plagued over recent months, and was its largest deal of the quarter.

Shipchandler was speaking as Twilio revealed sales of $1.08bn for the quarter ending 30 June, up four percent year on year. Segment accounted for $75.2m of total revenue.

“The communications business is performing very well and in our Segment business, we’re focused on executing on our commitments,” he said.

“While reducing non-GAAP operating losses in Q2, we saw continued signs that Communications growth is stabilizing, including quarter-over-quarter improvement in international trends.

“I’m encouraged that our more disciplined approach is unlocking teams to innovate on the critical areas that will enable Twilio to power the future of customer engagement.”

Both the Communications and Segment divisions reported growth, but the former outpaced the latter at four percent and three percent, respectively.

The modest revenue growth was outweighed by a GAAP operating loss of $19m, but this was done from $141.8m in the same quarter last year.

The tone of the call suggested Twilio may be turning a corner, with sales topping guidance and beating analyst expectations. The vendor’s share price jumped as much as seven percent in after-hours trading, despite yesterday’s huge Wall Street sell-off amid recession fears.

However, there is still work to be done, particularly with Segment.

Segment’s operating loss was pegged at $15.8m, but this was using a more favourable non-GAAP accounting method. Twilio does not publish GAAP profit for individual divisions. This was, however, compared to a $21m loss in the previous quarter.

“We made solid progress in improving customer time to value and executing on data warehouse interoperability,” Shipchandler said when speaking on Segment.

“We also made significant improvements in our cost profile in Q2 and lowered our non-GAAP operating losses by 25% quarter over quarter.”

He also revealed that 40 percent of Q2 deals were multi-year, compared to 17 percent in Q2 last year.

The improvement was largely attributed to improved customer onboarding and faster time-to-value, particularly around customer use cases.

However, there was a cautious tone about not expecting too much too soon from Segment. Shipchandler said that growth will likely be “muted” for the foreseeable future.

Chief Financial Officer Aidan Viggiano, said the focus is on customer retention.

“Mitigating churning contraction remains a focus for Segment, and we’re encouraged by the progress we made in Q2,” he explained.

“We are improving time to value, and customers are deploying use cases four times faster as a result. We are also pushing for more multiyear deals with customers.”

Segment Struggles

Twilio has faced huge pressure from activist investors over recent months, culminating in the departure of founder and CEO Jeff Lawson at the start of the year.

Investors had pushed Twilio to sell Segment, but the vendor resisted and confirmed plans to retain it in March.

“Myself, the Twilio management team, and the Board evaluated an extensive range of alternatives for Segment’s path forward,” Shipchandler said at the time.

“We unanimously came to the same conclusion: retaining Segment and taking aggressive action to accelerate the path to profitability is the best opportunity available to enhance value for our customers and shareholders.”

Partner Play

On the Q2 earnings call, Shipchandler said that near-term growth for Twilio will likely come via partners.

He said he’s particularly pleased with Twilio’s success in recruiting new partners and independent software vendors.

“During the quarter, we achieved an eight-figure renewal with a leading customer experience provider who will continue to embed Twilio Voice within their customer service software solution,” he said.

Additionally, Twilio signed a new partnership with Omnisend, an omnichannel marketing platform for the SMB retail market, to help expand its footprint into new geographies.

Twilio also extended co-sell partnerships with Airship, Bloomreach, Braze, Insider, and Klaviyo into new territories to enhance a data-enriched end-to-end marketing experience.