An insight guide. Contact centres: Hosted vs on-premise

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1 An insight guide Contact centres: Hosted vs on-premise

2 Choosing the right contact centre solution... A contact centre operates at the core of a business, representing its values and reputation. As such, it s important to choose the right solution. But in an industry constantly changing due to technology, what is the right solution? This guide looks at whether companies should opt for on-premise or hosted contact centre, and the key factors involved in making the right decision. 1 Introduction 2 The changing role of the contact centre 3 The on-premise contact centre 4 The hosted contact centre 5 Choosing the right solution 1 Advanced communication is increasingly used to

3 1 Introduction The contact centre is the core of a business s customer service function. The experience customers receive in this arena will ultimately shape their views and opinions of the company as a whole. It s an area that warrants a lot of time, and in turn a lot of investment. But what s the best way to approach it? With the explosion of cloud technology, it s now possible to have your contact centre hosted within the cloud. Companies need to decide whether they re more suited to an on premise solution, or a hosted centre. But what are the differences? And how does each option handle the changing role of the contact centre? 3

4 2 The changing role of the contact centre Contact centres are no longer dominated by telephony. Customer habits have changed, which is forcing contact centres to adapt. The modern contact centre uses the latest solutions and unified communications to allow customers to contact a business at any time, through any channel, from any device. It unites social media with , telephony with customer histories, all with the aim to ensure that every person enjoys a smooth, efficient and compliant response, first time. Each thread of interaction needs to be joined up so when an agent answers the phone to a customer, they instantly know it s regarding an that was sent the day before. So contact centres need to be flexible, fluid and wholly connected and that can be achieved on premise, or more recently, in the cloud. Customer habits have changed, which is forcing contact centres to adapt 4

5 3 The on-premise contact centre The on-premise contact centre provides businesses with complete control. With operations carried out inhouse and all hardware and software located on premise, companies retain complete responsibility. It s a method that is more suited to organisations that have numerous agents working in one location particularly large, enterprise businesses. Although the initial capital expenditure is high, those businesses that do invest in this option emerge on the other side with total ownership of the solution. Once installation is complete there are no additional hardware fees. However, it can take time for these centres to reach full functionality, and there is a long lead time when changes are made to the system. Additionally, customers do need to make provision for any software updates. It s not a system that s inherently flexible, but for those businesses that have large cash reserves available it s a viable option that provides complete control. 5

6 4 The hosted contact centre The hosted contact centre moves operations into the cloud and ahead of the curve. The capital outlay disappears, being replaced with a predictable monthly charge. This pay-as-you-go basis provides a cost effective alternative to an initial high investment particularly suited to SMEs who may not have substantial budgets. As well as cost benefits, cloud solutions provide complete flexibility effectively releasing the agent from the confines of one desk. As all software and data is streamed directly from the cloud, employees don t have to be in a specific place to carry out their duties. All that s required is a device and an internet connection. This flexible style of working can combat weather and health impacts, and the improved working conditions will increase agent retention. Coupled with this flexibility, hosted solutions are also scalable and can easily adapt to changing business conditions. Experience fast growth and expansion? Simply rent more space from your cloud provider. Downsizing an area of the company? Scale back on your monthly requirements. Contact centres in the cloud also have access to the latest technological advancements with unprecedented immediacy updates can be rolled out centrally and implemented straightaway. For the growing business, hosting a contact centre in the cloud provides a whole host of benefits. 6

7 5 Choosing the right solution Cloud technology may hold the key to the future, but there are still many scenarios when an on-premise solution would be more suited. Regardless of how you approach your customer interaction, your contact centre needs to be tailored around your company s attributes and needs. At Intrinsic Technology, we have over 15 years experience in deploying contact centres for all manner of clients. Whether you need a large-scale centre on premise, or want to step into the cloud, our experts can ensure that your contact centre is completely suited to your business with the customer always front of mind. 7

8 About Intrinsic Intrinsic is a next generation managed services provider. It enables organisations to become operationally and culturally agile through smart, adaptive technology strategies that respond effectively to everyday challenges. As the UK s leading provider of Hybrid IT Managed Services, Intrinsic enables organisations to transition, flex and integrate between on-premise and cloud-based service ways of working. It provides a unique blend of expertise with a hand-picked suite of emerging and established technology solutions. Intrinsic is a market leader in developing solutions that enable mid-market sized organisations to address specific challenges, from organisational growth and operational transformation to cost management and market differentiation. 18 The Parks, Haydock, Merseyside, WA12 0JQ t f e sales@intrinsic.co.uk