ABSTRACT 2014-2015 Outbound Solutions Product and Market Report This is the second edition of DMG s Outbound Solutions Product and Market Report (formerly known as the Outbound Dialing Market Report). The Report covers leading and contending vendors, their products and services, underlying technology, pricing, benefits, return on investment (ROI), go-to-market strategies, trends and challenges, and planned innovations. This 382-page Report analyzes the competitive landscape, and provides insights into market activity, customer satisfaction with vendors, and implementation best practices, to help users realize the greatest continuing return on their investments. It is the dawn of a new era for outbound solutions. Traditional dialers are being reinvented and reinvigorated as robust omni-channel customer engagement solutions. The leading outbound solutions are now capable of executing intelligent, personalized and regulatorycompliant communications. The growing sophistication of these solutions is being driven by the complexity of today s compliance requirements and consumer demands for more streamlined online, mobile and social interactions. Following a decade of little investment and innovation, much is changing in the outbound world. Vendors are investing to evolve their solutions, enterprise demands are greater than they ve been in years, and the stringent regulatory environment is driving a new round of interest in compliant solutions. Several trends are impacting the outbound sector: Compliance The Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), passed in 1991, continues to play a key role in the outbound market. Complying with legislation in the US and abroad remains top-of-mind for end-user organizations, and vendors are investing to provide flexible solutions to support regulatory-compliant outbound campaigns that mitigate risk. Last year s changes to the TCPA have given this market the shot in the arm it needed to gain renewed momentum. Growing acceptance of outbound communications Many consumers, especially the growing Millennial population, are comfortable moving away from the voice call as a primary communication channel. With email, instant messaging (IM), short message service (SMS)/text messaging, chat and social media in play on a daily (if not hourly or more frequent) basis with most consumers, outbound activities are becoming an accepted, even expected, mode of communication with enterprises. Proactive customer care and outbound notifications are maturing, and companies are using them in ways that are becoming increasingly appreciated by consumers, instead of being perceived as a nuisance, as they once were. In fact, proactive customer care is now an essential component of a comprehensive omni-channel customer engagement strategy that, when done right, can build brand loyalty and yield high customer satisfaction. From point to suite For as long as most can remember, dialers were silo-ed point solutions. But no longer. Multi-channel outbound capabilities are being seamlessly integrated and bundled with inbound contact center infrastructure solutions, enabling advanced routing and queuing as well as a better customer experience. Vendors are working hard to build holistic offerings that include interactive voice response (IVR), recording, quality assurance, agent scripting, surveying and, in an increasing number of solutions, speech analytics. The cloud It s everywhere, and the outbound solutions market is no exception. The cloud offers many benefits no capital investment, low start-up costs, continuous innovation, and more. First-time adopters, small contact centers, sales teams, collectors, and departments that scale seasonally are finding the cloud-based deployment model highly appealing. As of December 31, 2013, there were 3,193,235 outbound solution seats being used by 14,357 customers on a worldwide basis. This is an increase of 12.1% over the 2,849,099 seats reflected in DMG s restated 2012 outbound solutions numbers. DMG expects sales of outbound solutions to continue to perform well and show modest growth over the next five years. Growth will be driven primarily by adoption of outbound solutions in traditionally inbound centers, implementation of cloud-based solutions, and increased market interest, which is prompting innovation in this sector. DMG predicts that the outbound solutions market will grow 5% in 2014 and 2015, 5.5% in 2016 and 2017, and 5% in 2018. DMG expects outbound solutions to play a pivotal role in helping companies enhance the customer experience they deliver via true omni-channel engagement strategies. Unlike the past, outbound touches and interactions will be a fully integrated component of the customer service lifecycle, and instrumental in building engagement and loyalty. While companies need to develop effective multi-channel outbound/inbound/blended strategies to effectively interact with their customers, outbound solution providers are up to the challenge, and end users have many options in the market. To assist prospects in evaluating outbound solutions, DMG conducted an independent survey to measure end-user satisfaction with vendors, products, services, support, training and innovation. This study evaluates the performance of the vendors analyzed at a detailed level in the 2014 2015 Outbound Solutions Product and Market Report. This year s survey reveals that participants were most satisfied with their outbound solution provider s ongoing service and support, which earned the highest average category score, 4.21 (on a scale of 5.0), with professional services coming in second with an average rating of 4.20. The Report presents the full results of this study. The 2014 2015 Outbound Solutions Product and Market Report is the most timely and complete guide to the outbound solutions market, providing an in-depth analysis of this IT sector and eight of the leading and contending outbound solution providers: Avaya, Connect First, Five9, Genesys, Interactive Intelligence, Noble Systems, Presence Technology and Unify (formerly Siemens Enterprise Communications). Order Information: Please contact Deborah Navarra at deborah.navarra@dmgconsult.com or 516-628-1098 with any questions. You may also purchase the 2014-2015 Outbound Solutions Product and Market Report online at www.dmgconsult.com.
Key Reasons to Buy This Report Definition and description of the functional building blocks that comprise leading omni-channel outbound solutions Analysis of the trends and challenges that are driving investments by enterprises and vendor innovations in the outbound sector New product features, product innovation, and a preview of enhancements that the vendors plan to deliver in the next 12 18 months Comprehensive discussion of the evolution of the outbound market from blind dialing to omni-channel customer engagement Insightful analysis of what s to come in outbound solutions, including analyticsempowered customer engagement In-depth look at outbound regulations in the US, UK, Canada and other geographies, which continue to impact the outbound sector Market activity and market share analysis, adoption rate, and 5-year projections Company overview of the 8 leading and contending outbound solution providers, with analysis and commentary on the competitive landscape Full reports on the 8 featured vendors, analyzing products, functionality, and future product development plans Detailed review and side-by-side comparative analyses of the key functional and technical capabilities of the 8 leading and contending outbound solutions Vendor implementation analysis, including a review of the vendors best practices to optimize success Analysis of benefits and the ROI enterprises should expect from a successful outbound implementation Comprehensive vendor satisfaction analysis, addressing 22 product components and vendor implementation, training, professional services, support, innovation/ responsiveness, communication and pricing Review of the service delivery options available, along with detailed pricing for onpremise, cloud-based and managed service outbound solutions A comprehensive Outbound Solutions Vendor Directory listing all known competitors around the world Report Highlights: The outbound solutions sector is in metamorphosis mode: Silo-ed dialers no longer fit the bill, and outbound solutions are evolving into full-featured, omni-channel solutions designed to deliver tremendous value, with a focus on compliance and the customer experience. Several factors are driving innovation and adoption in the outbound market: Regulatory compliance remains one of the weightiest issues in this sector, putting pressure on companies and the vendors who supply their technology. The cloud is impacting the landscape as more companies look to move solutions off-premise. Outbound communications and alerts proactive customer care are becoming increasingly accepted by consumers, and are beginning to be viewed as integral to a well-developed customer experience strategy. The market is expected to grow modestly over the next several years: As of December 31, 2013, there were 3,193,235 outbound solution seats being used by 14,357 customers on a worldwide basis. DMG predicts that the outbound solutions market will grow by 5% in 2014 and 2015, 5.5% in 2016 and 2017, and 5% in 2018. Before investing in an outbound solution, buyers should research other users experiences: DMG advises buyers to consider other users experiences when looking to implement a new or upgraded outbound dialing solution. To facilitate that process, DMG has conducted an independent survey that measures end-user satisfaction with vendors, products, services, support, training and innovation. Sample Figure: Outbound Building Blocks Source: DMG Consulting LLC, July 2014
Table of Contents 1. Executive Summary 2. Introduction 3. DMG Consulting Research Methodology 3.1 Report Participation Criteria 4. Outbound Dialer Service Delivery Models 4.1 DMG Service Delivery Definitions 4.2 Vendor Service Delivery Options 5. Outbound Solutions Functional Building Blocks 5.1 Outbound Modes 5.2 Outbound Campaigns 6. Outbound Dialer Trends and Challenges 6.1 Outbound Dialer Trends 6.2 Outbound Challenges 7. Market Innovation 7.1 New Product Features 7.2 Future Enhancements 8. Outbound Maturity Model and Market Evolution 8.1 Blind Dialing 8.2 Relationship Dialing 8.3 Multi-Channel Engagement 8.4 Analytics-Enabled Omni-Channel Engagement 9. Analytics-Empowered Engagement 9.1 Customer Engagement, the Analytics Way 9.2 How Analytics will Shape the Contact Center of the Future 10. Outbound and Dialing Regulations 10.1 US Outbound Regulations 10.2 UK 10.3 Canada 11. Outbound in the World of Omni-Channel Contact Centers 11.1 WebRTC Enters the Contact Center World 11.2 Outbound Solutions Essential Role in Delivering Customer Engagement Strategies 12. Market Activity Analysis 12.1. Outbound Market Projections 13. Outbound Competitive Landscape 13.1 Outbound Solutions Executive Guide 14. Outbound Vendors and Solutions 14.1 High-Level Company and Financial Overview 14.2 Vendor Offerings and Products 14.3 Packaged Solutions 15. Outbound Product Analysis 16. Core Functionality 17. Detailed Functional and Technical Summary 17.1 Architecture and Technology 17.2 Telephony Capabilities
Table of Contents 17.3 Campaign/List Management 17.4 Contact/Dial Plan Management 17.5 Best-Time-to-Call Features 17.6 Blended/Multi-Channel Capabilities 17.7 Outbound Optimization Capabilities 17.8 Proactive Customer Care 17.9 Speech Analytics 17.10 Supervisor Features 17.11 Agent Assignment Features 17.12 Agent Features 17.13 Scripting 17.14 Reporting, Dashboards and Alerts 17.15 Dialer Security 17.16 System Administration 18. Implementation Analysis 18.1 Implementation Process 18.2 Implementation Best Practices 18.3 Maintenance and Support 18.4 Training and Workshops 19. Outbound Solutions Benefits and Return on Investment 19.1 Benefits 19.2 Return on Investment 20. Outbound Dialer Vendor Satisfaction Analysis 20.1 Summary of Survey Findings and Analysis 20.2 Detailed Survey Findings and Analysis 20.3 Customer Insights 20.3.1 Outbound Activities 21. Pricing 21.1 Premise-Based Pricing 21.2 Cloud-Based Pricing 21.3 Managed Service Pricing 22. Company Reports 22.1 Avaya 22.2 Connect First 22.3 Five9 22.4 Genesys 22.5 Interactive Intelligence 22.6 Noble Systems 22.7 Presence Technology 22.8 Unify Appendix: Outbound Dialing and Proactive Customer Care Vendor Directory
Table of Figures Figure 1: DMG s Service Delivery Model Definitions Figure 2: Vendor Service Delivery Options Figure 3: Outbound Solutions Building Blocks Figure 4: Vendor Outbound Modes Figure 5: Outbound Trends Figure 6: Outbound Challenges Figure 7: New Product Features Figure 8: Future Enhancements Figure 9: Outbound Solutions Maturity Model Figure 10: Proactive Customer Care Figure 11: The New Business Dynamic Figure 12: Adaptive Routing Strategies Figure 13: Speech Analytics Figure 14: Real-Time Speech Analytics Figure 15: Text Analytics Figure 16: Desktop Analytics Figure 17: The New Voice of the Customer Concept Figure 18: Customer Journey Analytics Figure 19: Predictive Analytics Figure 20: The Contact Center of the Future Figure 21.1: Regulatory Capabilities Figure 21.2: Regulatory Capabilities Figure 22: Outbound Solutions Market Activity by Vendor, as of December 31, 2013 Figure 23: Outbound Solutions Market Activity by Number of Seats, as of December 2013 Figure 24: Outbound Solutions Market Activity by Vendor, December 31, 2013 vs. December 2012 Figure 25: Outbound Solutions Seats per Customer by Vendor, December 31, 2013 vs. December 2012 Figure 26: Outbound Seat Growth Projections, 2014 2018 Figure 27.1: Company Information Figure 27.2: Company Information Figure 28: Product Information Figure 29: Packaged Offerings Figure 30.1: Product Analysis Figure 30.2: Product Analysis Figure 31.1: Core Functionality Figure 31.2: Core Functionality Figure 32.1: Architecture/Technology Figure 32.2: Architecture/Technology Figure 33.1: Telephony Capabilities Figure 33.2: Telephony Capabilities Figure 34.1: Campaign/List Management Figure 34.2: Campaign/List Management Figure 35.1: Contact/Dial Plan Features Figure 35.2: Contact/Dial Plan Features Figure 36.1: Best-Time-To-Call Features Figure 36.2: Best-Time-To-Call Features Figure 37.1: Blended/Multi-Channel Capabilities Figure 37.2: Blended/Multi-Channel Capabilities Figure 38.1: Outbound Optimization Figure 38.2: Outbound Optimization Figure 39.1: Proactive Customer Care (PCC)/Outbound Notification Figure 39.2: Proactive Customer Care (PCC)/Outbound Notification Figure 40.1: Speech Analytics Figure 40.2: Speech Analytics
Table of Figures (continued) Figure 41.1: Figure 41.2: Figure 42.1: Figure 42.2: Figure 43.1: Figure 43.2: Figure 44.1: Figure 44.2: Figure 45.1: Figure 45.2: Figure 46.1: Figure 46.2: Figure 47.1: Figure 47.2: Figure 48.1: Figure 48.2: Figure 49.1: Figure 49.2: Figure 50.1: Figure 50.2: Figure 51.1: Figure 51.2: Figure 52: Figure 53: Figure 54: Figure 55: Figure 56: Figure 57: Figure 58: Figure 59: Figure 60: Figure 61: Figure 62: Figure 63: Figure 64: Figure 65: Figure 66: Figure 67: Figure 68: Figure 69: Figure 70: Figure 71: Figure 72: Figure 73: Figure 74: Figure 75: Figure 76: Figure 77: Figure 78: Supervisory Features Supervisory Features Agent Assignment Features Agent Assignment Features Agent Features Agent Features Scripting Scripting Reporting, Dashboards and Alerts Reporting, Dashboards and Alerts Security Security System Administration System Administration Implementation Analysis Implementation Analysis Implementation Best Practices Implementation Best Practices Maintenance and Support Maintenanace and Support Workshops and Training Workshops and Training Reported Benefits of Outbound Solutions ROI vs. TCO ROI Analysis Customer Survey Rating Categories Average Satisfaction Ratings, by Category Product Satisfaction Ratings, by Category Implementation Satisfaction Ratings, by Customer Training Satisfaction Ratings, by Customer Professional Services Satisfaction Ratings, by Customer Ongoing Service and Support Satisfaction Ratings, by Customer Innovation Satisfaction Ratings, by Customer Responsiveness to Product Enhancement Requests Satisfaction Ratings, by Customer Vendor Communication Satisfaction Ratings, by Customer Product Pricing Satisfaction Ratings, by Customer Overall Vendor Satisfaction Ratings, by Customer What dialing methods are your currently using? What programs are you using the dialer for? What were your top 3-5 primary reasons for selecting this outbound solution? What are the top 3 to 5 benefits you have realized from your outbound dialing solution? Verbatims: Please tell us the top 3-5 strengths of your outbound solution. Verbatims: Please tell us the top 3-5 challenges of your dialing solution. Verbatims: What product enhancements would you like to see? What do you think about your solution s ability to comply with regulations and dialing restrictions? What enhancements would you like to see? Please provide any additional comments about your experience with the vendor and/or product. Pricing (Premise-Based Solution, 250 Seats) Dialer Costs (Cloud-based/hosted/SaaS Model, 250 Seats) Dialer Costs (Managed Service, 250 Seats) Order Information: Please contact Deborah Navarra at deborah.navarra@dmgconsult.com or 516-628-1098 with any questions. You may also purchase the 2014-2015 Outbound Solutions Product and Market Report online at www.dmgconsult.com.