James Thew - Fotolia
What are the benefits of a UC and contact center integration?
UC offerings that include contact center integration provide more seamless communications and engagement between office workers and contact center agents.
Unified communications and contact center integrations are one of the strongest trends happening in the communications technology space today. Why are vendors integrating UC with contact centers? The cloud has become the prime enabler for technology integrations.
Integration options that legacy technology or premises-based offerings couldn't support are now possible in a cloud environment. Many vendors in the UC and contact center spaces are now cloud-first -- or even cloud-only -- making UC as a service (UCaaS) and contact center integration a possibility.
Previously, the technologies for contact centers and UC were not compatible, and contact center applications remain highly specialized. But contact center agents and office workers use the same applications to communicate and increasingly need to interact to support customers.
Cloud-based platforms can address communication needs for all parts of the business. Communications vendors and cloud providers now have the means to offer UCaaS and contact center integrations and expand their footprint with enterprise customers.
What are the enterprise benefits for a UC-contact center integration?
Enterprises benefit from partnering with one cloud service provider instead of two or more. A single provider means IT only deals with one vendor for support. While enterprises may have long-standing relationships with contact center vendors, in some cases, older systems can't meet current needs, leading organizations to look for new options.
Enterprises are rethinking technology roadmaps to meet the demands of customers. Cloud-based offerings provide more choice, including options beyond the traditional set of contact center vendors -- namely, those from the UCaaS space.
More choices mean higher expectations for customer service. Enterprises must become customer-centric in all aspects to stay competitive -- not just the frontline agents in the contact center.
An integrated UC and contact center offering provides benefits, such as seamless access and engagement between agents and office workers wherever they are across the organization. Not only does that capability align well with digital transformation initiatives, but getting all communications from one provider ensures the tight integration needed for enterprise agility.
