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10.23.09 Taking Full Advantage Of Cloud Based Business Solutions 
By Jim Berkowitz Here are just a few excerpts from a series of articles by Patrick Barnard, Senior Web Editor for TMCnet, The Advantages of SaaS-based Call Center Solutions: Thinking about replacing your legacy call center system but not sure whether to go the software-as-a-service or on-premises route? As many organizations are discovering, today's software-as-a-service or "cloud"-based call center systems hold numerous advantages over on-premises systems - as well as the traditional hosted or ASP model of the not-too-distant past. With these "all-in-one" call center systems, essential software applications such as IP-PBX, ACD, IVR, call recording/monitoring, workforce management, performance management, customer surveys and reporting can be tightly integrated on a shared platform in a data center and delivered to agents via dedicated IP network or the public Internet. For companies still using legacy TDM equipment, upgrading to a new SaaS-based call center system typically means gaining a whole new slew of features and capabilities - only at a much lower cost than if they had purchased and installed separate, best-of-breed solutions. Unlike the hosted "client-side" solutions, these SaaS-based systems offer improved scalability and flexibility - including the ability to add/remove agent seats, as well as the ability to turn specific applications (or even specific features) "on" and "off" with just a click of the mouse. In addition these solutions can be more quickly and easily (and affordably) integrated with existing systems, including CRM and other back-office systems.
Despite the current recession (in fact because of the recession), companies in a wide range of industries are adopting SaaS-based call center solutions at a rapid rate. A recent report from market research firm DMG Consulting predicts that the SaaS-based call center software market will grow 30 percent in 2009, 35 percent in 2010 and 20 percent in 2011. According to the report, 2008 was actually a good year for vendors offering hosted or Web-based call center solutions, despite the down economy, and 2009 is shaping up to be a strong year for growth as well. In this multi-part series, we'll look at the many advantages SaaS-based call center solutions have over traditional on-premises systems. •Lower Upfront Cost •Less Commitment, Lower Risk Reduced Ongoing Costs •Faster Implementation •Faster Access to New Technologies •Increased Scalability •Enabling the Virtual Contact Center •Better Control over Business Rules •Improved Agent Efficiency Be sure to check out the first and second articles of this series as well as others to follow. Comments About the Author: Jim Berkowitz is a seasoned executive with more than 30 years of professional services and project management experience related to Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and Financial Management (Accounting & ERP) software solutions for small, mid-sized and Fortune 500 companies. As a Sales Force Automation and CRM Consultant, Jim has assisted more then 100 companies with the design and implementation of custom CRM solutions. Mr. Berkowitz is the founder and President of CRM Mastery, Inc.; a company dedicated to serving small and mid-sized enterprises (SMEs) by offering affordable tools and guidance to help them plan for and succeed with their CRM initiatives. |
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