A simple definition of a cloud-based call centre software is that it is the software system that allows a company to run a call center for operations or customer service purpose. Due to its popularity, there are easily hundreds of different providers that offer call center software across the globe and it is also a fact that every call center software system has its own pros and cons. Thus when selecting the most suitable call center software, it is very important to know what is the features and functions you will prefer to determine the efficiency of your call centre.
A cloud-based call centre software which is also known as a hosted contact centre is inclusive of the customer service operation with all the basic functions of a contact centre solution that provides a network service, without the need of on-premise hardware. This will include hardware like Automatic Call Distributor (ACD), Computer Telephony Integration [CTI], Interactive Voice Response [IVR], Dialers and CRM Integrations.
With the introduction of cloud computing, companies can host their contact centers at a third-party vendor’s data centre which is usually in a remote place, without the need for any on-premise hardware infrastructure and bear the additional cost of the monthly maintenance fee.
Just this single advantage of low infrastructure costs plus the big change from capex to opex in business terms and turned the majority of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and even multinational corporations (MNCs) to change their call centers from on-premise models to cloud-based models. This, in turn, has made the Legacy system providers to rapidly lose their market share to the cloud-based call center software.
Many companies who have adopted and use the cloud-based call centre has strongly utilized the advanced call center technologies without additional cost in overheads and potential technical disruptions that usually happens during on-site upgrades. Hence, companies that use cloud-based contact centre have saved a fortune on the initial investments in infrastructure involved and software licenses as compared to the traditional call center systems.