Enterprises today continue to struggle with security, integration and governance issues; meanwhile, they are having success with collaboration and CRM applications. This is what IDG is reporting in its latest Cloud Computing: Key Trends and Future Effects Report.
Based on 1,358 interviews with CIOs and other IT professionals, the survey notes that cloud computing has a lot to do with that success:
1. Nearly half (49 percent) of executive-level management see cloud computing as transformative to their business strategies
2. Forty percent are currently having their IT staff investigate the benefits cloud computing might bring to their business
3. Enabling business continuity (43 percent), greater flexibility to react to changing market conditions (40 percent), speed of deployment (39 percent) and improving customer support or services (38 percent) are the top four drivers of investment in cloud computing technology
These are hefty advancements, considering that just five years ago, cloud computing was a mere 2.2 percent. The tipping point occurred around 2011, when that number more than doubled, reaching 5.9 percent.
Today, a cloud contact center is no longer something early adopters do, but rather a necessity for competitive survival. By the end of 2015, industry analysts predict that 18 percent of all contact center seats will be in the cloud.
Some old myths of cloud computing are also being more quickly dispelled, such as the concern over data security. While LinkedIn reports that 54 percent of companies consider security their main concern, Mimecast notes that 57 percent of its respondents saw increased security in the cloud.
Consider that data is protected if a laptop disappears, or is readily available if a contact center needs to move to an alternate location due to a severe weather event. Virtual queuing, hosted predictive dialing and seamless multi-channel integration will drive service excellence. In addition, companies can access their cloud contact center solution remotely from tablets and other mobile devices.
Bottom line: For customer service excellence, a cloud contact center provides a clear competitive advantage.