There are now more than 5 million cloud-based contact center agents working as organizations take advantage of emerging technologies, according to a new study by Synergy Research Group.
The number of cloud-based agents surpassed the 5 million mark during the third quarter of 2019. Though cloud-based reps are still in the minority, the market is outpacing traditional customer service roles 20% compared to 5% annually.
The growth is just one of the many ways the contact center market is transforming. Cloud technologies put customer service programs within reach for smaller companies. At the same time, large companies are finding ways to reduce infrastructure costs while improving contact center operations.
“The big shift we have seen in the market is that cloud technologies have enabled smaller enterprises to utilize contact center services without having to make hefty infrastructure,” Jeremy Duke, Synergy’s founder and chief analyst, said in a statement accompanying the research.
North America has the highest adoption rate
The market is the most mature in North America because of early adoption of new technologies. North America also has the highest growth rate in the cloud segment.
North America has the most contact center agents total, followed by EMEA, APAC, and Latin America.
Cloud and hybrid contact center growth
A recent report by Frost & Sullivan showed that hybrid and cloud contact center system implementations are expected to grow in the coming years as companies seek cost-effective ways to measure customer experience in a complex technological landscape.
That report predicts that the cloud center market will reach $5 billion by 2023. Hybrid solutions will help maintain the momentum with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) or 2.3% from 2018-2024. The contact center systems market will also grow by 2.9% to $1.7 billion.
The research aligns with what we’re hearing from customers. Last year, we launched hybrid cloud test automation capabilities with the Hammer Cloud Platform (HCP). The test automation and active monitoring platform empowers users to minimize, or even eliminate, tool charges and increase the reliability of test calls.
“Most of our customers, if not all, are considered hybrid test models,” Empirix CEO John D’Anna said. “They allow broad test coverage at a reduced cost and execute test scenarios that best mirror customer behavior, both of which are vital for developing a comprehensive test strategy and assuring customer experience.”
The Empirix approach
In late 2019, Frost & Sullivan praised Empirix’s solutions for being deployable in the cloud, on-site or hybrid and for integrating with third-party data sources within virtualized network infrastructures. Frost & Sullivan recognized picked Empirix as the 2019 Best Practice Award for Global Network and Test Monitoring Product Line Strategy Leadership.
“In addition to the Hammer Cloud Platform, Empirix offers a cloud-native, probe-free monitoring solution for enterprises and service providers to troubleshoot their physical, hybrid or virtual network infrastructure,” the analysts wrote in the award summary that can be downloaded here.
