Telecom & Technology Consulting
Technology can change so fast these days that businesses can’t keep up with the new capabilities. Add in the fact that each innovation has its own label, and you get an environment where everyone is speaking a different language.
It’s hard enough for companies to understand the real-world benefits of a telecom product or service. Then we can make it even more difficult to decipher by using an acronym that requires a long explanation. We think it’s important for customers to understand exactly what they’re paying for when signing the contract.
This situation is especially true for call center solutions. Today we have four options for call centers:
– On-premise
– Hosted
– Cloud
– Virtual
On-premise is exactly that – it’s one physical place with all of the software, hardware, servers and cables operated by a staff of people that show up there every day.
But with today’s technology, on-premise makes little sense anymore, both from a financial and societal standpoint. We now live in a wireless world, one where people are working, doing business, socializing and shopping anytime, anyplace.
Businesses need to adopt a different model, not just to remain competitive but also to attract and retain employees.
Off-site call centers are not all equal, with each offering their own pros and cons.
A hosted call center provides everything in a remote location. You may think this is the same as being in the cloud, but cloud centers are a different beast.
A cloud call center is indeed also “hosted”, but it’s done so with shared resources. The benefit with the cloud is that companies to can add or reduce services to fit their needs at any given time. They’re able to cut costs and have operations be as lean as possible without sacrificing quality.
We also have the virtual call center, which is often confused with cloud or hosted. However, a virtual call center is not about the technology, it’s about the people who actually do the work. In short, a virtual call center allows employees to work anywhere – from home, on the road, in multiple offices, anywhere with electricity and an internet connection.
As we said earlier, this is valuable for companies as more and more people demand to have flexible schedules. Soon, the term “mobile workforce” will be obsolete because it will be the norm. It’s just a fact.
With cloud technology and a virtual call center, companies can increase employee happiness (and thus morale and productivity). This is simply one of many benefits from going away from legacy, outdated centers that lack agility. A mobile workforce cuts operational costs, allowing companies to have more cash to devote to research, product development, marketing and personnel.
Now that you know the difference between the types of call centers, you’re better equipped to make the right decision.
