Cloud computing, till a very recent time in the past, was confined to businesses and large enterprises which required significant computing solutions, besides influencing the individual consumer segment to a small degree.
For a long time now, cloud computing has been regarded as an essential equipment for the effective functioning and organization of enterprises requiring IT support in any possible manner. In this regard, Call Centers seem to be a large untapped market for cloud computing providers, as this segment is among the last of IT intensive establishments, conceiving a move to the cloud for better functionality.
The standard advantages of cloud computing which apply to businesses and firms seem to be relevant to the Call Center setup, often in much magnified proportions. Cloud computing comes with a whole array of constitutional features, some of which can enable Call Centers to gain unmatched leverage among competitors within the industry.
1. Scalability
When considering a shift to the cloud, the advantage of the system which seems to stand out singularly is: cloud computing’s scalable nature. This can be one of the most sought after features for Call Centers, who tend to work in environments which see change in functionality and agent figures very often.
Call Centers, for the most part, have very specific requirements, and nothing can be more lucrative than being able to pay exactly for the services and solutions they require. As a standard feature, Call Centers have to have computing infrastructure, and opting for the cloud enables the management to significantly reduce expenses on maintaining IT staff and costly maintenance of the sophisticated paraphernalia.
The resources required can be increased and decreased as per the situation, making it possible for the Call Centers to keep an effective control over the way they use their finances. This scalable nature transforms the capital expenditure on IT to a much more manageable operating expenditure.
2. Extended Reach
It is understood that Call Centers are required to serve clients over vast geographical areas, and this makes it mandatory for them to be able to reach out to their clients and prospective patrons.
With cloud hosting, Call Center employees do not essentially have to be confined within the physical edges of the firms’ premises, but can now improve their efficiency by being able to work from any location. This has made it possible for employees and management to collaborate more effectively, which helps in positively working for solutions to problems at hand. For instance, one agent at the Call Center might be handling a client situation which requires specialized knowledge, and the agent can instantly have a co-worker from another location join him in providing a viable solution.
Call Centers rely on effective communication with their customers, and with social networking features becoming easily available, the integration of the same with cloud computing creates additional channels of communication between Call Centers and their clients.
3. Disaster Recovery:
Call Centers have to handle immense amount of customer information besides the incessant traffic being routed to them through the Internet and the telephone network. This requires an effective system of keeping customer specific data.
Earlier, Call Centers had to perform from one location, and the data was stored in the in-house computer systems. These systems were not reliable as they could be taken offline due to maintenance schedules or mechanical failures, rendering the agents ineffective in serving the customers.
With cloud computing, this entire client database can be put on a CRM solution, which can then be hosted on the cloud, providing unmatched accessibility from any part of the world, while ensuring unpaired uptime. This not only increases the functionality of the Call Centers manifold, but also reduces downtime resulting in the loss of customers.
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