Hosted contact centers are appealing to a growing number of companies. Hosting allows contact centers to access technology over the internet versus licensing software, purchasing hardware, building infrastructure, and dedicating IT resources to implementing, maintaining, and upgrading the technologies. That can mean plenty of cost savings and flexibility.

While the hosted model works well for many organizations, companies in the following situations tend to be quickly adopting hosted solutions and are the most likely to reap its full benefits.

Companies that have outgrown existing applications and systems

Hosted solutions can provide an efficient and economical way to replace or upgrade existing solutions. With their customizable features, easy integration, and adaptability, a hosted contact center with an agent desktop that unifies all of the customer information into one screen can provide the functionality and cost savings needed to upgrade from first-generation solutions that provide little beyond basic customer data tracking.

Companies with an immediate need

A hosted solution can be up and running very quickly, in a matter of days in some situations. Companies can accelerate their ROI by as much as six to nine months by implementing a hosted solution versus a traditional, on-premise solution.

Companies with a limited budget

Hosted solutions require only a minimal upfront charge for implementation with monthly subscription payments based on the number of users. The hosted model enables organizations to enjoy the robust features and functionality of a sophisticated contact center solution without prohibitive upfront investments.

Companies with little or no in-house IT skills or resources

With the hosted model, help desk support and physical technical support is available with the subscription fee. The service provider provides all customization, integration, upgrades, support, maintenance, and technology refreshes.

Companies that are rapidly expanding

For companies undergoing rapid growth, the hosted contact center enables them to take on new business without worrying about infrastructure limitations. Additional agents and even contact centers can easily be added without the costs and headaches of upgrading or replacing the infrastructure.

Companies that are expanding geographically

For companies faced with fast-paced growth, expanding geographically could mean expanding the network, which could be expensive. Hosted solutions can be integrated with these companies’ existing technologies to expand the reach of their current capabilities. With a hosted solution, the software would supplement the company’s existing infrastructure, but would reside on a third-party network and be accessed from workstations anywhere in the world via a web-based interface. Thus, hosted solutions are well-suited for companies that are expanding their contact center operations, whether by opening several distributed call centers or by supporting a distributed network of remote agents (also known as a virtual contact center).

Companies that want to utilize virtual agents

Hosted contact centers enable agents to work from any location as long as it has a high-speed internet connection. Companies can expand their labor pool by allowing agents to work from home and can also offer 24/7 support without the overhead of keeping a physical center running non-stop.

Companies with seasonal needs

Hosted solutions offer organizations with seasonal spikes in demand, such as retail and government, the ability to ramp up quickly during peak times, without having to make a "peak infrastructure investment” that would otherwise sit idle for most of the year.

Companies that wish to minimize the risk of business stoppage in an emergency

With a hosted contact center, employees can communicate outside of their primary workplace should it be rendered inoperable by emergency or disaster. For example, an evacuation might require employees to work from home, hotel, satellite office, or cell phone. Because the hosting center is physically maintained outside of the outage, the contact center application, data, and communications remain accessible to agents working remotely to service customers, greatly reducing business risk.

This article is an excerpt from the white paper “The Hosted Model: Simplifying Contact Center and Agent Desktop Solutions." To download the complete white paper, www.cincom.com/hostedmodel.

Cincom Systems delivers innovative software and services to simplify complex business processes. For nearly 40 years, we have empowered thousands of clients worldwide to outperform their competition by providing ways to increase revenue, control cost, minimize risk, and achieve rapid ROI. Cincom Systems