There is no denying that cloud computing is rapid, relentless, and causing huge upheaval in the technology industry. Firms that need more computing capacity no longer have to spend days adding new servers and software; they can get it all done in minutes, thanks to the cloud.
As a result, companies small and large are already joining the bandwagon and moving into the “cloud.” Yet with all the growing interest, a great deal of misunderstanding around cloud computing still persists.
In this post, we dispense some common myths about cloud contact centers that you might have.
In the cloud, data isn’t secure – Security is the top concern when it comes to cloud contact centers, and it is a common belief that data stored remotely is less safe than data stored in-house. However, that is far from being the truth. In fact, cloud contact center solutions are typically delivered from highly protected Tier 4 data centers. These data centers are built to protect any customers from any type of service disruption. In addition, cloud vendors use the same industry best practices as enterprises with mission-critical IT operations. For example, all data is encrypted, and staff monitors 24×7 to keep data safe.
Data is public and scattered all over the place – Moving to the cloud does not mean losing control. This is just another common myth associated with cloud computing that since data is stored remotely, it is available for public view, and cloud users will lose control of where it is stored. However, this isn’t true; data stored in the cloud is subject to the same privacy laws as that stored on-premise, the only difference being the jurisdiction of the data center on which it is stored. In addition, pre-defined access rights will ensure that users see what they need to see while the control rests with the management.
Cloud applications are difficult to integrate – Why would they be? This is another misconception around cloud-based contact centers. Cloud-based applications can co-exist with traditionally purchased and deployed applications like your CRM, databases, billing systems, analytics, etc., all the time. Today, software vendors emphasizing interoperability and ‘out-of-the-box integrations’ provide the necessary connectors and APIs that make it easier to integrate. The more standards-based and open is the underlying system, the simpler and faster the integration is.
Cloud lacks features and capabilities compared to on-premise – This myth probably stems from the fact that early hosted contact centers had limited features; for example, the software could be accessed only through a company network. However, today we have contact center software solutions delivered through a wide range of architectures, including Software-as-a-service (SaaS), web-based, etc. The key is to select a solution that best meets your contact center needs, discusses with the service provider about the specific architecture that offers a service guarantee.
Cloud contact center costs more – Again, a misconception. Cloud contact centers provide cost efficiencies compared to on-premise. It helps to cut expenditure on upfront costs, hardware expenses, or software upgrades. The subscription-based model helps to shift the CAPEX and OPEX to OPEX only. Cloud enables switching servers off during lower demand periods to limit the idle infrastructure costs and increase additional resources during peak periods such as Black Friday or Cyber Monday.
We’ve presented some of the common myths that deter companies from adopting a cloud contact center. However, it must be remembered that moving forward, cloud computing is here to stay. It is time for businesses to start investing in the cloud to drive continuous business innovation and deliver a differentiated customer experience.
