Alsbridge Releases New Report on Next Generation Call Center Trends and Transformation

Award-winning benchmarking, sourcing and transformation advisory firm, Alsbridge, Inc., today announced the release of their new report on trends and transformation technologies helping companies gain next generation call center network solutions.

The report notes that while many firms indicate they are satisfied with the applications and technologies in place, significant returns can come from selective technology enhancements or full transformation resulting in differentiation and higher customer satisfaction scores and revenue.

“The largest transformation gains in call centers are coming from better automation, analytics, and applications to improve return, operations, and transform network function,” says Alsbridge founder and CEO, Ben Trowbridge.

Based on Alsbridge’s experience using market-proven process management methods to help enterprise clients create and execute their call center strategies, the firm recently released a report which lists trends and transformation technologies that are helping companies break down the artificial technical barriers that exist between their customers in order to gain next generation call center network solutions. These trends include:

 - The mix of remote and facility based agents is changing
 - Emerging companies are disrupting the speech and IVR automation market place
 - Breakthroughs in the automated speech methods are allowing companies to automate more complex transactions
 - Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) has improved the amount of intelligence companies are receiving before agents are
   handling the calls
 - Soft phones are beginning to displace physical hard phones
 - Voice over IP is being leveraged across the Internet without QOS for remote workers
 - Work distribution is being centralization at scale using SIP
 - Session management and SIP are displacing toll free and inbound features
 - The use of speech and other analytics are growing
 - Callback and Virtual Hold technologies are becoming mainstream customer service tools
 - Multi-channel is expanding, most companies' offer chat/Instant messaging to voice or click to call, but still large gaps
   exist
 - Customer Relationship Software is competing with work distribution, web, digital platforms, and social media
   applications
 - Companies are investing in complex event processing in order to create dynamic agendas, optimize staff, and improve
   revenue
 - Big data opportunities exist to solve core customer service and operational issues
 - Companies continue to shift focus from solely efficiency (e.g. AHT) key performance metrics to improving revenue and
   permanently solving problems for both customers and those in the back office

“Call centers continue their critical role in assisting customers and employees to solve complex issues, strengthening brand value, closing and improving sales, and serving as a vital component in a company's e-Commerce or digital network strategy,” Trowbridge explains. “Call centers should also continuously check the market and prioritize strategies and investments for the next 12-24 months in order to not to be left behind.”

Read the full report titled, “Next Generation Call Center Trends and Transformation.”

About Alsbridge Inc.

Alsbridge provides world class sourcing advisory and benchmarking services for the CIO, CFO and CPO.  We’ve helped hundreds of companies reduce costs and get more value from their vendors.  Our experienced consultants leverage proprietary tools and information databases to identify and engage the optimal vendors for your situation, negotiate best practice terms at fair market prices, and improve the way you work with your vendors.  Alsbridge clients utilize the most cost effective and value added sources globally for IT infrastructure services, hardware and maintenance, network services, software and maintenance, application support and development, business processes and cloud services. Alsbridge was ranked the #1 outsourcing advisor in the world by the International Association of Outsourcing Professionals (IAOP) based on the value delivered to clients.  This commitment to delivering value to our clients has made Alsbridge a distinguished member of the 2010 Inc. 500 fastest growing privately held companies in America.