Software firm: Cloud computing can help call centers cut costs

As the business process outsourcing (BPO) industry is expected to grow strongly this year, a software company encouraged call centers to cut capital and operational costs by using cloud computing. “There’s a new call center model in town. At the very least, you should do your due diligence to decide if it’s right for you," inContact executive vice president Jim Tanner said in a statement issued Monday. Call centers — expected to grow by 28 percent this year — rake in more revenues and profits by using cloud-based systems where the software is hosted, secured, and maintained by a vendor, inContact said. “Instead of installing costly equipment like phone switches and automatic call distributors, all of the necessary technology services [may be] managed by an off-site provider and delivered over a broadband connection," Tanner said. “These cloud-based call centers [deployed over the Internet to cut costs] are not only far less expensive than traditional premises-based versions but also far more versatile," Tanner added. “You pay a fixed monthly subscription fee based on the number of seats or users, eliminating the capital outlay and ongoing overhead of installing and managing call center equipment," Tanner explained. With this system in place, call center agents can work from anywhere using a standard telephone and computer, he said. According to www.techtarget.com, cloud computing is "a general term for anything that involves delivering hosted services over the Internet." These services include Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS), Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS). Working away from the office Filipino call center agents can particularly work away from the office, Tanner pointed out. “Agents working at home or at flexible time are more efficient, creating a so-called group of happy agents, which, in turn, gives companies higher productivity," Tanner said. “Home-based agents tend to be more mature, better educated, and more satisfied with their jobs, leading to increased efficiency and lower attrition rates," he added. The market for cloud-based call center infrastructure is booming, Tanner said, noting that it will grow by 35 percent in 2010 and 20 percent in 2011. The market grew by 30 percent in 2009, he noted. — VS/VVP, GMANews.TV