Expert Blogs

For more than a decade, companies have focused their efforts on automating customer journeys. This challenge, presented as a strategic priority, was aimed at improving operational efficiency while reducing costs and meeting the demands for immediacy imposed by the digital world. This approach has led to a proliferation of self-service solutions, conversational chatbots, and standardised interfaces designed to cover all customer needs, sometimes within a context of a full outsourcing of these services. As a result, customer relationships have gradually become codified, at times to the detriment of their very substance: human contact.

The world is becoming increasingly demanding for businesses that recognise they need new tools and capabilities to compete and succeed in today’s environment. Organizations no longer have the time and patience to rely on legacy processes and siloed environments, and the desire to become faster, more agile, and cost-efficient has captured the attention of every executive who keeps one eye focused on the future and the other one on the bottom line.

It is early days for AI, and while there is still so much hype, plus necessary concerns around the need for greater security, regulation, data controls and governance, there are some exciting opportunities for service providers. This is especially true when looking at customer engagement.

One-stop shops are one of the biggest trends in the channel right now, helping customers address their needs while enabling service providers to diversify their portfolios. Plus, there is still plenty of room in the market for service providers to succeed with one-stop shops despite growing competition. Conversely, not developing toward a one-stop shop approach is risky unless a service provider has a vertical market that is broad enough to deliver volume.

Bertrand Pourcelot, CEO Enreach for Service Providers, shares his views on the three pillars that are critical for a successful next-generation communications platform, creating opportunities for the channel, while giving their business customers tangible benefits.

MSPs can host their own UCaaS platform instance or select a platform as a service offering or even resell off-the-shelf turnkey SaaS depending on where they want to focus and invest during their growth journey.