PARTNERS ’ PERSPECTIVE of entry high in gaining ground on the traditional big players .
However , with the advent of AI putting a focus on the front end of businesses as well as being accessible to all , it has opened up the market substantially which is great for the channel .
The adoption of AI is not without its challenges , though . Channel partners are regularly asked by their end customers what impacts AI can have , and this is causing confusion . This has caused a
From a cost and time perspective , it is much more beneficial for a business to only have to deal with one vendor on one platform . scramble for channel partners to formulate strategies and fully understand how they will incorporate AI .
So for vendors , it is vital that they stay ahead of the curve when it comes to AI capabilities and the functionalities they are adopting , so that partners are kept abreast of the latest innovations and how the innovations they are seeking to implement through adoption of AI .
Complete suite of services allows resellers to foster engagement
With the PSTN switch off delayed , 2025 is a valuable opportunity for SMEs to evaluate and select the best alternative communication systems to minimise disruption from the switch off . It also provides businesses with a chance to reassess current communication tools and think about what might serve their needs better in today ’ s distributed working environment .
For example , adopting Unified Communications as a Service , UCaaS solutions can enhance operational agility , support a hybrid workforce , and make communications more efficient and effective .
That means more opportunities for the comms channel to expand beyond traditional voice services to include unified communication solutions that integrate voice , video , messaging , and collaboration tools that will enrich customer experience and streamline communication workflows .
In the channel , consolidation – providing IT , security and communications services under one monthly invoice – will gain momentum because of the simplicity it offers clients and resellers .
Clients value the convenience of getting the entire technology stack from one place and resellers appreciate the predictable recurring revenue streams that having all services bundled together creates .
It is more than just a billing convenience however ; it is a powerful differentiator for resellers as many businesses are actively seeking to reduce vendor fatigue by consolidating their technology stacks .
A complete suite of services allows resellers to foster comprehensive engagement , positioning them as the single point of contact for support . This improves customer loyalty and creates a level of service integration that is unappealing for businesses to turn their back on .
The picture that comes to mind of a traditional contact centre may be an impersonal office filled with rows of agents , but cloud-based systems are letting businesses move past these kind of contact centre interactions . Agents no longer need be in one location and businesses can easily adjust their customer service capacity as required .
Firstly , cloud-based systems are making contact centre technology more scalable meaning even small start-ups can now deploy basic chatbots or CRM systems to deliver a level of service previously only possible for big companies with deep pockets .
Myles Leach , Managing Director , NFON UK
Secondly , AI will become much more capable in the contact centre and increasingly be able to predict customer needs and pre-emptively solve problems . This means that interactions can be personalised and customer queries can be solved faster and with more satisfactory outcomes .
Take a contact centre for a hospital for example , AI can take many of the routine patient requests like processing prescriptions and booking appointments . If it needs to connect patients to a human contact centre agent , then AI can surface the patients ’ medical details and summarise previous calls for the agent .
It means the agent can get right down to answering questions and providing more meaningful service . •
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