There has been much hype in the telecommunications sector as of late surrounding the concept of cloud computing and hosted solutions. And, while it would be easy to assume the constant focus is little more than hype over new technology solutions, such an assumption would ensure you would miss the benefits that can be delivered in a hosted contact center solution.

Two specific questions come to mind when searching for the right contact center solution: why should you buy hardware and why should you install software?  The answer to these questions is that you don’t have to buy or install when it comes to hosted contact center solutions. The result is a lower investment for your contact center and a streamlined launch of the solutions you need.

Consider some of the costs involved if you purchase hardware upfront. First, you must have the significant capital necessary to make the purchase. Second, you must have the skilled IT staff to install the hardware within your environment. Third, hardware investments are rarely made without additional accessories or necessary support contracts, which increases the overall cost. Keep in mind that if you have more than one location, you must multiply those costs per the number of locations.

Next, consider the cost to your organization if you purchase and install software solutions. You will be required to purchase a license for every user on your network, train every user on the new software and ensure your IT staff can maintain the software through consistent updates. While you can’t get around the training with a hosted contact center solution, why not negate the other time-consuming and costly steps? And, with multiple locations you will have to roll-out the solution in a method which allows for installation and training at each location.

When you select a hosted contact center solution, you ultimately lower your total cost of ownership (TCO) as there are no additional hardware costs, resources are virtualized and license costs can be determined according to necessary use. Why purchase a full license for any employee who only needs part of the solution to complete the tasks of the job. Hosted contact center solutions allow for on-demand services and pricing ensuring you only pay for what you need and use.

Hosted contact center solutions also ensure all employees have greater access to what they need. There is nothing that can slow the contact center process more than an agent who has to hunt for information or tools to resolve an issue or complete a sale. By providing a hosted contact center solution that allows them to have what they need on-demand, they do not have to search for information or process to complete the interaction.

Changes to the process or the hosted call center can be difficult, especially if all users are trained according to the status quo. To be competitive in this intense marketplace however, the organization must be open to change. With the hosted contact center solution, the organization can more effectively manage that change to ensure they can drive success and mitigate any problems that may arise.

Before implementing any contact center solution, you must evaluate whether or not the solution is flexible, secure, scalable, reliable, easy to use and well-supported. If you trust the vendor can deliver on all of these things, you are likely to extract all potential value from the hosted contact center solution.