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The cloud is more than hype , hyper-scaler , and hypothetical benefits . It ’ s evolved to provide organisations with an intelligent and customisable toolkit that they can leverage to enhance customer experiences , connect with new markets , and discover insights locked within data . This is reflected in the fact that organisations across all sectors are focusing on cloud-based vertical applications with an expected increase of 40 % in spend between 2021 to 2024 annually , according to McKinsey . Why ? Because cloud-based vertical applications offer immense benefits when it comes to scale , custom development , cost , time to market and reducing inherent infrastructure complexity .
Gartner agrees with this sentiment . The research firm believes that cloud will drive digital experiences and that a cloud-first approach is likely to give organisations the extra boost they need in a complex operating environment . As Gartner puts it , without a cloud-first strategy , companies are unlikely to achieve the full remit of their digital strategies . This theme is echoed by Deloitte . The company outlines the value of transformative human experiences for customers using the right channels , technologies and cloud-based toolkits . Deloitte also highlighted some of the benefits of taking cloud to the next level , not least of which being able to reduce response times and improve insights and analytics .
Cloud can become an invaluable ally to the organisation as it allows for companies to compete , in real-time , with rapid changes in customer engagement in communication . Customers are connecting with companies across email , contact centres , instant messaging and social media , often all at the same time . It ’ s a rolling tsunami of requests , complaints and problem resolution that has to be consistently managed to ensure that they are deftly handled at speed , and that they turn unhappy customers into satisfied ones . After all , it takes just one wrong move to make a customer leave .
bottlenecks in communication , resolve unnecessary complexities for customers and contact centre agents alike , and improve engagements considerably .
In addition to its ability to unwrap the insights locked within the data delivered by customer interactions , cloud is also a build-your-own functionality toolkit . Companies can add or remove features from their cloud implementation on demand , selecting those elements that best suit their strategic requirements at any point along their journey . Cloud platforms are designed to provide organisations with the ability to “ eat the elephant ” one bite at a time – adapting the technology to suit the company and the lessons learned through its data and intelligence .
This of course aligns with the one question most asked about cloud – where is the best place to start ? Is the business supposed to step into chatbots or contact centre cloud solutions ? Is it supposed to invest into analytics ? This is a complex question as implementation should be aligned to the organisation and both its market and strategic direction . No cloud platform can be a one size fits all solution , not if it ’ s
Wynand Smit , CEO , INOVO
What cloud offers is the ability to manage this tsunami effectively . Cloud provides the capability that the business needs to manage the influx of information across all the different touchpoints , and to analyse and interpret this information properly . Cloud also allows for organisations to slip straight into the data stream and leverage analytics and business intelligence toolkits to gain a richer understanding of customer interactions with the business . This has long been recognised as a significant benefit – companies can discover
Cloud provides the capability that the business needs to manage the influx of information across all the different touchpoints , and to analyse and interpret this information properly .
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