Currently, one of the fastest growing trends for contact centers and outsourced contact centers is to move away from costly equipment based, premise based call center platforms and to move to more versatile, “on demand” virtual call center platforms.  Companies that have moved to or are using a virtual call center platform in some capacity include: Overstock.com, AMD, Vonage, Expedia.com, Hilton Grand Vacations, Kodak, American Express and many others.  Why is this transformation to virtual call center platforms taking place?

 On Demand Functionality
Virtual call center platforms provide an on-demand solution for inbound and outbound call centers as well as for businesses needing to utilize outbound IVR for surveys, appointment verification and to deliver marketing messages.  For contact centers employing this technology all that is required are PCs and a broadband connection.  The “on demand” functionality of a virtual call center platform can allow a contact center to be up and running in hours versus weeks or months with a traditional, onsite equipment based platform. 

Typically, deploying a traditional call center in either one or multiple sites can take several months or more.  Traditional, on-site, equipment based call center platforms require a specialized infrastructure, facility space, a dedicated IT staff, not to mention a capital expenditure of hundreds of thousands to potentially millions of dollars.  With a virtual call center platform, implementation is quick, easy and does not require the build out of a complex infrastructure.  Cost comparisons vary but on average, companies that have moved to a virtual platform claim to have reduced their overhead by in excess of 30% over on-site, equipment based platforms.

Instead of purchasing expensive equipment for a solution that is expensive and cannot instantly scale up or down to meet demand, call centers are opting for the versatility, scalability and the “pay-per-use” cost structure provided with virtual call center platforms.

In the past, it could be a challenge for an outsourced contact center if they picked up a new client that would require a hundred or more agents for a short period of time.  Should they invest the time, capital and human resources needed for a client who needs a short term solution?  Now, utilizing a virtual call center platform, it is easy and affordable for an outsourcer to scale up or down to meet the needs of their clientele.

Virtualization is more cost-effective and easier to justify than with any other technology. They are easier to deploy because virtual platforms are based on software that runs on commodity servers and workstations, and the only equipment an agent requires is a standard PC, headset and Internet connectivity. As a result, virtual call center platforms are affordable, and fast-deploying virtual call centers, in which multiple agent locations, agents at home, even follow-the-sun agents, are all managed and utilized as parts of a single system image.

Multiple Sites Become A Unified Virtual Call Center
The flexible architecture of a virtual call center platform allows companies to integrate their headquarters, remote offices, and outsourced locations into a unified virtual call center.  They’ll operate seamlessly as one team and are enabled to access talent outside their geography,