Marqual IT Solutions, a unit of KBV Research, projects the European contact center transformation market to grow at a compounded annual rate of 16.5 percent through 2026.
According to the report, contact centers are experiencing a number of changes, including accelerated automation that is making it necessary for businesses to adopt best practices or face falling behind. Of particular note are technological developments in robotic process automation (RPA) and artificial intelligence, which the report says will practically transform the face of customer care.
Nowhere is the need for digital change greater than in contact centers at the present, the report notes, pointing out that digital innovation is not limited to consumer service; it also has significant implications on the way in which support personnel operate by providing them with the best resources to be more effective and to resolve issues more quickly.
Digital transformation also changes the role of the contact center from trying to resolve customer calls in the shortest period possible by using analytics to deliver proactive, personalized support and efficient customer experience, it concluded.
Another change noted in the report is the evolution of the call center from a reactive help center managing customer requests and complaints to delivering support on the consumer's preferred channel.
The report singles out AT&T, Cisco Systems, Microsoft, RingCentral, SAP, Five9, AGC Networks, Genesys, and Aculab as key stakeholder in the market.