Contact Center Solutions Featured Article

July 14, 2008

Diversity of EMEA Favors Localized Agent Performance Optimization System Vendors

By Mani Soundararajan


Agent performance optimization (APO) systems are being increasingly deployed in Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) markets as contact centers begin to realize the importance of these tools in cost control and effective business management. Advanced centers are becoming increasingly appreciative of the benefits of these tools, especially in workforce management (WFM).
 
Frost & Sullivan (News - Alert), in its recent report, “EMEA Agent Performance Optimization Markets,” said the APO market earned revenues of €146.6 million ($231.2 million) in 2007 and is estimated to reach €316.5 million ($499.2 million) by 2014.
 
“APO applications remain the quickest way to demonstrably improve contact center performance and efficiency,” said Frost & Sullivan analysts Keith Dawson (News - Alert) and Kunal Kakodkar. “Although cost control will remain the primary driver, the tools’ impact on operating efficiency and skill level of agents is becoming apparent, and advanced contact centers can no longer afford to ignore them.”
 
The EMEA APO market differs from the North American market in not centralizing masses of agents into huge centers. Although the average number of seats under the contact center management in either region may be similar, the EMEA operations are likely to be fragmented into several smaller, but connected, units.
 
The analysis reported that the speedier adoption of IP technologies in EMEA and the splintered political set up of the region are likely to have contributed to this trend. This diversity of the EMEA is expected to challenge vendors to develop a suitable channel strategy and create a need for localized offerings, while taking into account the restrictive labor laws in some areas.
 
“In some countries, workers’ councils have a say in the purchase decision for APO software,” said Dawson. “Success depends on the in-depth knowledge of the local cultural and regulatory environment and a product that is adaptable to those conditions.”
 
The analysis further noted that EMEA is dominated by smaller companies that provide WFM as a point solution and despite their size, these companies have had certain advantages over their larger competitors -- one of the main advantages being language localizations and features that are built to comply with the numerous local labor laws.
 
“Since the adoption of suites has not moved as quickly in EMEA as it has in the United States, there is still significant room for those local incumbents to retain customers, especially in the smaller and mid-sized center market,” remarked Kakodkar. “The next 12-18 months should see a tightening of the competition between local and global companies, as the latter aggressively localize their software.”
 
APO vendors outside the core EMEA market have adopted the reseller channel as the predominant mode of sales and are aggressively establishing and nurturing networks of developers, integrators, and resellers to cover territories where they do not have footprints yet. APO vendors partner with larger platform vendors to win business with contact centers by leveraging the integrations with call routing engines.
 
“Meanwhile, product offerings have improved significantly in the last 12-24 months, and through these partner networks, vendors are poised to capitalize on the large number of Greenfield opportunities that still exist,” observed Dawson. “Consolidation among vendors and the speed of adoption of IP technologies is driving growth, as is the rapid rise of consumer markets in and around Eastern Europe and the Middle East.”
 
Mani Soundararajan is a contributing editor for TMCnet. To read more of Mani’s articles, please visit his columnist page.
 
Don’t forget to check out TMCnet’s White Paper Library, which provides a selection of in-depth information on relevant topics affecting the IP Communications industry. The library offers white papers, case studies and other documents which are free to registered users. Today’s featured white paper is Jim Cossetta, President, CEO, 4What Interactive, Creators of The VoIPTrainer, brought to you by 4What Interactive (News - Alert).


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