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6 Tips for Deploying #CustomerService in the #Cloud

One of the biggest challenges facing companies is figuring out how to assist consumers, in an innovative and better way, in an environment where customer engagement is rapidly variable. Implementing a successful customer experience strategy means organizations need to be responsive enough to serve customers on their own terms across the entire customer experience lifecycle. Therefore, shifting customer service to the cloud in the form of a contact centre offers many advantages, especially for fast-growing companies: from flexible sourcing models to a low burden on their own IT and high scalability.

Cloud customer service maturity model

This is immensely important, especially in the case of occasionally high loads, for example in the customer service of mobile service providers in case of a network outage or in e-commerce on Black Friday in e-commerce. When choosing a contact centre solution from the cloud, companies should consider these six criteria.

 

  1. Distributed Micro-services Architecture for Independent Clients

 

Although old cloud applications are, most of the time, multi-client capable, they are often designed as a set of interdependent components. Often, an error in one of the components also results as an error in other components. In a kind of chain reaction, several clients can fail – or in the worst case – all at once. To avoid this, a cloud solution should divide its functionality into many micro-services that is able to work independently of each other. For example, one micro-service handles voicemail messages while another distributes incoming calls. In addition, the micro-services are scalable independently. If a client needs to send a million e-mails at short notice, the capacity of the micro-service is automatically increased to handle this load without affecting the functionality of other clients. In addition, cloud solutions can be continuously updated with such an architecture, bugs can be quickly removed, and new features can be quickly imported without – as with conventional systems – having an effect on other system modules or clients. The entire platform can continue to be actively used by all users.

 

  1. Accessibility of important functions even without Internet

Customers today expect constant accessibility from their service centre and have no understanding of IT outages. Especially with cloud applications, the services must be reachable, even if the internet connection is interrupted there. This is possible, for example, via local components in the corporate network, which maintains basic applications such as a PBX telephone system, Interactive Voice Response (IVR), Automatic Call Distribution (ACD) and other functions even without an Internet connection.

 

  1. Integration into existing IT

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One of the big challenges of Cloud Contact Centres is the integration into the existing IT infrastructure. Often, users need to hold multiple passwords and login multiple times. Another obstacle is often the lack of synchronization with other systems such as Active Directory and Exchange. As a result, employee accounts must always be created, deleted and managed separately. In addition, integration with customer relationship software (CRM), such as Salesforce, often requires customization of the contact centre software and experiences additional costs with each software update.

A cloud-based contact centre solution that communicates with the company on the basis of certificates and encrypted networks can help here. With ready-made plug-ins for the most common systems, it can be synchronized with an Active Integrated Directory, Exchange, SharePoint, Salesforce, SAP, SQL Server, Oracle, and many more. The overhead is reduced and all data is always up-to-date and easily accessible to contact centre employees, whether they are in the enterprise network or in the cloud.

 

  1. Easy and fast configuration

Contact centres from the cloud are also attractive for small and mid-sized businesses, which can save significant IT resources. However, these companies often need to be extremely flexible and can quickly deploy new solutions. Also for companies that want to grow strongly, a cloud solution is suitable: New locations or even newly acquired companies can be quickly integrated into the network. With a cloud solution, all features are available over the Internet, eliminating the need for costly MPLS connectivity or local enterprise network installations.

 

  1. Independence from a fix location

The workplace of the future is more likely to be part of classic offices. According to a Bitkom survey, a good four out of ten companies (43%) expect the proportion of home office employees to continue to rise over the next five to ten years. Business software should, therefore, be reachable from any location via a web interface and an internet connection. Multinational companies also need a multi-language version and compliance-compliant data management.

 

  1. Multiple security systems

Especially with cloud applications, there are still numerous concerns about security issues, which puts breaks in use of cloud computing. In order to promote cloud use in Europe, the European Union Agency for Network and Information Security (ENISA) has published a guideline for assessing security risks and data protection. These ENISA recommendations provide a very good orientation for quickly, inexpensively and professionally finding a secure cloud provider that adequately implements existing security concepts.

Cloud providers are also helping to address the concerns and benefits of cloud solutions. Modern cloud solutions work end-to-end with encrypted data so that no outsider can access or hack them. Also, such solutions provide the option for more secure access to sensitive corporate data that resides not on the cloud but on the corporate servers.

Companies that consider choosing a cloud contact centre solution that meets their needs with these six criteria are able to provide consistently good service to their customers, make for happier employees, stay agile and are well prepared for fast growth. And when done right, however, the enterprise can have a unique customer culture and a sustained competitive advantage over the long-term.

The Digital Revolution starts in the head!

 

Digitalization in business means much more than just the introduction of new technologies or business models. In the meantime, many companies have come to the conclusion that digitization not only means the implementation of new processes and the use of state-of-the-art technologies but also requires strategic thinking models.

 

The success of digitization poses many challenges for many companies. The digital transformation of individual processes and areas in order to survive and compete in a digital competition with other companies is often the digital alternative to inactivity and postponing. One thing should be clear to everyone: inactivity and be postponing is not an option. However, the mistake should not be made to regard digitization as just a new technological approach. It is more promising to understand digitization as a cultural change and to transport it to all employees in order to enable a holistic implementation.

 

According to a recent study by McKinsey, the services of digital transformation have yet to become fully mainstream. On average, industries are less than 40% digitized, despite the deep penetration of these technologies in media, retail, and high tech, healthcare. Results show that some companies have now drawn their conclusions from their first digital failures. The biggest mistake that has emerged is the lack of cultural change in companies. Added to this are the frequently existing silo structures and inadequate digital strategies or even a lack of understanding by employees for digital trends. At the beginning of their digitization strategy, many companies ask the questions: ‘What does digitization mean for our business?’, ‘How digital is our company already?’, ‘What potential exists for our industry?’, ‘What will the ROI of these digital revolution’?

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Businesses need to define what digital maturity they already have and how much existing staff can handle and implement the challenges they’ll face. The best employees to successfully realize a digital transformation are not necessarily the most technically skilled IT people. It is important that those involved in strategic planning, in addition to a mature digital competence, also have the will and a corresponding perseverance to identify with the relevant issues, to drive them forward and persist even on dry spells and not give up immediately. Also, we must not ignore the outstanding role of CEO in driving the digital-transformation process. The process needs to start from the top. Companies need to change structures. The only one who can do it is the CEO. He/She needs to embrace the topic and make it a priority. He/She needs to consistently communicate to the organization, act decisively, empower people who help drive the transformation and also sideline people who are in the way. Very important point is that there is no return ticket, and this is what a CEO needs to radiate.

 

If appropriate, companies should designate a strategic digital team from different areas. The appointment of such a team should also involve neutral, non-industry ‘digital talents’. These bring an extraordinary and new – mostly external – perspective for the company and can significantly contribute to the success of digitization.

 

The most successful teams see the transformation that digitization requires as an opportunity and a challenge. They enjoy developing new things for internal and external customers and are driven by their affinity to new and especially digital topics. It’s clear the impact of these revolutions will bring profound changes in many areas, including the localization of production, impacts on global trade, the nature of the workforce of the future, and the distribution of wealth. While the good news is that these changes will play out over years and decades, the bad news is that they require deep and fundamental changes in companies. While some of the projects are certainly overestimated in the short term, the long-term impact has most certainly been underestimated.

 

For a successful digital implementation in companies is not necessary to assign these tasks from the very top level and to put themselves on hold. Rather, it is necessary to ‘digitize’ the corporate culture, so that the implementation can be supported by the entire workforce. Digitization should not be transferred purely to specialist areas but should be thought through from the very top, planned and, above all, exemplified. Also, to successfully navigate a path through the array of strategic challenges and options, companies must separate hype from reality and come to grips with how technological change affects companies. Only then can they consider what must be done and how to go about it.

Smart Cities – Privacy, Security, #CyberAttacks and #DataProtection


Smart city components

“Smart cities” is a buzzword of the moment. There is currently no single accepted definition of a “smart city” and much depends on who is supplying the characteristics: industry, politicians, civil society and citizens/users are four immediately and obviously disparate sets of stakeholders. It is easier perhaps not to define smart cities but to elaborate their key features in orser to better understand this concept. The connecting key infrastructure that is most often mentioned as making cities “smart” includes:

 

  • networks of sensors attached to real-world objects such as roads, cars, fridge, electricity meters, domestic appliances and human medical implants which connect these objects (=IOT) to digital networks. These IoT networks generate data in particularly huge amounts known as “big data”.
  • networks of digital communications enabling real-time data streams which can be combined with each other and then be mined and repurposed for useful results;
  • high capacity, often cloud-based, infrastructure which can support and provide storage for this interconnection of data, applications, things, and people.

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Scanning through numerous smart city projects and initiatives undertook, eight key activities can be identified that often define a smart city, ie: smart governance, smart infrastructure, smart building, smart connectivity, smart healthcare, smart energy, smart mobility and smart citizens.

 

A European survey shows that the benefits of smart cities are obvious, but IT security and technological challenges are a major barrier to their acceptance. Ruckus, a network connectivity provider, has published the results of its Smart Cities Survey with UK market research firm, Atomik Research. The survey surveyed 380 European IT decision-makers from the public sector.

 

The aim of the study is to understand the attitudes towards the implementation of smart city concepts and to learn what opportunities they offer to the industry. The majority of respondents (82%) believe that smart city technologies are helping to increase citizens’ security and reduce crime rates, for example via smart lighting or networked surveillance cameras. Although the benefits seem to be well known, fears of cyber attacks are a major barrier to the Smart City. For 58% of the IT decision makers surveyed, the biggest problem is followed by a lack of technology infrastructure and funding.

 

Benefits of citywide connectivity

 

The survey results show that the infrastructure and technology platforms created for Smart Cities could be used to add significant value to the public sector and to develop innovative applications that directly address citizens’ needs. Other areas that benefit from the smart city model include local health (81%) and transport (81%), which provide greater access to public services for citizens through extensive networking. According to IT decision-makers, smart city concepts also provide crucial benefits for the security of citizens (72%), public transport (62%) and the health service (60%).

Nick Watson, vice president of EMEA at Ruckus, said: “A basic understanding of the benefits to citizens shows that policymakers are aware of the benefits of this technology. As the return on investment becomes clearer and smart cities become more and more commonplace, targeted advocacy will allow organizations to work together to make the city of the future a reality. Of course, given the amount of sensitive data that could be divulged, it is not surprising that security concerns play a big role. Only a           secure, robust and reliable network will allow to address these concerns and create a secure foundation for smart cities. “

 

Benefits of smart cities

 

The survey shows that the public sector is well aware of the added value that smart cities has to offer. Almost two-thirds (65%) of respondents said smart cities bring benefits. 78% of respondents said that they recognize that there are strong economic reasons for investing in smart city concepts. These reasons include firstly the credibility of a smart city (20%) and future infrastructure (19%). On the other hand, there is the related attractiveness, which leads to the resettlement of companies (18%) and suggests that the true value of smart cities lies in generating revenue and boosting the local economy.

These findings are a positive step towards ideal framework conditions in which smart cities can successfully develop. To make smart cities a reality across Europe, it takes an overarching approach involving all departments of a city. However, the Ruckus survey also found that isolated projects (39%) still pose a major barrier to smart cities.

Although lack of funding is seen as the third most obstacles to rapid implementation, 78% of respondents across countries expect to have the budget for smart city solutions by 2019. This should also be facilitated by promotional announcements such as the Wifi4EU program. It gives cities the security that the infrastructure will be available to support smart technologies.

 

Overcome barriers

 

To provide these services, a stable public WiFi network is crucial. 76% of respondents agree that this is the most important factor in successfully implementing smart city concepts. 34% agree that Wi-Fi is more important than a wired network. Wi-Fi is probably the preferred infrastructure because people are familiar with it and it gives everyone access to information. If you want to be able to connect with your citizens and use the services you offer more effectively, you need a suitable infrastructure to connect with the public in a way that benefits them.

WLAN is the “glue” for intelligent cities’ network. It makes it easier to distribute the load and reduces connection problems. The access point at the edge of the network is the ideal interface that acts as a message broker by delivering traffic, performing and returning simple data processing, and placing the software through controllers.

However, not all WLAN technologies are the same. Power supply (53%), interference (52%) and backhauls (45%) are the biggest obstacles to setting up a public WLAN infrastructure. 51% of IT decision makers called the consolidation of existing networks as another crucial obstacle. This is particularly important because the number of connected devices is increasing at a time when existing networks are not prepared for the exponential growth of data consumption. IT decision makers have the clear task of choosing the right technology partner to meet the technological needs of their city.

For Ruckus, the findings of this study are an opportunity to engage in dialogue with various public-sector organizations on how smart city technologies and a public Wi-Fi network can add value. The survey shows that WLAN is considered necessary for the creation of smart cities because:

  • It gives access to everyone information (71%);
  • it delivers the necessary infrastructure to offer additional services (70%);
  • it overcomes the digital divide between citizens (67 percent);
  • it is cheaper for governments (61%);
  • it could lead to better service (37%);

The research shows that Wi-Fi is a key contributor to helping smart cities deliver reliably and sustainably, but along the way, European policymakers still have some obstacles to overcome. It is reassuring to see that there is a widespread belief that smart cities add value to society. But if the government and the public sector are not investing in the right technology, then they risk missing the numerous opportunities for cities, citizens and themselves.

Survey : Is #CyberSecurity just a discussion topic or a Top Priority?

A Fortinet survey reveals that #CyberSecurity isn’t a top management priority for nearly half of IT decision makers. Respondents believe that the shift to the cloud as part of the company-wide digital transformation will focus more on security.

 

Fortinet announced the results of its new Global Enterprise Security Survey on corporate enterprise security. The survey results show that despite spectacular cyberattacks, nearly half of IT professionals in companies with over 250 employees complain that cybersecurity board members do not give them enough priority or attention. At the same time, however, many IT experts expect the topic of security to become more important as a result of the shift to the cloud as part of the digital transformation within the company.

 

Focus on Cybersecurity

 

Christian Vogt, Fortinet’s Senior Regional Director, said: “Over the years, we’ve seen companies invest more in cybersecurity and more senior executives see it as part of the overall IT strategy. With digital transformation in business and adoption of technologies like the cloud, cybersecurity is no longer just an IT investment, but a strategic business decision”.

 

 

In today’s digital economy, the issue of security, for more and more corporate management, must be a high priority in the basic handling of risks. Only such risk management strategy can better position companies to successfully master their digital transformation.

 

Main results of the survey

 

 

Is Cybersecurity an investment

 

  • 48% of IT decision makers confirm that Cybersecurity is still not one of the top priorities of senior management. However, this isn’t really reflected in the budgets.
  • 61% of companies said they spend over 10% of their IT budget on security, which is considered as a high investment.
  • 71% of respondents said that their IT security budget had risen compared to the previous year.
  • 77% of respondents want the cybersecurity board to better test IT security. IT decision makers are firmly convinced that cybersecurity should be given high priority by management.

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Main reasons why cybersecurity is becoming a top priority

 

The strongest impact on IT investment decisions is the need for ongoing improvements to the IT security infrastructure, which 77% of respondents, IT decision-makers, identified as an important factor.

 

cybersecurity a priority

 

  • In the last two years, 85% of the surveyed companies reported an increase in security breaches and global cyber attacks. The most common attack vectors were malware and ransomware and data breach: 47% of respondents said they had experienced such an attack before.
  • 49% of IT decision makers reported a stronger focus on IT security after cyber attacks around the world, such as #WannaCry. With the scale and nature of global cyber-attacks, corporate leaders are increasingly concerned with security. Therefore, security is no longer just a discussion topic in the IT department.
  • 34% of respondents affirmed increasing regulation, such as #GDPR for European data, as another major reason for the growing awareness of security at the highest level.
  • Conversion to the Cloud Affects Security Priorities. By integrating the cloud as part of the digital transformation within the company, 74% of IT decision makers believe that cloud security is becoming a priority.
  • 77% of the respondents are convinced that cloud security – together with corresponding investments in security – is becoming increasingly important to the board.
  • As a result, half of the respondents (50%) want to invest in cloud security within the next twelve months.

 

About Survey:

 

The Fortinet Global Enterprise Security Survey 2017 was done by Fortinet in July and August 2017 to investigate companies’ attitudes towards security issues. The global study inquired IT decision makers with responsibility or insight into IT security. A total of 1,801 participants from 16 countries (USA, Canada, France, UK, Germany, Spain, Italy, Middle East, South Africa, Poland, Korea, Australia, Singapore, India, Hong Kong and Indonesia) anonymously participated in the survey.

 

Additional Resources

 

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