Stop Debating About Cloud – Go Hybrid

It’s no surprise that organizations are adopting more cloud-based applications in their business operations. They’ve been doing it for years. Organizations are, however, challenged to go ‘all in’ with cloud-based solutions due to the disruption that results in such a technology shift.

Enterprises have huge investments in their on-premises communications solutions, and it’s not only technology; it’s established procedures, workflows, chat and call flows, integrated applications, training of agents and supervisors, other employees, and more. They’re often on-premises because of regulatory, security, complexity, and a host of other reasons. They’re adopting cloud but are not able to fully transition to cloud.

These enterprises could significantly benefit from new cloud-delivered capabilities like AI powered agent guidance, noise removal, or virtual agents to improve experiences for both their customers and employees. But their on-premises systems are proven in their daily operations, real-world tested, and the idea of moving to yet another platform to bring on new capabilities is challenging, not without risk, and disruptive.

We hear from many organizations that they are ready to embrace all that cloud brings but doing a wholesale move to cloud to get them there is a non-starter. Organizations want a path that doesn’t break and make a mess of what they have today, putting their customer relationships and business at risk. There is no shortage of statistics where businesses have lost customers because of poor communications or unacceptable customer experiences, so lots can be said about not breaking what works.

This might sound something like a Kobayashi Maru, a no-win scenario from a training simulation in the legendary TV series, Star Trek. But just like Captain Kirk, there is a way to solve the unsolvable with Hybrid Cloud. Moving from on-premises to pure cloud is often a turbulent path, rebuilding everything that’s already in place and currently serving the business. Hybrid Cloud offers enterprises a non-disruptive path, enabling them to keep their core services on-premises and layer new capabilities from cloud on top of infrastructure already deployed and trusted, while not disturbing that environment.

Customers are expecting choices in how to contact organizations and in a Metrigy study (Customer Experience Transformation, 2022), 35% of interactions started in a channel other than voice. One example of a Hybrid Cloud application is adding digital channels such as chat and social from cloud to on-premises contact center operations, all without disrupting the existing voice contact center. This Hybrid Cloud approach empowers agents to handle digital channels alongside voice and to serve customers on their channel of choice.

Hybrid Cloud can also bring flexible capacity and features to voice in the contact center. In some cases, organizations have seasonal spikes. They are busier during certain times of the year. Maybe a promotion was launched with more responses than expected, and the positive impact of the promotion is in jeopardy because the contact center can’t handle the influx of calls. Hybrid Cloud can provide flexible capacity leveraging existing call flows, processes, training, and more:

• When an existing skill or queue becomes overrun with contacts and can’t support the increased volume, calls can overflow from on-premises to cloud agents.
• Rather than adding on-premises agents, cloud agents can support a new line of business — such as an insurance company that expands to offer boat coverage.
• Quickly spin up a specially trained group to provide aid when a natural disaster has occurred.
• Support workers in the field operating in less-than-optimal environments — noisy construction sites, logistics environments, or loud manufacturing floors — by generating enhanced audio that converts noisy, barely audible conversations into high-clarity audio through AI.

Hybrid Cloud is a unique approach to add capacity and functionality to on-premises core solutions that alleviates the disruption and challenges of moving to a new platform. The Avaya hybrid architecture preserves on-premises investments and connects them with cloud-based services in a hybrid model. It enables organizations to drive better and new business outcomes without adding the significant cost and business risk that usually comes with introducing new employee and customer experience technology.

With Hybrid Cloud, organizations can innovate with cloud services on top of their current foundations, at a pace and path that fits their business needs and strategy.