Connectivity is king in the age of highly distributed workforces, and as we discussed in a recent post, cloud-based communication platforms have become essential for linking colleagues, customers and partners across broad geographic boundaries. In particular, Communications Platform-as-a-Service (CPaaS) solutions open the door to a diverse range of connectivity options.
CPaaS provides a framework for embedding a range of communications workflows, features and functions into existing business processes and applications without the need for additional back-end infrastructure. For example, CPaaS allows developers to use open APIs or code snippets to embed voice, video and texting apps into customer relationship management (CRM) tools for real-time customer communications.
CPaaS is experiencing explosive growth as businesses seek new ways to maintain connections during a time of workplace disruptions. According to IDC analysts, global CPaaS revenue is expected to reach $17.71 billion by 2024 — a three-fold increase from $5.9 billion in 2020. A Frost and Sullivan study finds that 67 percent of companies plan to increase or maintain existing investment in CPaaS
Much of this growth is being propelled by expanding digital transformation initiatives. The ability to insert real-time communication services into applications allows organizations to dramatically redefine workflows and create new ways to engage and support customers. Here are just four types of organizations that are expanding their use of CPaaS:
Contact Centers
Embedding business apps with multiple communication modes gives contact center agents easy access to the information they need to resolve customer issues. That can result in reduced call handling times, increased first-contact resolution, fewer repeat calls and escalations, and improved data accuracy.
CPaaS also enables integration of a variety of self-service applications, including digital assistants and chatbots with conversational interfaces that can answer basic customer queries. Text, voice and video help services can be embedded within the same application, meaning customers never have to leave the app to communicate with customer service personnel.
Healthcare
CPaaS adoption in healthcare has expanded rapidly since the start of the pandemic, with providers leveraging the technology to enable new ways to share information, schedule appointments and consult with patients. For example, hospitals, clinics and physician practices can use CPaaS to send automated appointment reminders, create virtual waiting rooms and conduct remote patient monitoring to reduce face-to-face encounters.
CPaaS has also been used to help with contact tracing and vaccine distribution during the pandemic. For example, many hospitals and pharmacies use CPaaS to send out appointment reminders for vaccinations or COVID tests. Embedded voice and text apps allow patients to engage providers with questions or concerns. Several states also used CPaaS to collect data for contact tracing and send mass notifications to those with possible exposure to the virus.
Financial Services
Financial institutions are integrating voice, video and chat into more of their web and mobile applications to enable more contactless customer engagements. With many banks closing their lobbies or operating with restricted hours, customers have increased their use of online and mobile banking. Embedding video calling and two-factor authentication in web and mobile apps helps protect privacy and safeguard account information. Embedded communications can also be used to deliver account statements, loan documents, payment reminders or alerts about fraudulent activity.
Education
CPaaS helps connect students, teachers, administrators and parents. Schools can use CPaaS to facilitate online learning with screen and file sharing, video and voice recording, transcription and whiteboarding applications. It also makes it easy to rapidly contact large groups of students and parents in the event of emergencies or school closings by simultaneously sending mass videos, voice calls or text messages. Universities can also use the technology for mass notifications of campus emergencies, upcoming events, enrollment and tuition deadlines, and more.
CPaaS is gaining steam because it gives organizations across almost all industries new ways to expand their communication capabilities without blowing the budget on dedicated applications or backend infrastructure. Let our cloud experts show you how you can enhance your connectivity options with CPaaS.