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Ventana Research today released its 2022 Value Index on Agent Management, a quantified, research-based index evaluating technology providers and products. This Value Index assesses 18 vendors’ products using our Ventana Research methodology and blueprint, evaluating software in seven key categories that are weighted to reflect buyers’ needs based on our expertise and research. The Value Index is designed to ensure that it provides objective research and guidance to organizations looking to assess and evaluate their applications for business and IT needs.
We believe it is important to take this comprehensive research-based approach, since choosing the wrong agent management technology can raise the total cost of ownership, lower the return on investment and hamper an organization’s ability to reach its performance potential. In addition, this approach can reduce the project’s development and deployment time, and eliminate the risk of relying on a short list of vendors that does not represent a best fit for your organization.
In our evaluation of agent management vendors, we looked beyond the core, on the theory that basic functionality was both table stakes and solidly mature. For that reason, we examined how agent management tools have changed, and the vendors’ ability and willingness to expand the functionality broadly. We considered how vendors are integrating their agent tools into a deeper web of applications across the enterprise. Also in the mix was how clear each vendor is on its roadmap and technology strategy: where does AI fit, how much investment is going into agent tools and towards which ones, what is the role of analytics and data in evaluating agent and center performance, and in what ways? We examined the way vendors develop agent user experiences, including things like the agent desktop and how agents engage with their work and their organizations.
"Our analysis of agent management tools found that many vendors are focusing on helping organizations cope with the lasting disruption from the pandemic,” says Keith Dawson, Vice President and Research Director for Customer Experience at Ventana Research. “Technology has evolved far beyond old school workforce optimization. For vendors, expanding the scope of their portfolios into areas like knowledge management and real time agent guidance (for example) is a way to differentiate and add value to their customers. We congratulate all the participants.”
This Value Index report evaluates the following vendors that offer products that address key elements of agent management as we define it: 8x8 Inc., Alvaria, Inc., Avaya Inc., Calabrio, Inc., Cisco Systems, Inc., Redwood Technologies Group Ltd. (Content Guru), Enghouse Interactive Inc., Five9 Inc., Genesys Telecommunications Laboratories, Inc., Lifesize, Inc., Mitel Networks Corporation, NICE Ltd., Playvox, RingCentral, Inc., Salesforce.com Inc., Talkdesk, Inc., Verint Systems Inc., ZOOM International (Elevēo).
The Value Index for Agent Management in 2022 finds NICE first on the list with Verint in second place and Avaya in third. Companies that place in the top three in any category earn the designation Value Index Leader. NICE has done so in seven of the seven categories; Verint in four, Talkdesk in three, Calabrio in three, Genesys in two and Avaya in two, and are all Value Index Leaders. The Value Index leaders for overall product experience across five categories are NICE, Verint and Genesys. Leaders in customer experience across two categories are NICE, Avaya and Genesys.
Unlike many IT analyst firms that rank vendors from an IT-only perspective or consider futures or vision over what is available in the products today, Ventana Research has designed the Value Index to provide a balanced perspective of vendors and products that is rooted in an understanding of business drivers and needs. This approach not only reduces cost and time but also minimizes the risk of making a decision that is bad for the business. Using the Value Index will enable your organization to use agent management to achieve the levels of organizational efficiency and effectiveness needed for engaging experiences to meet your buyer, consumer, customer and partner needs.
"We are ecstatic to bring the Value Index for Agent Management to market, research that is essential to every interaction with customers through agents for which are human or machines that ensure the engagement experience is impactful and satisfactory," said Mark Smith, CEO and Chief Research Officer. "Our firm strives to focus on categories of software that are essential for every organization and the new category of agent management enables contact centers to operate more effectively. The Value Index provides a spotlight of focus on agents and the engagement for expected performance, not the entire workforce which is not necessary, and is essential to the customer experience and relationships that require a level of effectiveness and business continuity to be provided."
The Agent Management Value Index is neither sponsored nor influenced by technology vendors and is conducted solely in pursuit of Ventana Research's mission to provide value to business and IT through advisory services, benchmark assessments and workshops. Ventana Research's goal is to help guide organizations to optimal efficiency in their use of technology investments for business and IT. To learn more and read the market report of the 2022 Value Index for Agent Management, please click here.
About Ventana Research
Ventana Research is the most authoritative and respected benchmark business technology research and advisory services firm. We provide insight and expert guidance on mainstream and disruptive technologies through a unique set of research-based offerings including Benchmark Research and technology evaluation assessments, education workshops and our research and advisory services, Ventana On-Demand. Our unparalleled understanding of the role of technology in optimizing business processes and performance and our best practices guidance are rooted in our rigorous research-based benchmarking of people, processes, information and technology across business and IT functions in every industry. This Benchmark Research plus our market coverage and in-depth knowledge of hundreds of technology providers means we can deliver education and expertise to our clients to increase the value they derive from technology investments while reducing time, cost and risk.
Ventana Research provides the most comprehensive analyst and research coverage in the industry; business and IT professionals worldwide are members of our community and benefit from Ventana Research’s insights, as do highly regarded media and association partners around the globe. Our views and analyses are distributed daily through blogs and social media channels including Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.
To learn how Ventana Research advances the maturity of organizations’ use of information and technology through benchmark research, education and advisory services, visit www.ventanaresearch.com.
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