Research and Markets Adds Report: EMEA Agent Performance Optimization Markets

Research and Markets has announced the addition of Frost & Sullivan's new report "EMEA Agent Performance Optimization Markets" to its offerings.

In a release, Research and Markets noted that report highlights include:

EMEA Agent Performance Optimization Market Growth Prospects Hinges on Mid-market

The EMEA agent performance optimization (APO) markets are growing, albeit slowly, as companies continue to invest in APO tools regardless of the slowdown in spending on capital expenditures in contact centers. Contact centers rely heavily on labor and any technology that can help hold down labor costs is itself cost-effective. With businesses ratcheting up their internal cost controls, vendors of workforce management software and other APO tools are finding that they must clearly articulate the ROI case for their systems to gain buyers interest. However, vendors are witnessing buying cycles for their wares that are longer and involve more layers of corporate decision makers, intensifying the emphasis on valid business cases.

"Nonetheless, it appears that the more customer-facing a vertical market is, the more likely that companies in that market are receptive to APO tools in the down economy," said the analyst of this research service. "For example, vendors report that financial services and telecom companies are among the most interested buyers these days."

Companies in these verticals are on the front lines in trying to retain customers in a fiercely competitive environment. They have gleaned greater experience by using complex analytics tools to derive patterns in customer behavior and agent performance.

Analytic add-ons are a growing segment of the quality monitoring market. Commoditization of core technology is driving prices down, forcing vendors to compete by adding value through add-on applications, but contact center uptake has remained slow in the main markets of the EMEA region.

"Contact centers are resistant to discussing 'new technologies' and 'next generations,'" said the analyst. "Instead they want to hear about tangible results for specific issues like customer churn, headcount management, and measurable productivity and products that are demonstrably built to solve a problem have a competitive advantage right now."

To meet this need, vendors are aggressively courting smaller and mid market contact centers with tools that address these specific issues at low-cost entry points.

The main challenge for vendors is reaching out to clients in a multi-lingual market with varying levels of contact center market maturity within the region. Differences also exist in how advanced technologies are, and the regional acceptance of Western European and North American operating norms.

"Contact centers in the 150-200 seat range offer the most potential for the market," said the analyst. "Both quality management (QM) and workforce management (WFM) offer scope for growth in the eastern and southern EMEA regions, where greenfield contact centers are still being opened."

In these areas, greenfield centers have been able to leapfrog a generation, heading straight for IP technology and advanced add-on applications.

Taking into account the overall economic scenario, creative pricing and financing will be necessary for smaller companies that aspire toward advanced APO systems. Even as the downturn abates, capital outlays for software are going to be hard to budget. Vendors must consider adopting creative mechanisms such as leasing and license transfer programs to get smaller companies up and running. Positioning agent-facing applications for contact centers as cost-control tools is a surefire route for business progression during the short term.

Vendor profiles:

- Aspect Software

- Autonomy- Envision Telephony

- Genesys

- InVisionSoftware

- NICE Systems

- Teleopti

- VerintWitness Actionable Solutions

- Other Vendors

Report information:

http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/de7ea5/emea-agent-perform

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