There is an entertaining TV series which “mixes scientific method with gleeful curiosity” to test long-held, but often erroneous, theories. A typical recent experiment evaluated whether when you “get cold feet,” your feet really get cold.
In 2011, I decided to take a similar approach and evaluate several unsubstantiated myths that had been developed around cloud-based communications services. One such myth was that “the cloud is not secure.” These myths were often propagated by vendors with premises-only offers. In a series of blogs, I discussed some of these myths – and using less exciting methods than available to the TV series – offered logical arguments that “bust” the myths.
I recently came across the paper I wrote seven years ago and was surprised at how many of the themes remain the same, and revisited the topic in an ebook called Dispelling the 7 Myths of Enterprise Cloud-based Contact Centers. Here are some topline insights.
Security and reliability remain key talking points for those that continue to be mired in legacy, premises-based solutions. The industry still talks about public versus private cloud solutions, but the definition of how “public cloud” is defined has certainly morphed.
But while some issues remain the same, others have been “put to bed” with the experience of time. With some myths disappearing, industry luddites without proven cloud solutions have created new issues in their attempts to hold on to existing customers.
Perhaps the biggest remaining myth is that cloud-based applications are only appropriate for small and medium-sized businesses. But as companies of all sizes have struggled to address consumer demands for better mobile access to customer care and improved social media communications, it has become clear that the cloud is an important part of the answer.
Organizations large and small understand why cloud migration needs to happen. They understand that postponement isn't an option. Regulated industries, non-regulated industries, verticals, institutional accounts, government agencies, it doesn't matter. They get it.
At the end of the day the cloud is a business driver, not driving technology for its own sake. Taking the step of moving from typically dated on-premises applications to the cloud will enable an enterprise to take advantage of all the wonderful technologies that will change customer care over the next few years. Artificial intelligence, chatbots, seamless omnichannel experiences, etc. – the tools that will enable the digital transformation of customer experience – are almost by definition created and delivered from the cloud. It’s never too early for your enterprise to start the journey.
