What Exactly Is A “Fully Supported” Solution?
Author: Gary BarnettThe word “support” can mean many things to many people. But, when a contact center manager thinks of receiving “formal support” from a vendor for a particular solution, they generally envision something that extends from A to Z, comprising installation, deployment, post-deployment, and everything in between.
Consumers beware – especially in the open source arena where some vendors are now citing “formal support” and offering nothing more than a solution that has been successfully tested in their lab, combined with mere access to a Technical Support Group for questions and assistance. Is that really good enough for open source, where industry experts have long acknowledged the biggest obstacle to widespread adoption is installation and ongoing support?
Don’t get me wrong. I am pleased to see that other contact center vendors are finally willing to acknowledge that open solutions are good for the industry, and are taking steps to embrace SIP and other standards-based technology. I also agree that interoperability of products is extremely important. But, there is more to the equation. What good are tightly integrated products if a contact center doesn’t know how, or can’t easily tap into the resources it needs to painlessly install them? Beyond that, what if, after deployment, the contact center experiences an unexpected technical issue during the business day and can’t resolve it themselves? Who will be there to help? Can a general Technical Support Group really deliver the answers and hands-on results that are needed to keep the business up and running? Or, would dealing with a general group of this nature just result in greater frustration, and the loss of valuable uptime, as well as potential revenue?
As with proprietary solutions, implementing open solutions requires due diligence. Be sure to fully research which vendors will provide a “formally supported” offering, and work only with companies that will deliver the amount of expertise that you need.
Have you begun moving away from proprietary solutions to open solutions? How did you determine this was the best solution for your company?
Author: Gary Barnett
Catergories: Contact Center Technology, Standards
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