Think CX? Here’s how to choose the right CPaaS provider

The Communication Platform as a Service (CPaaS) is currently one of the most exciting opportunities in the cloud communications space.

Due to the fact that companies are increasingly turning to management technologies customer experience transformation (CX). and streamline operations, Juniper research predicts that the CPaaS industry will generate more than $ 34 billion in sales by 2026.

This remarkable growth is fueled not only by the proliferation of “traditional” channels such as SMS and voice messaging, but also by a whole new wave of innovation. Major new technologies include real-time video, artificial intelligence-based call automation, advanced messaging channels and omnichannel offerings.

The CPaaS market is a busy space where so much can be offered. We have already seen how large companies such as Microsoft have entered the industry by joining the list of famous players. In such a crowded market, it is important for decision-makers to understand how CPaaS providers differ and what functionality they need to evaluate.

Single applications grow into a central platform

One of the most important considerations for buyers is how their enterprise, which serves millions of customers, should implement CPaaS.

Traditionally, companies use SDKs and APIs to deploy communications in their applications with messaging support depending on the use case. However, if businesses expand their efforts, what started as the only app for sending SMS notifications is likely to grow into hundreds of disabled apps. Each application will have its own code, system integration and management logic, and without significant developers and IT resources, this approach makes it difficult to scale communications and leads to a disrupted customer experience.

To address this snowball problem and the proliferation of disposable applications, some CPaaS providers provide all the capabilities needed to automate through-trips and manage communications-enabled applications on a single central platform. The platform acts as an adhesive between existing internal systems and channels, providing a single orchestration point that lays the foundation for connected communications.

Therefore, decision-makers should prioritize vendors that will give their businesses the flexibility to deploy their first CPaaS-based applications based on usage options, prototyping new features and channels, but also offering a central platform to which they move. when starting to scale. If they don’t, they may find that they have come to the point where their chosen vendor becomes a bottleneck for future innovation.

CPaaS: key features for evaluation

When evaluating different CPaaS decisions, these five options should be the focus of decision makers:

1. API and SDK

APIs and SDKs, or application programming interfaces and software development kits, are the cornerstones of CPaaS. Decision makers need to sum up the APIs and SDKs that their company needs and check their availability with a potential vendor. The more the provider offers, the better – so if you want to use new channels or other CPaaS features in the future, you won’t need to add standalone solutions to support them.

2. End-to-end automation

To make different business systems and partner systems interoperable, businesses need a vendor to connect them. Inbound system integrations allow events coming from business systems to initiate communication, and outbound integrations allow you to view and update records within the system. These two-way integration capabilities allow for end-to-end travel automation that seamlessly organizes interactions between multiple systems and channels.

3. Connect to the network

Reliability, traceability and scalability are very important for global businesses. As a result, the type of connection to carrier networks and digital messaging providers offered by CPaaS providers becomes another difference, affecting everything from latency, sender ID options, delivery reports, and message security. Therefore, it is very important to look for a provider that offers a Tier 1 connection for mobile operators / operators.

4. Tools throughout the life of the application

CPaaS vendors are leading the way in helping businesses move to a low-code development approach. A central element for many vendors is the low-code constructor, which allows developers to quickly automate and gradually redefine customer paths. Decision makers need to evaluate the visual designer of the vendor, but also make sure that for each stage of the application lifecycle there are tools that serve a wider range of users. Check out built-in tools that simplify debugging, customize communication templates, help meet compliance, and help optimize travel with analytics.

5. Off-platform support

The communication landscape is complex, and experience is needed to develop successful communication solutions, manage the different capabilities of each channel and know which usage options will have a positive impact. Decision makers need to assess how much support they will need – not only at the time of purchase, but also in the future – because each CPaaS provider has a different approach to how they help their customers.

Download our CPaaS Buyer’s Guide for more information

For more information on best practices and other qualities to consider when choosing a CPaaS solution, download our CPaaS Buyer’s IT Guide.

This article is part of a paid partnership with immovablepart of Webex from Cisco.