Cloud Versus On-Premise – the Battle Rages On

Cloud versus on-premise. That familiar ongoing battle. As a contact centre professional, which one do you choose, particularly when scoping out your requirements for a workforce management solution?

In a nutshell, a cloud workforce management solution can deliver a number of benefits in comparison to an on-premise one. On the other hand, an on-premise solution is more suitable for those complex and tricky installations, allowing you to customise as you see fit.

Both deployments come with pros and cons. Here we highlight the main benefits of cloud technology for you to consider: Cloud versus On-Premise?

1. Less Hardware, Less Hassle

With an on-premise solution, the installation and configuration can take several months to complete.

In the cloud, however, a workforce management solution is typically faster to deploy, requiring only the creation of a new customer account, the loading of data and also the configuration of the system, which can all be done in a just a few days or weeks rather than months.

2. Scalability

Contact centre size and demand is easily susceptible to change over time. However, altering an on-premise solution to meet the new demands of the centre can sometimes be costly and challenging.

A cloud solution can offer high scalability in these situations, scaling up or down based on the number of users instantly. With maximum scalability of data-intensive scheduling scenarios, users are able to efficiently maximise their investment in their workforce management solution whilst also enjoying the benefits the technology reaps.

3. Cost models

Many on-premise implementations are often hindered by significant upfront costs. These costs include the procurement of hardware and software, installation, configuration and implementation as well as ad hoc costs, all of which can add up quickly.

With a cloud workforce management solution, there is no upfront investment for hardware or software. The solution can be offered through a monthly subscription user fee, which usually includes training, support, and maintenance as well as upgrades and new feature releases.

4. The ‘Hidden’ Costs

Any implementation conducted in-house will generate operating costs which can all slowly add up over time. The costs associated with running your own server include maintenance of the equipment, backups, upgrades and also hardware replacement.

These costs are easily unaccounted for, and can add up beyond the set budget amount, often known as the ‘hidden’ costs for on-premise equipment.

With a cloud-based workforce management solution, you are able to leave the hardware/software headaches (and unexpected costs!) to the experts, allowing your organisation to focus more on delivering a good customer experience and a healthy ROI.