ISG’s 2025 Buyers Guide For Contact Centers

The latest edition of ISG’s 2025 Buyers Guide for Contact Centers has been released.

The report provides an in-depth look at how software providers are adapting to rapid changes in customer service technology, with AI driving much of the disruption.

ISG, a global technology research and advisory firm, produces the annual Buyers Guide each year to evaluate how vendors’ offerings align with enterprise needs and shifting market conditions.

The 2025 edition highlights the growing role of AI in reshaping contact centres, predicting that by 2027, three-quarters of centres will adopt multiple generative AI applications for tasks such as routing, chatbots, and agent assistance.

Vendors were evaluated across core areas including interaction routing, agent management, automation and self-service, workflow integration, analytics, and AI/GenAI support.

Their placements fall into four categories: Exemplary, Innovative, Merit, and Assurance.

• Exemplary – NiCE, Genesys, Five9, Content Guru, Talkdesk, Sprinklr, RingCentral, Verint, Zendesk, Salesforce, Dialpad and Zoho
• Innovative – Cisco, AWS, UJET, Microsoft, Avaya, Vonage and Nextiva
• Merit – Emplifi, 8×8, Mitel, Odigo, Exotel, Enghouse Interactive, Sinch, net2phone, Alvaria, Aircall, GoTo and Xtium
• Assurance – Twilio and Zoom

Key takeaways from the guide point to a market in transition. Long-standing routing and workforce management tools remain essential, but enterprises are now prioritising analytics, automation, and AI-driven self-service to meet rising customer expectations.

The influx of new entrants from adjacent markets, including hyperscalers, has also expanded buyer choice and created fresh competition for established providers.

Author: Hannah Swankie