As contact centers continue to evolve to meet changing needs, the biggest trends we’ll see in 2015 will be evolutionary rather than revolutionary.

Change is afoot, but what’s driving that change should come as no surprise. The trends listed below are a response to the times. New technologies, new security concerns and a required focus on customers, employees and the bottom line will shape top contact center initiatives in 2015.

Contact center managers know what it will take to succeed in 2015 - improved efficiencies, reduced costs, top-notch agent training and performance, reduced turnover and, above all, an outstanding service experience as defined by the customer. The key is how to turn those strategic objectives into actions. More and more businesses are finding those answers in the cloud. With that thought in mind, here are our top 5 contact center predictions for 2015:

1. Large Enterprises Will Adopt Cloud Communications

The cloud is no longer a new concept, but an accepted technology solution that more and more contact centers are looking to implement. The enormous investment cloud providers are making to ensure customer compliance and security will prompt growing numbers of businesses to consider cloud solutions. Contact center management looking to decrease investments in hardware and maintenance, and increase flexibility and responsiveness will be actively moving to solutions in the cloud.

2. Security as a Top Priority

The data breaches over the past several years - affecting prominent names such as Target, JP Morgan and Home Depot - have brought security concerns to the top of everyone’s list. Security will be a top influencer for businesses when choosing cloud providers, and cloud providers will work to make their security and compliance procedures even more transparent. Data and recording encryption will be emphasized at a greater level than ever before.

3. A Focused Investment in Employees
   
   

In order to deliver an exceptional customer experience, contact centers will invest more in their employees to improve performance and boost confidence. Proper training, ongoing coaching and maintaining employee morale will be key. New cloud tools can help this effort. For instance, workflow automation allows organizations to equip all agents - regardless of experience, skill set or location - with the ability to deliver a consistent, exceptional customer experience that doesn’t come across as robotic. Plus, it gives contact center managers the tools they need to quickly build and execute the processes they want. We expect more businesses to demand solutions such as these that not only address critical service efficiencies, but that can also integrate with other internal processes being moved to the cloud.

4. Mobile Equality
   
   

In 2015 the emphasis will be on giving agents and employees the same user experience whether they are at home using a softphone, on a computer using a desk phone or in the car using their mobile device. More customers will demand features that create a seamless transition between the desk and mobile environments, such as the ability to configure phone settings or integrate with customer data. Cloud communications providers will be focused on enriching the capabilities of their mobile applications in response to this demand.

5. Increased Demand for Customization
   
   

More businesses will look for technology solutions that can be customized to fit specific needs. Until recently, SaaS and PaaS have often been thought of as separate alternatives in the contact center space. However, with the demand for flexibility, more customers will be looking for hybrid SaaS/PaaS solutions that offer both out-of-the-box ease and advanced customization options.