Assessment through Qualified Security Assessors is the most important requirement for data security

Prakash Kumar, Director IT for Delta Power Solution and Delta India Electronics spoke to Dataquest about the issues related to cloud-based contact centers and the ways to deal with the same. Excerpts

How will issues such as cost and compliance impact the future of cloud-based contact centers in India?

The key issue for the large enterprises is on how they are addressing the cloud-based contact center environment from a security perspective, especially on PCI-DSS compliance. With over 130 mn malwares on the prowl and the consistent rise of such dangers, the compliance for strong policy procedure is more than ever before. Moving to cloud also means reducing TCO without compromising on customer treatment. This is going to hugely impact the centers in India as they would have to take their practices a notch above for meeting these requirements.

What about security, how can that be handled best?

The main issue with a contact center solution is storage of sensitive personal data and risk of getting such information in the wrong hands. This can be managed through PCI DSS compliance. Another pressing issue is storage of big data as the streams are from many sources. Therefore, there must be a way to validate and access control. Assessment through the qualified security assessors is the most important requirement for data security.

Customers need to know how to choose cloud-based solutions. What are your thoughts on this?

While choosing a provider to host cloud-based solutions, the biggest factor is opting the one with a proven track record for success and having exceptional expertise. A demonstrated market leader can ensure optimization and differential treatment to customer. However, in India it is still in a evolving phase and CIOs are seeking reassurance that cloud computing infrastructure is reliable, scalable and secure. Some corporations like EMC and CISCO are working to create experience centers where Indian customers will get an opportunity to encounter the benefits of cloud-based infrastructure. As a result, they have been victorious in some cases but still there is scope to actually capitalize on this factor in the overall Indian context.

CIOs need control over IT and is that a limiting factor in cloud adoption?

The biggest fear in the mind of an IT manager for cloud is losing control. What happens if they fail? Essentially cloud providers are the extension of the internal IT and all risks apply equally to them. So, only if the cloud provider demonstrates validation of controls, it may perhaps give a peace of mind. Some of the controls like SSAE Audit, data, accessibility, security, encryption, disaster recovery plan, etc. are the inherent part of ISO27001,2 & 31000, PCI data security standards compliance certification. Apart from the regular security framework of ITIL or ITSM, these certifications definitely give assurance for the governance process and reliable control.

Do you think cloud-based contact centers will help in enhancing customer satisfaction?

Yes, these will be helpful in enhancing customer satisfaction as they will be treated better. With advanced technology solutions, integrated self-service, remote workers, and predictive dialers, on-hold times can be cut substantially and resolution is achieved quicker. Additionally, key metrics such as ASA and AHT can see significant improvements resulting in agent productivity gains, and enhancing the customer experience while reducing overall costs.

What are the challenges you see in cloud-based contact centers?

Security issues are likely to be the biggest challenge. The cloud computing could lead to easier access for the government to spy on. So this factor will be critical both in the mind of enterprises as well as individuals. Another challenge will be the high speed and low cost of bandwidth with high degree of reliability. The external environments like mobile devices, E-Commerce activities might see bigger and unpredictable changes in technology. It will be a big challenge for the centers to adapt to the fast changing environment.

Are organizations able to get the value proposition of cloud computing?

For most of the businesses, cloud computing means more cost saving and greater flexibility, increasing server instances and pay-as-per-use basis. With growing SaaS models available now-a-days, there are plenty of benefits for the SME sector, which is not sure about the volume of usage. There is a consistent urge for the flexibility and spreading the cost based on the needs. For example, application such as CRM is very much resource hungry and license dependent. Committing cost at one time is very difficult for small organizations in dynamic business scenario. Cloud-based CRM solutions are the answer to this problem.