Vendors are hawking "call center in the cloud" offerings, but the solution is not quite ready for prime time, writes Stephanie Overby at CIO. Before moving call center services to the Internet, be aware that a fully-cloud-based, end-to-end option is not yet available.

"A soup-to-nuts call center in the cloud is largely the stuff of fantasy--so far," Overby writes. While there are vendors who provide a single cloud-based application, such as live chat or call routing, it is still too complicated to integrate all of the many call center services into one cloud-based solution, analysts say.

Businesses considering on-demand call center services today should consider five variables. First, you have to look at how much you have already invested in your call center. If you've got a first-class system in place, you may not reap much reward from switching environments.

Next, you have to consider whether you have the in-house talent to manage a partially cloud-based call center. The cloud-based options available today provide only part of a solution, and you will likely need to employ your own managers and agents.

Can the on-demand service handle spikes in call volume, and is it able to integrate with data analytics systems? Finally, you have to ask whether the service offers adequate security. Because customers interact directly with call centers, you want to be sure the service is up to par when it comes to handling data, managing risk and providing redundancy.

For more:
- see Stephanie Overby's article at CIO

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