8x8 has introduced new advancements in its 8x8 XCaaS platform to improve both customer and employee experiences by offering features such as AI-driven voice-based self-service, the option to upgrade contact center interactions to video, increased compatibility with Microsoft Teams, and enhancements to 8x8 video meetings.
“Our highly tailored and seamless integrated cloud contact center and unified communications platform, not only improves employee and customer communications and collaboration, but it does away with disjointed, siloed information and resources. Instead, everyone across the entire organization is empowered to provide the best possible experiences for their customers, regardless of whether they sit in the contact center or elsewhere, which leads to overall happier customers and employees, and positive business growth,” said Hunter Middleton, Chief Product Officer at 8x8, Inc.
Generally available 8x8 Contact Center enhancements
8x8 has introduced an AI-driven voice self-service feature for its conversational AI solution - 8x8 Intelligent Customer Assistant, extending the capabilities of 8x8 Intelligent Customer Assistant, making it even more robust and user-friendly. This helps businesses reduce wait times and offer instant access to highly personalized and natural interactions.
Additionally, the 8x8 Agent Workspace has been improved, offering a feature that enables contact center agents to elevate customer interactions to video from within the workspace itself. This means that customers can use their mobile devices to visually assist agents in troubleshooting issues. This solution incorporates secure video interaction capabilities directly into the 8x8 Contact Center, making it simple for organizations to integrate video for better first-contact issue resolution. Additionally, call handling can now be managed directly within the 8x8 Agent Workspace, eliminating the need for an external hard phone or softphone.
8x8's Technology Partner Ecosystem offers a thoughtfully selected group of Independent Software Vendors, Value Added Resellers, and Systems Integrators. These partners specialize in creating tailored solutions for distinct customer experience needs.
For customers utilizing 8x8 Contact Center and Salesforce, there's now a more extensive integration available. This integration allows users to easily set up, configure, route, and engage with SMS and WhatsApp messages directly within the 8x8 Integration for Salesforce.
With 8x8 Webchat Quick Replies, administrators can create sets of questions and pre-defined responses using 8x8 scripting functions. These quick replies streamline interactions with customers and, when needed, route the conversation back to an agent with relevant context to initiate a live chat. This feature is beneficial for customers who prefer not to use AI chatbots but still want to offer menu options to guide customers to the appropriate agent.
The 8x8 Supervisor Workspace has been improved with the introduction of interaction retrieval pages, the inclusion of barge, monitor, and whisper capabilities in the Agent Table widget, better filtering options, a new widget highlighting accepted interaction trends, the ability to create and manage multiple pages, and the capacity to change agent status.
Latest updates for the 8x8 Unified Communications platform
Microsoft Teams Integration: The 8x8 Phone App for Microsoft Teams offers a cost-effective, native Teams experience for PSTN calling. It doesn't require individual Teams Phone licenses, desktop plugins, or additional software. It's easy to use, manage, and cost-efficient for businesses.
Video Enhancements: A new beta program allows up to 10,000 meeting participants with customization options. You can now turn off video hardware acceleration for better content visibility and support for the modern AV1 video codec.
8x8 Work Improvements: These include better call recording filters, contact import from Office 365 and Outlook, improved microphone control, and an embedded call quality alert for connection status.
Enhancements to 8x8's CPaaS communication APIs
SMS Fraud Prevention: The introduction of 8x8 Omni Shield helps enterprises protect customers from SMS fraud through real-time monitoring, automated alerts, and instant phone number assessments.
Voice IVR Capabilities: 8x8 Voice now allows customers to create automated phone systems for tasks like call routing and information delivery via self-service or agent assistance.
Smart Channel Routing: This unique feature identifies premium SMS rates and seamlessly redirects messages to cost-effective alternatives without requiring technical changes.
8x8 Voice API Enhancements include App Calling with automated PSTN fallback, access to comprehensive voice logs, and the ability to create custom call flows with actions like sending voice messages.
8x8 Communication API Enhancements: Improvements include enhanced WhatsApp reporting on 8x8 Connect, multi-browser support for video interactions, and two-factor authentication on 8x8 Converse.
