8×8 has released several UCaaS and CCaaS updates to its XCaaS platform designed to enhance the customer experience.
The UCaaS updates encompass enhancements to the 8×8 Work desktop, mobile and web experience, the user ability to click-to-call in the web browser, a web dialer Google Chrome extension, and multiple new features for the 8×8 Admin Console.
Hunter Middleton, Chief Product Officer at 8×8, commented:
Regardless of where you’re located in the world or which department you sit in within an organization, having technology that enables consistent experiences is a must. We provide the solutions that organizations need to provide seamless, tailored experiences for their customers and employees.”
The contact centre additions include refinements to 8×8’s Supervisor Workspace, contact centre analytics capabilities, agent performance tracking functionality, and improved customer journey mapping.
The features are generally available now.
“Our continued focus on innovation and advancing the 8×8 XCaaS platform demonstrates our commitment to providing our customers with the resources and tools they need,” Middleton added.
8×8’s XCaaS capabilities have also extended to South Korea, meaning 8×8 now provides full cloud Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) support for global businesses with users in 59 countries. The solution entails local direct numbers, toll-free numbers, and calling plans, in addition to support for local emergency services.
UCaaS Enhancements
The 8×8 Work desktop, mobile and web experiences have received several quality-of-life updates, including a loading icon alert when answering or declining a call and deactivating the Merge call button when a user is on a call without other active or on-hold calls. Also introduced are dedicated avatar icons for Auto Attendants, Ring Groups, and Call Queues. Other additions entail call logs for Ring Groups displaying admin-approved information and better contact cards for 8×8 Work and 8×8 Contact Centre users.
The 8×8 Admin Console has refinements to the French language version and an improved storage policy interface to streamline the user experience. Also added is the function for system admins to update Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) challenge frequency for all users.
8×8’s web dialer chrome extension automatically highlights most phone numbers in a web browser, enabling the user to dial directly from any web page or send SMS without app-switching. The web dialer can begin calls from 8×8 Work for Web when users cannot access the 8×8 Work desktop application.
Lastly, users can now click-to-call in the web browser without manually dialling a number.
CCaaS Enhancements
CCaaS enhancements include updates to the 8×8 Supervisor Workspace, combining analytics, performance management, and team admin functionalities within one interface.
That interface fulfils 8×8’s ambition to build a “single pane of glass” offering that offers extra insight across the contact centre while introducing augmented AI.
This approach empowers leaders with quick insights to improve speed to correction and drive superior performance in the contact centre. It allows leaders to personalise their workspace to oversee teams and make decisions informed by individual needs and priorities without requiring coding work.
Further enhancements to analytics and reporting capabilities encompass more specific customer experience details and new metrics for the agent performance real-time widget.
Other updates include extensions to the time for IVR callbacks from six to 72 hours and a more comprehensive Microsoft Dynamics 365 integration, allowing them to queue names in the auto call log and the ability to display a new contact screen.
What has 8×8 Been up to in 2023?
One of the most prominent 8×8 stories this year has been its change at the top, with the company announcing a new CEO and CFO in recent months.
8×8 appointed Samuel Wilson as its new Chief Executive Offer in May. Wilson had initially served as interim CEO since November 2022, stepping up to the role after 8×8 terminated the contract of then-CEO Dave Sipes with immediate effect.
Wilson performed the CEO duties while the UC vendor underwent a comprehensive candidate search following Sipes’ departure but was subsequently appointed in the position permanently. Wilson, 8×8’s Chief Financial Officer before its interim CEO, was appointed to 8×8’s Board of Directors.
One week later, 8×8 appointed Kevin Kraus as its new permanent Chief Financial Officer. Kraus had similarly acted as 8×8’s interim CFO since November, replacing Wilson after he was promoted to interim CEO. Before that position, Kraus was 8×8’s Senior Vice President of Finance under Wilson, responsible for financial planning, analysis, and procurement functions.
It has not just been in the realm of C-Suite announcements that 8×8 has been busy with several exciting new product announcements.
In March, 8×8 revealed it had integrated AI across its products — including OpenAI’s Whisper model — across its XCaaS platform. 8×8’s Intelligent Customer Assistant, Supervisor Workspace and 8×8 Contact Centre were also improved with AI/machine learning natural language tools.
Earlier this month, 8×8 also launched a new technology partner ecosystem to transform the customer experience.
The 8×8 Technology Partner Ecosystem embeds innovative technologies into the 8×8 platform with persistent data to enhance business intelligence and insights. Among the benefits of the integrations with over 30 new partners is elite AI capabilities to empower businesses to introduce AI-driven customisable experiences flexibly.
