The demand for enterprise customer interactions via social channels used by customers is growing, according to Syniverse. However, Fortune 2000 companies are being cautious about taking on new channels of communication.
Syniverse is on a mission to demonstrate the benefits of omnichannel solutions to companies and ultimately provide businesses with its multichannel platform, all in line with its belief in operating differently from other CPaaS vendors by taking a “white glove” approach and creating bespoke solutions for each customer.
High Consumer Demand
Syniverse has been seeing high levels of demand for omnichannel solutions from end-users, with the overwhelming majority of customers preferring to communicate through the channels they are regularly using, rather than step outside of their go-to platforms to accommodate the company they are trying to reach.
Of course, not all customers are using the same social channels. One of the most significant indicators of preference is the region in which the customers are based. People living in the same part of the world communicate predominantly with one another, so application trends naturally emerge.
WhatsApp has the broadest reach of any social channel, with over 2 billion active users. Consumer demand is greatest for Whatsapp, and Syniverse finds that every conversation with Fortune 2000 customers and enterprises involves some measure of Whatsapp strategy.
Vincent Puglia, Sr Product Manager – Social Channels at Syniverse, said: “For our omnichannel strategy, WhatsApp is the keystone, but in the APAC region, LINE messengers have an extensive usage. We also have a lot of support for Facebook Messenger in the US.
“Viber is another one that keeps coming up, and Instagram.
“We have demand for WeChat, which is the only messenger allowed in China, so we are making sure that we align not only with the markets but also regional usage.”
Implementation Challenges
It is possible to provide omnichannel communications for customers, and companies like Syniverse prove just that. However, there is a reluctance from many Fortune 2000 companies to adopt new social channels. The simple explanation for this, according to Syniverse, is that these companies are afraid of change.
Whatever the reasons, the challenge for omnichannel providers right now is to prove that adding this solution to your portfolio will be beneficial. Because this is a relatively new technology offering, there is also the need to promote it and bring it to the awareness of relevant companies.
Puglia told UC Today: “What we’ve seen so far in the CPaaS market is the first phase of digital natives, those companies that do it themselves will consume APIs and build this out.
“That phase is still ongoing, and what we’re seeing through those digital adopters is that Fortune 2000 customers need some leadership to know where the use cases are and the return on investment. That’s where we’re focused.
“The challenge is making sure that we’re in front of the right group who see the need for omnichannel solutions but don’t know how to go about it.
“That’s where we come in. We’re trying to break down those walls for Fortune 2000 customers to help them implement an omnichannel strategy.”
Syniverse’s Mobile Messaging Solution
Syniverse has a mobile messaging solution that, alongside omnichannel engagement, includes next-generation messaging, SMS verification, analytics and reporting, orchestration, global services, template management, and language translation.
Describing itself as a leading Application-to-Person (A2P) provider, Syniverse supports text messaging (SMS), multimedia messaging (MMS), voice, push notifications, mobile wallet, Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, WeChat, Rich Business Messaging (RCS), and Private Messaging.
The company says its solution can be integrated quickly and easily with no downtime and the assurance of 24/7 support. It lists four benefits of SMS APIs: increasing customer retention, reducing labour expenses, strengthening customer relationships, and generating new business.
Puglia said:
“Meeting customers and meeting end users where they are in their strategy and abilities is fundamental. We must have the capabilities to reach them.”
“We’re also pairing that with a lot of orchestration and connector type capabilities so that enterprises can use their business solutions to reach those customers.
“Think of chatbot capabilities that use the WhatsApp channel for a Salesforce connector that can integrate with a contact centre.
“Those sorts of things paired with the channels are what enterprises seek today.”
Syniverse’s Partnership Process
Syniverse’s technical solution differs from the practical experience companies will have working together. Through that process, Syniverse believes many of its unique qualities can be seen.
The signup process begins with a drafted understanding of the business problem that Syniverse is trying to solve for the customer.
Its sales team and engineers sit down and map out the company’s challenges and capabilities, followed by a plan to resolve them.
Working together to overcome perceived obstacles preventing companies from implementing its solution is why, as Syniverse sees it, it is a value partner.
At every stage, whether it be the presales process, the implementation process, the integration, or post-sales, Syniverse says it keeps itself available and easily reachable throughout.
Puglia said: “No customer is the same, so we approach every customer differently and use our learning experiences from other customers.
“The services we offer are tailored to solve their problems. We are not trying to provide a platform that is one size fits all; they may be in a different region that needs a slightly different interaction or a different language.”
“It is just those sorts of things that we will gather as part of that presales process. So again, it is a customized value partner that we are trying to be with the customers.”
If you are interested in learning more about Syniverse’s omnichannel solution, you can find more information on its website.
