Best Contact Center Software Solutions Compared [Top 15]

Thanks to growing customer demand and competition among providers, contact center software solutions are rapidly replacing older call center software.

When buyers compare contact center software, customer reviews, comparable feature sets, and price are among the strongest deciding factors.

That’s right. Price is still the biggest influencer at the end of the shortlisting process.

In this guide, we compare 15 of the best contact center vendors. The top three are as follows:

1. Nextiva
2. Five9
3. NICE InContact 

Short on time? Here’s why Nextiva wins …

Nextiva vs. Five9 vs. NICE CXone

When selecting the top three contact center solution providers, we assessed crucial qualities, including the setup time for each software, the cost, and the presence of helpful AI tools. We also looked at customer ratings and reviews to understand how popular each software is and what real customers think.

Here’s the side-by-side comparison, which shows why Nextiva comes out on top.

If you’re looking for a quick setup, a simple interface, with an omnichannel suite of features underpinning it, Nextiva is the right contact center software if you don’t want to break the bank.

What Is Contact Center Software?

Best Contact Center Software Solutions

1. Nextiva

Nextiva provides a unified communications solution with the option to integrate a call or contact center platform. You can choose from inbound call center software, outbound, or blended contact center software alongside your core internal communications app. 

You can expect a range of features, including intelligent call routing, advanced interactive voice response (IVR), and analytics for measuring agent performance, caller behavior, and customer preferences. You also get access to email, web chat, SMS, and social media via omnichannel routing.

Other key features include:

• A built-in AI assistant: Chatbots and virtual agents that can handle routine tasks, transcribe and summarize calls, and respond to customer inquiries. 
• Dynamic scripting: With higher-tier plans, your agents can receive personalized prompts and flexible scripts that can be adapted based on context clues. 
• Native process automation: Administrators can build automated processes and flows, as well as integrate existing tools as needed. For example, when a call ends, the system can log information, update CRM records, and trigger follow-up tasks. 
• Proactive customer notifications: Stay in touch with customers proactively through automated customer messages that require minimal agent effort. 
• One intelligent display for all your agents’ needs: No need to switch between several apps and windows. Instead, you get everything in one place, regardless of channel.

Out-of-the-box customer relationship management (CRM) system integrations include:

• Salesforce
• Microsoft Dynamics
• Microsoft Teams
• HubSpot
• Zendesk
• Zoho
• Oracle Sales Cloud
• Workbooks
• ServiceNow
• SugarCRM
• Act! CRM
• Lotus Notes
• ConnectWise
• GoldMine
• Bullhorn

But where Nextiva really shines is its integration of your internal users and frontline agents. When you need to escalate customer cases, the blend of everyday communications apps is vital.

Handling the contact center integration behind the scenes, Nextiva enables seamless calling, messaging, and document retrieval via the NextivaONE app. 

Agents have a single pane of glass to work from, benefiting from better productivity and providing a more efficient customer experience.

If you’re ready to supercharge your contact center productivity, you can add these AI capabilities gradually, so you can see a genuine, tangible difference in workflows.

Customer Rating: 4.6/5

Customer Review: 

“Ruslin Akchurin has been fabulous, and Kevin Kushner was extremely patient and knowledgeable on the Adoption Call (Mario was amazing during our walk through – I have had a positive experience with every team member I have spoken to). We’ve jumped into our new Nextiva System (previously Comcast Business Voice Edge) with both feet – and have had a great experience. Customer Support (via phone and chat) have been helpful – very low (minutes) wait times. Top Notch Team. Admin portal is RIDICULOUSLY easier than our previous system – very user friendly, and works in an analytical way. If we have wanted to do something that we couldn’t figure out – chat support was there to help! If I could give more than 5 stars, I would.”
~Nanci Soriano, Trustpilot review

2. Five9

Five9 hits the nail on the head when it comes to AI-powered contact center experience software.

Whether you’re a large business with scalability concerns or you want to let your agents handle more value-added tasks and automate your run rate activities, Five9 makes AI do the legwork so your agents remain efficient and productive. 

Where it really excels is using AI to generate reports and provide sentiment analysis on your customer transactions. In fact, in the past year, Five9 has rolled out major AI updates that put AI into every part of the process, including quality management, routing, and analytics. AI is no longer an experiment; it’s fully baked in. 

For data-driven organizations with tons of customers and a decently sized service team, Five9 can be a great way to get control of your contact center, with features that include:

• Agent assist
• Call recording and transcription
• Workflow automation
• Digital engagement
• Conversational IVR
• Quality assurance
• Workforce management

You can bolt Five9 onto a range of cloud telephony solutions and retain existing hardware and software. If you’re looking for standalone contact center software, Five9 is a solid option.

Customer Rating: 3.6/5

Customer Review:

“Five9 has done a great job at continuously improving its Intelligent CX Platform, especially with the integration of AI, IVA (Intelligent Virtual Agents), and WFO tools that help streamline contact center operations. The platform is robust and reliable, offering solid uptime and scalability across multiple channels. The reporting and analytics capabilities, particularly with AI Insights, are strong and help leaders make data-driven decisions. The automation tools (like IVAs and workflows) are powerful and can significantly reduce manual effort and contact volumes when properly implemented.”
~Victor S, Trustpilot review

3. Dialpad

If AI is a top priority and you want to maximize its impact, Dialpad has been ringing that bell for quite some time. So, if you’re interested in providing real-time coaching insights and accessing next-generation analytics, Dialpad is a good option.

Entry-level features take the shape of call sentiment analysis, real-time text transcription, and built-in AI for call scripts. You can get agent prompts based on the context of live conversations to help serve customers most efficiently.

With a specific focus on sales teams, Dialpad’s AI suggestions can prompt agents to mention new products and identify the ideal time to close a deal. Its outbound calling solution also features AI, including smart call monitoring and call queues.

If AI isn’t your sole requirement, Dialpad also provides unlimited calling, number forwarding, and custom call routing options for those looking to check off the basics.

Customer Rating: 4.2/5

Customer Review:

“I have had several interactions with the Dialpad porting team during CET time and I have always got stellar support. Very friendly, efficient and they really know their stuff. I always got the same person and I can highly recommend them. Keep up the good work!”
~David Bergkvist, Trustpilot review

4. CloudTalk

CloudTalk is ideal for businesses that prioritize high call volumes and require targeted solutions. As the name suggests, providing a cloud contact center gives CloudTalk the advantage of avoiding any leftover on-premises baggage. Everything is scalable and flexible, promoting the benefits of consumable cloud technology.

CloudTalk offers AI routing and call prioritization capabilities, customizable call queue messages, and toll-free numbers. It’s geared toward enhancing phone support efficiency, making inbound calls work as hard as possible.

Its AI-powered conversational intelligence module aims to “amplify human potential” by automating repetitive tasks that would normally add hours of work every week. AI-powered voice agents can also now handle calls, engage in smart routing, and offer support across channels including voice and SMS. 

Customer Rating: 3.5/5

Customer Review: 

“Cloudtalk seems to be the best solution for companies that need to record their phone calls and need an overview of the workflow. Their pricing is fair, they provide monthly or yearly plans and you can cancel anytime, which is a great flexibility! The biggest plus is that you don’t need to pay some one-time fee as a commission for them even after starting the service. Their employees are trying to find the best solution for you, so both of us can grow and prosper. Thumbs up!”
~Samuel Kušev, Trustpilot review

5. 8×8

Offering an integrated cloud contact center software that combines voice, video, chat, and enterprise API solutions, 8×8 is a great option for large businesses with global calling needs and a generous budget.

Thanks to previous acquisitions like Jitsi, 8×8 has a more programmable feel to it, similar to CPaaS. 

Standout features include:

• Omnichannel routing
• Workforce engagement management
• Speech and text analytics
• Quality management tools
• Co-browsing
• Customer journey mapping

Plus, 8×8 is an all-in-one, select-your-functionality cloud deployment that’s popular with prescriptive customers. 

It integrates with several CRMs and has competitive pricing for mid-market customers.

Customer Rating: 3.4/5

Customer Review:

“This provider has come a long way in the past few years. Their interfaces and apps used to be very hard to use, but it seems that they have been putting in the work to make things better.”
~Sonia V, Trustpilot review

6. Avaya

Avaya offers omnichannel contact center software across a range of on-premises, cloud SaaS, and hybrid models. Each implementation option includes advanced reporting and analytics, CRM integration, and a standard set of traditional call center features.

In addition to providing on-premises and hybrid solutions, Avaya now has a cloud call center (CCaaS) offering via resale agreements.

Avaya’s contact center software gives your employees the tools they need to respond faster with greater insight, allowing them to engage and satisfy your callers.

Avaya comes with the safety of a longstanding telecoms player, and if you’re already invested in the Avaya ecosystem (phone system, handsets, etc.), you may get a discount.

Customer Rating: 4.3/5

Customer Review: 

“It’s a great call center product, but could have better technical support. I like how great it can handle my call center needs and be versatile enough to do other items. The support is horrible; outage tickets take days.”
~Engineer in the IT services industry

7. Talkdesk

Talkdesk is a cloud-based platform predominantly used by support enterprises to enhance their customer engagement via the use of automation and AI. 

It’s a multichannel contact center that supports email, web chat, SMS, and social, and allows for workflow and interaction personalization.

You get all your basic call center software features:

• Agent dashboard
• Call forwarding
• Call queuing
• Click-to-call
• Predictive dialing
• IVR
• REST APIs
• Call tracking
• CRM software integrations
• Call recording
• Voicemail inbox

The platform is best known as a premium contact center solution with easy implementation and comprehensive features for call centers. 

That said, a lot of customization is available, proving useful for larger customers with complex routing and multichannel needs.

Customer Rating: 1.8/5

Customer Review: 

“Good idea; really poor execution. Most things in life you usually end up needing support, or repair, I understand that. Your car, your house, computer, software, it happens. What is not acceptable is how long it takes their support to even acknowledge an issue, much less resolve it. Counting down the months until our contract is over.”
~Kevin Williams, Trustpilot review

8. Genesys

Genesys specializes in on-premises and hybrid deployments for industries such as finance, which often have stringent compliance regulations. It’s aimed at large enterprises and complex contact centers that need advanced features and customizations. 

Because of that, Genesys offers scalability as a main selling point, boasting 1,000+ agent clients, including Vodafone and Sodexo. 

You get omnichannel support, advanced self-service features (chatbots, voicebots, and knowledge bases), and integrations with enterprise-level applications. If you’re rolling out at scale, consider Genesys for a complex, hybrid deployment.

Customer Rating: 4.6/5

Customer Review: 

“Genesys has delivered an amazing platform for our customer service department. We are able to expand beyond just phone into text, chat, and emails, and be able to handle those in an efficient manner.”
~IT Associate in the energy industry

9. Aircall

Aircall focuses heavily on providing inbound call management to small businesses and startups looking to manage high call volumes without compromising on quality.

It includes automated call routing, IVR, call recordings, transcriptions, and collaboration tools for agents. You get CRM integration with major apps like Salesforce, HubSpot, and Zendesk and a quick-to-deploy, easy-to-use agent app.

Aircall’s pricing is attractive if you’re looking for premium call handling without the major expense of enterprise features, including omnichannel, open API access, or single sign-on.

Customer Rating: 3.1/5

Customer Review: 

“We had been searching for a company that could help us register a phone number in Germany, and Aircall was the first one that truly understood the process. Their team clearly knows the bureaucracy of different countries, especially Germany, where the requirements can be quite complicated. We stayed in contact with one of their team members, who helped us find a solution immediately. We’re very grateful for the fast, competent support and the clear guidance they provided.”
~Eliza G, Trustpilot review

10. NICE CXone (formerly InContact)

NICE is another contact center vendor that’s launched its own generative AI and assistant-style modules. Its most recent innovations, Enlighten Copilot and Enlighten Autopilot, are pioneering the charge for automated companions for contact center agents. Agents can ask questions and get feedback on tasks they carry out.

This is all in addition to a robust set of features, like omnichannel routing, workforce optimization, and AI analytics.

NICE can also provide professional services, business consulting, and contact center training, making it a popular choice for enterprise contact center software or major technical deployments.

Customer Rating: 4.3/5

Customer Review: 

“NICE CXone is a user-friendly and easy-to-use platform to meet organizational needs of different types. telephony, webchat, social media, etc. Customization to meet customer-specific needs, if at all, is a challenge currently as it goes through a long process that you raise it, and if everyone (Across nice users) voices the same, then it gets prioritized and that too at its own pace.”
~Vipul J, G2 Review

11. RingCentral

RingCentral is a well-known communication platform with features that include push-to-talk, team messaging, and video conferencing for internal collaboration. Its contact center platform offers whisper coaching, call routing, and IVR among other features and supports multiple channels, including email, web chat, SMS, and social media.

RingCentral also uses RingSense to add conversation intelligence to its platform. Using generative AI technology, RingSense makes it possible to:

• Automate customer follow-ups.
• Automatically score calls based on sentiment and tone.
• Track keywords (like competitor names) to see how often they get mentioned.
• Create two-way information exchanges between RingCentral and Salesforce, Hubspot, Zoho, Google Calendar, Microsoft Outlook, and other virtual meeting providers.

RingCentral has connectivity agreements with major vendors to make large-scale networking to contact centers a smooth process. If you’re a multi-location business using an SD-WAN backbone, RingCentral can bring everything together. That said, if your priorities include different pricing models, feature sets, or integration options, it’s worth exploring RingCentral alternatives that may better align with your specific operational needs.

Customer Rating: 2.1/5

Customer Review: 

“Super rough onboarding. I don’t get how this can take hours to onboard, and yet it still isn’t working properly. I had my operations specialist tasked with having our phone number ported from a different carrier to RingCentral. They told her after several hours that it was done. But my old carrier shows it is live on their side, and RingCentral doesn’t show that it is live on their side. So, we looked into it. RingCentral didn’t set up our phone number. Instead, they set up two more extensions. No wonder I have a ton of missed calls. Nobody can hear our phone line ringing. And it still isn’t fixed. My operations specialist worked with them again this morning and again this afternoon. Ring Central is 100% focused on pushing sales, and after that, it just flops.”
~Neil Colvin, Trustpilot review

12. Broadvoice

Broadvoice has a major push on putting the service back into customer service, even taking a dislike to self-service on its home page. It has a call center solution for small and medium businesses and an omnichannel contact center suited to larger businesses.

If you’re looking for scalable, basic-level contact center software, Broadvoice provides everything you need without the bells and whistles.

Also specializing in business process outsourcing, Broadvoice claims its solution is designed specifically for those operations.

Managing multiple customer bases is a unique challenge, so Broadvoice is one to check out if you’re tasked with doing so.

Customer Rating: 4.5/5

Customer Review: 

“I really appreciate Broadvoice’s great customer service. Their support team is always ready to help out whenever we encounter any issues, which has been invaluable in ensuring our operations run smoothly. I also find their call handling services robust and fluent, greatly assisting in receiving and transferring calls efficiently. This level of performance from Broadvoice has been crucial for our office’s phone system, allowing seamless communication and contributing to an overall positive experience. I am so satisfied with Broadvoice that I would highly recommend it to others, as evidenced by my willingness to rate it a perfect 10 for recommending to friends or colleagues.”
~Mathew B, G2 Review

13. Cisco Contact Center (Webex)

Cisco’s collaboration and contact center products have undergone a recent facelift, and its cloud offering now falls under the Webex umbrella. The well-adopted platform supports call routing, omnichannel routing, integrations, and a management portal for creating customer profiles, segmentation, and resource monitoring.

More recent additions include generative AI components like Cisco AI Assistant for Webex Contact Center, which identifies instances when an agent faces difficulties with clients or productivity. The assistant recommends breaks as needed and aids agents by providing automatic answers to customers’ questions in real time. 

Webex can also generate automatic call summaries to reduce manual workload and provide supervisors with insights for enhanced mentoring and support.

Customer Rating: 4.6/5

Customer Review: 

“The product and support mechanisms are top-notch. The Cisco product team came prepared to create a great product for all involved parties. […] It truly made our agents and supervisors more available, and customer sat increased. The product was highly available for our customers, but we did have several issues with access initially.”
~IT Associate in the banking industry

14. Salesforce Service Cloud

Run by one of the world’s largest companies, Service Cloud helps businesses manage and resolve customer issues. If you’re a heavy Salesforce user for marketing and sales, it’s a logical step to retain all your customer history for future technical support.

You get case management tools, omnichannel support, a built-in knowledge base, and a variety of automation and analytics that we’ve come to expect from Salesforce.

If you’re already using Salesforce, Service Cloud can represent a significant cost saving, as you’re adding another license to an existing platform.

You’ll get a unified interface for a customer’s entire journey, which can track their first entrance to your company website through to their first support ticket and every time their renewal comes around.

Customer Rating: 4.4/5

Customer Review: 

“Throughout my experience with Salesforce Service Cloud, I found the platform incredibly useful for simplifying how our teams handle customer cases. The system made it easier to track interactions and follow up quickly, which really improved our day-to-day efficiency. I especially valued how we could bring all customer conversations from different channels into one place, making things more straightforward for our agents. Of course, there were moments where the system needed fine-tuning to fit our processes, but overall, it has had a very positive impact on both our teams’ productivity and our customers’ satisfaction.”
~IT Manager in the insurance industry

15. Ringover

Ringover is cloud-based software mainly used by small and medium-sized businesses. It offers unlimited international calls to various destinations and has robust basic voice call capabilities. The platform also includes advanced routing features for enhancing call efficiency.

With a focus on sales and recruitment, Ringover integrates with specialist CRMs like Bullhorn, TextUs, Sense Messaging, and Loxo.

For teams that wish to get set up quickly, Ringover boasts that you can get going in minutes. If you spend a little extra time (and money), Ringover supports emails, SMS, and social media.

At the top level, you get AI features like real-time transcription, predictive analytics, and radio coaching. 

Customer Rating: 4.1/5

Customer Review: 

“I’ve been using Ringover for some time now, and it has proven to be a reliable solution. The call quality is consistent, the platform is intuitive, and it integrates well with our workflows. It does exactly what we need without unnecessary complexity.”
~adytza1127 D, Trustpilot Review

Top 10 Contact Center Software Features You Need

When evaluating contact center software, it’s important to break through the noise and find features that specifically enhance your business. Here are 10 modern contact center features that can futureproof your sales and support teams.

1. Omnichannel support

Omnichannel integrates your voice and digital channels and provides agents with a holistic view of all interactions. Rather than managing customer interactions on a call-by-call (or email-by-email) basis, agents can see the bigger picture.

Be it web chat, email, or social media, the agent who just picked up the phone can access everything they need, so your customers don’t have to explain themselves over again. This seamless continuity is what separates true omnichannel from multichannel support, and it has become a non-negotiable standard for brands to meet customer expectations.

2. CRM integration

CRM integration is the process of stitching your contact center software together with your most used customer information system. It enables smooth and consistent customer experiences by ensuring agents have the necessary information to resolve queries effectively​​​​.

Seamless integration with CRM systems is a basic need for most contact centers. How many aren’t using a CRM of some kind, after all?

With deepened access to enterprise contact center software from higher pricing tiers, you can expect better data utilization and customer history tracking.

Nextiva provides integration with the following enterprise CRM platforms:

• Salesforce
• Microsoft Dynamics
• HubSpot
• Zendesk
• Zoho
• Oracle Sales Cloud

3. Skills-based call routing

Skills-based routing uses customer input (via IVR systems) to connect inbound phone calls to agents with specific skill sets needed to assist the customer.

On the back end, admins assign skills to agents so your phone system or contact center software knows which agents to route incoming calls to.The end result? Customers get to the right place every time, and agents deal with issues they’re best qualified to handle. As a direct result, you can expect an increase in first call resolution and lower average handle time.

4. Call recording and monitoring

Call recording is essential for quality assurance, training, and compliance purposes. Whether you need to take payments without storing card details or you want to create a formal quality assurance program, call recording is a must-have feature.

What separates the best call center software from run-of-the-mill programs is what you can do once those calls have been recorded.

Call recording is more than just a storage facility. Features, including monitoring and sentiment analysis, enable real-time tracking and reporting on customer satisfaction and agent performance​​​​.

Feeding into a wider improvement program, when you provide value-enhancing interactions, there’s a higher likelihood that your customers will remain loyal when presented with an opportunity to switch.

5. Analytics and reporting

Included with all contact center software is some form of reporting based on the data you collect. Contact center software can track everything that happens in your department and turn it into data insights. This applies to both real-time and historical call analytics.

Make sure your chosen software includes standard call center metrics, including:

• Call volume
• Average wait time
• Average handle time
• First call resolution
• Peak hour traffic

But also factor in more outcome-focused metrics:

• Net promoter score
• Customer satisfaction
• Customer retention rate
• Customer effort score

Contact center reporting has improved by leaps and bounds. You can now report on channel mix and agent utilization rate, not just call time. Moving to an all-encompassing reporting package allows you to use the data you’re generating to inform business decisions and improve operational efficiency.

6. Interactive voice response 

Interactive voice response directs customers through an inbound call center via voice or keypad inputs, offering self-service options and facilitating efficient routing.

Instead of connecting to a receptionist or routing to any agent and then needing to be transferred, callers can use an IVR to get through to the right person (or system) every time.

For example, if a customer wants to pay a bill, they don’t necessarily need to speak to a human. Instead, they can choose the option to make a payment, identify themselves with their account number and security details, and then make a PCI-compliant payment.

Likewise, if a caller needs to speak to an agent in a specific language or for a technical product, choosing the right options will direct them based on your pre-configured call flow.

7. Automatic call distribution (ACD)

Automatic Call Distribution (ACD) automatically routes calls to specific agents based on predefined criteria, enhancing the efficiency of call handling​.

When your business receives a call, ACD can recognize the caller and send them to your star agents via a VIP line. You might route customers who pay higher support rates to the front of a queue or to more qualified agents.

Modern cloud-based call centers let you distribute calls based on ANI, business hours, support level, and IVR selections. As a result, incoming calls reach the right agent or department quickly, without requiring the caller to dial a different phone number.

ACDs prevent unnecessary transfers by getting inbound calls to the appropriate agent using skill-based routing or other distribution methods. And since calls reach the right agent, handle times remain low with improved customer satisfaction.

8. Cloud-based flexibility

While not so much a contact feature but important nonetheless, VoIP technologies open the door to remote or hybrid work models. 

Your agents can access the same toolset and interface without compromising quality or productivity as their office-based colleagues. 

Assuming connectivity and workspace environment are sufficient, you can access contact center software via your web browser in any location. You can even take calls without any extra hardware.

9. Speech and text analytics

When you receive hundreds or thousands of calls and messages daily, it pays to analyze these interactions for insights into customer sentiment, trends, and compliance issues. 

By understanding, in real time or after the fact, how customers (and agents) feel during conversations, you can tailor coaching, schedules, and forecasting for your teams.

This functionality might be offered in-house or via a third-party solution. Get access to the basics:

• Geographical breakdown of where your calls come from
• Stress levels per individual call
• Agent performance throughout the day
• Opportunities to upsell and cross-sell

Whatever happens in your customer interactions, you need to know what’s working and what’s not.

10. Predictive and power dialers

Dialers are outbound call center software specialized for sales, market research, and debt collection-type businesses. They improve efficiency in calling and managing customers and prospects.

Auto-dialer software comes in four different varieties:

• Predictive: Using smart algorithms to predict when an agent will be available to take a call, it auto-connects the next call when an agent is “ready.”
• Preview: Software brings up information about the next contact (via CRM integration) before connecting the call.
• Power: This software type dials numbers sequentially from a contact list.
• Progressive: This type of auto-dialer software combines elements of preview and power dialers. Agents get access to information before a call, and then the dialer automatically connects the call.

Whichever you opt for, dialers automate the process of making outbound calls, improving efficiency and reducing labor costs. By removing misdials and introducing functionality like screen pop, dialers let agents spend time on what matters most: delighting customers, collecting payments, and generating leads.

How AI Is Changing Contact Centers in 2026

As AI becomes a larger part of the professional world and more contact centers embrace it, agents no longer have to react — they can anticipate. Contact center AI software helps contact centers detect issues before customers make them aware. For instance, predictive analytics can forecast call surges (such as due to a product launch or seasonal demand), letting managers staff up adequately ahead of time. 

Similarly, through the analysis of customer behavior, tone, and call history, AI can flag early signs of churn to alert you that a customer may be unhappy or at risk. Similarly, sentiment analysis tools can detect negative tones or frustration and alert agents to intervene immediately. 

Even better, AI-driven tools like bots and assistants are finally achieving what old IVRs simply couldn’t: quick, intelligent help that feels useful, not robotic. Rather than dragging customers through frustrating menu trees, conversational AI can respond in plain language and understand customer intent. That’s what contact center buyers want: reliable self-service that’s (almost) as good as a human. 

Here’s how it can look in practice:

• Smarter chatbots that handle full workflows: Bots powered by AI can manage the entire customer journey, from initial question to resolution. 
• Automated callbacks: When demand is high or wait times are long, AI can trigger a callback so customers don’t have to wait. 
• Digital self-service that reduces live call volume: Cut down the number of live calls and free agents for more complex work with self-service portals, chatbots, and voice bots who can take care of common tasks. 

By shifting routine interactions to AI and forecasting demand and sentiment, contact centers can significantly reduce queue times while improving customer satisfaction. It’s even better for agent productivity, as they get to focus on more complex interactions. That’s why AI is a crucial feature in the top contact center software solutions.

How to Pick the Best Contact Center Platform

Outside of comparable features, it’s important that you find contact center software companies that get your business. Look out for these key characteristics when evaluating vendors on your shortlist to determine what the best contact center software is. 

Compatibility with your business needs

It goes without saying that anyone you work with must know why you operate a contact center and what’s unique to you.

Make sure to clearly define the capabilities you need from a contact center. These might be things you take for granted but are custom to your industry.

Consider basic factors like the number of agents, required tools, and level of support needed. But also engage stakeholders to discuss and detail even minor complexities so you can start planning from day one​​.

Scalability

Whether you’re an enterprise contact center with 1,000 agents or a small business with a single-digit team, being able to change at a moment’s notice is invaluable.

Choose a provider that can scale with your business as needed. Ensure that it’s easy to add or reduce lines and features, adapting to changes in demand. Some providers make this more difficult than others. But, in a cloud-first world, there should be little reason, other than contractual issues, to get what you want whenever you need it.

Easy implementation

Look for a solution that’s easy to set up and doesn’t require extensive time or resources for implementation. Thanks to cloud technology and the advent of SaaS-style contact centers, almost any user, supervisor, or admin can get access within a few clicks.

Sure, configuring complex call flows and applying special treatment needs time and attention. And if you have bespoke needs that require extensive planning, you’re probably an anomaly.

But cloud-based contact center software typically offers quicker and easier setup compared to traditional systems​​​​. 

Seamless integration

Implementation doesn’t end at your chosen vendor’s own solution. Think about all the other business apps your contact center agents use daily.

Ensure your contact center software integrates well with your existing tech stack.

Think about:

• CRM systems
• Email programs
• Collaboration apps
• Workforce management tools
• Bespoke line of business apps
• Help desk and ticketing systems

Security and compliance

It goes without saying that all contact center software must be secure. Verify that your chosen provider adheres to stringent security protocols and is compliant with relevant regulations, especially if you’re in a highly regulated industry like finance, healthcare, or legal services​​​​.

Make sure your next contact center purchase adheres to industry-specific guidelines as well as the basics, for instance, GDPR, HIPAA, or PCI DSS.

As standard, Nextiva ensures:

• 99.999% uptime
• 24/7 network monitoring
• Real-time network status updates
• Off-grid power sources at each data center
• ISO/IEC 27001 certification
• SOC 2 compliance
• Call encryption

Quality of customer support

It’s not all that helpful to suggest you choose a provider with responsive and effective customer support. But finding out just how good your chosen vendor’s customer support is can be tricky.

Pro tip: Support is often one of the most-mentioned pros or cons in third-party review sites, so be sure to look out for a provider’s reputation when on these sites.

Scope out reviews on sites, including:

• G2
• Gartner
• GetVoIP
• Trustpilot
• Trustradius
• Deloitte Technology Fast 500

Check for credibility

A lack of reviews or testimonials is a red flag.

But simply adding a client or partner logo to a website is easy and can sometimes be misleading.

It’s worth researching your provider’s experience and expertise relating to your specific industry. If a provider has a full case study of someone in the same space as you, you’re in better hands than one without.

For example, if you’re a retail distributor, a contact center provider who only showcases finance companies on their testimonials isn’t much help in your decision process.

Common Contact Center Use Cases

Let’s get specific for a moment. Outside of the core technology, it’s important to match your type of contact center with the business objectives you want to achieve:

• Inbound sales: This means directing calls and web chats to sellers so they can answer prospects’ questions and generate revenue. 
• Outbound sales: With progressive outbound dialing, sales agents can vet leads before initiating a call to targeted accounts. 
• Customer service: Customer support reps can field incoming customer requests across multiple channels and maintain a superior service level. 
• Technical support: With interactive features that include co-browsing, support agents can take over a customer’s screen (with their permission) to provide real-time help. 
• Internal IT helpdesk: When employees need IT support, you can leverage identity verification to improve your security posture and ensure employees are directed to the right staff members.

Sharing these examples with a contact center software vendor lets them demonstrate how their platform solves these needs. 

See Nextiva’s Contact Center Software in Action

When you’re tasked with finding new contact center software, it’s a lot. When researching, demoing, and trialing providers, there’s so much at stake, and it pays to invest the time and effort upfront.

While there are many choices and some niche use cases for certain providers, we’re confident that Nextiva is the choice for an AI-powered contact center for businesses of all sizes.

Get started with a demo to learn how Nextiva can transform your contact center. 

Contact Center FAQs