The Middle East - Bringing The Vendors To The Contact Center Mountain (Review Report)

Overview

Catalyst

Summary

Executive Summary

Introduction

The Middle East - Cash Rich, Services Poor (Market Focus)

How to profit from contact centers in the Middle East (Strategy Focus)

Middle Eastern contact center technology insight (Technology Focus)

Table of Contents

Table of figures

Table of tables

The Middle East - Cash Rich, Services Poor (Market Focus)

The spread of a global economy represents a strong growth opportunity for vendors

Various industries and geographies are influential in the customer interaction industry

Liberalization of financial services has led to a proliferation of activity in the region governed by Islamic law

The communications industry is rapidly transforming the Middle East

Hospitality and travel present the biggest growth opportunity and the biggest challenge for vendors

The United Arab Emirates, Egypt and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are the geographical markets to target

Middle Eastern governments are offering lucrative incentives to attract FDI

Infrastructure projects have primed the region for network build

The Middle East can act as an entry point to the larger Asian markets

How to profit from contact centers in the Middle East (Strategy Focus)

Reform in the Middle East leads to opportunities for vendors but challenges lie ahead

Early reform in the Middle East's telecoms industry shows companies how to replicate western customer service strategies

Governments seek foreign investment as the region stabilizes

Localization of products and services

Not all technology is accepted

Deploying inconstant market strategies to the contact center can affect presence in the Middle East

Multi-nationals and vendors need to have an appropriate governance structure

Middle Eastern contact centers demand high-end solutions and professional services

High-end contact center solutions are profitable to vendors operating in the Middle East

Professional services can be a sweet spot if vendors illustrate how contact centers make a profit for firms

Knowledge and skills shortage in some countries has an impact on delivery of contact center projects

Vendors need to open up training centers to address sustainability

Contact center vendors should explore partnerships with bands and regional system integrators

Traditional SI partnerships are significant when engaging with international and domestic enterprises

New channel relationships need to be forged to sell contact centers to local companies

Channel incentivization in the Middle East can not operate on the same lines as in the West

Foreign investment regulations and restrictions may hamper success in some countries

Middle Eastern contact center technology insight (Technology Focus)

There is room for non-traditional call center technology in Middle Eastern sites

SMS is a ubiquitous channel for enterprises and has the potential to strengthen revenues for vendors

Email is the next channel to gain traction in the Middle East

Outbound capabilities open communication channels for commercially orientated customer care

Video contact centers are attractive but not all enterprises are likely to adopt this solution

Workforce optimization applications will gain traction in the Middle East

Vendors must educate end users about the competitive opportunities provided by better customer service

IVR use has increased but may not be successful if cultural sensitivities cannot be resolved

IVR will grow in the Middle East - vendors will need to price accordingly to benefit from this situation

Middle Eastern enterprises will pay top dollar for a top notch solution

A groundswell in system convergence will impact contact centers

Silos in the organization breed inconsistent customer information

Vendors need to introduce and enhance consulting services in the Middle East

The 'switch independent' debate is not occurring in the Middle East

Actions

Vendors need to be aware of the religious laws governing the financial services industry

Lucrative incentives are available for vendors to invest in this region

The Middle East is modernizing but on its own terms

The mobile sector has the potential to ring much revenue into vendors' cash registers

Western customer service strategies are being adopted - vendors use this experience to sell to this region

There is an appetite for high-end solutions - but which ones will be important to the enterprise?

Skills shortages can be mitigated by opening of training centers

The Middle East prides itself on its personal relationships - vendors will find real success with customer referrals

Understanding business and technology is critical to execute a reliable contact center

Vendors should not be fooled into thinking that the Middle East will adopt multi-channels

APPENDIX

Methodology

Further reading

Ask the analyst

Datamonitor consulting

Disclaimer

List of Tables

Table 1: Spending on contact center technology in the Middle East, 2005 - 2010

Table 2: APs in the Middle East, 2006 - 2012

List of Figures

Figure 1: GDP indicates strong growth but per captia GDP is low

Figure 2: Spending on contact center technology in the Middle East, 2005 - 2010 ($m)

Figure 3: APs in the Middle East, 2006 - 2012

Figure 4: Particular contact center solutions will be alluring to communications providers in the Middle East

Figure 5: Foreign direct investment has risen in several Middle Eastern countries.

Figure 6: An email flow in the contact center if using an automatic response unit