Mark Smith's Analyst Perspectives

I am happy to share some insight on NewVoiceMedia drawn from our latest research. The Ventana Research Value Index: Contact Center in the Cloud in 2018 is the distillation of a year of market and product research efforts by Ventana Research. We utilized a structured research methodology that includes evaluation categories designed to reflect the breadth of the real-world criteria incorporated in a request for proposal (RFP) and vendor selection process for contact centers in the cloud. We evaluated NewVoiceMedia and 12 other vendors in seven categories, five relevant to the product (adaptability, capability, manageability, reliability and usability) and two related to the vendor (TCO/ROI and vendor validation). To arrive at the Value Index rating for a given vendor, we weighted each category to reflect its relative importance in an RFP process, with the weightings based on our experience and data derived from our benchmark research on contact centers in the cloud.

The Value Index assessed NewVoiceMedia’s Winter ’18 release, which became available on Nov. 15, 2017. The company, which offers a nicely integrated and unified user experience and operates on the Salesforce platform, has grown globally. NewVoiceMedia is ranked sixth overall in the 2018 Contact Center in the Cloud Value Index. It ranks as a Value Index Leader in two of the seven evaluation categories, including a top ranking in Reliability and ranking third in Validation.

NewVoiceMedia has invested significantly to provide a simplified user experience for those organizations that need to operate an omnichannel contact center within Salesforce, which does not provide one. In Usability it was ranked fifth for its operations across roles. Focusing on the customer experience needed across service and sales departments, NewVoiceMedia provides sophisticated speech and conversation analytics to optimize interactions through coaching and guidance. The company is rated as an Value Index Leader for Reliability for its focus on efficient operations and the product’s ability to operate across data center operations around the globe. It also performs well in Validation due to the information it provides on its product.

NewVoiceMedia has areas for improvement, ranking 10th in Capability because of a lack of depth in the management and real-time optimization of interactions. NewVoiceMedia could also provide better information on the security capabilities it provides as well as where it provides policies and rules in its operations, which is reflected in a seventh-place ranking in Manageability. In TCO/ROI, the vendor could provide more information and guidance for organizations on its website.

In our view, NewVoiceMedia must work to move beyond being seen as just a sophisticated addition to Salesforce. In addition, intensifying efforts to provide direct support to customers is critical for its long-term success. Moreover, the company should seek to establish further integration with other CRM providers. NewVoiceMedia is a solid offering and is a Value Index Leader in Reliability and Validation.

Since the completion of our value index research, NewVoiceMedia has released its Spring 18 version, most notably with further advancements of its omnichannel capabilities across digital and voice channels, seamless operations with Salesforce, and the Conversation Analyzer that uses speech analytics to better assess interactions and guide improvements. It was also acquired by Vonage, which is moving into the software market.

This research-based index is the first such industry undertaking to assess the value of software designed specifically for enabling a contact center in the cloud. You can learn more about NewVoiceMedia and others in our Value Index as an effective vendor selection and RFI/RFP tool and can read the whole Value Index report.

Regards,
Mark Smith
CEO & Chief Research Officer