COMMENTARY: The COVID-19 pandemic brought about an explosion of interest in collaboration tools, as businesses around the world were forced to embrace remote work and new ways of operating. Since then, Microsoft in particular has continued to prosper, with more than 320 million active monthly users of its Teams software.
With hybrid and flexible working schedules now firmly established, it is the potential for innovation that presents the best opportunity for managed service providers (MSPs) and channel teams operating in the Microsoft ecosystem. Artificial intelligence (AI), for instance, is set to bring about a huge shift in the world of work. Indeed, it’s already begun to. However, the benefits of new technology will not be realized unless there is a joint approach.
With their specialized knowledge in managing complex technology stacks, MSPs are particularly well placed to assist enterprises in integrating these largely ubiquitous solutions, such as Teams, with new and evolving tools like Microsoft Copilot that have the potential to be transformative in customer engagement.
Customer expectations are fundamentally changing
Enterprises are becoming increasingly aware that customer expectations are fundamentally changing. Today, buyers want to be able to engage with businesses whenever and however they like via a variety of channels, from phone and email to online chat and social media.
The statistics speak for themselves. According to research from McKinsey, while customers of all generations like to receive support from a real person, they also want to be able to use different channels according to their needs. Further, according to Gartner, 88% of customer journeys that start in self-service touch multiple channels, highlighting the need for enterprises to deliver cohesive customer engagement experiences.
In addition, the responsibility of delivering exceptional customer experiences no longer sits on the shoulders of one team. Instead, organizations are increasingly embracing cultures in which every employee plays their part in adding value to the customer journey.
The business case for this is clear. According to PwC, those enterprises that can deliver superior customer experiences are able to charge a premium of as much as 16% for their products and services.
And now is as good a time as any to make such investments, with AI enabling enterprises to make dramatic improvements to their customer engagement strategies.
Not only can these technologies facilitate a shift from reactive, transactional services to proactive, relationship-driven engagements. They can also suggest responses, automate follow-ups and perform real-time sentiment analysis.
For this reason, Gartner expects that 80% of customer service and support functions will incorporate generative AI by 2025, with up to 30% of agent roles set to potentially be replaced by AI solutions.
The opportunity for MSPs
With many enterprises set to transform their customer engagement strategies and embrace AI in doing so, the opportunity for MSPs is significant.
Indeed, channel partners can work to assist their clients in integrating tools such as Copilot into their communications suites, enabling firms to build comprehensive 360-degree views of customer needs and preferences and create personalized, proactive customer engagement programs at scale.
Critically, they can help their clients leverage key features, such as Copilot’s ability to suggest personalized email responses and autonomously handle follow-ups, enabling businesses to automate repetitive tasks whilst maintaining the all-important human touch.
Additionally, MSPs can help their clients to organize and unify their data sources to fully leverage AI’s potential. By consolidating structured and unstructured data, MSPs will be able to ensure that tools like Copilot have the depth of insight required to drive meaningful customer interactions.
Real-time sentiment analysis, intelligent call routing, personalized interactions, predictive marketing analytics, and sales support – these are just some of the ways in which AI can be used to enhance customer services. As enterprises increasingly strive to develop these capabilities, MSPs can position themselves as key enablers of AI-centric customer engagement transformations, offering the right guidance, services and expertise to help customers enhance their operations.
Drive new revenue streams by providing clients a competitive edge
Microsoft’s market dominance cannot be ignored. While the tech giant’s continued success in unified communications is undeniable, the real opportunity for MSPs lies in helping organizations leverage key solutions such as Copilot for customer engagement in ways that Microsoft itself is not emphasizing through its direct channels.
By providing out-of-the-box ISV solutions to help enterprises extend key platforms, such as Teams with AI-driven customer engagement capability, MSPs can reduce complexity and cost for their clients while offering scalable solutions that meet their evolving needs.
Do this well, and channel partners can drive new revenue streams by providing clients with a competitive edge in the fast-changing customer experience landscape. To use a sports analogy, there is an open goal for channel teams to utilize; it’s ultimately up to them whether or not they take the shot.
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