There are quite a few areas, even though the platform is new and user-friendly. Here's what could be improved: * Agent Desktop: Amazon Connect should enhance its native agent desktop. Intuitive UI should be present for the agent desktop. Currently, it forces users to rely on third-party CRM integrations. Predominantly, there is no support for full-fledged customization for the native agent desktop. More customization options for the native desktop would be beneficial. * Channel Support: The platform was designed primarily for voice and chat. It relies heavily on third-party integrations (not native to AWS) like Lambda or Kinesis for additional functionality. The user ends up using multiple AWS resources, which end up adding costs and a lot of tech that needs to be known for basic usage as well. And there is no multiple-channel support. When I say the channels, it's only voice and chat, but no WhatsApp or other native channels, like Facebook or Twitter; it needs another integration to integrate with Amazon Connect. Native support for channels like WhatsApp or Facebook would streamline things. * AI Features: The built-in AI language models are somewhat limited. While some languages are supported, highly customized prompts or AI versions aren't available without extensive feature requests and wait times. * Outbound Campaigns: Outbound campaign features are still basic. More integrations for data sources, lead management, segmentation, and support across different regions would address regulatory needs and improve functionality. * Reporting & Conversations: Amazon Connect has recently added conversation analysis and Contact Lens support. However, historically, third-party tools have provided more insights, especially when looking for quick insights or any sort of customization. The native solution doesn't give any predefined templates or reusable pieces, which can actually have a lot of customization potential for reporting. They give very basic stuff with no way to plot or integrate reporting with external data. Ultimately, these things have to be developed separately. * Global Architecture: There is no global support. One instance usually doesn't talk with another instance; it has to be integrated and use a PSTN pull. There could be a global customer, but an Amazon Connect solution would force everything into one instance, maybe in US East, or maybe in Europe. If you wanted a multi-tenant setup, with calls routed from different locations and agents placed globally, that kind of support is something they don't have yet. Given the capabilities of AWS networking, they should build this out. Native support for multi-tenant global architectures would be helpful for businesses operating across locations. * SIP Support: The lack of native SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) integration is a major drawback. It forces users to purchase or port numbers to Amazon. Native SIP integration is missing, though there are some beta workarounds. However, it's been years without official support. That's a major drawback, as a lot of use cases are dependent on SIP. * Generative AI: Amazon Connect's reliance on Amazon Q and Amazon Bedrock for knowledge bases limits options. Any knowledge base that customers want to use has to be integrated through Amazon Q or Amazon Bedrocka. There's no support for OpenAI or other external language models (LMs). If a customer wants to use their own LMs, they have to bring them to Amazon's native LM space first. These are some of the key areas where I see room for improvement in Amazon Connect.
