We use Amazon on the backend.
Infra Managed Service Analyst at Accenture
Can easily design a flow diagram with this solution
Pros and Cons
- "Amazon Connect is easy to learn."
- "The scalability needs improvement."
What is our primary use case?
What is most valuable?
I can easily design a flow diagram with Amazon Connect. That is a very useful feature. In addition, Amazon Connect is easy to learn.
What needs improvement?
The scalability needs improvement.
There are always features that need improvement. For example, we have an application where we automatically store all of our records. But currently, it has a three or four step configuration in order to send the data recordings to a specific branch. However, it will first store it in Connect and will only then do the transfer. This is very complex.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Amazon Connect for three years.
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What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It is a stable solution.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The scalability is an eight out of ten.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is straightforward. The deployment takes six months.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The pricing of the Amazon is reasonable compared to other cloud providers.
What other advice do I have?
Overall, I would rate the solution a nine out of ten.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer:
Last updated: May 28, 2024
Flag as inappropriateHead Of Technology at Elogroup
Helps to establish communication between our local data center and AWS services
Pros and Cons
- "We utilize Amazon Connect to handle customer service interactions, particularly in projects where we provide professional services. For example, when developing an application, we typically set up EC2 instances on AWS. Then, to facilitate communication within our clients' internal networks, we establish connections through Amazon Connect."
- "One area for improvement with Amazon Connect lies in the cost structure, particularly for use cases involving smaller data volumes. While it's simple to establish communication channels, the pricing model may result in higher costs for such scenarios. This presents a challenge that organizations may encounter, especially if they aim to optimize efficiency while managing smaller data transfers."
What is our primary use case?
We use Amazon Connect to establish connections between our project and clients. This allows us to create a VPN for communication rather than using it daily. It's mainly utilized as needed for specific connections.
What is most valuable?
We utilize Amazon Connect to handle customer service interactions, particularly in projects where we provide professional services. For example, when developing an application, we typically set up EC2 instances on AWS. Then, to facilitate communication within our clients' internal networks, we establish connections through Amazon Connect.
The tool has simplified our contact center operations. It enables us to establish communication between our local data center and AWS services.
I believe one of the most valuable features of Amazon Connect is the ability to use a private network to establish communication. Instead of relying on the public internet, we can utilize a directed phone and address to create this connection. This helps set up a direct point-to-site connection. Additionally, the option to create a PC in AWS and connect it directly to our local data center has been incredibly beneficial. The bandwidth is faster; we can transfer large data volumes between the local data center and the AWS instance.
Establishing communication through Amazon Connect was straightforward compared to alternative solutions that may require setting up VPNs with other tools.
What needs improvement?
One area for improvement with Amazon Connect lies in the cost structure, particularly for use cases involving smaller data volumes. While it's simple to establish communication channels, the pricing model may result in higher costs for such scenarios. This presents a challenge that organizations may encounter, especially if they aim to optimize efficiency while managing smaller data transfers.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I rate the tool's stability a nine out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
While AWS Connect may not directly address scalability concerns, we've found ways to enhance scalability by configuring redundant connections and utilizing multiple direct connections. There may not be significant immediate benefits in terms of cost, as initial usage can incur higher spending. However, as scalability increases and larger data transfer volumes are required, there can be long-term cost savings. This suggests that while there may be higher costs initially, particularly for smaller data transfers, the overall cost can decrease as usage and data volumes grow.
I rate its scalability a nine out of ten.
How are customer service and support?
The solution's customer service is great.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
My experience with this type of solution began around 2016. At that time, cloud environments like AWS and Microsoft Azure were gaining immense traction among large enterprises. In my case, I primarily worked with AWS for these types of connections.
I didn't create any other VPN using AWS before that. Previously, I relied on Fortinet, which allowed me to create VPN routes. However, configuring such solutions involved setting up the tool, and configuring all the environments, and could take quite some time.
How was the initial setup?
I rate the tool's deployment an eight to nine out of ten. An experienced person can complete it in one week. The product deployment typically involves collaboration between the network team responsible for managing connections between the local data center and AWS and an expert in AWS services.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I rate the tool's pricing an eight out of ten.
What other advice do I have?
I would recommend the tool for primarily for those already utilizing AWS as their cloud solution. However, for individuals or organizations using other cloud solutions like Azure or different providers, I would suggest exploring options to combine their current solutions with other tools. I rate it an eight out of ten.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
Last updated: Mar 20, 2024
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November 2024
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UCCE Tech at Cisco on Avacend Payroll
A contact center can be set up in just a few minutes with a few clicks
Pros and Cons
- "In my experience, one of the tool's most valuable features is its ease of use. Setting up a contact center can be done in just a few minutes with a few clicks. This contrasts with the hours or days it might take using other solutions."
- "Amazon Connect could enhance its service by revising its pricing structure. It operates on a pay-for-call basis. This means that organizations whose call volumes fluctuate, or are heavy at specific times of the day or year, aren't burdened with fixed costs such as hardware liabilities and licenses."
What is our primary use case?
Amazon Connect is used as a contact center solution. In previous generations of contact centers, we relied on on-premises devices, which meant building everything from the ground up and purchasing physical hardware. This was a tedious task.
However, it is the first solution on the market to enable contact centers to operate in the cloud, making it much easier. This allows administrators and developers to concentrate and focus more on building call flows rather than dealing with hardware issues.
What is most valuable?
In my experience, one of the tool's most valuable features is its ease of use. Setting up a contact center can be done in just a few minutes with a few clicks. This contrasts with the hours or days it might take using other solutions.
Amazon Connect is rated as easy to learn, particularly for individuals with varying technical skills. It is considered very easy for those familiar with modern technology, such as the Facebook generation or millennials. However, for individuals more accustomed to traditional desk phones, the learning curve might be slightly steeper, perhaps around a six or seven out of ten in terms of difficulty.
What needs improvement?
Amazon Connect could enhance its service by revising its pricing structure. It operates on a pay-for-call basis. This means that organizations whose call volumes fluctuate, or are heavy at specific times of the day or year, aren't burdened with fixed costs such as hardware liabilities and licenses.
At the same time, you can enjoy the broad infrastructure, albeit at a slightly higher price. However, compared to solutions like Cisco and Avaya, which entail a one-time hardware cost, Amazon Connect's ongoing operational costs may be higher.
Unlike other solutions, the solution charges per call, which typically does not charge in this manner. If your call volume is high, with thousands of calls daily, it may not be the most suitable solution for your needs.
Currently, Amazon Connect offers built-in features, but integrating it with other systems like CRM solutions may require developer skills, which can be complex. Simplifying the integration process, perhaps through user-friendly development tools, would greatly benefit users.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using the product for the product for three years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Amazon Connect appears to be quite stable. Even if there are any issues, they are typically not bugs within the product itself but rather issues related to the servers or infrastructure in the background.
In traditional ones, you would end up doing a lot of troubleshooting. You can reboot the product since it is on the AWS server. It's very easy. You don't run into many issues. I didn't run into any buggy behavior or buggy issues. It works flawlessly.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The tool's usage in our company isn't extensive compared to our traditional flow. However, there's a growing adaptation to it. It's particularly beneficial for those who are new to the market.
In terms of users, I would estimate that at least 400 agents use it for one customer or company. Considering that each customer might have applied the solution in their environment, the user base would be 400. So, overall, it's not just a few individuals using it; the user count would likely be in the thousands.
How are customer service and support?
The tool's support is good and helpful.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
Our company chose the product primarily because it fit our specific requirements well. We provided customers with multiple solutions, and Amazon Connect served as a good starter option. It aligned well with our need for something new while being cost-effective, especially since our call volume was relatively low.
Additionally, Amazon Connect offers the latest features, such as chatbots and seamless integration capabilities, which further contributed to our decision.
How was the initial setup?
The tool's deployment is easy compared to the traditional setup.
What other advice do I have?
I recommend understanding your requirements to assess if Amazon Connect suits your needs. Additionally, taking advantage of the trial period offered by Amazon Connect, typically around 30 days, would allow you to familiarize yourself with the product before fully implementing it in your environment.
I rate the product a seven out of ten. It is not practical if your call volumes are high.
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Last updated: Apr 4, 2024
Flag as inappropriateConsultant at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
Integrates with major tools like Amazon Polly for text-to-speech and third-party services like Twilio and Cisco-based dialers
Pros and Cons
- "It integrates with major tools like Amazon Polly for text-to-speech and third-party services like Twilio and Cisco-based dialers."
- "There are issues on features like Lambda integrations and time-out"
What is our primary use case?
I use it to create a dynamic contact center, integrating with Lex for NLP. This allows us to provide direct responses to prompts through the chatbot. We also utilize this data in interactive IVRs.
How has it helped my organization?
It integrates with major tools like Amazon Polly for text-to-speech and third-party services like Twilio and Cisco-based dialers. It’s highly compatible and easy to integrate. The UI is a key strength. It is simple to develop flow diagrams, and we can easily incorporate Lambda functions to create different functionalities using these integrations.
What is most valuable?
Previously, IVRs were based on key tones, like pressing a number to route to specific functions. Now, we can make it voice-based. Whatever prompts we provide will trigger the appropriate API and route to the correct destination.
If you want to check your bank balance, you can call customer care and say, "I want to know my bank balance." If we have integrated verification, it will verify you and then provide the details.
What needs improvement?
They are already working on features like Lambda integrations and addressing time-out issues. We've experienced very few errors in the contact center, and those are easy to replicate. Once developed, major functionalities can be easily imported and exported, making the system quite user-friendly.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Amazon Connect for four years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The product is stable.
I rate the solution’s stability an eight-point five out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It is easy to scale. More than ten thousand people are using this solution.
We can easily scale down when needed. We can integrate all features and functionalities for large Amazon contact centers, accommodating more data from end users. For example, a large organization can create a hierarchy and manage everything under one roof with Amazon Connect. It's stable, scalable, and highly efficient.
I rate the solution's scalability an eight out of ten.
How are customer service and support?
I interact with the Amazon support team regularly. Previously, the experience was good, but lately, the response hasn't been as helpful. This might be due to a team change or a reduction in resources. In the past, they provided solid support, but that's no longer the case.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Neutral
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is moderate. If you have the training experience, it will be easy to create one, but you will need some training if you don't.
You will need to do some training before you can use it.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer:
Last updated: Sep 15, 2024
Flag as inappropriateConsultant - Data Analytics and Reporting at a tech vendor with 51-200 employees
A simple and easy-to-use solution with drag-and-drop features
Pros and Cons
- "The tool's most valuable feature is its simplicity and ease of use. Unlike other cloud contact centers, Amazon Connect allows easy drag-and-drop actions. Additionally, it integrates with other AWS services like Lambda."
- "There is room for improvement in certain areas of Amazon Connect. For example, regarding holiday scheduling, the platform lacks a specific feature to declare holidays for companies on fixed dates. While basic hours and weekly schedules can be set, there's no option for declaring specific dates like national holidays. Basic scheduling options exist, but users must rely on Lambda functions for more complex rules and logic."
What is our primary use case?
We use the product to create an IVR call flow.
What is most valuable?
The tool's most valuable feature is its simplicity and ease of use. Unlike other cloud contact centers, Amazon Connect allows easy drag-and-drop actions. Additionally, it integrates with other AWS services like Lambda.
What needs improvement?
There is room for improvement in certain areas of Amazon Connect. For example, regarding holiday scheduling, the platform lacks a specific feature to declare holidays for companies on fixed dates. While basic hours and weekly schedules can be set, there's no option for declaring specific dates like national holidays. Basic scheduling options exist, but users must rely on Lambda functions for more complex rules and logic.
There isn't a direct option for the voicemail feature in Amazon Connect. This could be an area for improvement. Unlike other contact centers where voicemail is easily accessible, this requires some workaround. Users need coding skills and additional configurations.
I prefer to maintain a basic IVR flow so I can easily contact anyone, especially with five family members. With Amazon Connect, I should be able to simplify this process. For instance, if I can't respond to their calls, I can create an instance or contact flow to inform them of the reason for my unavailability.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using the product for two years.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
My company has around 50-60 users.
How are customer service and support?
I haven't contacted the support team yet.
How was the initial setup?
The tool's installation and setup are easy to do. You can simply create an instance for your AWS account and begin using it.
What other advice do I have?
Whether or not you should use the tool for the first time depends on your specific needs. If your requirements are basic, the solution is easy to use compared to other contact centers, and you can go ahead with it. However, if your needs are more complex, it might be worth researching other options to find the one that best suits your requirements.
Using the solution for the first time is easy for basic tasks. However, not all features are available, and users may need to research and explore online resources to gain a proper understanding. Based on my experience, I would rate Amazon Connect as a nine out of ten.
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Last updated: Apr 4, 2024
Flag as inappropriateAnalyst - Avaya and Amazon Connect Engineer at a tech services company with 10,001+ employees
Easy to use and allows for easy implementation of credential changes within the platform
Pros and Cons
- "The best thing about Amazon Connect is that it has everything we need in one place. With other products, we might have to get different tools for different jobs, like recording calls. However, with the tool, it's all there together. Plus, it's cheaper than other options."
- "There may be room for security improvement, especially since data is stored in the cloud. While cloud security measures are robust, there may be concerns about data safety compared to traditional server setups."
What is our primary use case?
We use Amazon Connect as a contact center solution to facilitate communication between consumers and companies. For example, if a consumer encounters an issue with a product, they can contact the company's toll-free number, which connects them to agents trained to handle product-related issues.
What is most valuable?
The best thing about Amazon Connect is that it has everything we need in one place. With other products, we might have to get different tools for different jobs, like recording calls. However, with the tool, it's all there together. Plus, it's cheaper than other options.
The tool is easy to use and allows for easy implementation of credential changes within the platform. AWS offers multiple services currently. For example, while AWS provides S3 buckets for storage, other tools may require setting up a separate database.
What needs improvement?
There may be room for security improvement, especially since data is stored in the cloud. While cloud security measures are robust, there may be concerns about data safety compared to traditional server setups.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using the product for one and a half years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
In my experience of working with Amazon Connect for about one and a half years, I haven't encountered any significant bugs or stability issues. Being part of AWS, a reputable company, they have a proficient admin team ensuring reliability.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We have multiple projects running on it and it has around 1000 users.
How are customer service and support?
If we encounter any issues or need help implementing something, we can raise a case with the AWS support team. They have a support team who can diagnose the issue and guide us on how to proceed. I am happy with them since they are quick.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
Our company chose the tool because it offers all the features we need in one place. Also, using a cloud-based solution helps us save money by needing fewer resources.
How was the initial setup?
The tool's initial installation and setup were easy. The documentation provided on the Amazon website outlines the integration, deployment, and configuration processes.
What was our ROI?
For Amazon Connect, the more you use, the more we will gain. It is worth the money.
What other advice do I have?
First, you need to check if Amazon Connect is available in your area and if they provide support. Then, create instances, but note that they may not be available everywhere. Consider network connectivity and potential setup issues if instances aren't available in your location. Finally, billing details must be verified to understand the costs involved. To reduce your bill, consider the services you'll use with the product, such as EC2 for computing.
It's possible for a beginner to learn to use Amazon Connect for the first time. You can start working with around one month of practice, even without prior experience. I rate the product an eight out of ten.
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer:
Last updated: Apr 4, 2024
Flag as inappropriateDirector AWS at NeuraFlash India Pvt Ltd
Enhances customer journeys with analytical insights while supporting future channel integrations
Pros and Cons
- "The Connect Lens feature most improves contact center efficiency by providing insights into customer journeys, behavior, and sentiment scores, allowing for areas of improvement to be identified and addressed."
- "Amazon Connect enhances customer experience by reducing operating costs due to its cloud-based pay-as-you-go model."
- "Future improvements could include support for email as a channel."
- "However, issues that involve other AWS services sometimes delay resolution."
What is our primary use case?
The usual use cases involve migrating from on-prem contact centers to the cloud. Customers typically migrate from environments like Avaya, Alcatel, and Kinesis to Amazon Connect, adopting either a fully cloud or hybrid mode.
Additionally, customers using Salesforce Service Cloud often integrate Amazon Connect to include the voice panel for contact centers.
What is most valuable?
The Connect Lens feature most improves contact center efficiency by providing insights into customer journeys, behavior, and sentiment scores, allowing for areas of improvement to be identified and addressed.
Amazon Connect enhances customer experience by reducing operating costs due to its cloud-based pay-as-you-go model.
It features an interactive voice recognition system, a drag-and-drop interface for contact flows, natural language processing through Amazon Lex, and robust analytics through Connect Lens. This helps in providing sentiment scores, identifying areas of improvement, and supporting customer satisfaction.
Moreover, the web-based client allows agents to take voice calls globally if they have a stable internet connection. The omnichannel interaction feature supports blended agents handling chat, voice, and tasks.
What needs improvement?
Future improvements could include support for email as a channel, a case routing mechanism, integrated voice and SMS from the console, compatibility between claimed numbers for voicemail and SMS, screen sharing in chat sessions, importing data from non-native Amazon Connect channels into workforce management, and enhanced integration with DevOps processes.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Amazon Connect for about six years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Amazon Connect is stable, with a nine out of ten rating. There have been no outages experienced so far.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Amazon Connect is scalable and supports both small and high-volume contact centers with consistent performance. Its scalability earns an eight out of ten rating.
How are customer service and support?
Based on incident priority, support is available via web, phone, and email. However, issues that involve other AWS services sometimes delay resolution. Overall, customer service is rated seven out of ten.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Neutral
How was the initial setup?
Setting up Amazon Connect is generally easy, with an initial setup rating of nine out of ten. It has improved significantly over the years.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Pricing is affordable, rated four out of ten in terms of expense.
What other advice do I have?
New users should note that claiming test numbers for every country may not be possible due to regulatory limitations. Testing is easier when conducted within the US or Europe. Improved collaboration with telecom providers in various countries would expand testing capabilities for first-time users.
I'd rate the solution nine out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Hybrid Cloud
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: consultant
Last updated: Nov 17, 2024
Flag as inappropriateLead Engineer at HCLTech
Easy to use and provides good reporting, but call quality should be improved
Pros and Cons
- "Setting up a call center and onboarding agents is easy using Amazon Connect."
- "We have faced many challenges with the solution's call quality that could be improved."
What is our primary use case?
We use the solution for call routing and internet calls in the call center.
What is most valuable?
Setting up a call center and onboarding agents is easy using Amazon Connect.
What needs improvement?
We have faced many challenges with the solution's call quality that could be improved. Sometimes, some features like monitoring are greyed out, and we can't access them. Sometimes, the CCP keypad in Amazon Connect does not work.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Amazon Connect for two and a half years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Amazon Connect is a stable solution.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Amazon Connect is a scalable solution. Nearly 300 agents and eight developers used Amazon Connect in my previous company.
How was the initial setup?
The solution’s initial setup is easy.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The solution is neither very expensive nor very cheap. Amazon Connect is worth the money.
What other advice do I have?
I would recommend the solution to other users. All companies on the AWS cloud use Amazon Connect, and some companies are migrating from other products to Amazon Connect.
We can integrate Amazon Connect with other AWS services. It is easy for new users to learn to use Amazon Connect for the first time. Amazon Connect is easy to use and learn and provides good reporting.
Overall, I rate the solution a six out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Last updated: Jul 7, 2024
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