CCaaS: Contact Centre as a Service

CCaaS stands for Contact Centre as a Service. It is a cloud platform that gives your agents the tools to handle customer calls, such as queues, routing, recording and reports, without a system to install at your office.

UCaaS brings calls, video meetings and chat together for everyday teamwork. CCaaS is built for teams that handle customer calls in volume, with queues, routing rules and live reports. Many firms use both. Our UCaaS page explains the first.

A call centre handles voice calls. A contact centre also handles other ways customers get in touch, such as email or chat. CCaaS can support either. Read our contact centre and call centre guide for more.

Omnichannel means customers can reach you by voice, email, chat, SMS, social media or messaging apps, and your agents handle them all from one screen with one customer history. See our omnichannel guide.

Yes. AI Studio lets you build virtual agents that answer calls and messages, and AI call summaries save agents typing. People stay in charge, and callers can always reach one. See our AI contact centre guide.

Automatic call distribution, or ACD, decides which agent answers each call, using rules such as skills, availability and time of day. It keeps queues moving and sends callers to the right person. See our ACD guide.

IVR stands for interactive voice response. It is the automated menu that greets callers and lets them press a key, or speak, to reach the right team or get a simple answer. See our IVR guide.

Yes. A dialler can place calls from a contact list and pass answered calls to a free agent. It suits sales, collections and reminder calls. Read our auto dialler guide.

Yes. Agents log in over the internet, and they can work from the office, from home or from another site. Customers still reach the same numbers, and supervisors still see the same queues and reports.

Not usually. Agents can use a headset with a laptop, or a compatible desk phone. We check what you have now and tell you if anything needs replacing.

It can connect to many CRM systems and to Microsoft Teams. Agents see caller details on screen and can reach colleagues in Teams. Tell us which systems you use and we will confirm how they connect.

Yes. Recordings help with training, quality checks and settling disputes. Under UK GDPR you should tell callers that a call is recorded and keep recordings only as long as you need them. See our call recording page.

Yes. We can move the numbers your customers already know from your current provider, and agree a date that suits you. Read more on our business phone numbers page.

Yes. CCaaS runs over the internet and does not rely on the old telephone network that is being switched off. Our PSTN switch-off guide explains what the change means for your business.

Yes. A small team can start with a handful of agents and add more later. You pay for the seats you use. The system grows with you.

Calls can be diverted to mobiles or another site. Customers can still reach you. A second connection or a leased line makes a failure less likely.

It depends on the size of your team and how many routes you need. We agree timescales with you at the start, then test every route before your agents take live calls.

Where call recordings and customer details are held depends on the platform and your settings. Ask for this in writing, and check it fits UK GDPR before you sign. We can explain the options for your team.

Contract terms differ, so we agree them with you when we plan your set-up. Before you commit, check the minimum term, the notice period and what happens to your numbers and recordings if you leave.