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Service cloud voice post

What is Service Cloud Voice?

With Service Cloud Voice, essentially we are talking about an add-on which we can activate in our instances of Service Cloud which unlocks a series of functionalities to further improve our agent and customer experience.

The add-on completes the CRM experience in terms of multichannel communications management. As the name implies, we can use this tool within Service, and starting in Winter ‘21, within Sales Cloud as well

How is this different from a CTI integration?

Salesforce Integrations with CTI have always been based on two premises: the deployment of a component which allowed the CTI to be incorporated (OpenCTI), as well as the provider’s own connector, which added functionality and interactivity to the component (dial, transfer, place on hold, etc). 

This approach has two main disadvantages: the need for an additional component in Salesforce (OpenCTI) and a lack of omnichannel management, as calls enter via a separate module. This circumstance forces agents to play with and update statuses between Salesfroce and the CTI in order to synchronize efforts and attend communications on one channel or another. 

While it is true that new CTI solutions have been developed which allow us to delegate our interactions and prioritize communications with the highest urgency, this order has to be defined and managed from yet another tool which hosts the business rules to be applied.  

With Service Cloud Voice, we integrate voice into the omnichannel directly, allowing us to apply business logic independently of the channel (voice or digital). The OpenCTI component is no longer needed, reducing the complexity of the solution

Service Cloud Voice vs CTI integration

What new functionality does Service Cloud Voice add to my contact center?

Beyond the advantages we’ve seen so far, Service Cloud Voice includes the following features:

  • Real time call transcription, which greatly increases our ability to supervise multiple calls at the same time, but also allows for better analysis after calls, as these transcripts are stored and leave detailed records of what our clients request, and how they do so.Real time call transcription Service cloud voice
  • Einstein Next Best Action – Based on the call transcript, artificial intelligence within Salesforce will help define the perfect voice interaction.
  • New supervision and analysis dashboards   Directly from the Contact Center Service Package we can carry out effective, informed followup on the services we offer.Service cloud voice- New supervision and analysis dashboards

What should I know about Service Cloud Voice Summer ’20?

The Summer ’20 release has a few particular points we should keep in mind. Salesforce has taken a huge leap forward in their alliance with Amazon and this first version of SCV comes standard with Amazon Connect and all of its capacities:

  • Cloud based solution with WebRTC call functionality, meaning the call is delivered via internet directly to the agent’s pc. There is no need for a PBX integration or SIP line to deliver the calls. This presents us with a very interesting option, particularly with the new challenges Covid-19 has presented us with. Desk phone alternatives continue to be an alternative option for contingencies.
  • Recording, storage, transcription, bots, recognition, IVR, Chat, integrations,  etc.. all centralized with one vendor. No need to involve more tools and providers to complete our omnichannel approach.
  • Pay as you go, with a licensing model based on, payment for minutes consumed with no per agent fees. Geographic based numbering is available for most countries.
  • The IVR of Amazon Connect is designed with drag and drop tools, facilitating the interfacing with Salesforce and other IT systems via Lambda functions. 

This version of Amazon Connect includes another important detail; Salesforce commercializes the solution end-to-end. This means that within a packaged solution Amazon Connect and its associated costs are all included.Amazon conect and service cloud voice

What if I have another CTI and want to use SCV?

As mentioned before, as of Summer ’20, the only alternative is Amazon Connect.

If we currently have another CTI and we intend to continue using that service, we’ll have to wait a bit longer to enjoy the benefits of SCV.

Salesforce has announced that in GA 2021, with the Bring Your Own Telephony initiative, the door will be opened to other CTI solutions. We should keep in mind a few things, however: 

  • The technology Amazon brings to the current version of SCV, must be offered by your CTI provider.
  • Salesforce offers licensing for SCV, of course, but not related CTI licensing beyond Amazon Connect.

At this time, it is unclear which providers will take part in this initiative, but seems very likely the main CTI providers will get involved. 

What is also clear is that Salesforce clearly sees voice as a strategic engagement channel to improve results with clients, and its incorporation within the CRM unlocks huge potential for omnichannel sales and service.

If you’d like to know more about Service Cloud Voice don’t hesitate to contact us!


David Iborra Senior Account 
Executive