Avaya Expands Global Alliance with Salesforce Service Cloud to Offer Connected Customer Experience

Sudipto Ghosh

February 18, 2017

Avaya, the global leader in providing Customer and Team Engagement solutions, announced the expansion of its partnership with the Salesforce Service Cloud, bringing more comprehensive integration of the two companies. The announcement was made in the recently concluded event in Las Vegas – Avaya ENGAGE, which was attended by 2,300+ participants. The latest partnership expansion between the two companies will help Avaya’s prospects in moving forward through an extensive array of solutions, platforms, and solutions for Cloud, IoT, Customer experience, M-commerce, analytics and digital transformation.

“Customers today expect a predictive and connected customer experience, and that’s why we’re excited to align with Avaya on this initiative. As customer experience becomes the ultimate differentiator, offering a seamless, omnichannel experience will be the key way that companies can create customers for life.”, said Adam Blitzer, EVP and GM, Service & Sales Clouds, Salesforce.

Avaya already integrates with Salesforce via the Avaya Breeze Connector offering. However, this expanded alliance will offer far greater and tighter integration capabilities for enterprise customers where workflow management and interaction will seamlessly co-exist across the solutions.

“Only outcomes matter: Customers know a great experience from a poor one. They may not know the technologies that make either one happen — nor should they. Avaya and Salesforce have come together to build the bridges that create a seamless experience — for customers as well as agents. Together we will ensure businesses that the rewards of delivering outstanding customer experiences are theirs for the taking,” declared Laurent Philonenko, SVP of Corporate Strategy & Development, CTO at Avaya.

Avaya’s extended partnership with Salesforce Service Cloud will focus on refining its cloud-based solutions, enabling businesses to gain seamless access to its market with greater contextual awareness and agile service contact centers at all points along the customer journey. The alliance will make it easier for businesses to meet the digital demands of today’s customers.

“Bringing together the assets of two leaders so adept at elevating the customer experience will accelerate their customers’ ability to digitally transform that experience as well,” said Nancy Jamison, Principal Analyst, Digital Transformation, Frost & Sullivan.

“In addition, this partnership will greatly enhance the agent experience as well, which is critical with the growing millennial workforce.”

Avaya Customer Engagement solutions and Salesforce’s market-leading CRM platform make a formidable pair in a vastly disruptive martech ecosystem. The collaboration on Salesforce Service Cloud leverage millions of contact centers around the world, including some of the largest customer service operations. Currently, businesses use their Service Cloud APIs to allow customers to leverage Avaya routing across any channel, including web, chat and more.

Avaya in Salesforce Service Cloud offers a simplified set-up and configuration process for administrators looking to sync agent skills and business rules. The customer data captured via Avaya voice analytics, such as identity verification, can be surfaced in Service Cloud Einstein so agents are better informed and can be more proactive regarding next steps in their case resolutions.

With the new expansive alliance, B2B companies will be able to manage their transition to web and cloud applications in 2017. The integrated Salesforce and Avaya solutions will enable companies to quickly move their strategies forward with little to no disruption to ongoing operations. As CMOs break the ceiling for Mobile-First marketing budgets, the new integrations will help companies seamlessly move from mobile self-service to assisted service when more personalized help is needed, accessing a live agent who has full knowledge of their historical and current interactions — including questions and information received while using a chatbot. This will allow service centers to address every customer need easily, quickly and completely.

Avaya reported annual revenue of $3702 million for 2016, earning $958 million in Q4 of the year, up by $76 million compared to the previous quarter revenue. In a largely erratic season for global martech companies, Avaya’s recovery in the Q4 of 2016 is very encouraging.

“Avaya’s fourth fiscal quarter results reflect the strength of our technology portfolio, with major competitive wins at government agencies and enterprise customers across networking, contact center and private cloud services underpinned by continued transformation of the company to a superior operating model,” said Kevin Kennedy, President and CEO.

“Looking forward, we remain committed to improving our operating performance and capital structure while creating value for our customers”, added Kennedy.

As the global leader in delivering superior communications experiences, Avaya provides the most all-in-one portfolio of software and services for contact center and unified communications, including omnichannel assisted and automated customer experience management solutions.

In recent weeks, many MarTech companies have added and realigned their partnership goals with Salesforce, bringing a sea of opportunities for marketers to connect seamlessly with customers across all platforms.