Merchants launches cloud-based customer experience platform powered by Avaya

Merchants, a customer management partner specialising in the business process outsourcing industry, has partnered with Avaya (NYSE: AVYA) to launch a cloud-based, multi-channel customer experience platform that will better enable local businesses to meet the ever-evolving needs of their customers. 

The solution is built on Avaya OneCloud, an AI-powered Total Experience platform that enables businesses to compose the experiences they need in the moment.

To compete in today’s experience economy – where customers make purchase and brand decisions on how organisations make them feel – it is critical for organisations to deliver a Total Experience. ​Creating a Total Experience challenges organisations to think about the entire customer and employee journey – requiring them to build strategy, technology capability and innovation frameworks holistically. Developing an end-to-end experience is essential for organisations to deliver a ​Total Experience, which becomes the intersection of customer, employee, user and multi-experience. ​

The collaboration between Merchants and Avaya will enable businesses to deliver a Total Experience to their customers through an all-inclusive, easy-to-manage, subscription-based service. This will help them roll-out new services faster at significantly reduced total cost of ownership and with better return on investments.

Laurent Leclercq, Chief Technology Officer, Merchants, said: “Businesses are increasingly changing their approach to IT, seeking the benefits of cloud-based subscription models that enable them to innovate quickly to keep up with changing customer demands. Through our partnership with Avaya, we are uniquely placed to serve that need. We can address challenges around the simplicity of expansion, the cost of perpetual licences and a business environment demanding quicker time to market for innovation at a more competitive price.”

Merchants will host a range of Avaya OneCloud portfolio solutions and make them available to businesses through a cloud-based subscription model, enabling organisations to purchase the capacity and services they require, as and when needed, without large upfront costs.

“The Avaya OneCloud solutions being delivered by Merchants will give businesses the flexibility and agility they require to meet the ever-evolving needs of their customers and employees. They’ll be given access to the full Avaya OneCloud portfolio at prices that suit their needs, while benefiting from the reliability and expertise that industry leaders such as Avaya and Merchants bring to the market,” said Brett Butler, Managing Director – South Africa, Avaya.