Strategic acquisition comes as Five9 continues to accelerate enterprise cloud contact center adoption
Five9, Inc., the leading provider of the intelligent cloud contact center, today announced the execution of a definitive agreement to acquire Virtual Observer, formerly known as CSI, an innovative provider of cloud-based Workforce Optimization (WFO), also known as Workforce Engagement Management (WEM), solutions. Virtual Observer has been a Five9 partner for over three years with more than 150 joint customers.
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As customers move to the cloud, many seek benefits of simpler administration and streamlined data, which come from tighter integration between WFO and contact center infrastructure. With this acquisition, Five9 expands its portfolio to include a cloud-based and integrated WFO offering as a complement to the company’s ongoing strategic partnerships with leading WFO providers focused on delivering best-of-breed experiences for large enterprises.
“Technology is at its best when it empowers human connection,” said Rowan Trollope, Five9 CEO. “To create these memorable moments, contact centers need to empower agents and supervisors to better focus on the customer. The addition of Virtual Observer to the Five9 portfolio strengthens our ability to inspire agents and maximize the quality of customer interactions while reducing costs and maintaining regulatory compliance.”
Virtual Observer provides a comprehensive solution for workforce optimization specifically designed for the cloud-enabled, modern contact center. Capabilities include:
- Integrated omnichannel recording and screen recording
- Advanced security for PCI/HIPAA
- Quality management
- Speech analytics
- Surveys
- Workforce management
- Pre-built connectors with leading CRM applications
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In addition to its comprehensive solution and strong track record as a Five9 partner, the acquisition of Virtual Observer will bring decades worth of WFO experience to Five9 as Virtual Observer’s current workforce will transition to the Five9 team, including existing Virtual Observer CTO, Dan McGrail.
“Key to the power of the contact center is people working with people,” said Dan McGrail, current Virtual Observer CTO. “We pride ourselves on our ability to empower agents to deliver a high quality of service and an improved customer experience. We are excited to join the Five9 team as we continue to drive innovative WFO solutions in the contact center.”
Post-acquisition, Five9 will continue to partner with best of breed WFO partners, such as Five9 WFO powered by Verint, to provide customer choice and to address the needs of large enterprise deployments. Five9 prides itself on its vibrant and expanding partner ecosystem, where organizations have access to a broad selection of solutions that meet their businesses’ evolving needs.
“With the Virtual Observer acquisition, Five9 has all the pieces in place to provide the WFO customers prefer – tightly integrated with Five9 contact center software or best of breed through partners,” said Sheila McGee-Smith, Founder and Principal Analyst, McGee-Smith Analytics.
The transaction is expected to close prior to the end of Q2 CY2020.
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