Genesys a major provider of software for customer service and contact centers entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Echopass, a cloud contact center provider and will add 1,250 new customers to Genesys’ Cloud direct services.  Echopass currently partners with Genesys for its contact center Customer Engagement Platform and specializes in larger enterprise cloud contact center solutions.  This new acquisition will significantly expand Genesys’ installed base in the cloud.

Although Genesys has a sizable base for premise contact center solutions, it hopes to gain traction in directly supporting cross-channel cloud solutions for larger enterprises.  Currently, Genesys’ Cloud offers a standardize solution that appeals to SMB customers interested in a fast-to-deploy and uncomplicated solution.  Genesys currently directly markets its flagship product, Genesys Customer Engagement Platform, as a premise solution.   However, the shift to cloud based models offers a major opportunity for Genesys to provide its customers a scalable and flexible cloud solution for customer support.  A cloud solution appeals to many companies, as it lowers the cost of entry for acquiring and upgrading contact center software.  Additionally, for companies that do not want to rip and replace their entire infrastructure Genesys offers a hybrid-cloud model.

The rapid pace of technology change combined with the need for a scalable and secure solution will continue to drive the demand for cloud base contact center solutions.  The timing of the Echopass acquisition suggests that Genesys recognizes the uptick in cloud contact centers and plans to play an increasingly active role in delivering the cloud contact center solution directly to its customers.  Additionally, other recent acquisitions by Genesys including Angel and Soundbite have expanded its cloud services and ability to deliver a comprehensive offering.