--- title: Digital tech mobilised SA contact centre industry overnight | ITWeb description: The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the face of contact centres and catalysed digital journeys, says Pivotal Data. image: https://hubspot.obscuretech.net/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/xSykpQtyOj3a5w2TNvg66A7fmtcFAZ_mNLT9MDDB0nwAU7U2qJWur8iDnjfY4XFeBC_dLIbd4OH1my-gmTfvjw=w816-h428.jpeg --- [![vast.png](https://hubspot.obscuretech.net/hs-fs/hubfs/ObscureLogo-02.png?width=1000&height=354&name=ObscureLogo-02.png "vast.png")](http://www.obscuretech.net) Open main menu Close main menu - [Technology Partners](https://obscuretech-6344971.hs-sites.com/technology-partners) Open the submenu - [BeyondTrust](https://obscuretech-6344971.hs-sites.com/beyondtrust) - [Cybereason](https://obscuretech-6344971.hs-sites.com/cybereason) - [Forescout](https://obscuretech-6344971.hs-sites.com/forescout) - [Gytpol](https://obscuretech-6344971.hs-sites.com/gytpol) - [Netskope](https://obscuretech-6344971.hs-sites.com/netskope) - [OKTA](https://obscuretech-6344971.hs-sites.com/okta) - [OneTrust](https://obscuretech-6344971.hs-sites.com/onetrust) - [Palo Alto Networks](https://obscuretech-6344971.hs-sites.com/palo-alto-networks) - [Pentera](https://obscuretech-6344971.hs-sites.com/pentera) - [Proofpoint](https://obscuretech-6344971.hs-sites.com/proofpoint) - [Radware](https://obscuretech-6344971.hs-sites.com/radware) - [RiskIQ](https://obscuretech-6344971.hs-sites.com/riskiq) - [Rubrik](https://obscuretech-6344971.hs-sites.com/rubrik) - [Splunk](https://obscuretech-6344971.hs-sites.com/splunk) - [Tenable](https://obscuretech-6344971.hs-sites.com/tenable) - [Trend Micro](https://obscuretech-6344971.hs-sites.com/trend-micro) - [Obscure Blog](https://hubspot.obscuretech.net/blog) - [About Us](https://obscuretech-6344971.hs-sites.com/about-us) - [Contact Us](https://obscuretech-6344971.hs-sites.com/contact-us) # Digital tech mobilised SA contact centre industry overnight [ITWeb](https://hubspot.obscuretech.net/blog/author/itweb) [Share this blog post on Twitter](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=I+found+this+interesting+blog+post&url=https://hubspot.obscuretech.net/blog/office/obscuretechnologies/content/wbrpomgyevbvdlzn) [Share this blog post on Facebook](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https://hubspot.obscuretech.net/blog/office/obscuretechnologies/content/wbrpomgyevbvdlzn) [Share this blog post on LinkedIn](http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://hubspot.obscuretech.net/blog/office/obscuretechnologies/content/wbrpomgyevbvdlzn) ![](https://hubspot.obscuretech.net/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/xSykpQtyOj3a5w2TNvg66A7fmtcFAZ_mNLT9MDDB0nwAU7U2qJWur8iDnjfY4XFeBC_dLIbd4OH1my-gmTfvjw=w816-h428.jpeg) ![](https://hubspot.obscuretech.net/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/xSykpQtyOj3a5w2TNvg66A7fmtcFAZ_mNLT9MDDB0nwAU7U2qJWur8iDnjfY4XFeBC_dLIbd4OH1my-gmTfvjw.jpeg) Up to 100 000 contact centre agents across the country were successfully mobilised ahead of the COVID-19 lockdown in March, fast-tracking the sector’s moves to digital. This is according to Tanya Phillips, COO of Pivotal Data, who says the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the face of contact centres and catalysed digital journeys for those who had been slow to migrate to digital customer experience models. “There have been many success stories,” she says. “Traditionally, contact centre agents use desktop PCs, so their companies had to either purchase laptops or arrange to send the PCs home with agents. Then there was connectivity to consider: there were challenges around the reliability of connectivity and the cost of data, and companies often had to be creative in how they enabled internet connectivity for call centre agents. Once they had cleared these initial hurdles, they had to embrace new operations approaches for managing teams, collaboration and training.” ##### Webinar: How COVID-19 is driving the digital customer experience The increase in remote customer engagement changed companies’ thinking in terms of how they deliver their products and services. Will this also impact the products and services themselves? For more information on this webinar sponsored by Pivotal Data, and to reserve a spot, [click here](https://v2.itweb.co.za/event/itweb/how-covid-19-is-driving-the-digital-customer-experience/). The sector had to pivot virtually overnight, and those that were advanced on their digitalisation journey found it easier to make the transition, Phillips says. Having been forced to transition, the sector is unlikely to look back. Phillips says: “CTOs and CIOs are now under massive pressure to digitise more and move to the cloud. They are engaging with stakeholders and vendors in their efforts to move to something far more flexible, accessible and scalable. The way companies deliver customer experience is changing, with the growing adoption of multiple digital channels, speech analytics and self-service tools. More than ever, people will now start looking at how they leverage artificial intelligence and bots in customer experience. These tools may well have been on their roadmaps, but COVID-19 has fast-tracked adoption. It’s almost an active redundancy solution, where companies are now trialling new technology TECHNOLOGY [![](https://hubspot.obscuretech.net/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/SqwidNet-logo_xl-Sep-18-2023-05-36-37-3444-PM.gif)](http://adx.itweb.co.za/adclick.php?bannerid=27063&zoneid=0&source=&dest=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sqwidnet.com%2F&ismap=) [Driving innovation through IoT. Sqwidnet can give you the tools to bring your ideas to life. Connect with us.](http://adx.itweb.co.za/adclick.php?bannerid=27063&zoneid=0&source=&dest=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sqwidnet.com%2F&ismap=) ![](https://hubspot.obscuretech.net/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/adlog-Sep-18-2023-05-36-36-3814-PM.php) and operating models, and we expect that some contact centres will permanently close sites and only work remotely, while others will move to a hybrid contact centre – remote work model.” “It’s incredible – COVID-19 genuinely was the catalyst we were waiting for. It proved that technology was capable of delivering everything EVERYTHING [![](https://hubspot.obscuretech.net/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/SqwidNet-logo_xl-Sep-18-2023-05-36-37-3444-PM.gif)](http://adx.itweb.co.za/adclick.php?bannerid=26925&zoneid=0&source=&dest=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sqwidnet.com%2F&ismap=) [Driving innovation through IoT. Sqwidnet can give you the tools to bring your ideas to life. Connect with us.](http://adx.itweb.co.za/adclick.php?bannerid=26925&zoneid=0&source=&dest=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sqwidnet.com%2F&ismap=) ![](https://hubspot.obscuretech.net/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/adlog-Sep-18-2023-05-36-10-0156-PM.php) people said it could,” she says. Phillips will unpack the emerging trends in customer experience address in an upcoming webinar entitled ‘***How COVID-19 is driving the digital customer experience*.**’ The webinar is part of ‘The Impact of COVID-19 on Digital Transformation’ Webinar Series to be hosted by ITWeb on 7, 8 and 9 July 2020. Phillips will outline emerging digital customer experience trends and local success stories; while a customer will give insight into how they overcame the new challenges. An expert panel will also outline key considerations and tools for digitalisation in collections, sales, service and digital banking. For more information about this session sponsored by Pivotal Data, a specialist provider PROVIDER [![](https://hubspot.obscuretech.net/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/SqwidNet-logo_xl-Sep-18-2023-05-36-37-3444-PM.gif)](http://adx.itweb.co.za/adclick.php?bannerid=27070&zoneid=0&source=&dest=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sqwidnet.com%2F&ismap=) [Driving innovation through IoT. Sqwidnet can give you the tools to bring your ideas to life. Connect with us.](http://adx.itweb.co.za/adclick.php?bannerid=27070&zoneid=0&source=&dest=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sqwidnet.com%2F&ismap=) ![](https://hubspot.obscuretech.net/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/adlog-Sep-18-2023-05-36-32-0311-PM.php) of contact centre, customer experience and enterprise communication solutions, please [click here](https://v2.itweb.co.za/event/itweb/how-covid-19-is-driving-the-digital-customer-experience/). ### Leave a Comment ## Related Articles [![](https://hubspot.obscuretech.net/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/MDauJtKVjNaDU7rPh9iZ5OpEGq7llXUVCMIK2tqQaQRLhaP64g5lGTIPqZOfGZ7uSXyq7cnqkO6BBndk6CzFaYUk=w816-h428.jpeg)](https://hubspot.obscuretech.net/blog/office/obscuretechnologies/content/kbpdgvpzejmmleew) ### [The upside of COVID-19: More efficiently run businesses](https://hubspot.obscuretech.net/blog/office/obscuretechnologies/content/kbpdgvpzejmmleew) [ITWeb](https://hubspot.obscuretech.net/blog/author/itweb) [Read More](https://hubspot.obscuretech.net/blog/office/obscuretechnologies/content/kbpdgvpzejmmleew) [![](https://hubspot.obscuretech.net/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/UP-3aEwlp5b2wJQoOF-gu3OZxMJtPTSxeGV1s4GTYIUbE9BWk8Jbx6GXwyxpTkVpU6WElNDvtJdadQ-JsU-V5eiv=w816-h428.jpeg)](https://hubspot.obscuretech.net/blog/office/obscuretechnologies/content/olx4zmknr9w756km) ### [Beyond backup: Services MSP customers need now](https://hubspot.obscuretech.net/blog/office/obscuretechnologies/content/olx4zmknr9w756km) Heidi Coerlin, Redstor. 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