Zoom Communications’ (Zoom) latest enhancements to its customer experience platform (Zoom CX) signal a leap forward in the contact center space. With agentic AI capabilities—including an upgraded Zoom Virtual Agent—Zoom is adapting to the future of AI-driven customer experience, and positioning itself as a formidable force in the field, says GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

Gregg Willsky, Principal Analyst, Enterprise Technology & Services at GlobalData, comments: “Value notwithstanding, the real headline is that the features sit at the intersection of two key trends—the advent of agentic AI and the transformation of contact centers—and are emblematic of the rise of Zoom as a competitor.”

A common thread running through the features is that they incorporate agentic AI. Zoom Virtual Agent, a self-service customer support agent, is now equipped to handle complex tasks without human intervention as well as provide personalized support. Other capabilities make contact center operations more efficient, provide supervisors with recommendations for improving agent performance, and identify on-going customer issues that need to be addressed.

Willsky continues: “Agentic AI can act autonomously, make decisions, and take actions without human intervention. It can adjust its approach based upon new information or changing circumstances. Zoom and each of its competitors are leveraging agentic AI in some shape or form.”

Agentic AI is not the only link connecting the features. They also reflect a profound transformation contact centers have been undergoing with the concept of a “contact center” yielding to the broader concept of “customer experience.”

Willsky adds: “Contact centers are converting from having only human agents to including AI agents, from operating reactively to proactively, from being transaction-oriented to relationship-oriented, and from offering generic support to deeply personalized support. Zoom and rivals such as Cisco Systems, Microsoft, and 8×8 Inc have been rolling out a steady stream of capabilities to help organizations make the transition.”

Most significantly, the new features are symbolic of a profound metamorphosis taking place at Zoom over the past 20 months. After its video meetings capability became renowned virtually overnight in the dark, nascent days of the COVID-19 pandemic, Zoom ignited a steady evolution of its platform.

Willsky concludes: “With the October 2023 introduction of Zoom AI Companion, that evolution took a sharp trajectory upward and morphed into a full-blown renaissance marked by the introduction of GenAI features. With the implementation of agentic AI capabilities, Zoom has now entered yet another a new chapter. It is safe to say Zoom is poised to continue its ascent.”