What is Hardware?

In the context of technology, the term hardware refers to the physical components that make up a computer or telephony system. Examples of hardware include computers, tablets, mobile phones, GPS devices, and gaming systems.

Software is completely dependent on hardware for operation. And it's a two-way street - without software, hardware wouldn't really have any purpose. In addition to software, you can also find firmware loaded onto hardware, which controls how the hardware behaves.

There are many examples of hardware to be found within contact centers. The switch, or PBX, is a hardware unit that is essential to contact centers because it is the backbone of the telephony system. Additionally, servers are needed to operate automatic call distribution (ACD), interactive voice response (IVR) systems, customer relationship management (CRM) applications, and analytics tools, to name a few. Telephones and desktop computers are examples of hardware that are critical tools for agents.

When contact centers choose a hosted solution for their contact center software, the amount of on-premises hardware is reduced. This is because the software provider is responsible for housing and managing the servers for whatever applications are involved. This reduction in overhead is just one of many benefits contact centers can realize when you they select a software as a service arrangement.

How NICE can help

NICE is the market leader in providing customers the cloud contact center software they need to deliver consistently exceptional customer experiences. Benefits include:

• Cloud-based solution, which means we manage the hardware for you
• Modern ACD providing digital first omnichannel routing and increased business agility
• Integrated and comprehensive workforce management solutions to engage and empower contact center agents to achieve business goals
• Automation and artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities to enhance the customer experience and automate routine agent tasks
• Omnichannel customer journey management

CXone provides an intelligent, unified suite of applications covering the breadth of contact center management disciplines, simplifying administration and streamlining the user experience.