In a rapidly changing business landscape, customer experience is at the forefront.
During a recent interview with Andrew Carmody, Managing Director for Asia Pacific at Interhouse Interactive, the focus was clear: technology is not just keeping up with customer expectations, but setting new standards for today's digital-first economy.
Interhouse Interactive, a division of the longstanding Intell Systems, has carved out a unique space in the market through a diverse, scalable suite of cloud-based customer experience solutions. "We are a software and services based business and we are focused within the interactive group on customer interaction and CX solutions," Carmody said.
Founded in the mid-1980s, Intell Systems employs about 2,000 people globally and reports revenues north of half a billion dollars. According to Carmody, the company maintains a truly global presence, with key offices spread across North America, the Nordics, Europe, the UK, and throughout Asia Pacific.
A Solution for Every Need
Carmody was quick to emphasise the flexibility that has become a hallmark of the company's offer. Unlike many technology vendors, Interhouse Interactive does not take a one-size-fits-all approach. "We can offer those solutions whether they are cloud, on-prem or hosted," he explained. Their platform covers omni-channel contact centres, operator consoles, self-service technologies – including the growing use of AI bots – and video collaboration tools.
The company aims to tailor solutions to the distinct requirements of different industries and business sizes. "We spend quite a bit of time trying to understand what the requirements are, where that business is actually going – often the answer is cloud, right – but it may not necessarily be," he said. The message is clear: rather than force customers into the latest fad, Interhouse Interactive prefers to match technology to real business needs.
Collaboration and Integration
One key differentiator is Interhouse's close and long-standing partnership with Microsoft, a relationship stretching back to the early days of enterprise unified communication, through products like Lync and Skype for Business, and more recently evolving alongside Microsoft Teams. Carmody described this as a "particular key competency," adding, "Our contact centre solutions are all certified to work with Teams, and, more importantly, we understand the journey that customers need to make to be successful with Teams."
He pointed out that, particularly across the Asia Pacific region, businesses are choosing solutions that combine the collaborative power of Teams with robust customer engagement tools, integrating them seamlessly into broader platforms like customer relationship management (CRM).
Responding to a Changed World
Asked about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Carmody detailed just how much the customer experience landscape has changed, not only for their clients but for Interhouse's own business and partners. "Probably how it hasn't impacted [the industry] might be a shorter answer," he said candidly.
Initially, companies were forced to move quickly, adapting to lockdowns and shifting significant swathes of their operations to remote models. "It was really about helping them rapidly sort of move to that what became the new normal – remote agents," Carmody said.
He described a period of "fixing the things that were done in haste" during the first year of the pandemic, followed by a more considered approach, as companies settled into hybrid structures. Now, he observed, organisations are looking at how to excel in this environment, rather than simply survive.
Customers, Technology, and Agent Well-being
Carmody observed significant growth in digital channels such as web chat, accelerated by pandemic conditions, and a clear increase in expectations: customers now want more self-service options and immediate escalation paths to human support when necessary, all without repeating information. "Situational awareness of where's the customer been, what have they asked, did they call last week with a similar question – all of that around the customer journey and having that visibility," he said.
He also touched upon the parallel need to support agents themselves, noting that well-being has become a priority as people work more in isolation. "Smarter use of video technology and collaboration tools to kind of check in, to keep connected and sort of work around with the team, so that they're not isolated," he said.
The Role of Artificial Intelligence
Artificial intelligence is, unsurprisingly, an area Carmody sees as transformative for customer contact. "AI is having... a significant effect across the IT landscape but particularly in the contact centre and customer experience domain," he said.
He explained that as call and interaction volumes increase, AI tools are being leveraged to analyse massive quantities of data, detecting trends and patterns that would take humans far too long to find. "AI can help you really see the pattern and then work out what you need to do," Carmody added.
He also highlighted the dual application of AI-powered "bots" – both to serve customers directly (fielding simpler queries, thereby freeing up agents) and as assistants to agents, helping suggest solutions in real time and create a more consistent, reliable experience for customers.
Building Resilient Partnerships
The conversation ended with a look at how the partner ecosystem has adapted to these sweeping changes. Carmody was clear about the lasting effects of the pandemic, noting, "Many of our partners executed what would normally have been a nine or ten month work program in several months." As a result, both Interhouse Interactive and its partners have found themselves rapidly realigning strategies.
Partner relationships are, Carmody observed, more resilient than expected. "The ecosystem has been surprisingly resilient, which is great," he said. "We're happy to continue to work with our ecosystem as it stands, but you know that will morph and grow."
Looking forward, Carmody sees ongoing opportunity for innovation and collaboration. "It is about using technology in a smart way to enable this better customer experience," he said, "and I think that we're all learning."
