Analyst Perspectives

I am happy to share some insight on Content Guru drawn from our latest research. The Ventana Research Value Index: Contact Center in the Cloud in 2018 is the distillation of a year of market and product research efforts by Ventana Research. We utilized a structured research methodology that includes evaluation categories designed to reflect the breadth of the real-world criteria incorporated in a request for proposal (RFP) and vendor selection process for contact centers in the cloud. We evaluated Content Guru and 12 other vendors in seven categories, five relevant to the product (adaptability, capability, manageability, reliability and usability) and two related to the vendor (TCO/ROI and vendor validation). To arrive at the Value Index rating for a given vendor, we weighted each category to reflect its relative importance in an RFP process, with the weightings based on our experience and data derived from our benchmark research on contact centers in the cloud.

The Value Index assessed Content Guru storm^® CONTACT Version 5, released Jan. 23, 2018, and its supporting storm^® VIEW and storm^® FLOW products. The UK-based company operates across the globe and supports more than 20 languages. Content Guru is ranked seventh overall in the 2018 Contact Center in the Cloud Value Index.

Content Guru’s is a well-balanced offering overall that has advanced on the value and capabilities of its platform. Its best ranking is fourth – in Manageability due to its ability to administer the platform and levels of security and operations and in Capability for its management, configurability and support of the channels and interactions that are critical for every contact center. Its support in helping customers realize value from their investment contributed to a fourth-place ranking in the TCO/ROI category.

Content Guru’s product most significantly needs improvement in Adaptability, where it ranks 12th; its platform and operations in the cloud must provide further support for customization, and the examples of integration offered do not clearly demonstrate support across applications and processes. It also could provide more depth in the Reliability category, where details about performance and scalability support could have been clearer, and where it makes direct access to continuity through at trust availability site. In addition, the company ranks a relatively low 10th in Validation because it does not provide significant information about its services and support and does poorly at providing customers for feedback in the reference process.

Despite its challenges, though, Content Guru has significant opportunities as it grows its global footprint, expanding operations beyond the UK and improving its overall offering and the value in its products and marketing. Since the completion of our value index research, product advancements include callback, chat, agents, listening and recording for improving capability and manageability.

This research-based index is the first such industry undertaking to assess the value of software designed specifically for enabling a contact center in the cloud. You can learn more about Content Guru and others in our Value Index as an effective vendor selection and RFI/RFP tool and can read the whole Value Index report.

Regards,
Mark Smith
CEO & Chief Research Officer