How the Cloud Is Helping Call Centers Go Remote 
Tags: cloud, devops, beginners, career
Published: 2021-08-18 13:49:07

Cloud services are changing work as we know it. I researched how’s that influencing demand for specific developer skills and language knowledge. Here’s what I found out. 

[Remote work](https://dev.to/morrone_carlo/the-best-vs-code-extensions-for-remote-working-e8e) is here to stay. And cloud services are making it a reality for all kinds of companies.

One of the industries that’s seeing some of the biggest benefits from a cloud-based solution? Call centers. While a call center might not seem like a candidate for working from home, it’s the future.

If you’re a developer looking to grow your skills and choose the right language for you, continue reading to understand how a cloud-based call center works and why you should take a part in this cloud computing wave. 

## What are cloud services?

Cloud applications run on an internet server instead of a local machine. You might use cloud applications like Google Docs or Dropbox every day.

Cloud technology is everywhere, from popular software to social media. It’s revolutionizing business and improving customer expectations. Perhaps most importantly for developers, it’s one of the fastest-growing job fields.

Cloud applications have plenty of user benefits. For example, customer data can be available on every computer. A cloud platform has better processing power than a single computer. And cloud computing can bring different systems together in unified [omnichannel communication](https://www.livehelpnow.net/blog/building-customer-trust-across-omnichannel-experience/).

### Cloud application types
Depending on the company’s needs and the size of their IT department, they can decide to go with different cloud application types, which can slightly influence your work and the languages you need to use.

**Software-as-a-service (SaaS)**, consumer-facing applications that store and compute data in the cloud. Examples include Microsoft 365 and Salesforce.


**Infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS)**, services that sell storage and basic data processing in the cloud. Examples include Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure.


**Platform-as-a-service (PaaS)**, complete solutions that can run software in the cloud. Examples include Heroku and Google App Engine.

### Types of cloud infrastructure
Depending on the company where you lend your job you may meet with different types of infrastructure used for clouds. Becoming familiar with these types of infrastructure can help you specialize and focus on the skills and languages that matter most.

In general, there are three possibilities:

**Public** cloud computing is available over the internet. It’s the most common type of cloud computing. Think of the providers like Google and their applications like Google Drive, Google Docs, etc. Even though they are called public, they are secure and not everyone can access your data, just the ones with permission.

**Private** cloud computing is stored on infrastructure only available to one organization. This type is most similar to on-premises infrastructure. It’s the most common in corporations.

**Hybrid cloud** computing is a system that uses both public and private methods. This is the usual solution for companies who want to start with public cloud computing for external communication, but they keep the private one for internal communication. 

##How cloud services are changing how businesses work

The COVID-19 pandemic has shifted how we work. The pandemic has made many employees work from home, and the shift looks like it’s here to stay.

Many small businesses and startups were able to switch to work-from-home easily. But large corporations have faced challenging obstacles. One of the biggest barriers? Allowing employees access to data securely.

For companies that used to store data on intranet systems, cloud services are a welcome solution. Employees can use the cloud to access company resources. For example, remote workers can see [customer relationship management systems](https://technologyadvice.com/crm/) that used to be only on office computers.

This explosion in cloud services has meant more job opportunities for cloud developers. Whether you prefer architecture, security, app development, or support, there are more positions available now than ever before.

##What cloud-based service changes for call centers

Call centers have even more complex needs than most businesses. Since employees’ primary work is taking incoming calls or making outbound calls, a reliable phone system is a must.

That’s why a [cloud-based call center](https://www.nextiva.com/blog/cloud-based-call-center.html) is a great choice. A cloud-based phone system can handle all kinds of call center operations. From intelligent routing of customer calls to data syncing to advanced interactive voice response, and more. And because of these shifts, call centers are now in greater need of developers than ever before.

There are a number of reasons why call centers are moving to cloud-based solutions. Some of the benefits include:

**Better customer experience**, including short hold times, since customer data is connected in a single system. Unified data is especially true with a CRM integration.


**More economical install and maintenance.** Businesses will save time and money with cloud-based call center software over an on-premise system.


**Easier scaling with a digital system.** Whether you need to receive more inbound calls or add another call center agent (or 100), a cloud-based system can scale faster.


**Higher agency productivity** since agents can respond to and answer customer calls more quickly.


**Extensive integrations across systems** like email, live chat, and more.


**Easier for mobile** so that agents can deliver great customer support without needing to be at their home workspace.

## What this means for developers

If you’re becoming a developer, cloud programming has huge opportunities for you.

Brushing up on your cloud development skills can further your career. From troubleshooting at a call center to developing an innovative cloud solution, cloud dev is the future.
To start, you’ll want to learn at least one of the top five languages for cloud computing:

[**ASP.NET**](https://dev.to/t/dotnet) is a server-side web development framework. You’ll use it to design interactive web applications and services.

[**Java**](https://dev.to/t/javascript) is unique in that it’s a platform-independent language. You can run it across different systems, making it a great choice for many cloud applications.

[**PHP**](https://dev.to/t/php) works with various database management systems and runs smoothly on different server types and operating systems.

[**Python**](https://dev.to/t/python) is used across dozens of fields, including data science, machine learning, and artificial intelligence. If these specialties interest you, Python is a great starting place.

[**Ruby**](https://dev.to/t/ruby) is a popular programming language in cloud computing. It has 60,000 libraries and frameworks to help you develop.

Finally, developers interested in cloud computing should study cloud security. Security is critical today and will only become more important as the cloud computing industry grows.

Cloud computing is here to stay. It’s revolutionizing every industry, but few are seeing as many changes as call centers. A cloud call center can ensure a great customer experience every time.

Developers can prepare for the surge in cloud computing. Brush up on relevant languages, study the architecture, and keep learning stronger security practices.