This week in CX has seen an "industry first" pricing model from Zendesk, acquisitions from Cisco and Five9, and promises of an "all-in-one" CX management solution from Oracle.
Here are the extracts from some of our most popular news stories over the last seven days.
Zendesk Unveils “Industry First” Outcome-Based Pricing Model
Zendesk is introducing a new outcome-based pricing model.
Described by the company as an “industry first” for customer experience, the model is directly dependent on the performance of Zendesk’s AI agents.
Customers who deploy Zendesk’s agents will now only be charged for issues and queries that are resolved autonomously by AI.
The vendor believes that in the current climate, “traditional pricing models no longer suffice,” arguing that its new system is more in keeping with an AI-first customer service and experience sector.
In addition, Zendesk claims that its new model will enable customers to fully understand the value and quantify the results that their AI solutions are delivering.
In discussing the news, Nikhil Sane, SVP & GTM of Strategy and Pricing at Zendesk – explained how the new model was a signifier of the company’s position as an AI pioneer:
Our outcome-based pricing solution is more than just a pricing model – it’s a reflection of our dedication to driving real, measurable success for our customers.
The concept of paying per AI agent resolution may sound fairly straightforward on the surface, but as is often the case, there’s a little more to it than meets the eye (Read on...).
Cisco to Acquire Robust Intelligence, the AI-Focused Security Startup
Cisco has agreed to acquire Robust Intelligence, a security startup that provides a firewall to protect AI-based applications.
The move aims to satisfy Cisco’s enterprise customers that are eager to introduce new applications powered by generative AI (GenAI) but have stalled their deployments due to new security concerns.
Such concerns arise as AI applications are fundamentally different from conventional apps, and many organizations now understand that they cannot only rely on existing tools to prevent security breaches and privacy violations.
Enter Robust Intelligence. Its AI firewall evaluates all inputs and outputs into AI models to protect apps against real-time security threats.
Cisco has pumped funds into the company for two years via its investment arm and is now ready to snap it up for an undisclosed fee so customers can more securely build and deploy AI apps.
Tom Gillis, SVP & GM of Security at Cisco, revealed the news in a post on the company’s blog:
The combination of Cisco and Robust Intelligence means that we can deliver advanced AI security processing seamlessly into the existing data flows by inserting it into Cisco security and networking products.
Cisco may also insert the product across its Webex offering, which now sits alongside its security and networking portfolios in one central unit (Read on...).
Oracle Announces Revenue-Boosting All-in-One CX Management Solution
Oracle has announced the general availability of a new all-in-one customer experience management solution.
