Astrill VPN’s fast facts Our rating: 3 out of 5.Starting price: $12.50 per user per month.Key features: Good security and anonymity. Some Netflix access. High speeds. Astrill is regarded by some as a premium VPN that users can harness to gain a greater degree of online privacy and security. It is priced accordingly. I found it to be more expensive than competitive solutions. The company is registered in the Seychelles, which helps it get around many of the regulatory hurdles that VPN companies encounter when handing data over to government agencies. 1 Semperis Employees per Company Size Micro (0-49), Small (50-249), Medium (250-999), Large (1,000-4,999), Enterprise (5,000+) Large (1,000-4,999 Employees), Enterprise (5,000+ Employees) Large, Enterprise Features Advanced Attacks Detection, Advanced Automation, Anywhere Recovery, and more 2 ESET PROTECT Advanced Employees per Company Size Micro (0-49), Small (50-249), Medium (250-999), Large (1,000-4,999), Enterprise (5,000+) Any Company Size Any Company Size Features Advanced Threat Defense, Full Disk Encryption , Modern Endpoint Protection, and more 3 ManageEngine Log360 Employees per Company Size Micro (0-49), Small (50-249), Medium (250-999), Large (1,000-4,999), Enterprise (5,000+) Micro (0-49 Employees), Small (50-249 Employees), Medium (250-999 Employees), Large (1,000-4,999 Employees), Enterprise (5,000+ Employees) Micro, Small, Medium, Large, Enterprise Features Activity Monitoring, Blacklisting, Dashboard, and more Astrill VPN’s pricing Astrill costs $30 per month which comes down to $15 a month for a one-year subscription and $12.50 monthly for a two-year subscription. There is also a free VPN available for one Android device. Business plans for 10 to 200 accounts range from $8 to $18 per account per month. Astrill VPN allows unlimited devices to connect per subscription but I discovered that only five can do so simultaneously. Figure 1: Astrill VPN screenshot. Image: Astrill VPN. Astrill VPN’s key features Data security The data security features of Astrill VPN include a kill switch so that if the VPN is disconnected, all web activity is shut down, and all browsers are closed. Further, multi-hop encryption protects data despite going through a large number of servers. The company uses several types of encryption, including OpenWeb, StealthVPN, and Wireguard. Dedicated IP addresses are available when a user wants one to address the fact that some email providers and websites create problems for shared IP addresses. While security features vary from provider to provider, when I checked into competitors like NordVPN, ExpressVPN, and ProtonVPN as part of this Astrill VPN review, I found they generally offered an even wider range of security features. Figure 2: Astrill VPN multi-hop encryption provides additional layers of security. Image: Astrill VPN. Anonymity Astrill VPN’s Seychelles Islands home is well-chosen as it is outside the jurisdiction of nations that demand VPN vendors hand over personal data as per the Five Eyes, Nine Eyes, and 14 Eyes surveillance alliances (collectively known as the Eyes Alliance). Some other VPNs are situated in jurisdictions that are forced to turn over user data in certain circumstances. NordVPN and CyberGhost provide a similar level of anonymity to Astrill VPN, whereas Surfshark and Private Internet Access can sometimes be subject to prying eyes. I liked the fact that Astrill VPN has even achieved some success in China, which is better than most other VPNs, though performance and connectivity can be spotty in that region. SEE: Everything You Need to Know about the Malvertising Cybersecurity Threat (TechRepublic Premium) Figure 3: Astrill VPN’s smart mode means users can tunnel only international sites and leave other sites to connect via the web. Image: Astrill VPN. Netflix access Netflix and other streaming services make life hard for VPNs and many don’t work when trying to use Netflix outside their approved geographical zone. VPNs like NordVPN, ExpressVPN, and Surfshark all provide Netflix access, but TunnelBear, Mozilla VPN, and Perfect Privacy don’t. Astrill VPN sometimes provides Netflix access, depending on which server you use. You might get lucky. Speed Astrill promised me fast download and upload speeds, and it delivers. Speed tests have it well ahead of ExpressVPN and Surfshark. It even beats NordVPN in some tests, which is the VPN that generally has the speediest reputation. However, speeds vary and the user of a VPN can mean applications operate more slowly than if they ran over the web without a VPN. Figure 4: As well as Astrill VPN fast upload speeds, its one-click features mean it is quick to connect. Image: Astrill VPN. SEE: 6 Best Anonymous (No-Log) VPNs for 2024 (TechRepublic) Astrill VPN pros Good range of security and encryption features. Beyond the reach of problematic jurisdictions such as Five Eyes. Decent upload and download speeds. Has some success within China. Astrill VPN cons Astrill VPN is more expensive than most VPNs. You can only connect five devices to Astrill VPN at the same time, which may cause problems in some households and in some businesses. Astrill VPN users must download apps for Windows, macOS, iOS, Linux, Android, and routers as there are no browser extensions. Limited server network of around 300 servers compared to thousands among many of its competitors. Figure 5: Users can share VPN connections with other devices they have running on the network. Image: Astrill VPN. More about Cloud Security Frequently asked questions about Astrill VPN What is Astrill VPN? Astrill VPN is a premium VPN that is generally faster than other VPNs and is available at a higher price. Is Astrill VPN safe to use? Astrill VPN is based in the Seychelles and lies well outside the Eyes Alliance nations, making it safer to use than VPNs stationed within Eyes Alliance jurisdictions. SEE: The 6 Best Small Business VPNs for 2024 (TechRepublic) How fast is Astrill VPN? Each Astrill VPN server is connected to a 1 gbit or 10 gbit connection using dedicated bandwidth. As a result, the service promotes superfast speeds. Note, though, that I discovered during this Astrill VPN review that these speeds to be highly variable depending on a number of factors, including location, the amount of encryption used, and the application. Sometimes, speeds are close to 300 Mbps, and

It’s been a great year for the Dutch startup ecosystem.  Venture capitalists have, so far, invested $3.5bn into Netherlands-based early-stage companies, according to Dealroom data. That makes 2024 Dutch tech’s second-best funding year ever, surpassed only by 2021. Dutch startups have raised almost 50% more ($1.1bn) cash this year than in 2023 — and there are still two weeks to go. It’s a striking uptick, especially considering the rather muted funding environment in broader Europe, which is on course for its worst year since 2020.   The Netherlands stands to be Europe’s fourth best-funded ecosystem for 2024. It ranks two places higher than last year, beating out Sweden and Switzerland. Unsurprisingly, the UK will clinch the top spot, with $17bn raised so far. Germany is second at $7.9bn, while France is coming in at a close third with $7.7bn.  So, with that in mind, here are the 10 largest funding rounds that made 2024 such a lucrative year for the Dutch startup ecosystem. (Disclaimer: For this list, we count all early-stage companies headquartered in the Netherlands, not necessarily founded there).   The 💜 of EU tech The latest rumblings from the EU tech scene, a story from our wise ol’ founder Boris, and some questionable AI art. It’s free, every week, in your inbox. Sign up now! 1. Nebius — $700M This was a whopper. The startup, which builds full-stack AI infrastructure for tech firms, secured the equity in December in a deal led by Nvidia, Accel, and other blue-chip investors. 2. Picnic — $388mn   The Dutch online supermarket unicorn bagged the funding in January to fuel its international expansion, as it looks to become a profitable grocery delivery service (which has proven bloody difficult for most).     3. Nearfield Instruments — $147mn  The Rotterdam-based company makes advanced tools for inspecting computer chips during manufacturing, adding to the Netherlands’ wealth of semiconductor success stories.  4. Mews  — $110mn Cha-ching! We have a new unicorn in the house. More accurately, in our house, seeing as Mews is based at TNW City in Amsterdam. The startup, which provides a cloud-based property management system (PMS) for the hospitality industry, raised $110mn in March at a valuation of over $1.2bn. Then in September, it bagged another $100mn.  Now that’s great Mews.  5. DataSnipper — $100mn Cha-ching, again! DataSnipper, which makes AI-powered accounting tools, raised $100mn in February at a $1bn valuation making it the Netherlands’ second newly minted unicorn for 2024.   6. Citryll — €89mn  The biotech company is developing treatments for inflammatory diseases. It will use the Series B funding to bring its lead product, CIT-013, into Phase 2a clinical trials. 7. Cradle — $73M Founded in 2022, Cradle uses generative AI to design and optimise proteins, aiming to reduce the time and cost associated with protein engineering. The Amsterdam-based startup wants to put its software “into the hands of a million scientists.” 8. Axelera AI — $68mn The Eindhoven-based startup is developing chips, known as AI processing units (AIPUs), that enable computer vision and generative AI in devices like robots and drones. The funding round was led by Samsung’s venture arm. For a chip startup, that’s not a bad investor to have onboard.  9. Payt — $58mn Payt Software’s AI-powered platform streamlines the debt collection process through automated invoicing. Not exactly ‘sexy’ tech, but the startup’s product is used by over 13,000 businesses in the Netherlands alone so it must be doing something right.  10. Vico Therapeutics — $56mn  Founded in 2019, Vico is developing therapies for severe neurological diseases. The company is the third health tech startup on this list and for good reason — the Netherlands has established itself as one of the world’s leading hubs for biotech and life sciences.   Overall, the Dutch startup ecosystem has proven its resilience and strength in 2024, achieving remarkable growth despite broader challenges in the European funding environment. Particualrly standout performances come from the sectors of biotech, AI, and semiconductors. As we look ahead, these funding successes position the country’s startups for even greater global impact going into 2025. source

The notion of shadow IT as risky business can be instilled in IT strategy. Shadow IT emerges when departments or employees use software, hardware or applications without the knowledge or oversight of the IT department. By adopting this tech, these departments or individuals become dependent on such tools, unbeknownst to the IT team.  It’s been around for a long time but has become increasingly common with the rise in consumer knowledge of tech and the number of cloud services — and now generative AI tools — available. On top of this, vendors have made it easier for users to gain access to their services by purposely subverting IT teams. In the past, for example, employees always required an admin to install an application. However, vendors have streamlined this process by installing applications into user-controlled areas.  Just like how plants and trees can grow wildly without proper management, unauthorised IT systems can proliferate, creating a tangled mess that’s hard to control. Gartner has predicted that by 2027, three quarters of employees “will acquire, modify or create technology outside IT’s visibility — up from 41% in 2022”.  So, how do you approach the seemingly impossible task of maintaining unmanaged assets and resources without disrupting the whole business ecosystem?   Related:Forrester Award Keynote: Schneider Electric Deputy CISO on Managing Trust, Supplier Risk The Risks of Shadow IT   The main danger of shadow IT is that it is an unmanaged risk — and IT can’t mitigate threats they don’t know about.  Unmanaged personal devices like smartphones, laptops and wearables, which employees use on the enterprise network but fall outside of a company’s bring your own device (BYOD) policy, are common instances of shadow IT. These can make the network vulnerable to potential breaches like bad actors spreading malware or ransomware.   More covertly, these security gaps can extend to ‘out-of-sight’ cloud services. For example, sensitive business data may be stored on personal cloud accounts without the necessary encryption or multi-factor authentication that might be used on managed servers. This means the business is vulnerable to data breaches and cyberattacks, creating critical risks that IT aren’t even aware of.  Any unauthorized third-party software in use may also breach company data protection standards and quality assurance. Users without the necessary skill and training won’t be able to effectively configure and secure such tools.   Operationally, shadow IT creates lots of data silos and restricts data sharing. As IT doesn’t have a bird’s eye view of operations, they can’t control or secure these systems, spot inconsistencies, and effectively manage overall resources and costs.   Related:Quantum-Proofing Your IT Systems The Benefits of Securing Your Shadow   Shadow IT usually emerges from users not being able to get the services or functionality they need through managed assets and resources. They might not have enough cloud storage space and so use a personal account or use external third-party software as the ‘approved’ software doesn’t give them the capabilities they require.  Therefore, despite the embedded risks of shadow IT, companies shouldn’t look to eradicate these applications. Instead, IT can either offer efficient ways of transferring data onto secure systems or transfer applications onto managed servers without changing the applications themselves, akin to pulling the rug from under your feet.  Through this method, they can deliver faster tech, more efficiency and better security while needing less training for staff and lower costs. Crucially, this transition brings very little operational disruption.  Managing Your Shadow   Securing your shadow is just the start — managing it is an ongoing activity.  Creating an open dialogue with employees that encourages them to report any unmanaged applications gives IT visibility. Establishing robust BYOD policies is another way to keep on top of your shadow.   Related:What Do We Know About the New Ransomware Gang Termite? It’s also worth IT interrogating training processes and knowledge sources. How aware are staff of the risks of shadow IT? Where do employees go to remedy tech issues? Often search engines are the first port of call, with Large Language Models becoming increasingly popular. And it’s not just about reporting devices and training, but ensuring there is a regular flow of feedback from staff about any issues they are having with current systems or extra functionalities they might need.   Instead of reprimanding staff for using unmanaged software, companies should enact an open and constructive approach to shadow IT, one that learns from why users have needed to use such tools. That way, IT can manage standards and improve operations — and that leaves less chance of the shadow growing uncontrolled.   Controlling Your Shadow   When companies begin to migrate their technology, they can discover they have a large amount of shadow IT that stretches way beyond what is visible and managed. These applications are connected under the surface and are business critical. If you remove the roots, the tree can no longer survive. And if you remove a tree, you impact the whole forest.  At the same time, from data breaches to lack of visibility, the risks of shadow IT are aplenty.   Faced with this dilemma, companies need to prioritize a strategy that enables these applications to run on managed servers, creating secure environments with little operational disruption. With a positive approach to shadow IT, risks can be controlled and innovation promoted and encouraged.   source

Join our daily and weekly newsletters for the latest updates and exclusive content on industry-leading AI coverage. Learn More Google unveiled “Jules” on Wednesday, an artificial intelligence coding assistant that can autonomously fix software bugs and prepare code changes while developers sleep, marking a significant advancement in the company’s push to automate core programming tasks. The experimental AI-powered code agent, built on Google’s newly announced Gemini 2.0 platform, integrates directly with GitHub’s workflow system and can analyze complex codebases, implement fixes across multiple files, and prepare detailed pull requests without constant human supervision. The timing of Jules’ release is strategic. As the software development industry grapples with a persistent talent shortage and mounting technical debt, automated coding assistants have become increasingly crucial. Market research firm Gartner estimates that by 2028, AI-assisted coding will be involved in 75% of new application development. Unlike traditional coding assistants that merely suggest fixes, Jules operates as an autonomous agent within GitHub’s ecosystem. It analyzes codebases, creates comprehensive repair plans, and executes fixes across multiple files simultaneously. Most importantly, it integrates seamlessly with existing developer workflows. During a press conference, Jaclyn Konzelmann, director of product management at Google Labs, emphasized the system’s safety features. “Developers are in control along the way,” she explained. “Jules presents a suggested plan before taking action, and users can monitor its progress writing code.” The system requires explicit approval before merging any changes, maintaining human oversight of the development process. The rise of AI agents: How Jules fits into Google’s master plan Jules represents more than just a coding assistant; it’s part of Google’s broader vision for AI agents that can operate autonomously while remaining under human supervision. The system is powered by Gemini 2.0, Google’s latest large language model, which brings significant improvements in code understanding and generation. “We’re early in our understanding of the full capabilities of AI agents for computer use,” Konzelmann acknowledged during the press conference. This cautious approach reflects the broader industry concerns about AI safety and reliability, particularly in critical systems. The human factor: What Jules means for developer jobs For many developers, Jules raises important questions about the future of their profession. However, early testing suggests it’s more likely to enhance rather than replace human developers. At Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, researchers using Jules and related Google AI tools reduced certain analysis tasks from a week to minutes, allowing them to focus on more complex challenges. The financial implications of Jules could be substantial. Software development projects typically run significant risks of cost overruns, with large IT projects running 45% over budget and delivering 56% less value than predicted, according to McKinsey. By automating routine bug fixes and maintenance tasks, Jules could significantly reduce these costs while accelerating development cycles. Google’s strategy also positions it competitively against Microsoft’s GitHub Copilot and Amazon’s CodeWhisperer. The integration with GitHub’s workflow gives Google a strong foothold in the developer tools market, estimated to reach $937 billion by 2027. What’s next for AI-powered development Jules will initially be available to a select group of trusted testers, with broader access planned for early 2025. Google has already announced plans to integrate similar capabilities across its development ecosystem, including Android Studio and Chrome DevTools. The true test of Jules will be its ability to handle increasingly complex programming challenges while maintaining code quality and security. As one senior developer at a major tech firm noted, “The promise isn’t just about fixing bugs faster — it’s about fundamentally changing how we approach software development.” In an industry where the cost of poor code quality reaches $2.84 trillion annually according to CISQ, Jules might represent more than just another tool in the developer’s arsenal. It could mark the beginning of a new era when AI and human developers work in genuine partnership, potentially reshaping the future of software development itself. source

By Tom Zanki ( December 13, 2024, 2:51 PM EST) — Two special purpose acquisition companies began trading on Friday after completing initial public offerings that raised a combined $410 million, under guidance from three law firms, targeting industries spanning cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and financial technology…. Law360 is on it, so you are, too. A Law360 subscription puts you at the center of fast-moving legal issues, trends and developments so you can act with speed and confidence. Over 200 articles are published daily across more than 60 topics, industries, practice areas and jurisdictions. A Law360 subscription includes features such as Daily newsletters Expert analysis Mobile app Advanced search Judge information Real-time alerts 450K+ searchable archived articles And more! Experience Law360 today with a free 7-day trial. source

Join our daily and weekly newsletters for the latest updates and exclusive content on industry-leading AI coverage. Learn More Lambda is a 12-year-old San Francisco company best known for offering graphics processing units (GPUs) on demand as a service to machine learning researchers and AI model builders and trainers. But today it’s taking its offerings a step further with the launch of the Lambda Inference API (application programming interface), which it claims to be the lowest-cost service of its kind on the market. The API allows enterprises to deploy AI models and applications into production for end users without worrying about procuring or maintaining compute. The launch complements Lambda’s existing focus on providing GPU clusters for training and fine-tuning machine learning models. “Our platform is fully verticalized, meaning we can pass dramatic cost savings to end users compared to other providers like OpenAI,” said Robert Brooks, Lambda’s vice president of revenue, in a video call interview with VentureBeat. “Plus, there are no rate limits inhibiting scaling, and you don’t have to talk to a salesperson to get started.” In fact, as Brooks told VentureBeat, developers can head over to Lambda’s new Inference API webpage, generate an API key, and get started in less than five minutes. Lambda’s Inference API supports leading-edge models such as Meta’s Llama 3.3 and 3.1, Nous’s Hermes-3, and Alibaba’s Qwen 2.5, making it one of the most accessible options for the machine learning community. The full list is available here and includes: deepseek-coder-v2-lite-instruct dracarys2-72b-instruct hermes3-405b hermes3-405b-fp8-128k hermes3-70b hermes3-8b lfm-40b llama3.1-405b-instruct-fp8 llama3.1-70b-instruct-fp8 llama3.1-8b-instruct llama3.2-3b-instruct llama3.1-nemotron-70b-instruct llama3.3-70b Pricing begins at $0.02 per million tokens for smaller models like Llama-3.2-3B-Instruct, and scales up to $0.90 per million tokens for larger, state-of-the-art models such as Llama 3.1-405B-Instruct. As Lambda cofounder and CEO Stephen Balaban put it recently on X, “Stop wasting money and start using Lambda for LLM Inference.” Balaban published a graph showing its per-token cost for serving up AI models through inference compared to rivals in the space. Furthermore, unlike many other services, Lambda’s pay-as-you-go model ensures customers pay only for the tokens they use, eliminating the need for subscriptions or rate-limited plans. Closing the AI loop Lambda has a decade-plus history of supporting AI advancements with its GPU-based infrastructure. From its hardware solutions to its training and fine-tuning capabilities, the company has built a reputation as a reliable partner for enterprises, research institutions, and startups. “Understand that Lambda has been deploying GPUs for well over a decade to our user base, and so we’re sitting on literally tens of thousands of Nvidia GPUs, and some of them can be from older life cycles and newer life cycles, allowing us to still get maximum utility out of those AI chips for the wider ML community, at reduced costs as well,” Brooks explained. “With the launch of Lambda Inference, we’re closing the loop on the full-stack AI development lifecycle. The new API formalizes what many engineers had already been doing on Lambda’s platform — using it for inference — but now with a dedicated service that simplifies deployment.” Brooks noted that its deep reservoir of GPU resources is one of Lambda’s distinguishing features, reiterating that “Lambda has deployed tens of thousands of GPUs over the past decade, allowing us to offer cost-effective solutions and maximum utility for both older and newer AI chips.” This GPU advantage enables the platform to support scaling to trillions of tokens monthly, providing flexibility for developers and enterprises alike. Open and flexible Lambda is positioning itself as a flexible alternative to cloud giants by offering unrestricted access to high-performance inference. “We want to give the machine learning community unrestricted access to inference APIs. You can plug and play, read the docs, and scale rapidly to trillions of tokens,” Brooks explained. The API supports a range of open-source and proprietary models, including popular instruction-tuned Llama models. The company has also hinted at expanding to multimodal applications, including video and image generation, in the near future. “Initially, we’re focused on text-based LLMs, but soon we’ll expand to multimodal models,” Brooks said. Serving devs and enterprises with privacy and security The Lambda Inference API targets a wide range of users, from startups to large enterprises, in media, entertainment, and software development. These industries are increasingly adopting AI to power applications like text summarization, code generation, and generative content creation. “There’s no retention or sharing of user data on our platform. We act as a conduit for serving data to end users, ensuring privacy,” Brooks emphasized, reinforcing Lambda’s commitment to security and user control. As AI adoption continues to rise, Lambda’s new service is poised to attract attention from businesses seeking cost-effective solutions for deploying and maintaining AI models. By eliminating common barriers such as rate limits and high operating costs, Lambda hopes to empower more organizations to harness AI’s potential. The Lambda Inference API is available now, with detailed pricing and documentation accessible through Lambda’s website. source

By Lauren Berg ( December 16, 2024, 10:05 PM EST) — A split U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Monday adopted rule amendments that require certain filings be made electronically, with Chair Gary Gensler saying the changes will streamline the commission’s filing process…. Law360 is on it, so you are, too. A Law360 subscription puts you at the center of fast-moving legal issues, trends and developments so you can act with speed and confidence. Over 200 articles are published daily across more than 60 topics, industries, practice areas and jurisdictions. A Law360 subscription includes features such as Daily newsletters Expert analysis Mobile app Advanced search Judge information Real-time alerts 450K+ searchable archived articles And more! Experience Law360 today with a free 7-day trial. source

Accommodating your customers’ communication preferences is important, especially as your business grows. This means supporting them via social media, website forms, live chat, SMS, traditional phone support, and any other channels they may use. Going after the wrong channels or using the wrong approach can be costly and difficult to manage. This is true for supervisors, admins, and agents alike. A multichannel contact center that centralizes communication methods in one place can solve many of these problems, make it easier to scale, save you money, and improve the customer experience. 1 RingCentral RingEx Employees per Company Size Micro (0-49), Small (50-249), Medium (250-999), Large (1,000-4,999), Enterprise (5,000+) Medium (250-999 Employees), Large (1,000-4,999 Employees), Enterprise (5,000+ Employees) Medium, Large, Enterprise Features Hosted PBX, Managed PBX, Remote User Ability, and more 2 Talkroute Employees per Company Size Micro (0-49), Small (50-249), Medium (250-999), Large (1,000-4,999), Enterprise (5,000+) Any Company Size Any Company Size Features Call Management/Monitoring, Call Routing, Mobile Capabilities, and more How a multichannel contact center works Multichannel contact centers make it possible for customers to interact with companies through various communication channels. Agents can manage all of these channels through a single platform, making it easy to support customers no matter where they reach out from. They’ll be able to answer phone calls, respond to texts, reply to Facebook messages, offer support on X, and more all from a single dashboard. In most cases, multiple agents can work together to knock it all out with shared inboxes. On the admin side, managers can use multichannel contact centers to bring together data that would otherwise be scattered across different tools. For example, you’ll get a more holistic look at agent performance across every channel rather than analyzing one channel at a time. Multichannel contact center vs omnichannel contact center Multichannel contact centers are not quite the same as omnichannel contact centers, and it’s important to note these differences to truly understand how these solutions work. With a multichannel system, all communication is managed from a single platform, but each channel is siloed and operates independently. An agent speaking to an inbound caller likely won’t have access to that customer’s previous interactions via email or social media. Omnichannel contact centers unify the customer experience by giving agents access to the full communication history of each customer, regardless of the channel. Reps can see all customer interactions, which is helpful in scenarios when the customer journey extends across multiple touch points. If you’re using a web form or live chat to qualify customers before directing them to customer service, an omnichannel solution is helpful as your agents will be able to seamlessly continue communication right where it left off. A multichannel solution is sufficient if customer interactions typically start and end on the same channel. How to deploy a multichannel contact center There are three main ways to set up a multichannel contact center — CCaaS, CPaaS, and on-premises deployments. Here’s an overview of each so you can determine which one makes sense for your business. CCaaS (contact center as a service) CCaaS solutions are pre-built, cloud-based contact center systems that include all communication channels under a single subscription. They’re the most affordable option and the easiest to set up, making it the ideal deployment method for smaller and mid-sized contact centers that don’t need customizations or intricate setups. You can get a CCaaS deployment from a call center software provider. CPaaS (communications platform as a service) CPaaS contact centers are also cloud-based, but they require developers and significant upfront configuration. It’s a better choice for businesses that need a way to add multiple communication features to an existing application, utilizing APIs and other developer-friendly components. For example, a health insurance provider could use a CPaaS deployment to add live chat to their existing healthcare app during open enrollment. This type of set up is oftentimes the only option when you need to build channel-specific communication features and customizations into your existing systems, compared to a CCaaS where everything is pre-built out of the box. It can also be a superior option if off-the-shelf contact center integrations don’t work for you. On-premises On-premises deployments are generally reserved for enterprise organizations that either have specific compliance requirements or already have the existing infrastructure in place to handle everything in-house. In this scenario, you’re managing all of the hardware and software from your own on-site data center. You’ll have total control over everything — including all the security and customization capabilities. But you’re also responsible for managing all of the backend requirements to power your contact center, which isn’t realistic for most businesses. Benefits of a multichannel contact center There are dozens of advantages of migrating your contact center to a multichannel solution. But these five do a good job of summing up why you might want to switch. Simplified tech stack The best part about multichannel contact centers is that you can consolidate all of your apps into a single platform. Rather than using one app to manage chatbots on your website, a second for SMS marketing, and a third for social media messages, your multichannel contact center brings all of these elements together. Improved agent productivity Agents will be more productive if they don’t have to switch between multiple platforms, windows, and screens when handling communication across different channels. It’s also easier for agents to multi-task if everything is centralized. For example, a single agent can handle two live chat conversations while also providing phone support from a multichannel contact system. Insufficient tools are one of the leading causes of call center burnout, so this can help with that too. On top of that, contact center AI that works across various platforms can free up agents for more complex situations. Better customer experiences A multichannel contact center is the easiest way to give your customers more options when they need to contact your business. Whether it’s for sales, support, or a general inquiry, your customers can reach you in whatever way is