Executive Summary

Key Takeaways

Contact center platforms have evolved from reactive, voice-centric systems into cloud-based engagement environments that support distributed operations, digital channels and automation. Enterprises now expect reliable interaction handling and simpler administration without necessarily requiring enterprise-scale CCaaS complexity. Cloud delivery, AI, automation and flexible integration are reshaping how emerging providers balance focused execution with innovation.

Software Provider Summary
The ISG Buyers Guide™ for Contact Center Emerging Providers evaluates 10 software providers offering products that support routing, workforce engagement, self-service and AI-enabled automation. The research ranked the top three overall as UJET, Exotel and Bright Pattern. Exotel, Puzzel and UJET were rated Exemplary, with Bright Pattern and Odigo rated Innovative. Diabolocom and Enghouse Interactive were rated as providers of Assurance, while Aircall, Call Center Studio and net2phone were rated as providers of Merit.

Product Experience Insights
Product Experience, representing 80% of the evaluation, focuses on Capability (40%) and Platform (40%), including adaptability, manageability, reliability and usability. UJET, Exotel and Bright Pattern were the Product Experience Leaders. Product Experience is supported by capabilities spanning interaction management and routing, agent workspace and collaboration, workforce engagement, self-service and journey orchestration, experience analytics and AI and automation, with platform requirements supporting secure, scalable and manageable operations.

Customer Experience Value
Customer Experience, representing 20% of the evaluation, focuses on validation and TCO/ROI. Puzzel, Diabolocom and Exotel were the Customer Experience Leaders and best communicate commitment and dedication to customer needs. Providers with lower performance may lack sufficient information demonstrating customer success, customer commitment or TCO/ROI value, reinforcing the importance of evaluating the full provider relationship alongside product capabilities.

Strategic Recommendations
Enterprises should evaluate emerging contact center providers based on strategic fit rather than feature-for-feature parity with enterprise CCaaS platforms. Assessment should prioritize reliable routing, reporting and administration, integrations with CRM and help desk systems, security and support, transparent pricing and packaging, and roadmap maturity. Organizations should also determine whether AI and automation capabilities are native, partner-delivered or optional, while considering data governance, financial stability and the long-term cost of capability gaps.

 

The Findings

The software providers and products evaluated in this research offer product and customer experiences, but not every feature is equally valuable to every enterprise or is needed to support the relevant business processes and use cases. Moreover, having too many product capabilities may be a negative factor for an enterprise if it introduces unnecessary complexity. Nonetheless, you may decide that a more comprehensive set of capabilities is important and meets your enterprise’s requirements.

An effective customer relationship with a software provider is vital to the success of any investment. The overall customer experience and the full lifecycle of engagement play a key role in ensuring satisfaction and long-term success. Providers with dedicated customer leadership, such as chief customer officers, tend to invest more deeply in these relationships and prioritize customer outcomes in line with TCO and ROI expectations. It is equally important that this commitment to customer success is evident throughout the provider’s website, the buying process and the customer journey.ISG_BG_Contact_Center_Emerging_Providers_Overall_2026

Overall Scoring of Software Providers Across Categories

The research finds UJET atop the list, followed by Exotel and Bright Pattern. Providers that place in the top three of a category earn the designation of Leader. UJET and Exotel have done so in four categories, Bright Pattern in three and Puzzel and Diabolocom in two categories.

About the authors

Keith Dawson

Keith Dawson

Keith leads the expertise in Customer Experience (CX), covering applications and technology that facilitate engagement to optimize customer-facing processes. His focus areas include: agent management, contact center and voice of the customer and technology in marketing, sales, field service and applications such as digital commerce and subscription management. Keith’s specialization is in natural language and speech tools with intelligent virtual assistants, multichannel routing and journey management, and the wide array of customer analytics. He is focused on how businesses can break down technology and operational silos to provide more efficient processes for two-way engagement with customers. Keith has been an industry analyst for more than a decade and prior was the editorial director of Call Center Magazine. There he pioneered coverage of cloud-based contact centers, speech recognition and processing, and the shift from voice to multichannel communications. He is a graduate of Amherst College.
Robert Kugel

Robert Kugel

Rob heads up the CFO and business research focusing on the intersection of information technology with the finance organization and business. The financial performance management (FPM) research agenda includes the application of IT to financial process optimization and collaborative systems; control systems and analytics; and advanced budgeting and planning. Prior to joining Ventana Research he was an equity research analyst at several firms including First Albany Corporation, Morgan Stanley, and Drexel Burnham, and a consultant with McKinsey and Company. Rob was an Institutional Investor All-American Team member and on the Wall Street Journal All-Star list. Rob has experience in aerospace and defense, banking, manufacturing and retail and consumer services. Rob earned his BA in Economics/Finance at Hampshire College, an MBA in Finance/Accounting at Columbia University, and is a CFA charter holder.