The technology industry continues to be a hotbed of innovation. Activity is driven by the rapid emergence and widespread adoption of game-changing technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), internet of things (IoT), and mobility, and growing importance of technologies such as interactive voice response (IVR), automatic call distribution (ACD), customer relationship management (CRM) systems, and intelligent routing. These technologies work together to create intelligent contact centres that enhance customer experiences, optimise agent productivity, and improve overall operational effectiveness in delivering customer service. In the last three years alone, there have been over 3.6 million patents filed and granted in the technology industry, according to GlobalData’s report on Innovation in Cloud: Intelligent contact centres. Buy the report here.

According to GlobalData’s Technology Foresights, which uses over 2.5 million patents to analyse innovation intensity for the technology industry, there are 300+ innovation areas that will shape the future of the industry.

Intelligent contact centres is a key innovation area in cloud

Intelligent contact centres refer to customer service centres that utilise cutting-edge technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning to deliver highly personalised and efficient customer support. These contact centres are specifically designed to automate operations, decrease expenses, and enhance overall customer satisfaction.

GlobalData’s analysis also uncovers the companies at the forefront of each innovation area and assesses the potential reach and impact of their patenting activity across different applications and geographies. According to GlobalData, there are 760+ companies, spanning technology vendors, established technology companies, and up-and-coming start-ups engaged in the development and application of intelligent contact centres.

Key players in intelligent contact centres – a disruptive innovation in the technology industry

‘Application diversity’ measures the number of different applications identified for each relevant patent. It broadly splits companies into either ‘niche’ or ‘diversified’ innovators.

‘Geographic reach’ refers to the number of different countries each relevant patent is registered in. It reflects the breadth of geographic application intended, ranging from ‘global’ to ‘local’.

Patent volumes related to intelligent contact centres

Company Total patents (2010 - 2022) Premium intelligence on the world's largest companies
Alphabet 3396 Unlock Company Profile
Samsung Group 3311 Unlock Company Profile
Microsoft 2342 Unlock Company Profile
Apple 1530 Unlock Company Profile
Baidu 1499 Unlock Company Profile
Sony Group 1274 Unlock Company Profile
Avaya 1252 Unlock Company Profile
International Business Machines (IBM) 1137 Unlock Company Profile
LG 1082 Unlock Company Profile
Amazon.com 785 Unlock Company Profile
Genesys Telecommunications Laboratories 719 Unlock Company Profile
SoftBank Group 596 Unlock Company Profile
Legend 590 Unlock Company Profile
Nippon Telegraph and Telephone 540 Unlock Company Profile
Toyota Motor 539 Unlock Company Profile
Mitsubishi Electric 534 Unlock Company Profile
Panasonic 533 Unlock Company Profile
Toshiba 524 Unlock Company Profile
Huawei Investment & Holding 481 Unlock Company Profile
Gree Electric Appliances 465 Unlock Company Profile
Xperi 457 Unlock Company Profile
Tencent 424 Unlock Company Profile
Midea 423 Unlock Company Profile
Hyundai Motor Group 380 Unlock Company Profile
Ping An Insurance 353 Unlock Company Profile
Sharp 336 Unlock Company Profile
Intel 330 Unlock Company Profile
AT&T 326 Unlock Company Profile
Honda Motor 323 Unlock Company Profile
Qualcomm 321 Unlock Company Profile
ZTE 306 Unlock Company Profile
NEC 297 Unlock Company Profile
Furukawa 294 Unlock Company Profile
Xiaomi 288 Unlock Company Profile
Honeywell International 288 Unlock Company Profile
General Motors 274 Unlock Company Profile
Sonos 264 Unlock Company Profile
Motorola Solutions 263 Unlock Company Profile
Haier Group 245 Unlock Company Profile
Kia 231 Unlock Company Profile
Ford Motor 231 Unlock Company Profile
Verint Systems 229 Unlock Company Profile
GuangDong OPPO Mobile Telecommunications 225 Unlock Company Profile
Porsche Automobil 210 Unlock Company Profile
Meta Platforms 202 Unlock Company Profile
Accenture 177 Unlock Company Profile
Chi Information Technology 171 Unlock Company Profile
Global Tel*Link 163 Unlock Company Profile
Capital One Financial 158 Unlock Company Profile
Nice 150 Unlock Company Profile

Source: GlobalData Patent Analytics

Alphabet is one of the leading patent filers in intelligent contact centres. The company’s patents are aimed at methods, apparatus, and computer readable media for utilising a context of an ongoing human-to-computer dialog to enhance the ability of an automated assistant to interpret and respond when a user abruptly transitions between different domains (subjects).

A natural language input may be received from a user during an ongoing human-to-computer dialog with an automated assistant. Grammar may be selected to parse the natural language input. The selecting may be based on topic stored as part of a contextual data structure associated with the ongoing human-to-computer dialog.

The natural language input may be parsed based on the selected grammar. Based on the parse, a natural language response may be generated and conveyed to the user using an output device. Any topics raised by the parse or the natural language response may be identified and added to the contextual data structure.

Other prominent patent filers in the space include Samsung and Microsoft. 

By geographic reach, Afiniti Europe Technologies leads the pack, followed by Adaptive Spectrum and Signal Alignment and iRobot. In terms of application diversity, Charles Stark Draper Laboratory holds the top position, followed by Rateze Remote Mgmt and Kudelski.       

Intelligent contact centres play a vital role in delivering exceptional customer service, driving operational efficiency, and contributing to business success. They enable businesses to meet evolving customer expectations, optimise resource utilisation, and leverage data insights to continuously improve their customer support capabilities.   

To further understand how cloud is disrupting the technology industry, access GlobalData’s latest thematic research report on Cloud Computing – Thematic Intelligence.

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GlobalData, the leading provider of industry intelligence, provided the underlying data, research, and analysis used to produce this article.

GlobalData’s Patent Analytics tracks patent filings and grants from official offices around the world. Textual analysis and official patent classifications are used to group patents into key thematic areas and link them to specific companies across the world’s largest industries.