An on-premises contact centre is a type of contact centre that operates entirely within a company’s physical premises or data centres. In an on-premises setup, all the hardware, software, and infrastructure required for running the contact centre are owned, managed, and maintained by the organisation itself. 

On-premises contact centres are commonly found in industries with strict data security and compliance requirements, such as finance and healthcare. They provide a high degree of control and customisation but require significant upfront investments and ongoing maintenance. In contrast, cloud-based contact centres offer a more cost-effective and scalable solution, making them the most popular choice.

Key features of an on-premises contact centre

Physical Control: The organisation has complete control over the hardware, software, and network infrastructure used in the contact centre. This means they can customise and configure the system to their specific needs.

Data Privacy: Since the data and customer interactions are handled on-site, the organisation has greater control over data privacy and security, which is crucial in industries with strict regulatory requirements.

Scalability: Scalability depends on the organisation’s ability to invest in additional hardware and infrastructure. Scaling up may involve significant capital expenses and lead times for deployment.

Maintenance: The organisation is responsible for maintaining and upgrading all the equipment and software, which requires IT expertise and resources.

Costs: While there may be higher initial capital costs, on-premises contact centres can potentially have lower operational costs in the long run due to the absence of subscription fees associated with cloud-based solutions.

Customisation: Organisations have the flexibility to tailor the contact centre to meet specific business needs and integrate it with other on-premises systems.