CX market landscape, 6th edition

And here we go, version 6 of my customer interaction management - or should I say CX - landscape.

This edition features 1,010 players spread across 34 categories. While I may be following the herd by adopting the CX terminology, it's important to note that this landscape remains focused on customer service.

Some stats and observations:

The combination of fewer new entrants and increased M&A activity translates into only a slight increase in the number of participants compared to the previous version (1010 vs. 990).

The number of CCaaS and DCS providers has increased by 11% and is now approaching 200.

Conversational AI categories total 215, showing a slight decrease (-4%): some players have started to refocus on either an industry or a specific use case. I was surprised by the remarkable growth of the outbound automation category.

Other notable categories expanding rapidly include:

• WFM (Workforce Management), that AI is both transforming and lowering barriers to entry

• The speech & interaction analytics category continues to expand, now boasting 100 players

• and of course Automation categories

Here is the foundational blueprint that you can utilize to map players, your current stack, and identify the desired end state.