Why the largest contact centers still rely on custom agent desktops?
Through a couple of recent projects, I had the opportunity to look at the contact center stacks of several very large operations—by large, I mean anywhere from several thousand to tens of thousands of agents.
What struck me is that almost all of them are using custom desktops.
I am finding three key reasons why large, complex contact center operations continue to build custom desktops:
First, they need to integrate a wide array of systems—often multiple CRMs and also commercial and homegrown back-end applications, many of which lack modern REST APIs.
Second, they require extensive customizations to support diverse departmental needs and tailor workflows.
And third, there’s a strong push to declutter the agent desktop—to reduce cognitive load and simplify the day-to-day experience for customer-facing teams.
As I dug deeper into the drivers behind custom desktop adoption, I revisited Gartner’s Connected Rep strategy, introduced in 2023. This research hasn’t received the attention it deserves and aligns closely with my own observations.
Gartner’s findings are telling. 43% of reps feel overwhelmed by the sheer number of systems and tools they must navigate to get work done. Even more striking, only a third of customer service leaders consider their desktop investments effective.
Gartner explored two key strategies to address these challenges: consolidating technologies—reducing the number of systems in use—and organizing information more effectively—streamlining how applications are arranged on the desktop.
In a survey of nearly 1,000 agents, they assessed how each strategy impacts two critical efficiency metrics: First Call Resolution (FCR) and dead air (the silent time indicating an agent searching for information). Their findings pointed to improved desktop organization as the more effective strategy. Furthermore, research from the likes of Okta shows that the number of applications enterprises use continues to grow.
This led to Gartner’s Connected Rep strategy and its three core design principles for desktop optimization:
Deliver a unified context—51% of reps report lacking visibility into previous steps in the customer journey
Provide conversation-specific guidance, which hinges on dynamically pulling the right recommendation engine—whether AI-driven or decision tree-based—tailored to the moment
Organize information into clear, focused sections, rather than relying on excessive tabs or long, cumbersome scrollable pages.
Desktops remain a critical component of the CX stack, warranting full strategic consideration rather than being treated as just another feature.
Working with BPOs taught me that designing for high-frequency, repetitive use requires a different approach: It’s not so much about the look and feel—it’s about distilling critical information onto a single, above-the-fold screen. No tabs. No scrolling. Information always in the same place. Built for speed