AI Magazine Issue 1 2017

Acquisition International - January 2017 5 Mergers, Acquisitions and Infrastructure OptimisationWill Bolster Cloud Contact Centres in Latin America “On-premise system suppliers will strive to introduce cloud and hybrid-based options to keep pace in an increasingly competitive market,” said Customer Contact Senior Industry Analyst Maiara Munhoz. “For instance, Genesys’s purchase of Interactive Intelligence’s cloud portfolio and enterprise communications components highlights portfolio expansion and provides the former a competitive edge over Avaya.” Latin American Contact Centre Systems Market, Forecast to 2021, new analysis from Frost & Sullivan’s Customer Contact Growth Partnership Service program, examines the scope of business transformation across different industry verticals and analyses how innovative solutions will take over the market. The subscription also explores growth opportunity areas such as social media tools, cloud solutions, omni-channel customer experience, automation via artificial intelligence and virtual agents/advisors. Key regional insights include: • The Latin American contact centre systems market attained $240.0 million in revenues in 2015 and is expected to reach $275.5 million in 2021. • In 2015, Brazil represented almost 50% of the total contact centre systems market. • Chile, Peru and Colombia will experience higher growth rates over the forecast period. • By 2021, cloud will comprise more than 30% of the total Latin American contact centre market. “Omnichannel solutions must aim to provide proactive customer service that is ‘informed’ by real- time data and predict customer behaviour in order to change offers and provide service in real time,” noted Munhoz. “They must also incorporate other data sources for better clarity about the customer, provide real-time guidance capabilities for agents in complex customer support scenarios, and improve agent performance.” Latin American telcos are looking forward to augmenting efficiency and reduce costs. In this context, use of artificial intelligence (AI) and natural language processing (NLP) technology will see increasing adoption through a range of applications such as speech recognition, speech analytics, biometrics and robotic process automation. http://ww2.frost.com Currency devaluations and stretched information technology (IT) budgets have led Latin American companies to respond by prioritising cost containment and measures to improve productivity and operational efficiencies. Meanwhile, key contact centre companies in the market have made their move towards increasing their portfolio and adding cloud contact centre solutions. Ethypharm on 19th January announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Martindale Pharma. Martindale Pharma is a leading UK-based specialty pharmaceutical compa- ny providing essential medicines to over 50 countries around the world. Martindale Pharma specialises in the field of opioid addiction, emergency care and sterile injectables. By joining forces with Martindale Pharma, Et- hypharm reinforces its presence in the UK. The combined group will also benefit from a broader geographical reach and strengthen its manufacturing capabilities including solid dose, injectables and oral liquids. The combination of the two companies will create a group with revenues of more than €300 million and a solid platform for future growth. Michael Harris, CEO of Martindale Pharma and future Chief Operating Officer of Ethypharm said, “the combination of Ethypharm and Mar- tindale enables us to create a leading company in the fields of emergency care, pain and addic- tion. It allows us to take our products into many other markets helping patients around the world get access to better medicines.” Hugues Lecat, CEO of Ethypharm added, “I am delighted to welcome the Martindale Pharma team within Ethypharm. The combined group will benefit from Martindale’s expertise and tal- ents to accelerate its international growth.” www.ethypharm.com www.martindalepharma.co.uk EthypharmAcquires Martindale Pharma in the UK NEWS / From Around The World