MaxContact Wins at the 2025 Megabuyte Emerging Stars Awards
We’re proud to announce that MaxContact has been named the Best Performing Company in Customer Relationship Management at the 2025 Megabuyte Emerging Stars Awards!
A Significant Achievement
This recognition places us among an elite group of 50 Emerging Stars, selected from an initial pool of over 6,000 companies. With only 825 meeting the strict eligibility criteria in a challenging economic climate, this award reflects our team’s commitment to innovation and excellence.
“Despite experiencing some softness in sectors like energy and longer sales cycles in recent years, MaxContact has maintained c. 30% revenue growth, ahead of most other vendors in the contact centre software market. A key proponent of this is its conversational AI product strategy, with AI-enabled products featuring in 80%+ of deals.”
Moving Forward
This award validates our strategic direction and focus on delivering innovative solutions that address real customer needs. Our investment in conversational AI technology, Spokn AI, continues to drive our success and differentiate us in the market.
We remain committed to supporting our 100+ UK customers across BPO, communications, financial services, utilities, and retail sectors with solutions that enhance their customer engagement capabilities.
We’d like to thank our dedicated team, partners and valued customers for their ongoing support and confidence in MaxContact.
About Megabuyte
Megabuyte supports UK scale-up and mid-market software & ICT Services companies to develop robust growth strategies, understand their competitive landscape and customer sentiment, benchmark their financial performance and valuation, and identify and track M&A targets. They provide proprietary insights and data through their subscription research service, offer packaged consulting services, and give access to their network of some 500 tech sector CEOs through events and their expert network.
About the Emerging Stars Awards
The Emerging Stars awards are part of the Megabuyte100 award series which collectively celebrate the 100 best-performing technology companies in the UK. The awards identify the UK’s best-performing technology scale-ups as defined by Megabuyte’s proprietary Scorecard methodology, complemented by expert qualitative insights from their analysts. Evaluation criteria encompass factors such as size, growth, and margins, highlighting the top 50 best-performing scale-up companies in the UK.
Learn More
For further information about the 2025 Megabuyte Emerging Stars Awards and to see the complete list of winners, click here to access the full Megabuyte report.
Here’s to continued success and innovation throughout 2025!
(() => {
const run = () => {
const rich = document.querySelector('#rich-text');
const toc = document.querySelector('#toc');
if (!rich || !toc) return;
const headings = rich.querySelectorAll('h2');
if (!headings.length) {
toc.style.display = 'none';
return;
}
const slugCounts = Object.create(null);
const slugify = (str) => {
const base = (str || '')
.trim()
.toLowerCase()
.normalize('NFD').replace(/[\u0300-\u036f]/g, '')
.replace(/[^a-z0-9\s-]/g, '')
.replace(/\s+/g, '-')
.replace(/-+/g, '-');
const n = (slugCounts[base] = (slugCounts[base] || 0) + 1);
return base ? (n > 1 ? `${base}-${n}` : base) : `section-${n}`;
};
// Build TOC off-DOM
const frag = document.createDocumentFragment();
for (let i = 0; i < headings.length; i++) {
const h = headings[i];
const text = (h.textContent || '').trim() || `Section ${i + 1}`;
if (!h.id) h.id = slugify(text);
const a = document.createElement('a');
a.href = `#${h.id}`;
a.className = 'content_link is-secondary';
a.dataset.target = h.id;
a.setAttribute('aria-label', text);
const p = document.createElement('p');
p.className = 'text-size-small';
p.textContent = text;
a.appendChild(p);
frag.appendChild(a);
}
// Single DOM update
toc.innerHTML = '';
toc.appendChild(frag);
toc.addEventListener('click', (e) => {
const link = e.target.closest('a.content_link[href^="#"]');
if (!link) return;
e.preventDefault();
const id = link.getAttribute('href').slice(1);
const target = document.getElementById(id);
if (!target) return;
// Only compute layout once
const targetTop = target.getBoundingClientRect().top + window.scrollY;
const finalY = targetTop - 150;
window.scrollTo({ top: finalY, behavior: 'smooth' });
history.replaceState(null, '', `#${id}`);
}, { passive: false });
};
// Webflow-safe “run after everything is ready”
if (window.Webflow && Webflow.push) {
Webflow.push(() => requestAnimationFrame(run));
} else {
document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', () => requestAnimationFrame(run));
}
})();
related articles
you might also like
Our articles and industry insights give you expert perspectives, practical strategies, and the latest trends to help your business connect smarter and perform better.
(() => {
const WORDS_PER_MINUTE = 200;
const MULTIPLIER = 1; // your choice
const estimateMinutes = (el) => {
if (!el) return null;
const text = (el.innerText || el.textContent || "").trim();
if (!text) return 1;
const words = (text.match(/\S+/g) || []).length;
const baseMinutes = Math.max(1, Math.ceil(words / WORDS_PER_MINUTE));
return Math.max(1, Math.ceil(baseMinutes * MULTIPLIER));
};
const findNearestTargetInItem = (itemRoot, rt) => {
if (!itemRoot) return null;
return itemRoot.querySelector('.is-text');
};
const applyWithin = (root) => {
// More forgiving selector: attribute present or equals "true"
root.querySelectorAll('[data-rich-text], [data-rich-text="true"]').forEach((rt) => {
const itemRoot =
rt.closest('[role="listitem"]') ||
rt.closest('.w-dyn-item') ||
rt.parentElement ||
root;
const target = findNearestTargetInItem(itemRoot, rt);
if (!target) return;
const mins = estimateMinutes(rt);
if (mins != null) target.textContent = `${mins} MIN READ`;
});
};
const init = () => {
applyWithin(document);
// Re-apply on dynamic changes (pagination/filters)
const mo = new MutationObserver((mutations) => {
for (const m of mutations) {
for (const n of m.addedNodes) {
if (!(n instanceof Element)) continue;
if (
n.matches('[data-rich-text], [data-rich-text="true"], [role="list"], .w-dyn-items, .w-dyn-item') ||
n.querySelector?.('[data-rich-text], [data-rich-text="true"]')
) {
applyWithin(n);
}
}
}
});
mo.observe(document.body, { childList: true, subtree: true });
};
// Robust bootstrapping
if (window.Webflow && Array.isArray(window.Webflow)) {
window.Webflow.push(init);
} else if (document.readyState === 'loading') {
document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', init, { once: true });
} else {
// DOM is already ready; run now
init();
}
})();
Are we at the beginning of the end, or the end of the beginning? As far as Covid-19 is concerned, nobody seems entirely sure. The vaccination rollout promises an eventual release from lockdown, but scientists remain cagey about when everyday life might properly resume.
In the meantime, many of your sales and customer service staff are getting used to working from home. They may be there for a while yet, at least until a combination of the vaccine rollout and better summer weather allows for a cautious return to the office.
Even then, not every business will be forcing staff back into work full time. Social distancing rules are likely to remain in place for the foreseeable future, limiting the number of employees in the same space at the same time.
There’s also growing speculation that many companies will never return to pre-Covid work practices, and that some form of flexible working will become standard practice. A recent Call Centre Helper poll showed that just 7% of contact centres planned to return to the office as normal2, and ONS reported a 47% increase in demand for home working amongst call centre staff1. The data’s there to see, hybrid working, where employees spend some of the week in the office and some working from home, will become far more widespread once the pandemic ends.
The hybrid model of work
There are certainly benefits to it. According to research from Slack, most knowledge workers want a hybrid remote-office model in future. Hardly any want to return to the office full time. Those results are mirrored across sectors and industries, inferring that companies who want to attract the best talent may have to offer hybrid working as a benefit.
Even among businesses with large sales and customer service teams, the benefits of hybrid working may outweigh inevitable misgivings. Many businesses believe they can cut post-pandemic costs by reducing office estates and moving to smaller premises that only have to accommodate a proportion of a firm’s total workforce at any one time.
Put it all together, and it means remote working probably isn’t going anywhere, even after Covid. And even businesses that remain determined to return en masse to the office eventually have no real idea of when that time might be.
So, we’re trying to balance all of this, with changing consumer contact habits – increased adoption of new channels and differing contact patterns – as well as a globally reported increase in contact centre demand, with support firm ZenDesk seeing a steady 16 per cent increase in support contact requests above pre-pandemic levels3.
Productivity challenges
So instead of holding on to pre-pandemic processes, businesses might be better asking how they can adapt more effectively to the ‘normal’ of today while also preparing for whatever tomorrow might throw at them.
Or to put it simply, how do you equip your remote staff with the tools they need to work as productively away from the office as they can in it? How do you train and mentor your teams remotely? How do you continue to delight customers and drive sales when most of your team is working from home? When your workforce returns to a socially distanced office, or splits its time between the office and home, how do you maintain a consistent customer experience?
Businesses have been asking similar questions since last March, of course. But many now realise that the sticking-plaster solutions hastily implemented then are no longer enough, especially when it comes to customer contact. Communications platforms need to give employees the tools they need today, while future-proofing businesses for whatever next month, next year or even the next decade might bring.
Is cloud-first the answer?
It’s for that reason that businesses of all kinds are turning to cloud-based solutions. When your contact centre solution lives in the cloud, your agents can access it from anywhere, on any device, onboarding new starters and completing system training remotely is easier. And, with solutions like MaxContact, new features and functionality are consistently introduced as market trends and business needs change.
But there’s more to a future-proof solution than simply the convenience of cloud. It has to be highly reliable, flexible and secure, while giving you the data you need to measure performance and implement change.
MaxContact is cloud-native for that reason. You get the assurances with the combination of a fully equipped contact centre solution that fulfils all these requirements combined with a resilient uptime guarantee of 99.999% so dropouts and downtime won’t affect sales and customer service. Whilst real-time dashboards and custom reporting give managers full transparency over their teams’ efficiency, wherever they happen to be located.
reduction in training, the issue of training a workforce in the contact centre fast and easily remotely has been of major benefit
This valuable data can eventually be used to inform decision making around post-pandemic working models, giving a real insight into the benefits and challenges of remote working models based on your specific circumstances for every campaign and every call centre agent. This data becomes invaluable in a world were presenteeism in some form has been part of most of our everyday lives for the past 12 months.
Security concerns
Working from home has meant that the companies networks – that were once a secure perimeter – have expanded to every employee home and the plethora of devices they use. There’s now an increasing need to deploy communications solutions with network and data centre security baked in. But we go further. Granular permissions mean you can limit the data your home working teams have access to and remove restrictions at the click of a mouse on those days when they are working from the office.
In fact, MaxContact gives you that kind of agility throughout your contact centre operation. You can add and remove users in minutes, and equip new sites in just a couple of days. MaxContact lets you calculate your staffing requirements using statistical analysis so that, wherever your workforce is based, you always have the right staff with the right skills in place.
In other words, powerful contact centre solutions like MaxContact don’t just solve the temporary challenges of remote working. They equip your business for an uncertain future.
Use our powerful cloud platform to create an agile, secure and streamlined contact centre that not only adapts to the unpredictable challenges of the post-pandemic world.
Most outbound sales teams would describe themselves as “data-driven”. They track activity, review performance reports and measure success against targets.
(() => {
const WORDS_PER_MINUTE = 200;
const MULTIPLIER = 1; // your choice
const estimateMinutes = (el) => {
if (!el) return null;
const text = (el.innerText || el.textContent || "").trim();
if (!text) return 1;
const words = (text.match(/\S+/g) || []).length;
const baseMinutes = Math.max(1, Math.ceil(words / WORDS_PER_MINUTE));
return Math.max(1, Math.ceil(baseMinutes * MULTIPLIER));
};
const findNearestTargetInItem = (itemRoot, rt) => {
if (!itemRoot) return null;
return itemRoot.querySelector('.is-text');
};
const applyWithin = (root) => {
// More forgiving selector: attribute present or equals "true"
root.querySelectorAll('[data-rich-text], [data-rich-text="true"]').forEach((rt) => {
const itemRoot =
rt.closest('[role="listitem"]') ||
rt.closest('.w-dyn-item') ||
rt.parentElement ||
root;
const target = findNearestTargetInItem(itemRoot, rt);
if (!target) return;
const mins = estimateMinutes(rt);
if (mins != null) target.textContent = `${mins} MIN READ`;
});
};
const init = () => {
applyWithin(document);
// Re-apply on dynamic changes (pagination/filters)
const mo = new MutationObserver((mutations) => {
for (const m of mutations) {
for (const n of m.addedNodes) {
if (!(n instanceof Element)) continue;
if (
n.matches('[data-rich-text], [data-rich-text="true"], [role="list"], .w-dyn-items, .w-dyn-item') ||
n.querySelector?.('[data-rich-text], [data-rich-text="true"]')
) {
applyWithin(n);
}
}
}
});
mo.observe(document.body, { childList: true, subtree: true });
};
// Robust bootstrapping
if (window.Webflow && Array.isArray(window.Webflow)) {
window.Webflow.push(init);
} else if (document.readyState === 'loading') {
document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', init, { once: true });
} else {
// DOM is already ready; run now
init();
}
})();
But reporting on results isn’t the same as being data-driven. In outbound sales, data only creates value when it is used to actively influence decisions; ideally, while activity is still happening rather than when it is reviewed days later.
A genuinely data-driven outbound sales team will use live performance data to shape how calls are placed, which leads are prioritised, how agents are routed and where coaching is applied. Data, technology and execution work together as a single system.
In this article, we explore what “data-driven” should really mean for outbound sales teams operating in a contact centre environment. We look at the outbound sales metrics that matter most, how technology turns those metrics into real-time decisions, and share the latest data from our Benchmark Report to help you determine whether your performance is average or genuinely competitive.
Use data to decide which leads deserve agent time
Outbound sales teams should focus on maximising productive talk time as the foundation. But the next question becomes, who should agents be spending that time speaking to?
The average first-call close rate across outbound sales teams is 25%, with 31% of teams achieving rates between 20% and 29%. This shows that conversion performance is driven less by how many calls are made and more by how effectively effort is focused.
Understanding which metrics genuinely influence outcomes is critical here. Our complete guide to call centre reporting metrics breaks down the KPIs that matter most, and how they should be interpreted in context rather than in isolation.
Sales teams should concentrate on prospects that are most likely to convert. Which means the first-in, first-out approach to lead prioritisation is an ineffective strategy.
This is where intelligent lead prioritisation tools powered by AI have a huge operational impact. By pulling data from multiple sources, such as recent engagement, historical call outcomes, conversion performance, and potential deal value, intelligent lead prioritisation ranks leads dynamically. As prospect data signals change, prioritisation updates are applied automatically, which means agents consistently spend their available talk time on the opportunities most likely to deliver results.
Use data to match the right agent to the right lead
Data-insights need not stop at determining high-value and high-intent leads. It can also influence who handles them.
While the mean average revenue per call across outbound sales teams is just under £230, over 45% of teams generate less than £59 per call. This gap highlights how widely outcomes can vary depending on agent capability.
When data is used to create value, agent assignment isn’t random or purely availability-based. Instead, performance data is used to match leads with the agents most likely to convert them. For example:
Higher-value or more complex opportunities can be routed to experienced agents with deeper product knowledge or a proven track record of closing similar deals.
Price-sensitive or early-stage leads may be better suited to agents who perform strongly at qualification and objection handling.
Sector-specific prospects can be matched with agents who have previous success in that industry or campaign type.
Skill-based routing makes this possible by using historical performance data such as conversion rates by product, deal size, objection type, or lead source. As new performance signals are captured, routing rules can be refined so decisions improve continuously.
Use real-time performance data to intervene early
Outbound sales performance can change quickly. So, relying on end-of-day or weekly reports limits how effectively teams can respond. Retrospective reporting removes the opportunity to correct issues such as poor lead targeting or gaps in agent performance.
Access to real-time performance data gives sales managers the visibility they need to intervene without burning through contact. Live dashboards show early signals, such as declining connect rates, falling conversion performance, or uneven agent productivity.
Instead of waiting for performance reviews, managers can guide execution as it happens. This might involve reallocating resources, adjusting call scripts, changing lead allocation, or providing targeted coaching.
Contact centres that use real-time insight to guide daily decision-making are better positioned to protect conversion rates and maximise the impact of agent time.
For outsourced or multi-client environments, this ability to intervene early is particularly important. Our article on how BPOs can meet their KPIs explores the additional performance and reporting challenges faced by outsourced contact centres.
Use Conversation Analytics to understand why performance varies
Surface-level metrics such as contact rate, conversion rate and first-call close rate explain what is happening in outbound sales. But the why behind performance differentiation is dependent on agents, campaigns, or lead types, and teams need insight from the conversation itself.
Our Conversation Analytics analyses 100% of outbound calls, transforming unstructured call audio into actionable insight that would be impossible to capture through manual review or random sampling.
With the ability to analyse conversations at scale, sales leaders can review and identify the underlying drivers of performance. This insight helps explain why certain agents convert more effectively, why objections stall progress, or why specific lead types underperform despite similar call volumes.
In practice, Conversation Analytics supports data-driven outbound sales teams by enabling:
More targeted coaching: Identify the techniques used in successful calls and pinpoint where individual agents need support
Better script and messaging optimisation: Surface patterns in high-performing conversations and common objections
Improved quality and compliance oversight: Analyse every call rather than small samples
Earlier identification of emerging issues: Spot shifts in sentiment, objections, or competitor mentions
If you’re looking for a broader view of how these metrics work together, our guide on how to measure call centre efficiencyexplores how performance indicators combine to drive overall effectiveness.)
Key benefits for outbound sales teams include:
Enhanced Agent Training: Identify successful techniques and areas for improvement, allowing for targeted training programmes.
Customer Sentiment Analysis: Detect changes in tone and emotion, helping agents adapt their approach in real-time.
Quality Assurance at Scale: Analyse every call, ensuring comprehensive QA and quick identification of compliance issues.
Identifying Sales Opportunities: Recognise patterns in successful calls to refine sales scripts and strategies.
Competitor Intelligence: Flag mentions of competitors, providing valuable market insights.
Trend Identification: Quickly spot emerging trends in customer behaviour or common objections.
By implementing speech analytics, outbound sales teams can gain data-driven insights that lead to more effective strategies, improved customer experiences, and better business outcomes. Use these insights to identify common objections, spot successful sales techniques, and provide targeted coaching to your team. A recent study by Forrester found that companies using AI-driven speech analytics saw a 10% increase in customer satisfaction scores and a 15% improvement in first-call resolution rates.
With speech analytics, you’re not just collecting more data – you’re gaining the ability to understand and act on the nuances of every customer interaction, transforming your outbound sales operation into a truly data-driven powerhouse.
Sustaining data-driven outbound sales performance
When combined with performance data, conversation analytics closes the loop between insight and action. Conversation analytics doesn’t sit alongside metrics. It explains them and enables more confident decisions and continuous improvement.
Using more tools or tracking additional metrics doesn’t automatically make an outbound sales team data-driven. Data only becomes valuable when it actively guides decisions across the contact strategy, from how calls are dialled, and leads are prioritised, to how agents are routed, coached and optimised.
In genuinely data-driven teams, agents and managers understand what key metrics mean, how they influence outcomes and when intervention is needed. Performance reviews focus on interpreting trends and agreeing on clear next actions, rather than simply reporting on results after the fact.
The most effective outbound sales teams connect data. By linking real-time performance insight with intelligent technology and informed decision-making, they improve results while activity is still in progress, not once opportunities have already passed.
If you want to understand how your outbound sales performance compares to other UK contact centres, benchmarking is the most effective next step.
Invosys and MaxContact Partner to Deliver AI-Enhanced Customer Engagement
MaxContact, an AI-powered customer engagement and contact centre software provider, is excited to announce a strategic partnership with Invosys, a leading provider of secure communications, UCaaS and CCaaS technology solutions.
(() => {
const WORDS_PER_MINUTE = 200;
const MULTIPLIER = 1; // your choice
const estimateMinutes = (el) => {
if (!el) return null;
const text = (el.innerText || el.textContent || "").trim();
if (!text) return 1;
const words = (text.match(/\S+/g) || []).length;
const baseMinutes = Math.max(1, Math.ceil(words / WORDS_PER_MINUTE));
return Math.max(1, Math.ceil(baseMinutes * MULTIPLIER));
};
const findNearestTargetInItem = (itemRoot, rt) => {
if (!itemRoot) return null;
return itemRoot.querySelector('.is-text');
};
const applyWithin = (root) => {
// More forgiving selector: attribute present or equals "true"
root.querySelectorAll('[data-rich-text], [data-rich-text="true"]').forEach((rt) => {
const itemRoot =
rt.closest('[role="listitem"]') ||
rt.closest('.w-dyn-item') ||
rt.parentElement ||
root;
const target = findNearestTargetInItem(itemRoot, rt);
if (!target) return;
const mins = estimateMinutes(rt);
if (mins != null) target.textContent = `${mins} MIN READ`;
});
};
const init = () => {
applyWithin(document);
// Re-apply on dynamic changes (pagination/filters)
const mo = new MutationObserver((mutations) => {
for (const m of mutations) {
for (const n of m.addedNodes) {
if (!(n instanceof Element)) continue;
if (
n.matches('[data-rich-text], [data-rich-text="true"], [role="list"], .w-dyn-items, .w-dyn-item') ||
n.querySelector?.('[data-rich-text], [data-rich-text="true"]')
) {
applyWithin(n);
}
}
}
});
mo.observe(document.body, { childList: true, subtree: true });
};
// Robust bootstrapping
if (window.Webflow && Array.isArray(window.Webflow)) {
window.Webflow.push(init);
} else if (document.readyState === 'loading') {
document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', init, { once: true });
} else {
// DOM is already ready; run now
init();
}
})();
This partnership brings together two innovators focused on transforming customer experience and operational efficiency for contact centres and enterprise teams worldwide.
Invosys has built a reputation for delivering comprehensive technology solutions that enable SMB organisations to streamline communications, accelerate digital transformation, and enhance customer and workforce experiences. From unified communications and telephony to full-featured CCaaS platforms, Invosys Chorus solution helps businesses modernise how they connect, collaborate, and serve customers across channels.
MaxContact empowers contact centres and customer-facing teams with an AI-driven engagement platform designed to turn conversations into measurable business outcomes. With capabilities such as predictive dialling, omnichannel engagement, intelligent routing, and autonomous AI agents, MaxContact enables organisations to scale efficiently while enhancing revenue generation and customer satisfaction.
Through this partnership, Invosys will integrate MaxContact’s AI-driven contact centre capabilities into its portfolio, giving customers a simpler way to combine intelligent engagement with Invosys' secure cloud communications. Together, the two companies will support organisations looking to elevate sales performance, contact centre productivity and customer experience with reliable, cutting-edge technology.
“We’re thrilled to partner with MaxContact to bring even greater capabilities to our customers,” said Jane Anderson, CEO of Invosys. “By combining Invosys’ trusted Chorus communications platform with MaxContact’s AI-driven engagement technology, organisations will be able to deliver more personalised, efficient, and impactful interactions at every touchpoint.”
MaxContact’s leadership echoed the enthusiasm for the collaboration:
“This partnership with Invosys marks a significant step forward in how we help businesses transform their customer engagement,” said Ben Booth, CEO at MaxContact. “Together, we’re giving customers access to a seamless integration of powerful communications and AI-enabled contact centre solutions, helping teams work smarter, handle more conversations and deliver better outcomes for customers and the business.
The Invosys–MaxContact partnership reinforces both companies’ commitment to innovation, scalability and customer success. Organisations leveraging this combined technology stack can look forward to enhanced performance, deeper insights into customer interactions, and a stronger foundation for long-term CX improvement.
For more information about how Invosys and MaxContact are working together to deliver advanced contact centre solutions, contact our team.
Blog
5 min read
Maxcontact 2026 Roadmap: What's Next for AI-Powered Customer Engagement
We reveal our 2026 roadmap, featuring AI agents, conversation analytics, workflow automation, and connected insights to transform customer engagement.
(() => {
const WORDS_PER_MINUTE = 200;
const MULTIPLIER = 1; // your choice
const estimateMinutes = (el) => {
if (!el) return null;
const text = (el.innerText || el.textContent || "").trim();
if (!text) return 1;
const words = (text.match(/\S+/g) || []).length;
const baseMinutes = Math.max(1, Math.ceil(words / WORDS_PER_MINUTE));
return Math.max(1, Math.ceil(baseMinutes * MULTIPLIER));
};
const findNearestTargetInItem = (itemRoot, rt) => {
if (!itemRoot) return null;
return itemRoot.querySelector('.is-text');
};
const applyWithin = (root) => {
// More forgiving selector: attribute present or equals "true"
root.querySelectorAll('[data-rich-text], [data-rich-text="true"]').forEach((rt) => {
const itemRoot =
rt.closest('[role="listitem"]') ||
rt.closest('.w-dyn-item') ||
rt.parentElement ||
root;
const target = findNearestTargetInItem(itemRoot, rt);
if (!target) return;
const mins = estimateMinutes(rt);
if (mins != null) target.textContent = `${mins} MIN READ`;
});
};
const init = () => {
applyWithin(document);
// Re-apply on dynamic changes (pagination/filters)
const mo = new MutationObserver((mutations) => {
for (const m of mutations) {
for (const n of m.addedNodes) {
if (!(n instanceof Element)) continue;
if (
n.matches('[data-rich-text], [data-rich-text="true"], [role="list"], .w-dyn-items, .w-dyn-item') ||
n.querySelector?.('[data-rich-text], [data-rich-text="true"]')
) {
applyWithin(n);
}
}
}
});
mo.observe(document.body, { childList: true, subtree: true });
};
// Robust bootstrapping
if (window.Webflow && Array.isArray(window.Webflow)) {
window.Webflow.push(init);
} else if (document.readyState === 'loading') {
document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', init, { once: true });
} else {
// DOM is already ready; run now
init();
}
})();
In our January product webinar, we shared MaxContact's vision for 2026 and the roadmap that will help businesses turn every customer conversation into revenue-driving outcomes. Led by Kayleigh Tait, Marketing Director, and Conor Bowler, Principal Product Manager, the session revealed how we're evolving our platform to address the challenges contact centres face today.
The Challenges Driving Our Roadmap
Three clear themes dominate conversations with customers across every sector we support:
Costs and customer expectations are rising faster than teams can keep up. Contact centres deal with higher expectations, more channels, and greater variability in customer behaviour. The volume of complex interactions continues to increase as routine queries shift to automation.
Data and insight remain fragmented. When information sits in disconnected systems, fixing problems becomes guesswork. Teams need unified visibility to make confident decisions in real time.
Organisations know AI can help but don't know where to start. The gap between AI adoption intentions and actual implementation remains significant. Businesses need clear, practical pathways to AI deployment with proven ROI.
Our Product Vision: Maximising Every Moment
MaxContact's 2026 roadmap centres on three interconnected pillars that work together to deliver smarter contact strategies:
Intelligent Automation: AI handles routine, high-volume interactions automatically, allowing human agents to focus on conversations that require empathy, judgement, and relationship-building. This includes both voice and digital AI agents that can manage everything from FAQs to payment arrangements.
Smart Operations: Workflow automation, real-time agent assistance, and predictive routing ensure teams operate at peak efficiency. We're building capabilities that reduce manual effort, eliminate context-switching, and help agents deliver better outcomes in every interaction.
Connected Insight: Conversation analytics, quality management, and unified reporting transform customer conversations into clear, actionable insight. Teams can understand what's driving performance, identify compliance risks, and make data-backed decisions across the entire operation.
2026 Roadmap Highlights
Q1 2026: Foundation and Enhancement
The year begins with significant updates to our core capabilities. AI Agent functionality expands to chatbot channels, enabling businesses to automate digital conversations with the same sophistication they've experienced with voice agents. Conversation analytics introduces custom scorecards, allowing teams to measure what matters most to their specific operations.
AI Assist Notes delivers quick post call notes cuts down after call admin, whilst enhanced dashboard manager gives teams clearer visibility into performance.
Q2 2026: Real-Time Assist and Advanced Routing
The new Interaction Routing capabilities allow sophisticated inbound flow management, moving interactions between queues based on real-time conditions.
Real-time agent assist features provide agents with instant guidance, next-best-action recommendations, and contextual information during live conversations.
Q3 2026: Predictive Intelligence and Quality Automation
The third quarter introduces behavioural driven workflows that responds to signals and customer context. Further quality management automation reduces the manual effort required for call scoring and compliance monitoring whilst improving accuracy and consistency.
Portfolio integration brings all products—Contact Centre, Conversation Analytics, AI Agents, and AI Chatbot—into a single view, providing business-wide insight into customer engagement performance.
Q4 2026: Agentic AI and Self-Optimising Systems
The final quarter of 2026 begins to deliver the most transformative capabilities. Agentic AI orchestration enables AI agents to work together, handling complex, multi-step processes and hand over to a person where required.
Self-optimising workflows (in development in Q4 2026 and into 2027) use machine learning to continuously improve processes based on outcomes, reducing the need for manual tuning.
Built for Real-World Impact
Every roadmap item addresses a specific customer challenge. The AI agent features, for example, solve the pressure sales and collections teams face to hit outcomes with fewer resources. The conversation analytics enhancements help teams move beyond guesswork when diagnosing performance issues.
Design Partner Programme: Shape What's Next
MaxContact is actively seeking design partners who want early access to new features and the opportunity to influence product development. Design partners receive priority availability, direct access to the product team, and the chance to solve their specific challenges with cutting-edge capabilities before general release.
A Platform That Evolves with You
The 2026 roadmap reflects months of listening to customers, analysing industry trends through research like the Voice of Consumer Report and the annual Benchmark Report, and identifying the capabilities businesses need next.
MaxContact is now a multi-product company—Contact Centre, Conversation Analytics, AI Agents, and AI Chatbot—but it's all one connected platform. The roadmap ensures these capabilities work together seamlessly, supporting smarter contact strategies that drive measurable business outcomes.
Whether your priority is reducing costs, improving customer experience, scaling operations, or ensuring compliance, the 2026 roadmap provides a clear path forward.
Blog
5 min read
Workload squeeze: 52.6% of contact centres report rising agent workload as turnover remains high at 31.2%
New research finds contact centre agent workload pressure is accelerating as AI investment becomes a top priority.
(() => {
const WORDS_PER_MINUTE = 200;
const MULTIPLIER = 1; // your choice
const estimateMinutes = (el) => {
if (!el) return null;
const text = (el.innerText || el.textContent || "").trim();
if (!text) return 1;
const words = (text.match(/\S+/g) || []).length;
const baseMinutes = Math.max(1, Math.ceil(words / WORDS_PER_MINUTE));
return Math.max(1, Math.ceil(baseMinutes * MULTIPLIER));
};
const findNearestTargetInItem = (itemRoot, rt) => {
if (!itemRoot) return null;
return itemRoot.querySelector('.is-text');
};
const applyWithin = (root) => {
// More forgiving selector: attribute present or equals "true"
root.querySelectorAll('[data-rich-text], [data-rich-text="true"]').forEach((rt) => {
const itemRoot =
rt.closest('[role="listitem"]') ||
rt.closest('.w-dyn-item') ||
rt.parentElement ||
root;
const target = findNearestTargetInItem(itemRoot, rt);
if (!target) return;
const mins = estimateMinutes(rt);
if (mins != null) target.textContent = `${mins} MIN READ`;
});
};
const init = () => {
applyWithin(document);
// Re-apply on dynamic changes (pagination/filters)
const mo = new MutationObserver((mutations) => {
for (const m of mutations) {
for (const n of m.addedNodes) {
if (!(n instanceof Element)) continue;
if (
n.matches('[data-rich-text], [data-rich-text="true"], [role="list"], .w-dyn-items, .w-dyn-item') ||
n.querySelector?.('[data-rich-text], [data-rich-text="true"]')
) {
applyWithin(n);
}
}
}
});
mo.observe(document.body, { childList: true, subtree: true });
};
// Robust bootstrapping
if (window.Webflow && Array.isArray(window.Webflow)) {
window.Webflow.push(init);
} else if (document.readyState === 'loading') {
document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', init, { once: true });
} else {
// DOM is already ready; run now
init();
}
})();
The workload squeeze on UK contact centres is intensifying. In the latest 2025/6 UK Contact Centre KPI Benchmarking Insights Report, 52.6% of respondents report increased agent workload, up from 42% in 2024, a 10% rise. The report also highlights the people impact of sustained pressure: average annual agent turnover is 31.2%, up from 30.2% last year.
The report, based on a survey of 300 UK contact centre decision makers, highlights a sector balancing high customer expectations with tough economic conditions, and increasingly looking to technology to relieve pressure.
“Customer facing teams are being asked to do more - and the data shows that pressure is rising year-on-year,” said Ben Booth, CEO, MaxContact. “When workload increases, it doesn’t just affect service levels. It affects quality, morale, and the capacity to improve. The most sustainable response is to reclaim time - removing avoidable work and using AI to handle routine interactions and provide team’s with support, so they can focus on the conversations that truly need a human.”
AI moves from experiment to strategy
The research suggests AI is quickly becoming central to contact centre operations and investment. 66% of respondents say their organisations are using or piloting AI, with a further 20% planning implementation in 2025/26.
Looking ahead, 60% of respondents say AI and automation tools will be a main area of increased investment in 2026, while 55% cite AI and automation implementation as a top technology priority for 2025/26.
Among those already using or piloting AI, the report finds:
48% say AI has improved customer experience
30% say AI has driven a significant transformation, with AI becoming central to service delivery
99% are confident AI will improve contact centre effectiveness over the next three years
“This isn’t AI for AI’s sake,” added Booth. “Businesses are clear on the goal: protect customer experience or drive the desired business outcomes while reclaiming capacity for teams. The winners will be those who build AI into day-to-day service - not just a bolt-on tool.”
Competitive advantage is shifting towards technology, speed and insight
When asked what delivers the most competitive advantage, respondents point to:
Advanced technology/automation (42%)
Speed and responsiveness (42%)
Better customer data and insights (38%)
At the same time, the report highlights constraints contact centres must navigate as they scale AI. 45% cite data security concerns as a leading challenge holding back AI ambitions.
Reclaiming time in the contact centre
In response to the findings, MaxContact is urging leaders to focus AI investment on one tangible outcome, reclaiming time.
That means:
Shifting high-volume, repetitive interactions to self-serve and automation to reduce operational pressure
Using insight from conversations to spot objections, knowledge gaps and coaching opportunities - so you improve performance faster, across sales and service
Supporting agents with better context and guidance so human time goes to high-value, high-impact conversations
%2520(2).png)
.png)
