Sydney, Australia, January 19, 2021 – Google Cloud today announced a three-year strategic partnership with Optus to enhance the telco’s customer support transformation through its Contact Center AI (CCAI) solution. Optus will be the first telecommunications provider in the ANZ region to use this technology from Google Cloud, and the partnership has already resulted in a reduction in customer resolution times.

Optus’ digital self-service tools handle 84% percent of all customer service enquiries, and this strategic initiative also sees Optus working closely with Google Cloud AI experts to provide customers with personalized experiences and build advanced customized solutions.

By using CCAI to support customers in reaching dedicated support teams 24/7 via messaging and eventually voice services, Optus will streamline customer access to support, removing barriers such as complicated phone menus and complex routing. This is made possible thanks to Google Cloud’s enhanced natural language recognition technology, alongside faster processing and real-time access to customer insights, to enable shorter call times, faster resolutions, and a more natural and streamlined experience for customers.

With the digitization of interactions through CCAI, Optus is able to better analyze and continuously improve its customer service model. For live agent experiences, Google Cloud CCAI Agent Assist powers a real-time digital assistant that gathers relevant articles within the knowledge base and recommends personalized responses, enabling Optus customer care experts to get to the root of customer queries faster with the right answer.

“Our customers expect more from their experiences in this digital-first era. Google Cloud’s technologies allow us to blend digital and human experiences, which has been transformative for our customers,” said Vaughan Paul, vice president, Digital Consumer, Optus. “It’s all about being more proactive, leveraging data insights and truly understanding our customers to deliver world class service.”

“Optus is leading the way in revolutionizing customer service in the digital age,” said Mark Innes, vice president, ANZ at Google Cloud. “By supporting Optus with its industry-first use of our AI and machine learning technology, we can create a hyper-personalized and seamless experience that drives better customer engagement and differentiates Optus in the market.”