21 November 2024, Thu |
10:57 AM
In an exclusive interview with TECHx Media, Mohammed Sleeq, Chief Operations Officer of Unifonic, shares insights on the burgeoning SaaS market in the MENA region. As the market is set to soar with significant growth projections, Sleeq discusses Unifonic’s strategic positioning and its role in driving digital transformation across various industries. He highlights the company’s innovative AI-powered solutions that are redefining customer engagement and enhancing brand-consumer interactions. Discover how Unifonic is revolutionizing communication, empowering businesses to thrive in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.
What is your assessment of the current SaaS market in the region, and how and where is Unifonic positioned in this spectrum?
The growing popularity of new-generation digital models is driving a significant expansion of the Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) market in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). With a predicted compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 27.93 per cent, the UAE market is expected to grow significantly to reach a value of USD 30.52 billion by 2029. The country’s strategic vision to become a leading Middle Eastern technology hub is an important motivating factor in this growth. An integral part of this vision is smart living and sustainability, which reflect a holistic approach to development. Likewise, the Saudi Arabia market is also anticipated to witness significant growth, with an approximate 18 per cent increase predicted between 2024 and 2028. With governments in the region actively supporting regional entrepreneurs and startups, this offers a significant opportunity for local players in industries like financial services, retail, hospitality, transportation and logistics, real estate, and healthcare. As a result, we have established ourselves as a leading force in the SaaS sector today after solidifying our position in the region. Unifonic, with more than 5,000 business clients, facilitates more than ten billion interactions annually across more than 190 countries.
Do you believe that SaaS solutions will become the new critical asset for industries undergoing digital transformation?
SaaS solutions are already playing an important role in the digital transformation of industries and are expected to become even more important in the future. Having committed ourselves to innovation and customer-centricity, we see firsthand how SaaS is revolutionising industries, while promising scalability, cost-effectiveness, and agility. Businesses focusing on providing seamless communication solutions are further proving the transformative power of SaaS in enhancing business operations and driving growth. It is therefore strategically imperative for businesses navigating the digital landscape to adopt SaaS, and Unifonic is committed to spearheading this change.
What are the upcoming AI-powered solutions that Unifonic is working on to redefine how brands connect with their customers?
We at Unifonic are revolutionising consumer-brand interactions with our conversational automation solutions. Our customer engagement platform can now quickly and easily automate personalised, end-to-end omnichannel customer journeys. Innovative solutions like Chatbot, Agent Console, Flow Studio, and multichannel campaigns are just a few of the ways the platform empowers businesses. Additionally, we provide a broad range of AI-driven conversational automation solutions that guarantee optimal value for clients. Our multichannel campaigns enable customers to automate and plan large-scale campaigns across various channels, including SMS, Voice, and WhatsApp, all while maintaining contextual and personalised communication. With Unifonic Chatbot, businesses can further automate various communication flows while providing first-line support through an always-on conversational experience. The chatbot combines the power of automation and human interactions as it enables seamless handover to live agents whenever needed. Flow Studio, another key offering, is a no-code drag-and-drop visual designer that facilitates seamless customer journeys and rapid automation of business operations. Flow Studio enables users with no coding experience to build personalised customer journeys and achieve superior business outcomes. Additionally, businesses can protect customer identity and every transaction with the help of Unifonic’s 2FA service – Authenticate. We proudly presented these cutting-edge customer journey automation solutions at GITEX Global 2024, with a focus on conversational marketing and customer care automation. The event shed light on the cutting-edge capabilities of ‘Audience,’ our enterprise-grade customer data platform (CDP), which aims to revolutionise customer engagement when paired with Flow Studio. With the help of our unique offerings, Unifonic is revolutionising the dynamic between consumers and brands, building an ecosystem of personalised communication that transcends traditional boundaries.
How has Unifonic impacted the markets it serves, especially in terms of customer communication?
By leveraging cutting-edge SaaS and AI technologies, Unifonic has significantly improved customer communication across multiple markets. We accomplished this in part by implementing omnichannel customer engagement solutions, which allow businesses to interact seamlessly with customers across multiple platforms. In addition to improving the consumer experience, this has made it possible for brands to stand out from competition in their digital communication efforts. Unifonic has further enhanced its capabilities with the acquisition of Sestek, adding an AI-driven conversational suite that allows companies to efficiently manage their marketing and customer service initiatives. This AI integration is a game-changer in cutting operational costs while maintaining high-quality service, as it enables real-time responses and better data analysis, which in turn leads to improved customer engagement and satisfaction. Businesses can also raise support efficiency by automating routine enquiries and providing agents with readily accessible, comprehensive customer data. Overall, we believe that our approach to customer engagement is changing the way brands interact with their audiences, paving the way for more responsive and dynamic communication in the digital era.
