Five9 Touts Partner Opportunity with New AI Knowledge Solution

Cloud contact center provider Five9 has launched a preview of its latest artificial intelligence (AI) tool, adding to its Five9 Genius AI suite.

Lending contact center agents quick access to answers to "any customer question," according to the company, Five9 AI Knowledge will become generally available in the fourth quarter.

Effectively, Five9 AI Knowledge eradicates the necessity to rely on curated knowledge bases and frequently asked questions. Maribel Lopez, founder/principal analyst at Lopez Research, calls it a "game-changer" for those seeking contextual data and the ability to apply insights and knowledge to real-world situations.

Lopez Research's Maribel Lopez

She added that what Five9 has done with its latest release extends "beyond multichannel and self-service support organizations' need to look for products that deliver AI-driven insights."

Five9 channel boss Jake Butterbaugh tells Channel Futures that ISVs and technology alliance partners now have a solution ripe for them.

"We know we have to work well with all the other AI solutions that are out there, but that benefits the channel partner because there are a lot of partners tied to Salesforce, IBM or ServiceNow, so having a company that is complementary to those strategies is good."

Butterbaugh also told us that Five9 "certainly is productizing its AI solution suite."

Related:A Down Quarter for Five9? Partners Don’t Think So

He further noted that channel partners would help deploy the new AI solution.

"We admit it is a product that should have an incentive with it," said Butterbaugh, telling Channel Futures that partners will make money directly on the Five9 AI Knowledge AI solution.

"We recognize our core products in that capacity as part of our long-term strategy, which is key as it adds weight to the deal and partner incentives received," Butterbaugh said. "If at one point you only purchase voice or omnichannel agents and now you opt to buy omnichannel and virtual agents, that amounts to incremental subscription revenue and incremental opportunity for channel partners."

Five9 AI Knowledge Leans On Partner Education

With AI moving at the speed of light, Butterbaugh said that Five9 product architect Jonathan Rosenberg helped put the contact-center-as-a-service (CCaaS) provider in a position to "ride the AI bull."

Five9's Jake Butterbaugh

Education, therefore, remains central to what Five9 is doing with partners, equipping them with the tools to pull off myriad customer service feats.

"Our winning strategy is to develop world-class partner enablement education, something everyone says, but it is not about cranking out a bunch of documentation, but rather about helping recognize what partners need and helping them build their practices," Butterbaugh told Channel Futures.

It's also about having a program so that partners can earn certifications and showcase their product knowledge.

"There is always more to do, though, and when it comes to our AI suite, we will be doing that," Butterbaugh said.

The other part of partner enablement and engagement surrounds what Butterbaugh calls "early partner engagement." He said several key partners had early access to Five9 AI Knowledge.

This cog in the Five9 education machine, he contends, is about pioneering.

"It is our responsibility, to be honest with our partners. We operate with a high level of honesty and integrity; I feel that is why our partners value us."

That philosophy is consistent with the company's AI suite, Butterbaugh said.