Amazon Connect
Quicklink(s)
Amazon Web Services Connect (AWS Connect) is a cloud-based contact center service that is replacing Mitel’s MICCE ACD call center service. It operates on a pay-as-you-go model, meaning you only pay for what you use.
Standard Features (Pay-As-You-Go Model)
These are the core functions and features available in the standard AWS Connect Service, with costs primarily based on usage.
Core Contact Center Functionality
- Omnichannel Support: Includes voice and task management.
- Interactive Voice Response (IVR): Self-service menus/call trees and automated responses.
- Skills-based Routing: Directs contacts to the most suitable agents.
- Queue Management: Prioritize and handle contact queues efficiently.
- Call Recording: Basic call recording capabilities are available.
- Real-time and Historical Metrics: Real-time performance metrics dashboards and historical performance metrics reports.
- Softphone: A browser-based phone interface for agents.
Agent Workspace Features
- Contact Control Panel (CCP): The main agent desktop interface.
- Agent Status Management: Control agent status (e.g., available, offline).
- After Contact Work (ACW): Time for post-contact tasks.
- Basic Screen Pop: Displays essential customer information.
Premium Features with Costs
These notable features provide advanced capabilities and require additional payment, separate from the standard pay-as-you-go model.
- Amazon Lex: Basic chatbot functionality (Lex pricing applies).
- AWS Lambda: Custom functionality via Lambda functions to run code.
- Amazon S3: Storage for call recordings, voicemails, and reports.
- Amazon Kinesis: Access to real-time contact center event streams.
- Contact Lens: For advanced analytics and sentiment analysis.
- Amazon Connect Voice ID: Provides voice biometrics for authentication.
- Amazon Connect Wisdom: Offers real-time assistance to agents.
- Amazon Connect Tasks: For task management beyond the basic capabilities.
- Amazon Connect Customer Profiles: Creates a unified view of customer profiles.
- Amazon Connect Cases: For email and case management.
- Amazon Connect Campaigns: To manage outbound campaigns.
- Amazon Connect Chat: Additional chat messaging between agents and customers.
- Amazon Pinpoint SMS: For SMS messaging capabilities.
| Feature | Description | Pricing Structure |
|---|---|---|
| Contact Lens | Speech analytics, sentiment analysis | $0.0125-$0.0375 per minute |
| Voice ID | Voice biometrics for authentication | $0.0065 per minute |
| Wisdom | Real-time agent assistance | $0.40 per agent hour |
| Tasks | Task creation and management | $0.01 per task |
| Customer Profiles | Unified customer profiles | $0.0004 per profile lookup |
| Cases | Email and case management | $1.00 per case |
| Campaigns | Outbound campaign management | Additional per-minute charges |
| Chat/SMS | Text messaging capabilities | $0.004 per message charges |
For information on the most accurate pricing, please refer to:
https://aws.amazon.com/connect/pricing/
Cost Breakdown and Estimation
AWS Connect’s pay-as-you-go model has no upfront costs. Below is a breakdown of estimated costs.
Core Service Costs
| Feature | Cost Structure | Estimated Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Telephone Usage | Per-minute charges | $0.018 per minute (US inbound), $0.006 per minute (US outbound) |
| Chat | Per-message charges | $0.004 per message |
| Service Usage | Per-minute charges | $0.018 per minute for voice, $0.004 per minute for chat |
| DID Numbers (US) | Monthly fee | ~$1.00 per month per number |
Storage and Integration Costs
| Service | Cost Structure | Estimated Cost |
|---|---|---|
| S3 Storage (for recordings such as voicemail) | Per GB | ~$0.023 per GB per month |
| Lambda Invocations | Per request | First 1 million requests free, then $0.20 per 1 million requests |
| Lex Integration | Per request | $0.00075 per text request, $0.004 per speech request |
Cost Estimation Example
For a contact center with 10 agents working 8-hour shifts (5 days/week) with 70% occupancy and 5-minute average calls:
Standard Features Only: $375-400 per month
- Service usage: ~$180
- Telephony: ~$180
- Phone numbers: ~$10
- Storage: ~$5-10
With Premium Features:
- Adding Contact Lens (Basic): +$125 per month
- Adding Voice ID: +$65 per month
- Adding Tasks: +$10 per month (1,000 tasks)
Please refer to the AWS Connect Pricing page for the latest costs and most accurate pricing.