This AI Newcomer Already Offers What Big Players Can’t

This week on Funnel Frontier: A new AI contender just entered the scene—and it’s already challenging the industry titans.

This week:

• New AI Player is Here & Brings What Big Players Can’t
• Freshworks Fires, Salesforce Hires—And Zoho Fans the Flames

Stat of the Week

The global contact center market is set to grow by $208.2 billion through 2028, at a compound annual rate of 10.7 percent. (Technavio)

New AI Player is Here & Brings What Big Players Can’t

The battle for AI supremacy in the contact center world just got more intense. Cognigy has unleashed its own Agentic AI, boldly claiming it “outperforms” anything on the market. If you’re thinking, “Big talk, let’s see the proof,” we most certainly prepared it for you.

Unlike your standard chatbot or basic assistant, Cognigy’s AI Agents promise smarter, more dynamic conversations. Powered by LLMs and a memory feature, these agents don’t just respond—they adapt. They pull from real-time data and past interactions to make hyper-personalized, context-aware decisions. Think agents that adapt conversations based on unique customer needs.

How does it compare to others like Salesforce’s Agentforce or Microsoft’s Copilot updates? While those systems are gaining traction, Cognigy’s emphasis on real-time decision-making and seamless tool integration sets it apart. 

CEO Philipp Heltewig calls this a game-changer: “The AI workforce of the future comes with new levels of autonomy and intelligence to serve consumers on their own.” With GDPR and HIPAA compliance baked in, Cognigy’s solution aims to fit smoothly into any contact center’s ecosystem.

The stakes are high, the claims are bold, and the promise is huge: a CX experience where AI doesn’t just assist—it leads. The question is: Can Cognigy deliver on the hype? 

One thing’s for sure—customers and competitors alike will be watching.

The Week @ CRM.org

CRM for Startups. Finding a startup-friendly CRM is like sneaking snacks into a theater—you need something discreet and effective. 

CRM for MacOS. Apple users rejoice—finding a Mac-optimized CRM is no longer more challenging than doing quantum physics in the upper atmosphere.

Weekly Bloom

Balancing Customer Retention & Churn. Customer churn is like having aliens abduct your paying customers. It’s time to power up the retention forcefield!

Freshworks Fires, Salesforce Hires—And Zoho Fans the Flames

The CRM industry is buzzing with layoffs, rivalries, and a tug-of-war between corporate strategies. 

Just last week, Zoho CEO Sridhar Vembu slammed Freshworks for laying off 13% of its workforce, branding the move as nothing short of “naked greed.” Ouch.

Freshworks justified the cuts—660 employees in total—as a way to “streamline” operations and focus on AI, customer experience, and employee well-being. But Vembu wasn’t buying it, adding that Freshworks “should not expect any loyalty from its employees ever” after such a move. 

Vembu’s critique sparked a heated debate online, with some defending the layoffs as a standard business practice and others agreeing with Zoho’s outspoken leader.

Meanwhile, over at Salesforce, layoffs are nowhere in sight. The CRM giant is gearing up to hire 1,000+ employees to meet skyrocketing demand for its new Agentforce AI platform. 

CEO Marc Benioff is riding the wave of what he calls “amazing momentum,” with Agentforce reportedly helping businesses create over 10,000 AI agents in just weeks. It’s clear Salesforce is betting big on AI, doubling down with global tours and product showcases.

While Zoho takes the moral high ground and Freshworks faces criticism for balancing growth with cuts, Salesforce is turning AI hype into jobs and revenue. In this battle of CRM heavyweights, the stakes—and the headlines—just keep growing.

Galactic Gourmet

CRM blips from around the web

Avaamo launches AutoQA for contact centers. Powered by AI, AutoQA offers real-time insights and personalized feedback, helping contact centers boost efficiency and performance.

Zendesk introduces flexible AI pricing. Zendesk’s new plan lets businesses pay based on AI usage, combining human and AI agents. The goal? To help companies scale AI without overpaying or committing to rigid pricing.

Thryv launches AI Review Response tool. Thryv’s new feature generates tailored replies to reviews across 24 platforms, helping small businesses build trust and loyalty effortlessly. Just click, choose, and reply.

Astronomical Assets

Significant Moves in the Last Seven Days 

^{DISCLAIMER: None of this is financial advice. This newsletter is strictly educational and is not investment advice or a solicitation to buy or sell any assets. Please be careful and do your own research.}

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