Verint, a global leader in customer experience (CX) automation, has announced the establishment of its new Global Innovation Centre (GIC) in Bengaluru. The firm plans to expand the GIC to approximately 1,000 employees by the end of 2026 and continue the expansion of its workforce by 15-20% every year.
The firm is looking to hire engineers specialising in AI, cloud, data design, and data science.
In a conversation with AIM, Rob Scudiere, CTO of Verint, and Ajayy M Dawar, vice president of the GIC, elaborated on the rationale behind the establishment and how the innovation hub will contribute to the global R&D of the company.
Verint has been present in Bengaluru for over 20 years, making it a natural choice for the company’s first GIC. Scudiere, who has over 25 years of experience in the SaaS industry, emphasised Bengaluru’s role in driving Verint’s vision of being a pioneer in CX automation.
“Our technology solutions are designed to help organisations achieve AI-driven business outcomes, reducing costs, increasing efficiency, and enhancing customer experience. The incredible talent in Bengaluru is a key enabler of this vision,” Scudiere said.
Reinforcing this perspective, Dawar pointed out that Verint’s office in Bengaluru has seen significant year-over-year growth. “We have been investing in this facility, expanding by 40-50% annually. Beyond R&D, we also have customer care and other key functions based here, which gives us the leverage to focus on innovation,” he said.
AI Agents, Automation, and Bengaluru
With AI automation playing an increasing role in GCC operations, Verint aims to prioritise employee upskilling and reskilling at the GIC.
“We have a great talent pool, and we continue to bring in experienced hires and fresh graduates from top IT universities,” Scudiere noted. Notably, the company has been actively hiring experienced AI and cloud professionals while collaborating with top universities to bring in fresh talent.
“We have a structured program for career development and training, covering areas like cloud computing, AI, and data science. Additionally, we partner with hyperscalers to leverage their training programs at reasonable costs. Our hackathons further foster an environment of continuous innovation,” Scudiere explained.
The executives revealed that while the firm is hiring from external avenues, it has internal plans to retain existing talent and continue developing them.
“This is a talent hub for us, and we’ve been investing in this facility year over year. It made sense to continue expanding in one location where we have established capabilities rather than branching out elsewhere,” Dawar added.
With the GIC’s focus shifting toward R&D and innovation, Scudiere highlighted some of the major contributions coming from its GICs globally. He believes Bengaluru will contribute in the same way. Rather than working on isolated projects, the centre will be fully integrated into Verint’s global strategy.
One such innovation is the Data Insights Bot, an AI-powered solution that helps customers gain actionable insights and automate processes.
Moreover, Verint’s GIC will play a crucial role in developing TimeFlex, a tool that democratises how agents manage their schedules without supervisor intervention. “We are seeing significant business outcomes from TimeFlex, including increased employee satisfaction and reduced agent attrition,” Scudiere said.
The AI Agent Strategy for Verint
As part of Verint’s AI-driven CX strategy, the company has introduced a suite of AI agents under its Copilot brand. These AI-powered bots are designed to optimise customer interactions and streamline workflows.
Scudiere outlined the five core AI agents currently in deployment:
- Smart Transfer Bot – Ensures seamless transitions between self-service and assisted channels.
- Coaching Bot – Provides real-time guidance to agents during customer interactions.
- Knowledge Bot – Conducts behind-the-scenes research to deliver relevant information to agents.
- Call Summary Bot – Automatically summarises customer conversations for improved efficiency.
- CX/EX Scoring Bot – Monitors real-time sentiment between agents and customers, offering supervisors valuable insights.
These AI-driven solutions have delivered significant cost savings for clients, enabling them to reinvest in customer experience initiatives while improving operational efficiency. However, Dawar clearly stated that AI agents are not intended to replace human employees.
“We see AI as an opportunity to enhance innovation, not as a replacement for people. This is just the beginning, and we are excited about the doors it will open for us and our customers,” he said.
