Digital Labor Revolution: Aragon Research Defines Next-Gen Intelligent Contact Center (ICC) Trends

PALO ALTO, Calif., Dec. 16, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Aragon Research, Inc., a leading technology research and advisory firm, today announced the release of its Aragon Research Globe for the Intelligent Contact Center (ICC), 2026.

The report, titled “The Race to AI-based Agents and Next-Generation CX Experiences”, finds that the contact center market is undergoing an accelerated, fundamental transformation as it shifts from human-centric operations to AI-First, Agentic Systems powered by Generative AI.

“The contact center is no longer just a support desk—it’s a strategic asset where AI agents and humans collaborate to execute complex business processes,” said Jim Lundy, CEO and Lead Analyst at Aragon Research. “The new strategic battleground is Digital Labor, where AI Agents work hand In hand with human agents to deliver the highest levels of customer experience.”

Key Market Findings
The 2026 Globe details a market driven by the shift to digital labor:

• Agentic Systems Go Live: The market is rapidly adopting specialized, role-based AI agents that can seamlessly collaborate and hand off tasks to both human and virtual counterparts.
• The Rise of the AI Assistant: Foundational AI tools like Agent Assist are evolving into full AI Assistants (e.g., Copilot) that serve as real-time guides to help human agents manage their entire day.
• Architectural Imperative: Enterprises must make the Knowledge Lake an architectural decision to ensure the consistency, integrity, and accuracy of AI-driven customer service.

The ICC Providers for 2026
The Aragon Research Globe evaluates 14 key providers that are profiled in the report. This includes 8×8, Amazon, Avaya, Cisco, Dialpad, Enghouse, Five9, Genesys, Mitel, NEC, NICE, Talkdesk, UJET, and Vonage. 

Aragon Research advises that enterprises move now to pilot and deploy Agentic Systems to avoid falling behind in the automation race.

About Aragon Research
Aragon Research delivers high-impact visual research, consulting, and advisory services to provide enterprises the insight they need to make better technology and strategy decisions. Aragon Research serves both vendor and buyer communities with a proven team of veteran analysts. For more information, visit aragonresearch.com.

Disclaimer: Aragon Research does not endorse vendors, or their products or services that are referenced in its research publications, and does not advise users to select those vendors that are rated the highest. Aragon Research publications consist of the opinions of Aragon Research and Advisory Services organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Aragon Research provides its research publications and the information contained in them “AS IS,” without warranty of any kind.

Media contact: Jim Lundy, [email protected]

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SOURCE Aragon Research