Endava and Upstream Works unveil AI contact centre

The new Upstream Works AI Experience Platform has launched for enterprise clients following a year-long collaboration between Endava and Upstream Works, with Endava serving as the launch partner.

AI platform targets omnichannel contact centers

The system supports omnichannel contact centers by managing AI workflows across customer service operations. Endava will deploy the platform for clients in travel, hospitality, financial services, and retail.

The collaboration merges Upstream Works, a long-established contact centre software provider, with Endava’s technology services, which trade on the New York Stock Exchange. The platform integrates with existing contact center-as-a-service systems instead of replacing them.

Smaller language models tailored for customer experience tasks work alongside private large language models. Clients can choose cloud environments, virtual private clouds, or on-premises setups to control data storage locations.

This flexibility may attract regulated sectors like banking, where data sovereignty and governance remain important for AI adoption. Built-in security, privacy, compliance, and observability features are included.

AI agents hand off to human workers with context

The platform coordinates AI agents across channels, interactions, business systems, and data sources. When escalating a task to a human agent, it supplies context, suggested responses, and next steps.

The launch ties into Upstream Works’ AgentNow product, which handles customer interactions through video, voice, and chat. The AI layer adds resolution and guidance tools for complex cases, such as travel disruptions.

Development initially centered on the travel and airline market. Expansion plans now include hospitality, retail, and financial services, focusing on industries facing customer service efficiency challenges.

Paul Elliott, Managing Director at Endava, stated the platform’s speed in delivering commercial value is its key advantage. “By partnering together, Endava brings expertise in AI-native software engineering and governance to help enterprises realize tangible value faster,” he said.

His remarks align with ongoing discussions in customer experience about transitioning from AI trials to operational systems that integrate with existing technology without expensive overhauls. Replacing contact center infrastructure has often been a significant obstacle.

Previous efforts to reduce avoidable customer contacts focused on routing requests more efficiently once they entered a queue. The new platform addresses issues earlier in the customer journey.

Upstream Works describes the challenge as a reasoning issue rather than a routing one. “We believe the cost to serve isn’t a routing problem, it’s a reasoning problem,” said its commercial leadership. “Most of this is what we know as ‘failure demand’—issues that never should have reached a queue.”

The platform is positioned as a “reasoning-first CX” solution, shifting focus from call routing to preventing unnecessary service requests. Endava, which employs 11,225 people globally, views it as a way to redefine customer experience.

The approach may appeal to industries where customer service costs are rising but budgets for large-scale tech replacements remain tight. Its compatibility with existing systems could ease adoption without disrupting current operations.

Efforts are now directed toward scaling the platform in sectors where AI-driven efficiency gains are most critical.