Author Archives
Derek Top, Principal Analyst & Research Director, Opus Research
Derek Top is Principal Analyst and Research Director for Opus Research, a diversified advisory firm tracking how AI, LLMs, and advanced technologies are impacting customer experiences and enterprise applications. For more than 20 years, he has been covering technology innovation and spearheading analysis about how Conversational AI and Conversational Intelligence technologies transform businesses and reshape customer experiences.
Previously, Top served as senior associate editor with Optimize magazine and InformationWeek covering business technology and enterprise IT trends for CMP Media and UBM. Before joining CMP, Top was managing editor with Streaming Media, Inc. Prior to Opus Research, he was senior editor and program director at the Trellis Group. There he helped produce the VERGE conference series and wrote about how technology convergence drives innovation for smart energy and sustainability.
Contact: dtop@opusresearch.net
Twitter: @derektop
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Webinar: The Buyer Journey Rewired by AI
Opus Research and Invoca explore how Agentic AI is redefining “brand experience” in a world of fractured attention, where loyalty is earned one micro-moment at a time.
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The BPO Wake-Up Call: AI Is Rewriting the Rulebook
Drawing on interviews with executive leaders in contact center outsourcing, Opus Research’s Ian Jacobs explores how forward-looking BPO firms are turning AI disruption into opportunity.
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Zoho Cuts Through the Hype: AI Maturity Takes Work
In this Opus Video series interview, Zoho shares that organizations genuinely benefiting from AI are those eliminating process and data silos and leaning into mature digital practices.
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Tackling Deepfake Audio Risks in Voice Security
Discover how deepfake audio fraud is evolving at an alarming rate and what proactive steps your organization can take to defend against sophisticated AI-based attacks.
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From the Ground Up: Zoho’s Bold Steps in AI
Opus Research chats with Ram Ramamoorthy, Zoho’s Head of AI, about how their newly launched, homebuilt LLM enables advanced AI capabilities, including AI Agent Studio and automated speech recognition.
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Why AI Agents Work: A Playbook for Sustainable Business Value
What sets leading contact centers apart isn’t aggressive automation—it’s strategic deployment. Opus Research lays out specific AI agent strategies to move from planning to action.
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Humans in the Loop, Bots on the Clock: Building a Balanced CX Team
Join Opus Research’s Ian Jacobs and CallMiner’s Megan Keup to discover how to evaluate and measure performance across both human and AI agents.
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From Imitation to Exploitation: Tackling Deepfake Audio Risks in Voice Security
Voice deepfakes are becoming increasingly sophisticated, capable of replicating tone and cadence, creating an urgent need for organizations to adopt AI-driven security and authentication.
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NICE’s Acquisition of Cognigy: The Future is Now for AI in CX
The intended acquisition of Cognigy by NiCE shook the CX and CCaaS world. NiCE has dominated the landscape for CX platform solutions, while Cognigy has earned a reputation as a leader in conversational AI.
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NiCE Interactions 2025: Agentic AI, Better Data, and a Whole Lot of Partnership
AI in CX is growing up—now acting, orchestrating, and integrating across systems to deliver real outcomes.