The rise of remote working dramatically changed the way we communicate as businesses. As a communications provider here at RHM, we know this better than anyone. As many of us were not able to access our offices we had to turn to alternatives to the traditional phone system. This is where unified communication services, especially MS Teams shone.
These services allow users to access their most important communications, including voice, messaging and video services from any location. These services were an ideal solution for both team collaboration and customer interactions. Due to their popularity, you could safely assume that the people you were trying to get in touch with were already using the same service as you. Business life is slowly getting back to a ‘new normal’ though. Many teams are looking at their communications and thinking, what next?
There has been a push from some businesses to replace their current business communications entirely with MS Teams. We don’t think that this is the answer, it certainly isn’t the most cost effective. Teams has great versatility but lacks many of the features of a truly comprehensive communication service. Instead, we think that the answer is to use a bit of both. Here’s how your business communications can work alongside MS Teams.
The first step to making sure your communications services work together cohesively is to connect them with one-another. At RHM we’ve partnered with two of the UK’s top communications providers, Ericsson-LG and Gamma, as their services integrate perfectly alongside MS Teams.
Once you have MS Teams, as well as either iPECS Cloud from Ericsson-LG, or Horizon from Gamma, up and running you’ll start seeing the benefits immediately. You can still make use of the accessible interface of Teams, but a whole new range of other features can be unlocked too.
Both of these services can get up and running in minutes once you’re connected and don’t require any additional software. They are also both completely cloud-based. This is ideal for SMEs as it means that you don’t have to keep any heavy equipment on site. Here are some of the advantages that integrating Teams with a cloud communication service can provide for your business.
The main draw of MS Teams is accessibility. The interface is incredibly easy to get to grips with. This means that a whole range of less technically inclined users can access services like video conferencing. When you integrate Teams with a business phone system from RHM, you can unlock a range of useful features alongside this accessibility.
This includes essential call control features. This means that when on a Teams call you can carry out the same actions as you would be able to on a normal business call. This includes transferring the call to another member of your team, routing the call to another device or distributing it to a group, putting the caller on speakerphone and even accessing voicemail. This enables a far more professional way to handle customer calls, which can all be done through the Teams interface.
It’s not just about what you can do during calls though. Part of a professional communications service is how it can help improve your communications moving forward. This is handled through our call management and analytics services.
These services include a range of helpful features, all of which can be applied to Teams calls. This includes call recording, which allows you to store customer calls for reference purposes, training or to settle disputes. Call statistics can show you when your busiest times of day are, and which members of your team are at risk of being overwhelmed. Call reporting sends you tailored updates on your team’s communications, ideal for monitoring performance of remote staff, and keeping an eye on irregularities for security purposes. All of these features combine to create a service robust enough to support you well into the future.
Teams was designed by Microsoft as a one-size-fits-all solution, and this is heavily reflected in the final product. While the service is accessible and easily scalable to meet the needs of many businesses, the pricing structure of Microsoft’s call plans are not designed for the SME market.
Integrating Teams with a platform like iPECS Cloud or Horizon is a fantastic way to save money while accessing great features. Because these services are handled by VoIP protocols rather than fixed phone lines the call rates are far cheaper, even when calls are made internationally.
All you need to get started is a version of MS Teams, an internet connection and one of the services we previously mentioned. To find the right system for you, get in touch with our team at RHM. We’re happy to guide you through the entire process. You can reach us at 0800 041 041.
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