Comms Business Magazine (CBM): What additional support can managed services providers and resellers offer organisations for their Microsoft investments?
Adam Wilson (AW): “Channel partners can add additional value to Microsoft Teams in the deployment phase by offering advice and adoption services, adjacent business services or by offering their own managed services. For example, in the area of deployment services a skilled partner can optimise the solution architecture and design or recommend and add important security capabilities. In terms of managed services, there could well be opportunities in the areas of network monitoring, optimisation and utilisation.
“Vonage can help partners enhance Microsoft Teams solutions by adding superior call capability, quality and cost predictability; phone system features that businesses depend on; integrating voice with customer data (within a CRM); and providing a single platform for collaboration within Microsoft Teams.”
CBM: How does Vonage approach adding new functionality to Teams?
AW: “The first step is always to understand customer requirements. Depending on the need, we can add external dialling capability using Vonage Business Communications. This allows the user to retain a native experience within Microsoft Teams, while using a direct routing solution from Vonage. Then we layer on phone system features Microsoft Teams does not provide, such as call queues, receptionist console, visual voicemail, and compliant call recording.
“We aim to ensure the customer can utilise the same platform for all customer contact requirements, across all communication channels, integrating seamlessly with customer data inside their CRM. By integrating Microsoft Team with Vonage, we can ensure the same platform makes provision for any bespoke communications requirements.
CBM: How can the Channel make the most of the opportunities created by the explosion in Teams usage?
AW: “We are seeing a fundamental change in the way that businesses communicate and interact with their team members and customers. This communications revolution has forced businesses to accelerate their cloud communication decisions - and quicker decisions mean business will need the advice and guidance from expert partners.
“Partners are providing consultancy, advice & guidance and in some cases more intimate service-based propositions that help the customer adopt the new services correctly or offer assistance when something goes wrong.”