Exploring the Landscape of Unified Communications and Contact Center Solutions

This feature will examine how the boundaries are blurring between unified communications and contact centre solutions, with innovations in each discipline feeding into the other. We are looking for insight into the direction the market is heading, as well as new features and capabilities and what this means for reseller and MSP offerings. 

Transforming Communication with Microsoft Teams and Zoom Impacting UC and CC

In the past, channel providers worked hard to unify and integrate communications. With the growth in Microsoft Teams and Zoom, organisations can now access combined and seamless communications tools with relative ease. As a result, there is a growing demand for unified communications, prompting providers to adapt and change their offerings that leverage the breadth of functionality available. 

How UC and CC Integration Offers Tailored Communication Solutions

It’s not that the boundaries are blurring, rather there is now a broader spectrum of CC options available that can be tailored to the specific needs of customers and different markets. The boundaries are less rigid because integrating cloud-based CC tools into a UC platform has become significantly easier.  

Platforms like BroadWorks may be the ideal solution for mid-market organisations who need in-depth information and insight from their phone systems.  However, solutions like Microsoft Teams deliver a wide range of capabilities with a broader audience in mind.  This is where the concept of the informal contact centre is gaining traction. Organisations can now access CC capabilities across every department within their organisation to achieve a high level of insight and understanding of their customer communications.  

In addition, the analytics is no longer confined to the contact centre alone. By leveraging tools within platforms like Microsoft Teams, the channel can provide significantly deeper insights into the customer experience and use it as a differentiator. 

What is even more compelling is that these analytics are now accessible regardless of where in the organisation the analytics journey began, enabling organisations to judge the customer experience and the staff effectiveness with greater accuracy.  

Overcoming Challenges in Building Effective UC and CC Offerings for Resellers and MSPs 

The main challenge is differentiation.  For a solid unified solution, resellers and MSPs need to understand their audience, and draw together a range of appropriate services which may include the contact centre. The resulting solution must add substantial value to the customers’ business and be difficult for them to compare to another provider.  

The rapid pace of technology change is another significant challenge. Keeping abreast of changes requires providers to select and integrate the latest apps that will meet the needs of their target audience.   

Every digital service that is consumed today now incorporates some form of analytics. Everybody is better informed with access to Microsoft Teams in their work environment and on personal computers, it’s everywhere. The demand from customers has never been higher.  

Selecting the right technology partners is key. Channel providers need to be clear on what they want from an ideal relationship with their technology providers. The most successful are those where both parties bring an equal commitment, have a shared understanding of their strategy and goals, and what they need to achieve in order to realise value.  Tollring’s most successful partners have integrated call analytics and call recording services within their own product portfolios, bundling the product to guarantee attachment and recurring revenues.