For several years now, Microsoft has been introducing companies to a new vision for the future of work. Focusing on empowering employees across an increasingly distributed and disconnected landscape, Microsoft has helped to drive hybrid and flexible work into the mainstream.
Today, more than 280 million people rely on Microsoft Teams for collaboration and communication across video, chat, and audio. Every day, new companies tap into the Teams ecosystem, and Microsoft continues rolling out new features and functionality. However, while countless organizations are keen to access the benefits of Teams, they don’t necessarily want to leave their legacy telephony investments behind.
“Identifying key business functions that need to be replicated in the Teams Calling environment requires considerable telephony experience. We take a deep dive into our customer’s PBX environment so we can help them shrink their on-prem footprint, deploy the best possible cloud calling solution, and optimize their UC investments across the board, said Jon Shelby, VP Sales, Continuant.
Fortunately, Microsoft doesn’t necessarily require brands to rip out and replace their old technology. With the right partnerships and support, business leaders can continue to access their existing telephony solutions from market-leading providers while still harnessing the benefits of cloud platforms like Teams.
Combining Legacy Hardware with Microsoft Teams
While Microsoft does offer its own calling plans and telephony hardware directly, it also provides businesses with an opportunity to plug their existing carrier package into the platform.
SIP solutions and Direct Routing ensure business leaders with existing investments in voice can maintain their calling functionality and tools even as they transition into Microsoft Teams. This means organizations can leverage all the benefits of the Teams platform without replacing their entire communication infrastructure – saving time and money in the process.
The question is, how do brands take advantage of this connectivity strategy without creating a more complex, confusing, or expensive ecosystem?
Step 1: Audit the Existing Infrastructure
The first step in successfully connecting an existing telephony solution to Microsoft Teams is auditing the existing technology. Companies will need to assess their current communication stack carefully to determine what features and functionality they need to bring with them into Microsoft Teams, as well as which new capabilities they might like to add.
After all, shifting to Microsoft Teams doesn’t just give businesses the opportunity to benefit from the agility and flexibility of the cloud. It can also offer a chance to reconsider the needs of the workforce and update the communication stack with new calling capabilities. Some organizations may even choose to connect their UCaaS and CCaaS strategies during their migration for a more comprehensive, all-in-one approach to communications.
Step 2: Develop a Strategy
Direct Routing and Direct Routing as a Service (DRaaS) solution providers offer companies a variety of ways to leverage the full advantages of Microsoft Teams while maintaining their existing telephony infrastructure. Some vendors will be able to support companies looking to preserve a hybrid architecture, with both on-premises and cloud-based technologies connected in one place.
Others will assist companies in building a plan which allows them to migrate fully into the cloud gradually, at their own pace. The strategy each company chooses for their Microsoft Teams communication plan will determine what kind of support they need from its partner or vendor. A good direct routing provider should be able to assist with everything from ensuring secure connections between vendors like Avaya and Microsoft Teams. However, they could also offer consultation and guidance for those interested in porting numbers or features to a different carrier.
Step 3: Choose a Trusted MSP
Once business leaders have decided exactly how they’re going to leverage Microsoft Teams and how much of their existing telephony solution they want to bring with them, the next step is finding the right managed service provider (MSP). Connecting Teams to a legacy ecosystem can be a complex process for those without a deep knowledge of SBC solutions, SIP, and PowerShell.
An effective MSP will be able to reduce the complexities facing business leaders, offering scalable price models, access to industry-leading engineers, and even assistance with adoption and change management. Some MSPs can even provide SLAs for peace of mind to ensure business leaders can continue to leverage the same quality of communication connections as they migrate into the Microsoft ecosystem.
Working with a trusted MSP ensures businesses can migrate into Microsoft Teams at the pace that’s right for them, leveraging the support and expertise they need every step of the way.
Step 4: Factor in Security
Enterprise technology environments can be highly complex and subject to a number of complex regulations. Before companies start sharing and managing data within Teams, they’ll need to ensure they have the right strategies in place to protect their environment and their customers.
Business leaders should start by reviewing their existing cybersecurity strategy in use with their current telephony system. From there, begin exploring where new risks and challenges might emerge with a connection to Microsoft Teams. Some companies may need to develop new policies and governance standards regarding data sharing, storage, password requirements, and more.
Additionally, it’s worth working with a managed service provider who can provide access to tools for maintaining and ensuring security, such as proactive monitoring tools and access controls.
Step 5: Ensure Adoption and Ongoing Optimization
Finally, connecting a legacy platform with Teams also requires companies to think carefully about how they can encourage initial and continued adoption. While employees might already feel comfortable using the functions offered by telephony providers, they may need additional training and support to get used to Microsoft Teams and its capabilities.
Providing access to the right training and resources can ensure employees can more rapidly take advantage of the unique functionality Teams can offer. This can also reduce the risk of employees resorting to using their own devices and apps which aren’t monitored by IT teams.
To ensure ongoing improvements and optimization, it’s also worth consistently collecting feedback from employees and monitoring changes in adoption and engagement trends. Ask team members to share their insights when they encounter problems with their linked Teams and Avaya telephony systems, and build strategies to overcome these problems one at a time.
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