Microsoft Teams is one of the world’s leading UC platforms. As the native calling plan can be expensive and geographically limited, many businesses opt to use it via their own carrier. Many partners’ end customers want to link Teams to phone calls to reap benefits including centralizing communications on one platform, enhanced collaboration, and cost efficiency.

Direct Routing (DR) and Operator Connect (OC) offer their own unique features and benefits, as we explained here.

Briefly, DR allows companies to use their existing telephony provider in Microsoft Teams for PSTN calling. OC is a cloud-based BYOC solution for Microsoft Teams that connects to the PSTN through a local service provider.

Here we examine how OC can be leveraged by channel partners to offer a best-in-class solution to customers and how to manage environments currently working on both DR and OC. We also recommend accessing more information on this topic and enjoying a webinar run by connectivity products and services provider Telnyx to address the most common questions, answered by their team of experts.

Can Partners Resell OC solutions?

The short answer is yes.

Unlike DR, only Microsoft-certified providers can offer OC. They must offer guaranteed support and Service Level Agreements (SLAs) from Microsoft and your operator.

A partner needs to work with customers to understand their requirements and goals to identify which approach would be best. Telnyx’s blog on the topic covers some questions you should ask your customers to support them best and Telnyx’s expert team can help get you started on the right journey. It also includes their webinar, offering some invaluable advice on this topic, and breaks down the differences between OC and DR.

Do customers need a partner to manage their OC users?

It is not necessary for enterprises to have their OC managed by a partner, but that approach does reap some benefits, including:

  1. Porting and setup – operators can manage number porting and initial setup, which reduces strain on IT teams faced with a potentially unfamiliar interface
  2. Expertise and support – partners can manage smooth integration with Teams, and offer ongoing troubleshooting and support
  3. Simplified management – working with a partner can reduce the burden on internal IT teams

For customers with strong IT teams and extensive telephony experience, self-management is possible. Alternatively, businesses can use a partner to ensure smooth implementation and graduate to self-management once they are familiar with OC.

Managing a Different Telephone Environment

Boosting your Business Model with Operator Connect

As a partner, you can monetize your involvement through options including:

  1. Consultancy services including assessing service options, planning, training, and adoption
  2. Implementation and setup fees
  3. Subscription-based services like support / maintenance plans and ongoing management
  4. Bundling services, such as UC packages and network solutions
  5. Performance optimization and other value-added services

Furthermore, you may be working with a client running both DR and UC options across their business. How do you best support that scenario?

Always work with your customer’s requirements and goals in mind. Identifying which users and/or locations require a customized solution offered by DR and those that would benefit from the simplicity of OC is a starting point.

An integration plan needs to ensure seamless interoperability between DR and OC, and will require updates as the business evolves. Partners must consider potential challenges such as call routing, quality assurance and user management across both systems.

Using both approaches in one business may suit larger customers with many departments with different telephony needs. Both DR and OC deliver global reach, cost savings, and high-quality calling.

Telnyx is a Tier 1 carrier, which means it has direct access to major global telecom networks, and has recently extended its Operator Connect services to over 40 countries.

Find out more at Telnyx.



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