Simplify direct routing with Westcon Cloud Connect
By Prebashini Reddy, Microsoft Product Manager at Westcon-Comstor
As part of the company’s Q4 FY21 earnings announcement held in July this year, Microsoft chairman and CEO Satya Nadella said there were nearly 250 million monthly active users of the Microsoft Teams business communications platform. This has made it of the fastest-growing business solutions in the world. But beyond its video conferencing and document management capabilities, Teams can also be routed through a traditional phone network using direct routing. And with this comes significant cost savings and productivity benefits.
Direct routing through Teams also provides a more effective alternative to existing corporate reliance on multiple communication platforms, catering for a different use case. However, direct routing is not without its challenges and does introduce more complexity into an already challenging IT environment if not configured properly.
This is where the Westcon Cloud Connect comes in. Businesses of all sizes can integrate Microsoft Teams, Poly headsets and speakerphones, and the Ribbon Connect offering that connects phone lines, numbers, and calling plans through this cloud service. And because this is a cloud-based offering, it is available on a per-user, per month billing model.
Leveraging strengths
With this service as a foundation, a business can incorporate the richest features, functionalities, and devices from these three global companies into a single service to make Teams Calling a reality regardless of employees’ geographic location.
And unlike other communications platforms, clients can opt-in or opt-out whenever needed with no lock-in via long-term commitments or contracts. Effectively, this empowers business and technology leaders to create a customised environment unique to their strategic requirements. An additional benefit of going the cloud route is that there are no hardware assets to sweat.
Putting the proverbial ribbon on this three-pronged solutions approach is the local support and pricing offering by experienced partner Westcon-Comstor.
Local expertise
With feet on the ground, there is no more risky bill shock at the end of the month or having to deal with an international call centre for support. Westcon-Comstor provides local African product managers who can address any integration challenge.
This dedicated account management provides partners with specialists for each technology component in Westcon Cloud Connect. Additionally, Westcon-Comstor delivers certified and bespoke training courses via its accredited Microsoft Learning Centre so channel partners can provide superior accredited services to their corporate clients.
Westcon-Comstor also has pre-and post-sales teams in place to support partners with any remote or onsite technical assistance on projects, ongoing maintenance, or solution delivery.
Going hybrid
Westcon Cloud Connect delivers a truly unified communications tool that people can use to collaborate and communicate with customers, partners, and colleagues. Because it is a centralised environment, it removes the need to toggle between different tools to complete specific tasks. So, everything can take place through the app, whether it is responding to a message, sharing a file, or following up with a call.
This makes it ideal for businesses looking to adopt a hybrid work environment in the new year. Companies are turning to solutions that help ensure better collaboration and better ways to connect with teams with the novelty of working remotely all but worn off. Looking ahead, employees need to remain connected beyond just messaging apps and emails. The voice and video calling features integrated into Westcon Cloud Connect deliver the ideal platform for employees to engage with one another in the office or working remotely.
In effect, Westcon Cloud Connects the strings-attached nature of fixed-line calling environments giving employees a communications environment that follows them wherever they are, whatever device they are using and ensures they always remain connected to the business.
Unifying communications
Considering that the global unified communications and collaboration markets are expected to top $113 billion by 2028, having such an integrated solution becomes a critical business enabler. From fostering team collaboration to improving productivity, the unified communications enabled through Westcon Cloud Connect cannot be ignored.
And while the need for unified communications is not new, the technology innovation essential to make this an easy process has not been available until now. Thanks to the power of Westcon Cloud Connect, decision-makers can focus on how to achieve the strategic objectives of their organisations with employee collaboration and communication becoming more agile to adapt to any requirement.
Download the Westcon Cloud Connect app from the Microsoft AppSource store today.