CallTower UCaas, CCaaS & Collaboration News

Microsoft Calling Plans Webinar: Three Things to Remember

Written by Kade Herbert | Feb 1, 2019 2:33:00 PM

Adding voice and conferencing capabilities to Office 365 with Skype for Business and Microsoft Teams enables business to boost productivity, easily collaborate and save valuable money.  As a Microsoft Gold Partner, CallTower has been able to voice-enable Office 365 for years, deploying a hosted and native UCaaS solution.

We recent held a webinar to explore how voice-enabling Office 365 with Microsoft Calling Plans can empower an organization - and probably increase your ROI. Here are the highlights: 

 

Microsoft Teams is NOT "Purple Skype"

Though Microsoft Teams and Skype for Business do differ, there is some significant overlap. Both Skype for Business and Microsoft Teams involve team chats, direct messaging, and voice calling. Though Microsoft Teams originally didn’t have the calling capacity that Skype does, it still has both voice chat and video calling functionality. 

Teams is still coming online so some of the functionality of Skype for Business has not been implemented, which means you may need additional solutions to keep things running smoothly. Functions like Auto Attendants and Hunt Groups should be live soon, but things like Call Recording, Federation to Skype Consumer, and non-persistent chat have yet to be forecasted.

 

CallTower for Skype for Business

As a gold certified Microsoft partner, CallTower enhances your Skype for Business solution. Our geo-redundant network is completely optimized for voice, which means you don't have to worry about call quality. We've built a native Skype for Business Contact Center from the ground up, giving you the accessibility and management properties you need. We also offer a CT Cloud Recording solution and CT Cloud Boost, which optimizes more than a thousand of your cloud applications. More components of our Skype for Business solution include:

    • CallTower manages your entire implementation process with dedicated support and training
    • A designated Project Manager handles all your DID ports and coordinates any additional services, such as faxes, overhead paging, door buzzers, security gates, credit card machines, receptionist console and a devices (handset/headset installation)
    • CallTower provides additional resources such as Solution Architects who can provide onsite support if needed
    • CallTower delivers 24/7/365 US-based ongoing support after implementation 

 

CallTower for Microsoft Teams

The Microsoft Teams Phone System powered by CallTower enables customers to bring their current voice services into the Microsoft Cloud through Direct Routing. Direct Routing ensures the ability to leverage CallTower’s preferred rates and unlocks the full potential of a Microsoft Teams Phone System. Other exciting features include:
  • DIDs can be moved from CallTower’s Skype accounts to Teams without porting
  • With a move to our Microsoft Partner Network, CallTower can handle the move of voice from CallTower’s Skype for Business to Microsoft Teams
  • CallTower provides Direct Routing as a Managed Service
  • CallTower has mix and match solutions to fit your business needs (CT Cloud Voice, CT Cloud Boost, CT Cloud Meeting, CT Cloud Fax, and more) 
  • Centralized Call Recording for compliance and quality management
  • CallTower delivers 24/7/365 US-based ongoing support after implementation