What are the most common purchase drivers for a Microsoft Teams integrated Contact Center?
For organizations who are already committed to the Microsoft Teams vision, and are looking for a cohesive, and simple-to-enable solution with functionality that goes beyond what Microsoft Teams already does.
For organizations who want to leverage their Microsoft Teams investment, they would like to replace their traditional PBX contact center with Teams instead of having different silos.
For organizations who need the flexibility and agility of a SaaS contact center model.
For organizations who are working on Skype for Business and have a migration path to Teams.
Without getting too technical, how easy is it to integrate a contact center environment into Microsoft Teams in 2021?
With the SaaS model, it could take just an hour to implement the contact center functionality.
You don't need a technical background to get the system up and running. The business can focus on the business rather than the technical side. They can set up call flows themselves, announcements, change opening hours. Microsoft Teams contact center allows businesses to be agile.
Microsoft APIs are not always delivered immediately so vendors have to rely on their experience to deliver alternative solutions rather than wait. Ultimately, the vendors do all the hard technical bits so that the customer doesn't have to.
Is it fair to compare a Teams contact center with a conventional contact center? What are the advantages and are there any trade-offs?
An advantage is anywhere working, but where that differs from a conventional contact center is that the agents have the benefit of the Microsoft Teams functionality as well as contact center functionality, on the same platform.
It's true that the big vendors have very feature-rich solutions. But what a Teams contact center lacks in features it makes up for in agility and the ability to adapt to customer needs quickly. Features can always be added to the Teams contact center, and it is quick to do so.
What advice would you give a company setting off on their Teams CC journey?
If you are thinking about Teams contact center, you have probably already crossed the 'Teams bridge', but if not, make sure Teams fits your culture.
Walk before you can run - understand the voice part of Teams first.
Make sure that the Teams contact center solution fits your needs. Pinpoint what your requirements are, and make sure you understand what you get from your vendor.
Make sure you check your vendor's roadmap. The Microsoft ecosystem is changing so much, you need a vendor that is at the forefront of the technology and who is agile.
What should we expect to see from Microsoft going forward? Will we see more innovation in the world of customer experience, or will they rely on ISVs for CX features?
Microsoft will continue to work with ISVs to deliver Teams contact center.
Contact centers are not Microsoft’s core competence nor strategy and will remain the focus of ISVs, who have decade long experience in developing solutions that meet the market’s needs.