Why TCI? Best Practices & Questions for Choosing the Right Tech Partner for Your Business Communications

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Many companies sell communication solutions but lack the product expertise and experience to recommend the right product or migration strategy for your business. They’re simply focused on making sales.

A true technology partner is focused on developing a long-term relationship with your business. It acts as a trusted advisor — actively engaged in your mission, understanding your goals, and fully dedicated to helping you achieve them.

The Right Balance: A Local Partner with Global Backing

When you’re evaluating technology partners, proximity is essential. Your ideal technology partner should be near enough to your business that company representatives can get to your site, if needed, in a reasonable timeframe.

But size and stability are essential, too. Choose a partner backed by a well-known, proven global organization with a robust, established partner program.

This combination will give you peace of mind, knowing your partner is fully trained in their communications systems, and you have fast, easy access to additional expertise and insight when required.

You’re an expert in your business area, but your technology partner’s job is to bring expertise in the best communications strategies and solutions to drive your business forward.

Look for a knowledgeable partner who can clearly explain each technology and solution, the difference between an update and an upgrade, the reasons you need both, and the best way to approach a communication solution that can grow alongside your business.

Your technology partner should also be able to speak about the security risks of using outdated communications technologies and the security benefits of keeping your system current. It should be able to help you evaluate the different deployment models available to ensure you choose the approach that best fits your business.

Flexible and in it for the Long-Term

Be wary of technology companies that take a short-term “in-and-out” or “one-size-fits-all” approach. If you feel their primary goal is to sell you on a particular strategy or solution – ‘move to the cloud today or go away’– or simply to get you to sign on the dotted line, it’s time to look for another partner.

The ideal technology partner understands where you want to go but isn’t panicking to get you there. They realize you need to make decisions that are right for your business. They also understand that there are as many different paths to communication solutions as there are companies. As true partners, they take a consultative approach to meeting your requirements in the short term and the long term. Their goal is to get you from here to there in the way that best matches your business goals, budget, and priorities.

Specialist in Your Industry and Business Size

Depending on your industry, choosing a technology partner with specialized knowledge of industry requirements and a history of working in your industry can be extremely important. For example:

  • Businesses in the healthcare industry need communications systems that enable compliance with regulatory and privacy requirements, helping streamline workflows and improve conversations between care providers and patients.
  • Businesses in the hospitality industry need communications systems that help them improve guest services, simplify complex workflows, and integrate communications across locations and systems.
  • Government organizations need communications systems that reduce operational costs, enhance service delivery, and make it easy to support a hybrid local and remote workforce.

Best Practice: Ask a Lot of Questions

You must feel fully informed and comfortable with your choice of a technology partner. When evaluating potential partners, don’t hesitate to ask every question that comes to mind. Consider questions related to:

  • Technology options, where they’re installed, and how they’re managed.
  • Communications features and functions and how they’re accessed.
  • Short-term and long-term IT efforts required on your side.
  • Solution deployment and migration processes and timing.
  • Payment options, schedules, and processes.
  • Ongoing communications and notifications about updates and upgrades.
  • After-sales service and support.

Talk to the Partner’s Other Customers

The best technology partners will ask if you’d like to speak with other customers they’ve served. If they don’t proactively offer the opportunity to contact their other customers – especially customers in your industry – ask for it. If they hesitate or don’t want you to speak with their other customers, it’s important to ask why that is.

TCI supports voice and data network solutions for 3,000+ businesses, associations, and governments in the DC region. Let’s talk about your organization. Contact TCI today at (703) 321-3030 or GetHelp@tcicomm.com.
 


2024 Budget Season is Here… Schedule Your TCI Technology & Business Review Today!

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Improving Operations with Better Technology Starts with Your 2024 Planning Session

With budget season here and 2024 right around the corner, now is a great time to start evaluating your office technologies and setting strategic goals.

A TCI Technology & Business Review gets you prepared for the new year, whether you’re looking to simplify your technology, connect your Hybrid Workforce, or thinking about Faster Broadband, Online Collaboration, Disaster Recovery, Cloud, or Managed Voice Services.

Not familiar with the latest innovations or apps?

We’ll get you up to speed so your business can connect more easily and become more productive than ever.

Schedule your 2024 planning session with TCI today. Call (703) 321-3030 or GetHelp@tcicomm.com.
 


Managing Field Service Techs? Learn How TCI’s Collaboration Solutions & Tools Improve Field Operations

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With embedded communications technology, you can eliminate delays, manage operations more efficiently, and generate improved customer satisfaction and greater profitability for your business.

  • Have you looked at your field service applications lately?
  • Are your field techs getting tired of jumping back and forth between mobile apps, dialers, text windows, video players, and more to get their job done?

There’s a more efficient way to stay connected and run communications seamlessly with TCI’s Mitel-powered solutions.

Field service companies juggle a lot of moving parts – including scheduled and emergency customer calls, tracking technician status and availability, and being able to resolve a customer’s problem on the first visit.

When it comes to running a smooth and efficient field services operation, a unified communications solution with built-in collaboration tools is the only way to keep a mobile and disparate team connected, informed, and prepared.

Here’s how UC tools get the job done…

  • A mobile app for truck fleets with turn-by-turn directions keeps technicians connected, on schedule, and productive. It provides access to everything they need to complete a call without having to navigate between systems. Service calls are shorter, reducing the overall cost per call.
  • SMS notifications keep the customer up to date on the technician’s estimated arrival time, along with their name and job number.
  • CRM integration provides technicians with access to customer information, including the last service date, equipment on site, the current problem, and even possible solutions. A qualified technician arrives at the customer site with the right parts on the truck.
  • Video conferencing enables real-time communications between technicians and subject matter experts. Techs receive assistance in the field if questions arise about how to resolve a difficult issue.
  • Automatic rescheduling empowers customers and gives your service reps more time to spend on complicated issues.
  • All data for a service call is stored within the system, including video communications and the customer’s signature, so the job can be closed out at the time of service.

Field services companies that implement these collaboration tools not only see greater workflow efficiencies, they generate more revenue and improve their bottom lines.

Ready to transform your field services operation? TCI can help… Contact us today at (703) 321-3030 or GetHelp@tcicomm.com.
 


In-Building Broadband Connections Made Easy with TCI’s Wi-Fi Service

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TCI’s Managed Wi-Fi Service… Simplify and speed up your day-to-day operations. Our Managed Wi-Fi puts intuitive yet powerful tools in the hands of your network administrators:

  • Add wireless capacity in minutes with fully automatic provisioning
  • Manage complex, dynamic environments using Auto RF
  • Throttle bandwidth and block unauthorized applications
  • Streamline device onboarding with built-in Mobile Device Management

Wi-Fi 6 Support… TCI supports enterprise-class Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) access points to solve density and throughput challenges. With up to 8 transmit and 8 receive antennas, your applications will always operate at peak performance. In addition to 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz radios, many APs offer a dedicated security radio that:

  • Continuously scans and protects against security threats
  • Senses the RF environment and adapts to interference
  • Automatically configures RF settings to maximize performance

Wireless Made Easy… From growing offices to large corporate enterprises, TCI designs, implements and maintains the wireless networks that keep local businesses connected and running strong. Our expertise includes:

  • Wireless site surveys
  • Wireless coverage testing
  • Access point cabling
  • Wireless security
  • Wireless network management

Whatever your environment and business goals, TCI can design, deploy, and support a cloud-managed wireless solution for you.

Our certified infrastructure experts will ensure your mobile workforce has access to the connections they need to stay productive. Contact TCI today at (703) 321-3030 or GetHelp@tcicomm.com.
 


Supporting DC Metro Leaders in Education, Hospitality and Retail with On-Premises & Hybrid Unified Communications

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The on-prem, private hosted, and hybrid Unified Communications (UC) platforms TCI deploys and supports offer unique advantages for education, hospitality, and retail organizations.

A 2023 Metrigy global survey found 64.7% of those in the hospitality industry are on-premises or private-hosted, 56.7% of education, and 50% of retail. These high adoption rates of on-prem and private hosted UC platforms, coupled with the relatively small percentage of those planning to move to UCaaS, highlight significant benefits for the on-premises, private-hosted, and hybrid models for these industries.

4 Reasons Why Education, Hospitality, and Retail stick with On-Prem and Hybrid UC

1. Reliability – The primary reason cited across all three industries for staying with on-premises and private-hosted solutions is their reliability. In the retail space, with large numbers of distributed locations, stores must be able to operate even if there is a network outage. Individual locations must be able to place and receive calls and ensure that systems such as alarms can always function. Hospitality operates under a similar model. A hotel, for example, can’t tolerate downtime for its in-room communications or be unreachable by those looking to make a reservation if there is a network outage or a UCaaS outage. Educational organizations, too, must ensure reliability, especially for higher education institutions spread out across campuses, and support communications modalities, including emergency calling systems.

2. Cost Savings – Nearly 46% overall, including half of retail and hospitality organizations, say that cost savings are the primary reason they stay with on-premises or private-hosted deployment models. On-prem or private-hosted models can often be less expensive and may already be fully depreciated. They also can allow companies, through hybrid solutions, to add additional cloud-based features, such as analytics and application integrations, without making wholesale changes to UC and contact center platforms. And they can preserve existing investments in endpoints and infrastructure such as gateways.

3. Security and Data Privacy – On-premises and private-hosted deployment models allow organizations to control their own data. Educational organizations may use their UC platforms to manage student data, including potentially sensitive information such as grades and health records. Hospitality companies may hold information related to customer location, travel history, and payment preferences. Retail organizations must process payment information per Payment Card Industry (PCI) compliance standards. Organizations may have sensitive competitive information they wish to ensure isn’t shared with service providers or potentially outside their control.

4. Integrations – Education, hospitality, and retail organizations will likely have extensive and unique integrations between business applications and their communications platforms. In our research, the need to integrate file management, project and task management, HR, CRM, and ERP applications into collaboration platforms is common to all three.

Beyond those drivers, there are several industry-specific examples of how On-Prem and Hybrid UC supports unique requirements, including:

Education:

  • Self-service portals allow students to check their account balances and billing information by phone or messaging app bot.
  • Student management platforms integrated with call centers enable students to click to call for support from within a learning management app such as Ellucian Banner or Blackboard.

Hospitality:

  • Guest management platforms enable customers to check account information, order food, movies, or services, or easily reach a concierge through a single click on an in-room phone or via an integrated mobile app.

Retail:

  • Inventory and order management systems allow customers to check product availability or order status by phone or receive text updates.
  • In-store wireless communications platforms for employees allow on-the-go communications and enable mobile staff to take incoming calls from customers seeking assistance.
  • Marketing automation systems send special offers and updates to customers via text.

Education, hospitality, and retail organizations may also integrate security systems into calling and paging platforms to provide automated notifications in an emergency.

In all these cases, on-premises and private-hosted solutions allow education, hospitality, and retail organizations to customize and control their communications environment.

Furthermore, education, hospitality, and retail organizations can use hybrid solutions to add additional features and functionality from the cloud while preserving their existing investments in on-premises and private-hosted platforms.

TCI has decades of industry-specific expertise. Let’s talk about leveraging the best technology to help achieve your organizational goals.

Contact us at (703) 321-3030 or GetHelp@tcicomm.com.
 


6 Tips to Improve Your Bank’s Online and Omnichannel Customer Experience

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While the new financial experience may involve fewer person-to-person interactions, clients still expect high levels of personalization.

Financial services Customer Experience (CX) encompasses every customer interaction with an institution on every platform. While this used to primarily happen over a teller counter, the new omnichannel CX includes apps, embedded finance, online systems, digital communications, and contact centers – any way users access their services. The better a customer’s experience at every touchpoint, the more likely they are to trust that company with their finances.

From their initial deposit to their many investment milestones, here are six tips for creating a better experience that your customers will know they can bank on.

1. Build Trust with Digital-first Customers – Digital money management can be daunting for new customers, especially if they are unfamiliar with your brand. Earning client trust can be challenging, but there are ways to make them feel more comfortable using your products. Center your company’s mission and values with consistent messaging and back it up with your services. Clients are concerned about the security of their transactions, so be transparent with your compliance and data privacy policies.

2. Prioritize Self-Service – Currently, most transactions originate digitally, with customers accessing self-service portals or making payments through embedded financial technology. Online transactions like trades or transfers are automated and fast. They generally require little intervention from human agents, making them efficient for the client and cost-effective for the financial institution.

3. Add a Human Touch – In an era where customer interactions are limited, each point of human-to-human contact is valuable. When self-service and AI can’t solve an issue, it’s up to the human agent to step in and provide exceptional customer service. Empower agents with up-to-date information about the client’s history to easily step into the conversation for personalized, empathetic support.

4. Create Connections Between Customers and Employees – Clients will feel more comfortable knowing their money is in the hands of knowledgeable, dependable financial employees, so make sure the transition between self-service and live agent assistance is seamless. Ensuring contact center agents are always available via phone or chat and equipped with top-of-the-line communications solutions leads to faster resolution rates and happier customers. UC solutions like AI-assisted agent support for dynamic real-time responses and work-from-anywhere technology will empower your people to respond professionally and customers will feel confident in their care.

5. Optimize Your Workforce – Human capital is the most valuable – and one of the most expensive – elements of running an organization. Finding the right balance of automated solutions and human expertise can help manage budgetary concerns while improving employee and customer satisfaction. Automated workforce management technology uses analytics to track times of peak demand, creating strategic schedules for flexible, efficient contact center staffing.

6. Collect Valuable Feedback – Today’s digital-first customers quickly tap a thumbs-up or thumbs-down icon, but gathering meaningful feedback is essential in providing high-quality financial experiences. Whether it’s a satisfaction survey at the end of a call or a net promoter score after an online chat, give customers a chance to share their thoughts. Their insight can identify pain points and lead to CX improvements you hadn’t considered.

Improve Your Financial Services CX with TCI

The pivot to online financial services is an opportunity for traditional banks, credit unions, and other institutions to provide new levels of exceptional customer experiences. Contact TCI today at (703) 321-3030 or GetHelp@tcicomm.com.
 


TCI… Your Local Experts in Assisted and Senior Living Community Technology Solutions

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When families are evaluating senior living facilities for their loved ones, they are looking for amenities, responsive service and care, convenience, and peace of mind.

TCI supports your goal to deliver those benefits with advanced Communication and Networking solutions that better connect your residents and staff.

We bring everything together to make sure your solutions work as one integrated system.

  • HIPAA-compliant Voice Communications Platforms and Service
  • Mobile Communications for Caregivers and Staff
  • Facility and campus-wide Wireless & IT Networking Solutions
  • Monitoring & Call Response
  • Customized Broadcast & Paging Systems that notify everyone who needs a specific type of alert.
  • Integration with Nurse Call Systems
  • E911 Compliance Solutions
  • Video communications that help residents and family stay in touch

We back up our customized Senior Living technology solutions with outstanding support…

  • Remote Monitoring and Managed Service & Support
  • Emergency Service and 24×7 On Call Technicians

TCI is the DC region’s local source for customized Senior Living Community solutions that offer the peace-of-mind caregivers and families deserve and expect.

Contact us today at (703) 321-3030 or GetHelp@tcicomm.com.
 


Stay Safe and Keep it Simple… 4 Essential Actions to Take During Cybersecurity Awareness Month

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The theme of CISA’s, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, Cybersecurity Awareness Month is “Secure Our World.” They are asking all of us to do our part.

CISA offers helpful tips, videos and resources to protect yourself, your family, and your business from online threats here:

https://www.cisa.gov/secure-our-world

CISA recommends all of us – individuals, families and businesses – to keep it simple and focus on these four critical actions this month – and all year long.

  • Use Strong Passwords – Strong passwords are long, random, unique, and include all four character types (uppercase, lowercase, numbers and symbols). Password managers are a powerful tool to help you create strong passwords for each of your accounts.
  • Turn On MFA – You need more than a password to protect your online accounts and enabling MFA makes you significantly less likely to get hacked. Enable MFA on all your online accounts that offer it, especially email, social media and financial accounts.
  • Recognize & Report Phishing – Be cautious of unsolicited messages asking for personal information. Avoid sharing sensitive information or credentials with unknown sources. Report phishing attempts and delete the message.
  • Update Software – Ensuring your software is up to date is the best way to make sure you have the latest security patches and updates on your devices. Regularly check for updates if automatic updates are not available.

Your UC and Voice Communications need to be protected too. Need help with your UC or Voice communications security?

Contact TCI today at (703) 321-3030 or GetHelp@tcicomm.com.
 


Choosing the Right Cloud Infrastructure for Your Organization

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By definition, Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) is a unified telecommunications system based in the cloud. But which cloud? Your own, or one you share with people and organizations you don’t know?

Public and private cloud environments are very different regarding security, flexibility, performance, control, and other essential factors. Today, organizations can experience the best of both worlds — with some due diligence.

What is a Public Cloud?

In a public cloud environment, multiple organizations share space on a server or, more likely, a virtual server. This platform offers the benefits of simplicity, scale, and savings.

  • Companies don’t have to worry about maintenance; the public cloud service provider handles updates and upgrades.
  • Organizations can add or decrease seats based on business demands.
  • A public cloud platform eliminates the expense of maintaining communications equipment and servers.

At the same time, a public cloud has limitations. Operating systems and software, for instance, are upgraded when the public cloud service provider — not the client organization — chooses. Users who want customization, such as other applications or additional security for their virtual machines, are generally out of luck.

Think of it as an apartment building filled with tenants. The building owner, not the tenants, decides when to shovel the snow off the steps and repave the parking lot. The tenants can request security cameras or electrical vehicle chargers, but the building owner ultimately decides whether to install them.

What is a Private Cloud?

A private cloud system works like a public cloud, but as the name suggests, the resources are limited to a private network. These systems pair the efficiency of virtualization and a centralized infrastructure with the security of dedicated virtual servers. A private cloud gives organizations great flexibility, maximum control, and security.

  • Like public clouds, private clouds are scalable and cost-effective.
  • Upgrades and updates happen when the company chooses.
  • Organizations determine who and what can access the private cloud, significantly reducing the data breach risk.

However, adding and managing data centers, servers, and phone lines can get expensive and complicated and take engineering staff away from other duties. System maintenance can also require staff that may be difficult to find and expensive. In addition, modern communications requirements can mean significant liability.

Many services, including e911 and the calculation and remittance of regulatory fees and taxes, are required for cloud-based systems. Companies that maintain a private cloud must stay abreast of — and comply with — government regulations, such as STIR/SHAKEN compliance; Kari’s Law, which ensures the ability to dial 911 directly; and RAY BAUM’s Act, which requires that all 911 calls include dispatchable location information.

What is a Managed Private Cloud?

The expense and liability of managing data centers have driven many organizations to migrate their private cloud environments to a managed private cloud service. This third offering combines many of the benefits of a public cloud with the increased control and security of a private cloud.

  • Service providers handle maintenance and upgrades at the customer’s convenience.
  • Companies have dedicated virtual servers for each unique application.
  • Regulatory compliance responsibilities (e.g., 911-related services, calculation/collection/remittance of regulatory fees and taxes) lie with the service provider.
  • Billing services lie with the service provider.
  • Geo-redundant data centers offer enhanced security and reliability.
  • Service providers include all inbound/outbound calling services within the 48 contiguous US.

Choosing the Right Service Provider

For more than 40 years, we’ve served as a trusted partner to innovative DC region organizations that need intelligent communications solutions to engage with their clients and accelerate operations.

Let’s explore which cloud infrastructure approach and customized UCaaS can help grow your business. Contact TCI today at (703) 321-3030 or GetHelp@tcicomm.com.
 




Check Out This Easy-to-Deploy Game Changer – Your New Virtual Receptionist: Mitel Voice Assist

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If excellent customer service is your goal, Mitel has stepped up with the solution you need… their new Voice Assist solution.

Voice Assist is like having a virtual receptionist to help answer basic customer questions, route calls, and deliver personal service without tying up an employee on your team. Voice Assist is a simple application that’s added to your Mitel communication server solution.

If you’re spending too much time helping to route calls to the right person and answering simple questions, Voice Assist can help. If your customers are spending too much time navigating your voice system to find the right person, Voice Assist can help them, too.

Designed for organizations that don’t require a contact center solution, but still need to deliver a professional call experience.

Voice Assist features powerful text-to-speech and speech recognition capabilities for a natural, conversational experience – customers can choose the language and voice they want to hear. Instead of a busy signal or a generic voicemail message, your customers immediately get the assistance they need, and you get the help you need to focus on your primary job while ensuring your customers feel heard and served.

Requires no coding or advanced programming knowledge and is a free add-on for users with a Mitel Software Assurance license.

Although built to be simple and easy to deploy in the cloud, Mitel didn’t leave out sophisticated features like text-to-speech and speech recognition, multilingual support, and full integration with Google Places. That last feature is great for small businesses that use Google Places to advertise their business. It now means that your intelligent auto attendant and Google Places can be linked and synched for a better customer experience.

PDF: Mitel Voice Assist Admin Guide

The Low-code, No-code Future

The communications applications of tomorrow won’t have complex interfaces that require heavy coding skills. They’ll be graphically based, intuitive to use, and require no or minimal coding for customization. This is the direction that system designers are moving in, and Voice Assist is Mitel’s first product to fully leverage this low-code, no-code design.

This means more freedom for small businesses to quickly build the digital customer front door they want. Creating call routes, voice menus, and pre-recorded messages can be easily accomplished through prebuilt templates and a drag-and-drop interface. If your organization is spread out across different geographic regions, Voice Assist’s user interface can be customized to support local languages with the click of a button.

Voice Assist is another example of more value for your money. If you’re not a TCI customer today, now is the perfect time to look at our innovative solutions for your business.

Learn about Mitel Voice Assist and how you can deliver a professional call experience for your customers. Contact TCI today: (703) 321-3030 or GetHelp@tcicomm.com.