Power Up Microsoft Teams with Mitel’s Integrated Tools and Apps

/0 Comments/in /by

Making Microsoft Teams More of a Team Player

Microsoft Teams is great for video meetings and sharing documents, but many business sectors still depend on customized telephony apps from third-parties.

  • Schools and universities, for example, rely on mass notification via mobile devices to protect students, staff, and parents during emergencies.
  • Financial services companies must maintain inbound contact centers supporting call recording and other advanced telephony features.
  • Retail businesses need to connect workers on the sales floor to customer service applications via telephone to help customers in real-time.
  • Healthcare facilitie may use Teams for video collaboration between facilities, but what about emergencies where a doctor or nurse needs to respond when they’re not near a laptop? Telephony services can provide the critical link to life-saving answers in seconds.
  • Hotels may use Teams for internal meetings or drive customer engagement, but telephones still play a critical role in their daily life. Guests rely on in-suite phone services to contact staff and receive messages. Cleaning staff can use those same phones to indicate when a room is clean and available for guests.

Video: Making the Most of Microsoft Teams with Mitel – 1:20 min.

Mitel offers tools and apps that seamlessly integrate Mitel’s enterprise-class telephony features with the MS Teams platform.

  • Integrate your telephony system with Teams through Mitel’s Telephony-only client available in the MiCollab app and enjoy all the robust telephony features that Mitel offers.
  • Mitel also offers presence integration between Teams and Mitel telephony users, allowing users to see whether a colleague is on a phone call – regardless of platform.
  • Mitel Assistant is available for free on the Microsoft app store and delivers Mitel softphone capabilities to Teams users’ desktops as a floating app. Mitel Assistant allows you to make and transfer calls, search directories, set speed dials, import contacts, activate 3-way conferencing, and more from your Teams screen.

TCI and Mitel can help your organization improve teamwork in a hybrid world. Contact our Mitel + Teams experts today at (703) 321-3030 or GetHelp@tcicomm.com.
 

Connecting Your Sr. Living Community with TCI Managed UC & Infrastructure Solutions

/0 Comments/in /by

TCI designs, deploys and supports the technologies you need to bring your entire senior living community together.

We offer a full suite of integrated services, bringing the ‘TCI Advantage’ to your community with Managed Voice, Core Network and Infrastructure services to connect what counts…

TCI Host

Connect your community with Mitel-powered communication features and built-in mobility, customized app integrations, professional cloud, on-prem and hybrid deployments, and 24/7 support.

  • Voice & Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS)
  • All-in-one Phones, Video Meetings, and Messaging
  • Integrations with Your Business Apps
  • Contact Center Solutions

TCI Connect & Manage

Managing a complex communications infrastructure is no simple task. We handle the day-to-day details so you can focus on your strategic priorities.

  • Wired Infrastructure & Managed Wi-Fi, Data Centers & Broadband
  • 24/7 Help Desk, Monitoring, Alerting, Response & Resolution
  • Asset Management, Data Backups & Recovery

We back up your Assisted Living technology with outstanding TCI support…

  • 24/7 Remote Monitoring
  • On Call Technicians
  • Emergency Service

TCI’s customized technology and communications services keep your families and caregivers in touch, providing the peace of mind they deserve and expect.

Let’s talk about new ways to serve your Senior Living Community: Contact your local TCI experts at (703) 321-3030 or GetHelp@tcicomm.com.
 

The Best of Cloud & On-Prem – 3 Big Advantages of Hybrid UC Deployments

/0 Comments/in /by

For years, the focus of IT and telecom decision-makers has been on moving communications to the cloud. Many accepted the idea that all communications would eventually be handled as a cloud-based service.

However, the notion of a “cloud utopia” starts to break down when you consider the significant investments that many organizations have made in on-premises solutions. There’s also a common perception that business communications are too important to relinquish total control.

As a business leader, you may be faced with the decision of whether to go all-in on the cloud or maintain an on-premises communications infrastructure. The good news is that there’s a third option that can provide the best of both worlds: a hybrid approach.

A hybrid solution allows you to leverage the benefits of cloud-based communications while still retaining control and customization over your on-premises systems.

3 Advantages of a Hybrid Solution for Business Leaders

1. Innovate Today, Migrate Tomorrow – The key benefit of a hybrid approach is that you can deliver enhanced communications capabilities, like video conferencing, mobility, and team collaboration, from the cloud while retaining your existing on-premises platform for telephony services. This allows you to manage your growth by deploying new UC and contact center (CC) solutions in the cloud with a flexible, OpEx-based model, while still leveraging your previous on-premises investments for long-term ROI. Additionally, you can expand communications to frontline workers using a serverless, cloud-based approach that integrates with your on-premises UC system, providing a consistent user experience.

2. Different Needs, One Platform – As a business with diverse locations and user requirements, the challenge of going “all-in” on cloud or on-premises is accommodating the exceptions. A hybrid architecture allows you to tailor your communications solution to meet the specific needs of your organization. For example, you can keep telephony on-premises at locations that require it for regulatory reasons or internet redundancy, while deploying cloud-based UCaaS at smaller remote sites. This mix-and-match approach ensures you can meet the unique requirements of your multi-location business.

3. Everything Has Its Place – Unified communications is often a suite of loosely integrated applications, which creates an opportunity for a hybrid approach. You can continue to deploy mission-critical call control on-premises while moving less critical applications to the cloud. Additionally, you can integrate cloud-based UC services, such as mobility and collaboration with your on-premises telephony to optimize virtual team meetings, enable remote access, and even allow for programmable communications through cloud-based APIs.

A hybrid communications approach can provide the flexibility, scalability, and control you need to meet your evolving communications requirements. By leveraging the strengths of both cloud and on-premises solutions, you can innovate today while maintaining your existing investments for the long-term.

Connect with our UC experts to discover new ways to customize communications that will future-proof your enterprise. Contact TCI today at (703) 321-3030 or GetHelp@tcicomm.com.
 

The Benefits of Connected Healthcare – Introducing the ‘Internet of Medical Things’

/0 Comments/in /by

Spurred by the growing need for services outside the traditional office setting, the connected healthcare market is rapidly expanding…

Quality medical care has always been built on strong personal connections, but recent developments in telehealth are spurring ‘Connected Health’ – the delivery and management of healthcare services using remote technology.

Connected Health utilizes the ‘Internet of Medical Things‘ (IoMT) to give practitioners real-time insights into patient vitals, allowing them to monitor conditions and provide treatment without requiring physical visits.

Introducing the ‘Internet of Medical Things’

The Internet of Things (IoT) is all around us. It refers to any device capable of exchanging data online, usually via the cloud autonomously. In connected healthcare, IoMT devices monitor and treat patients at home, extending doctors’ reach beyond the clinic or hospital. Some examples of IoMT devices:

  • Personal emergency response systems
  • Wearable biosensors such as smartwatches
  • Smart medication dispensers
  • Remote insulin pumps
  • Blood pressure or heart rate monitors
  • At-home dialysis machines
  • CPAP machines

Connecting for Remote Diagnostics

These tools provide caregivers with a continuous stream of data, giving them a more comprehensive view of their patient’s conditions than intermittent clinical visits or temporary hospital stays. Wearable devices can provide real-time patient vital signs monitoring, while AI algorithms can analyze this data to flag potential health issues.

The Benefits of Connected Healthcare

Connected healthcare offers numerous benefits for patients, physicians, and healthcare organizations.

  • Better access to care – Telehealth is an equitable mode of care, as it removes barriers like cost and travel time for patients with limited mobility or who live in remote areas. Patients can interact with their doctors and receive clinical-grade treatment from the comfort of their own homes.
  • Increased efficiency – IoMT devices autonomously monitor patient vitals or deliver treatment without direct provider intervention. Clinics can devote in-person resources to acute cases while chronic patients receive care at home.
  • Improved patient outcomes – Patients often thrive better in familiar environments rather than hospital settings. Wearable devices, medication dispensers, and at-home diagnostic systems keep them engaged in their treatment while still being able to go about their routines. This leads to greater patient satisfaction and better recovery rates.

Integrate Your Communications with HIPAA-compliant Mitel Healthcare Solutions

TCI can help innovative healthcare companies offer patients a more proactive care experience using connected devices, endpoints, and other sensors.

For instance, if a provider has a patient with a heart condition, they could receive a notification directly on their smartphone if the patient’s heart rate moved above or below an acceptable range – thanks to IoMT sensors and wearable devices. Similarly, a smart pill case could alert staff that a patient missed a dosage, even if they’re at home. Solutions like these can reduce the chances of an emergency and proactively support patient health.

Connect with a TCI expert to learn new ways to connect and future-proof your practice with secure, scalable UC technology. Contact TCI today at (703) 321-3030 or GetHelp@tcicomm.com.
 

Focus on Hospitality – How to Surpass Guest Expectations with Effective Communications

/0 Comments/in /by

Enhance your guest experience, elevate staff performance, and stay ahead of the competition with the latest integrated communications technology. You and your guests can enjoy seamless service that is sure to impress.

Challenges You Might Be Facing

1. Reliability is not negotiable – Whether it’s a simple wake-up call or acting in a professional and efficient manner in an emergency, there’s no room for errors. Stability is an essential requirement for your communications platform to ensure guest satisfaction and increased positive ratings.

2. Universal device access – Both business and leisure travelers want to use their own devices and get the service they require immediately. From personal conversations and interactions with chatbots to voicemail and email, give your guests the power to choose when, where, and how they communicate with you.

3. Security threats on the rise – Ensuring guest privacy, maintaining data security, and integrating smart devices should be at the forefront of your IT priorities.

4. Profitability from productivity – As a manager, improving operational efficiency is a top priority. You must streamline processes, explore new communication methods, and enhance guest experiences to make your organization more effective and profitable.

5. Experience is everything – As customer expectations continue to evolve, it’s crucial to meet their demands across all channels and devices and provide the right experience. Failure to do so could negatively impact staff productivity and customer loyalty.

Questions You Should Ask

1. Is your communications technology stable? What level of support do you offer?
What measures do you have in place to ensure reliable and uninterrupted communication services? Can you provide details about any backup and redundancy mechanisms?

2. What experience do you have serving the hospitality industry?
How long have you been serving this industry? Who are your biggest clients?

3. Does your system integrate with smart devices and high-speed internet?
How can this help promote revenue-generating guest services? Can your solution help us provide personalized services for our guests?

4. How flexible is your solution when it comes to customization?
Do you offer secure third-party integration? Which applications and platforms do you provide full integration with?

5. Can you manage multi-site, multi-location, and multi-national hospitality businesses?
Is your system compatible with multiple brands and languages? Can it scale if we expand our business in the future?

How the Right Communications Drive Results

  • Influence online ratings – By utilizing your communications technology, you become more proactive in addressing guest and maintenance concerns. This results in improved staff productivity and higher customer ratings, ultimately leading to better online reviews.
  • Improve guest experiences – Adopt multi-channel engagement to ensure your guests interact with your organization directly through personal devices, including mobile check-in, text, and chat.
  • Cut your costs – Unifying communications into a single service solution means automated efficiencies, smoother workflows, integrated apps, budget-friendly fees, and reduced operating costs.
  • Connect your staff – Connecting staff creates a seamless guest experience. Streamlining experiences means issues are resolved quickly and efficiently, ensuring superior service is provided every time.
  • Ensure data security and system reliability – Look for a partner with a strong track record of industry clients and a reputation for secure and stable networks.

Seamless communication lies at the heart of exceptional hospitality.

Find your perfect-fit solution with the help of TCI. Contact us today at (703) 321-3030 or GetHelp@tcicomm.com.