4 Ways Artificial Intelligence Will Improve Your Communications & How to Mitigate AI Security Issues

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Unified Communications enable your employees to communicate and collaborate more effectively through screen sharing, video conferencing, mobile apps, and more. Adding artificial intelligence (AI) to the mix promises to send productivity through the roof, so it’s not surprising to see enterprises jump at the chance to experiment.

Still, even as AI transforms communications and collaboration, it raises new security concerns. Let’s dive deeper to understand how AI enhances Unified Communications and what enterprises need to do to maintain a secure environment.

4 Ways AI Is Improving Communications and Productivity

1. Improved Collaboration – Integrating AI chatbots into UC applications opens new doors for collaboration by gathering status updates from team members and alerting members via an app, email, SMS, or push notification if an error occurs on a product or process. When chatbots keep everyone and everything connected employees can more easily troubleshoot together, keep track of each other’s progress on projects and share ideas and information.

2. Easier Access and Use Of Data – AI virtual assistants improve access to documents and other information, automatically gathering and distributing data to employees’ devices — whether a presentation, a video, or a PDF. If questions on a prior discussion or topic arise during a meeting, the assistant retrieves pertinent emails, messages, or documents. As AI voice assistants such as Cortana and Alexa become more ingrained in the workplace, these requests may be made through voice recognition. Attendees stay focused and engaged in the conversation, with all information at their fingertips.

3. Increased Productivity – Chatbots field straightforward calls and online chats with customers, allowing your customer service team to focus on more complex calls and issues. In meetings, attendees concentrate on the content and discussion rather than on the communications tools. The AI assistant even initiates the conference automatically.

4. Better Efficiencies – Wouldn’t it be great to have someone else send meeting notes, assign action items, and schedule follow-up calls? The AI assistant handles all of it, allowing human attendees to spend their time on more complex and higher-value activities. AI also simplifies scheduling by identifying times that work for everyone. In the not-too-distant future, facial and voice recognition technologies will take attendance at meetings, eliminating yet another mundane and time-consuming task.

How To Mitigate AI Security Issues

While the benefits of AI and UC are many, the security of your communications system will also require more attention. AI technology accesses vast amounts of enterprise data on products, processes, and customers. If an attack occurs, all that data becomes vulnerable.

  • New standards and protocols will emerge as AI plays a more significant role in enterprise communications systems, so organizations must remain vigilant to stay compliant with the latest requirements.
  • There are likely security challenges with BYOD as employees’ AI-enhanced personal devices enter the workplace. Some organizations opt to disable voice assistants such as Google Assistant or Siri in the workplace. But as employees bring newer devices to the office, organizations must assess emerging AI technologies for security threats and establish clear guidelines in a formal security policy.
  • A positive note here is that AI enhances data and communications security. It will scan for potential threats and alert IT and security teams when vulnerabilities or possible attacks occur. Security professionals can respond far more quickly with the help of these technologies.

As AI and UC blend, productivity skyrockets, efficiency improves, and data is more accessible. But the architecture must have a stable base, with security as a main priority.

Thinking about adding new technology and capabilities to get more from your UC platform? Contact us today: ((703) 321-3030 or GetHelp@tcicomm.com.

Why So Many Contact Center Leaders Stick with On-Prem Deployments

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A lot of tech trade media claims that: “Companies are lining up to move their contact centers to the cloud!” But we often hear decision-makers say: “Moving to the cloud makes no sense for us!”

So, what’s really happening out there?

Research shows that almost 29% of companies globally have moved to Contact Center as a Service (defined as public-cloud, multi-tenant platform). Another 20% have moved to a hosted/managed platform (defined as dedicated-instance, single-server platform owned and managed by a third party).

22% own and operate their contact centers from their physical locations and another 21% own and operate their on-premises contact center platforms with the dedicated-instance servers physically located at a third-party data center.

Architectural Drivers

We’ve all heard plenty about the value of cloud in various applications. So, what’s causing companies to keep their contact center deployments on-premises — or return to on-premises after riding the cloud wave?

Let’s start with why Customer Experience leaders who are on-premises are Staying There…

  • Reliability (45.9%)
  • Security (41.4%)
  • Customization (34.2%)
  • Cost (28.8%)

Why are some Returning to On-Premises from the Cloud

  • Security (54.5%)
  • Customization (40.9%)
  • Cost (13.6%)

Though much of the public square narrative around contact centers suggests cloud is the way to go, research shows that companies are staying with full on-premises platforms, adopting hybrid cloud/on-premises approaches, or, to a lesser extent, returning from cloud to on-premises environments.

Before choosing the best arrangement for their organizations, business leaders must evaluate the following:

  • Opportunities – What problems or opportunities are you trying to address from your contact center? How can you deliver most efficiently and competitively?
  • Cost – How does your cost structure look on-premises, with a hybrid architecture, or in the cloud? Factor staffing, technology, managed services, and all other related costs.
  • Disruption – How much would switching architectures disrupt customer service and satisfaction, and over what timeframe? For large, complex contact centers, rip-and-replace may not be an option.
  • Provider Innovation – Will staying in the cloud put you at a competitive disadvantage? Is your provider investing in on-premises platforms?
  • Competitiveness – Are you able to stay competitive in terms of customer interaction capabilities and agent efficiency on-premises? Does it make sense to innovate by adding cloud-based applications?

Need help choosing a contact center solution that fits your business requirements? Contact us today: ((703) 321-3030 or GetHelp@tcicomm.com.

TCI Host Cloud Voice & Contact Center Service… Customized Capabilities & Local White Glove Support

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Our TCI Host Cloud Voice Service is all about flexibility

Add new cloud-based tools to your existing business phone system, and when you’re ready, migrate your entire platform to the cloud to reduce your overall telecom costs.

Cloud communications isn’t an all-or-nothing endeavor

There are several deployment models to choose from depending on your business’s unique situation, and you can shift from one approach to another over time. Managing a multi-site business? TCI Host can bring your offices closer together.

Unified Messaging and Integrated Apps

With access to these Mitel-powered tools, your team’s work can be tackled on more devices from any location:

  • Integration with business applications from tech leaders like Microsoft and Google
  • Presence Tools
  • Softphone App on Mobile Devices
  • Unified Messaging
  • Remote control of desktops
  • Outlook client plug-in
  • MS TEAMS integration (Mitel Assistant App.)
  • Message retrieval from one synchronized message store

Powerful Collaboration Capabilities

Explore some of the Mitel-powered team building and conferencing tools your users can tap into with their mobile or desktop phones…

  • Virtual workspaces for team meetings, conversations, content review, and project management
  • Team Video Conferencing and Recording
  • Participant management
  • Desktop application sharing
  • Team and private chat
  • Web-based file sharing
  • Document management

In and Outbound Contact Center / Call Center

Whether you’re a small or big business, you can support omnichannel queues that let customers contact you the way they prefer. Track your customer contacts and get real-time metrics for informed decision-making and better team coaching.

  • Integrate with your CRM, like Salesforce, Microsoft, and others
  • Offer Live Agents, Web Chat, Email, Text Messaging / SMS
  • Monitor and respond to Social Media feeds (Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, etc.)
  • Automate and access Full Reporting on Your Customer Interactions
  • Improve Customer Experience
  • Become more efficient

Empower your people to serve your customers better

For a single, low monthly price, you can upgrade their old phones to advanced mobile-enabled, desktop phones and use Mitel’s award-winning capabilities to dramatically improve your Customer Experience.

Schedule your TCI Host demo. Call us today at (703) 321-3030 or GetHelp@tcicomm.com.

Keep Your Guard Up! Another Softphone Breach Shows Why Mitel Software Assurance is so Important

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Software maintenance and updates, often called Software Assurance, aren’t top of mind for many business leaders. And yet, when you fail to realize its importance, big problems can occur, like last month’s softphone security breach that affected millions of people.

Together, TCI and Mitel are determined to help our customers safeguard what counts.

We understand the importance of protecting against the unexpected – proactively monitoring for threats, installing the latest patches and fixes, and providing outstanding support whenever our clients have an issue.

Mitel is tracking the security posture of global companies

Research has found that only 37% of companies have implemented a proactive security strategy covering real-time and non-real-time applications and services. 30% say they’re either developing or evaluating a security strategy, and 33% of companies are approaching communications and collaboration security in a piecemeal fashion.

Mitel is a Global Leader in Secure Communications

Mitel’s Secure Development Life Cycle is a comprehensive framework that begins with new app development and extends through ongoing product security and data privacy assurance. Mitel’s framework includes proven governance, security practice standards and guidance, constant measurement, and continuous improvement.

Local Response. Global Resources.

TCI backs up our DC region response working with Mitel’s Global Product Security Incident Response Team. Time is your most valuable asset during a security attack, so the sooner you identify and mitigate a threat the more likely you are to minimize the cost and damage of that attack.

TCI customers also benefit from our global network of Mitel partners, engineers, and customers who help us understand security issues and quickly take proper remediation steps together.

Mitel’s commitment to software assurance can also be found in Mitel’s latest software assurance (SWA) levels: Advantage SWA and Premium SWA

Both offer Mitel’s industry-leading protection, including 24x7x365 tech support, rapid response times, enriched performance analytics, automated security and functionality updates, APIs, full access to CloudLink Gateway, and real-time support during security incidents.

Even the best software assurance can’t guarantee you’ll avoid being attacked. What it can do is make sure you’re prepared and fully supported so that attacks are deflected or mitigated before they negatively impact your business.

If you don’t have that level of confidence in your communications, let’s talk about Mitel Software Assurance. Contact us today: (703) 321-3030 or GetHelp@tcicomm.com.


Using Microsoft Teams? Mitel Offers No-Cost Integration with MiVoice Business + MiCollab

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As hybrid work continues to expand, and Unified Communications capabilities continue to evolve, more customers are looking to integrate their Mitel telephony solutions with their Microsoft infrastructure.

In an environment where Microsoft Teams has already been selected or installed, many customers are looking for a user experience that retains full access to Mitel’s powerful communications capabilities.

Mitel has announced an important update to its MiVoice Presence Sync service and Mitel Assistant:

  • Mitel telephony presence information is now visible in Teams, Outlook or anywhere Microsoft presence is visible.
  • Brings call history directly into the Mitel Assistant client, which is free to download.
  • Mitel Assistant in “Telephony Only Client” mode provides a simple easy-to-use user interface.
  • No extra investments in Microsoft licenses are required.

Mitel Assistant in tandem with the Mitel softphone provides a blended Mitel + Microsoft Teams environment:

  • Removes the need for customers to go to Microsoft E5 / Phone System License
  • No need to pay additional fees for your DID (Direct Inward Dial) number to be hosted by MS Teams
  • Integrated user experience
  • Will let your Microsoft Teams users know when another user is on a phone call

Mitel Call Server presence integration for MiVoice Business

For businesses using Microsoft Teams together with Mitel call control platforms, your users can be busy in the Microsoft Teams system (for instance when attending a meeting) as well as in the Mitel system (busy on a phone call).

Mitel now provides existing Microsoft users with Mitel Call Server presence information as part of Microsoft user presence information. This feature requires the Mitel customer to have a UCC License and Software Assurance (SWA) active on their Mitel call server system.

Once installed, users get access to the following:

  • Dialpad & Directory Search – Supports manual phone calls from the dialpad or you can search using the corporate directory or Outlook contacts to initiate phone calls. Mitel Assistant will show presence information for searched contacts so that the user can know whether a user is busy or free to take a phone call.
  • Call History – Gives users MiVoice access to Mitel Call History in a dedicated tab. The user can stay within the Microsoft Teams Client when initiating calls from the call history. The user will also see presence when originating from call history.
  • Speed Dial – Users can search the corporate directory or personal Outlook contacts and add the speed dials that will show up as contact cards including avatar pictures and phone number information. Mitel Assistant will also show presence information for Speed Dials.
  • Escalate chat to phone call – Mitel Assistant also offers the user the possibility to escalate a direct chat to a phone call by clicking on the Mitel Assistant icon at the bottom of the chat view.
  • Optimized Mitel Softphone – When initiating a phone call from Microsoft Teams using Mitel Assistant, the new optimized experience using the MiCollab Telephony Only Client mode has been developed to provide the user with a discrete call floater window, that can be used to control the call without leaving the application in focus (for instance Microsoft Teams). The user can choose to use the floater in a collapsed layout or expand it to access all mid-call features, including Mute, Dialpad, Audio device management, Hold, Conference & Transfer.
  • Desktop phone or softphone – Users can either control the Mitel desk phone or use the built-in softphone to use the computer audio for calling. If needed the user also has access to more MiCollab functionality by expanding the MiCollab tray bar icon with access to Dynamic Status, Call History, Visual Voice Mail, and Settings.

Let Mitel be your Voice in Teams. Easy Upgrade. Free to download.

Mitel Assistant can be found in the Mitel Software Download Center as well as in the Microsoft Teams Store and users can easily install it into their Microsoft Teams client. To get full customer value out of the solution, Mitel Assistant should be used together with MiCollab in Telephony Only client mode.

If you’re interested or have questions, just let us know. Contact your local TCI experts at (703) 321-3030 or GetHelp@tcicomm.com.


Attn. Assisted Living Communities… How TCI Managed Solutions Connect Your Residents, Families & Caregivers

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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, Wi-Fi, and IT Security to connect and protect 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

TCI Secure

Rest easy knowing your systems are protected with multi-layered security solutions. TCI manages a broad array of defenses on your behalf partnering with proven global security leaders.

  • Next-Generation Firewall and Management Solutions
  • Patch Management, Wireless Security, and Backup/Recovery
  • End Point Security

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 Assisted Living Community: Contact your local TCI experts at (703) 321-3030 or GetHelp@tcicomm.com.


Serving the Public Sector… Get Responsible, Reliable Communications Without the Hassle of Procurement

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Governments require a unique mix of features, flexibility, and economy in their telecommunications solutions. TCI enables organizations in the public sector to increase productivity with seamless communications solutions tailored to their unique needs.

Challenges You Might Be Facing

  • Every crisis needs a tailored response – No matter what their size, emergencies cause both uncertainty and confusion. A one-size-fits-all communications system hampers your efforts to tailor and enhance public safety alerts and limits your ability to take advantage of proactive solutions.
  • Taxpayers expect cost-effective solutions – Being able to demonstrate to taxpayers that communications, services, and access will be heightened while being judicious with the budget goes a long way to building credibility.
  • Resources – Outdated telecommunications technology is expensive to maintain, making it hard to invest in new initiatives.
  • The demand for smart services is growing – With sensor technology and the Internet of Things (IoT), agencies can manage assets and resources more efficiently as they meet consumer demand for smart infrastructure.

How the Right Communications Can Drive Results

  • Enhance public safety – Your communications system should extend the possibilities of mass notification, enabling you to message the entire community or target only affected neighborhoods.
  • Easily integrate – The system should streamline interoperability with other applications, like G Suite. Its APIs should need minimal coding to solve unique communications needs.
  • Be forward-looking – Your system should be ready for technical advances such as artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things.
  • Meet government mandates – Flexibility is critical to meeting new mandates and legal requirements.
  • Reduce expenses – By lowering capital and operating expenses. UCaaS enables government teams to fund new projects.

Significant Discounts

Working with TCI as your local technology partner, Sourcewell members in the public sector – i.e., schools, non-profits and agencies – can purchase Mitel telecom solutions without issuing an RFP, including:

  • Public Cloud
  • Private Cloud and On-site Systems
  • Contact Center
  • Team Collaboration
  • Mass Notification
  • Business Phones
  • Devices and Accessories

Mitel is the exclusive Sourcewell telecommunications equipment vendor based on its record of innovation, product quality, customer service, pricing, and overall market leadership.

For simplified procurement and savings, get started with TCI today at (703) 321-3030 or GetHelp@tcicomm.com.


Hospitality Loyalty Program for SX-200 ICP Customers

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You’ve trusted your property’s communications with Mitel for years…

We know how vital it is for you to provide the best guest experience while making it as efficient and smooth as possible for your staff to run their daily activities.

Whether you have a big hotel in a bustling city square or a series of cottages by a peaceful lake, having the latest communications and collaboration tools is essential to provide a positive guest experience.

Mitel’s new Hospitality Loyalty Program protects your current investment and enables you to benefit from incredible discounts when switching to Mitel’s flagship software platform for hospitality – MiVoice Business Hospitality Suite.

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


Existing MiVoice Office 250 Customers… Act before June 30th to Arrange a Discounted Path to MiVoice Business

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Following Mitel’s end-of-lifecycle announcements about MiVoice Office 250, this migration program has been rolled out to provide existing Office 250 customers with a smooth transition to MiVoice Business.

Mitel is offering no-charge or discounted MiVoice Business licensing arrangements for MiVoice 250 customers. This program also supports the transfer of the remaining months of MiVoice Office 250 software assurance (SWA) to MiVoice Business SWA.

Mitel has evolved MiVoice Business to cater to the needs of any size organization and provides a full range of deployment and commercial options.

  • Mitel recently introduced a new SMB Controller to address the smaller customer or branch office segment for MiVoice Business, which offers Enterprise-level features in a small business package for up to 150 users. This is the perfect solution for customers previously on MiVoice Office 250.
  • MiVoice Business can be implemented as a one-time CapEx investment or you can choose a monthly subscription offering.
  • MiVoice Business can be deployed on-premises, in your private cloud, or in a public cloud (either AWS or Azure).

Contact us today for help with your buying and migration decisions: (703) 321-3030 or GetHelp@tcicomm.com.


RingCentral MVP & Mitel Features You Need Now

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Successful businesses always look for new ways to grow, including how to enable intelligent and connected experiences for their mobile and hybrid workforces. An up-to-date cloud communication system like RingCentral MVP can help you implement these priorities. Check out these recent innovations…

Top 10 Latest RingCentral Software Updates

1. End-to-End Encryption (E2EE) available for video, is being extended to RingCentral MVP phone and messaging. For 1:1 conversations or groups of up to 50 participants, E2EE ensures that no 3rd party can access your confidential conversations or recordings.

2. Enhancements to the RingCentral Desktop Phone app experience make access to the dial pad and calling even easier. Use the phone app in standalone mode to enable multitasking with other apps on your screen.

3. Zero Touch Provisioning with Mitel phones enables Mitel phones to register with RingCentral MVP service for faster and easier re-deployments.

4. Device as a Service delivers reduced upfront cost and quicker hardware upgrades for RingCentral Rooms hardware and headsets.

5. SMS enhancements provide immediate error alerts for undelivered SMS messages and export and print SMS options to ensure regulatory compliance.

6. New eFax capabilities include new print-to-fax so you can send a fax the same way you send a document to the printer. New scan-to-fax options allow you to scan a document and send it as an eFax.

7. Advance Meeting Insights provide essential information covered in a meeting, including a written summary, keywords, a video highlight reel, and the entire transcript and recording.

8. RingCentral Webinar enhancements include the ability to run polls to engage participants better and get feedback, and now support the ability to start private host/panel debriefs to recap post-meeting.

9. App Gallery ratings and reviews empower users to share information on useful RingCentral integrations and provide third-party developers with valuable feedback on integration enhancement ideas.

10. European Union (EU) data privacy enhancements such that RingCentral MVP customers that sign up in the EU will have all their data remain in the EU infrastructure, securely stored in EU data centers.

RingCentral Migration Enhancements for Mitel Customers

It’s easy to migrate from Mitel to RingCentral MVP with seamless transfers of customer profiles, call flows, and the use of existing Mitel phones. More enhancements to the migration process continue to roll out…

Mitel IP400 Series Phones Certification: IP400 devices completed certification with RingCentral MVP in December 2022, in addition to the Mitel 6800 and 6900 series devices that were already certified.

  • API-enabled Advanced Features for Mitel-certified Devices: The following features will be supported initially on the Mitel 6920, 6930, and 6940 phones, with expansion to other phones in future releases.
  • Unlike local call logs on the phone, server-based call logs utilize a RingCentral server-based logging feature that shares log data from all users’ clients and devices for a combined view of call activity.
  • Server-based Personal Contacts, as opposed to local contacts, utilize a RingCentral server-based feature enabling users to add, edit, delete, and synchronize contacts across multiple devices and clients.
  • Server-based Do Not Disturb (DND) communicates the DND status to other clients and updates the presence status for use with the Monitored Extension feature. As a result, the server-based user setting for DND will reflect busy presence status.
  • Visual voicemail gives users a graphical way to view and manage voicemails. Utilizing a server-based architecture, voicemails are captured, stored, and able to be played on all the users’ devices and clients.

Video: See how RingCentral MVP can empower your people

TCI is always here to support you in the planning and execution of any of your communications technology decisions. Before you make the leap, let’s talk about your migration plans: (703) 321-3030 or GetHelp@tcicomm.com.