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How RingCentral Provides Best-in-Class Cloud Voice Security for the Hybrid Work Environment

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During the turmoil of the last few years, businesses of all sizes scrambled to put in place flexible communications and collaboration tools to enable their employees to work from their homes or office. Many pieced together several applications for video conferencing, messaging, and telephony without considering the importance of a holistic security strategy.

Security is essential for UCaaS which spans the cloud provider hosting facility, network infrastructure, applications, and customer business processes. This affords IT departments peace of mind and enables them to focus on core business requirements rather than spending time creating and enforcing security policies across the UCaaS environment.

What Does Security with RingCentral MVP Look Like?

Maintaining customers’ trust in their data handling practices, demonstrating respect for data privacy, and arming customers with dynamic admin controls are top priorities at RingCentral and TCI.

The foundation of RingCentral MVP’s best-in-class security is its secure cloud platform with end-to-end encryption and a robust portfolio of security and compliance certifications.

RingCentral MVP offers compliance with global privacy laws and frameworks such as GDPR and HIPAA, stringent information security protection, and privacy and compliance controls to safeguard your business. Compliance with various industry regulatory standards includes STIR / SHAKEN, Kari’s Law, RAY BAUM’s Act, FINRA, HITRUST, and PCI.

The RingCentral MVP platform also puts a comprehensive set of administrative controls across video, message, and phone systems at your fingertips. You can require meeting attendees to authenticate, limit who can enable screen sharing, and require waiting rooms for your users to approve attendees who can join meetings.

For existing Mitel cloud communications customers, our partnership with RingCentral makes upgrading to the leading UCaaS platform a convenient, cost-effective, and secure business decision.

Arrange a meeting with our Cloud Voice Experts to discuss security and start your upgrade to the cloud. We’ll help you at each step of your journey to RingCentral MVP. Contact us today: (703) 321-3030 or GetHelp@tcicomm.com.
 

eBook: How Technology & Improving Employee Experience Unlock Customer Satisfaction

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Customer Experience (CX) has always been critical for companies, but now the value of Employee Experience (EX) is gaining recognition.

A robust job market offers workers a lot of options, so companies have to compete to attract and retain good people. This was especially true during 2021’s Great Resignation, when a record number of workers resigned each month due to low pay, lack of opportunities, and feeling disrespected – among other reasons.

Data also shows that your Customer Experience efforts will benefit from greater investment in EX, especially when customer interactions require direct employee involvement, and over 75% of customers expect consistency when they interact with their favorite businesses.

The modern job market values EX, and it’s not just about money.

Workers overwhelmingly prefer a hybrid work model, but this presents challenges for employers. You’ll need the right technology to support remote work, and employees expect a smooth and convenient interface.

A frustrating experience with work processes has consequences. It can impact employee loyalty and the quality of customer interactions, leading to a loss of top talent and customer engagement.

Gain more insights on EX and CX challenges and how to address them by reading…

eBook “Great Expectations: Delivering Extraordinary Experiences for Employees and Customers”

TCI deploys and supports communications solutions that can deliver the experiences your employees and customers deserve. Contact us today: (703) 321-3030 or GetHelp@tcicomm.com.

 

Running a Multi-Site Enterprise? 5 Ways UCaaS Simplifies Connecting Your Locations

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A unified enterprise voice network connects your customers and employees, no matter where they’re located…

UCaaS also offers bottom line benefits by eliminating the need for expensive hardware and maintenance costs. With UCaaS, you can control your IT budget, while providing your team with advanced features and functions. You’ll also improve the customer experience, making your communications seamless and efficient.

Here are five ways UCaaS can benefit your multi-site enterprise:

  • Hybrid Work Environments – UCaaS provides full office telephone functionality and business information access to remote users and hybrid workers, no matter where they are located.
  • Hot Desking – UCaaS enables staff members who are working in different offices to take their desktop phone with them. All they need is a code to access their customized desktop settings, making communication easier and more convenient.
  • Business Continuity – With UCaaS, employees can access the system from any location and redirect incoming calls on demand in the case of any disruption at any office.
  • Extended Contact Centers – UCaaS allows businesses to extend their call center coverage to remote offices or home-based agents. Calls are automatically routed to the most appropriate person, team, or location to improve customer service.
  • Improved Call Handling – UCaaS can improve call routing between different locations. For instance, if salespeople are out of the office meeting clients, their calls can be redirected to a backup location.

If you lead a multi-location enterprise, UCaaS is the perfect solution to bring your people together, improve communication and collaboration, and save on costs.

TCI specializes in the design, deployment, and support of unified enterprise voice networks. Contact us today: (703) 321-3030 or GetHelp@tcicomm.com.

 

Act Fast… RingCentral Promotion for Mitel On-Premises Customers

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This offer expires December 31, 2022

Upgrade to the #1-rated cloud communications and collaboration solution – RingCentral MVP (Message. Video. Phone.) service – ranked as a market leader on the Gartner Magic Quadrant.

For existing Mitel on-premises customers moving to the cloud, you’ll receive:

  • 20% discount off RingCentral MVP service
  • 2 months free for a 2-year term or 3 months free for a 3-year term
  • May be eligible for free phones (up to 50)

Why is RingCentral MVP So Popular?

  • Unmatched SLA-backed reliability – 12 quarters at 99.999% uptime
  • Class-leading security / Advanced analytics and insights
  • Advanced team messaging, video meetings, and telephony features
  • 275+ integrations with mainstream business applications
  • Global footprint with local and toll-free in more than 110 countries

For more details and to take advantage of this limited-time offer, contact us today: (703) 321-3030 or GetHelp@tcicomm.com.

 

Get to Know TCI’s Latest Cloud Communications Service… RingCentral MVP

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Our solutions line-up expanded earlier this year with Mitel’s rollout of RingCentral MVP cloud service. It’s become a popular option for organizations that are ready to transition to the cloud from their Mitel on-premises systems.

And, if your current cloud provider is falling short, MVP is ideal for anyone looking to streamline internal collaboration and better connect with their customers.

With integrated Messaging, Video Meetings, and Cloud PBX, RingCentral MVP offers:

  • A unified, collaborative hub for team messaging, video meetings, and telephony
  • Enterprise-grade security and unmatched reliability with a 99.999% uptime SLA
  • A global footprint in 100+ countries and localized in 15+ languages
  • 250+ out-of-the-box integrations with business apps and open APIs for custom needs
  • Simple and centralized web-based user and system administration
  • Advanced analytics and insights
  • Access from anywhere on your device of choice — desktop, tablet, or mobile.

Here’s more on each element of MVP — Message. Video. Phone — and how the service integrates with the Business Apps your team uses every day:

Message

  • Message colleagues and clients from your PC or mobile device. Invite guest users to collaborate for free.
  • Set a custom status to indicate your availability.
  • Create teams around projects, specific topics, and departments.
  • Assign tasks to individuals or project teams.
  • Share links and files with no size or storage limits.

Video

  • Join meetings easily — no downloads or plugins needed.
  • Enjoy HD audio and video, and screen share with up to 200 interactive video participants.
  • Easily schedule meetings with calendar integrations with Office 365 and Google Calendar.
  • Switch a live meeting between devices with one click.
  • Get in-meeting chat, virtual backgrounds, closed captioning, cloud recordings, and powerful background noise reduction technology for a great participant experience.

Phone

  • Use one business phone number for calling, business SMS, MMS, and fax, so your personal number stays private.
  • Customize settings such as business hours and greetings, and route incoming calls efficiently to specific departments with a multi-level auto attendant.
  • Manage active calls efficiently with advanced call controls to transfer, record, flip, or park the call.
  • Flip live calls between your desktop and cell or switch a call to video in just one click.

Integrations

  • Bring advanced communications functions into the productivity apps you use every day like Microsoft and Google.
  • Automate your sales cycle and enhance delivery and customer support through integrations with Salesforce, Zendesk, and ServiceNow.
  • Back up your communications data with RingCentral Archiver to your preferred cloud storage provider like Smarsh, Google Drive, Dropbox, and more.
  • Build custom integrations with open APIs to meet your business’s specific needs.

Bring your teams and customers together on the industry’s #1 business communications platform. Let’s talk about your business and how we can connect you to achieve more success. Contact TCI today at (703) 321-3030 or info@tcicomm.com.

4 Ways Leaders Can Better Support Hybrid Workers

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COVID arrived without warning and created an immediate and massive disruption in our lives. Millions were urgently deployed to their homes to work – an experience few of us imagined would last more than a few weeks, let alone two full years.

Once workers experienced greater freedom and control over their lives, they naturally resisted giving it up. And unlike any other time in our lives, workers not only have more employment choices than ever, but millions of people quitting their jobs every month confirm that many are willing to find a new employer when theirs is unwilling to support their needs.

Hybrid is the New Normal

Gallup’s CEO, Jim Clifton, recently said that his organization’s research shows most workers want to come into the office some days to connect and socialize with their colleagues and make critical decisions together. But they want their employers to realize that they have been profoundly changed over the past two years and need a manager who will work with them individually to make their hybrid work schedule align with their personal lives.

Flexibility is Critical

After talking to several thousand of his own organization’s employees, PwC’s U.S. Chair Tim Ryan said it this way:

“We don’t believe the war for talent is going to decrease. We think we will be in a period for the next 10 years of labor shortage. And, what came through loud and clear is that people want choice in every word. Hybrid is just the tip of the iceberg. The best talent wants choice.”

For every manager wondering how to navigate and lead in the post-COVID work era, we offer these four nuggets of advice…

1. Don’t fight change.

If you close your eyes and imagine how all of us will be working five or 10 years from now, you’re unlikely to envision people being in the office more than they are today. As technology improves, it’s logical to assume even more jobs will be accomplished remotely, not fewer. And so, by fully accepting that remote working is indeed the future, you’ll be able to devote greater attention to growing the managerial skills you’ll need to effectively lead a team you don’t get to see together most days.

2. Be very intentional in scheduling and what gets done in the office.

Workers’ biggest complaint about being in the office today is that the work they end up doing onsite can get done just as easily at home. Intentional managers see this flaw and schedule their team meetings and dole out assignments in advance so people are more productive and prepared to present. They encourage employees to socialize and connect, knowing that they will collaborate better when working remotely. They provide a predictable schedule so their people can plan ahead, arrange daycare, and make arrangements for their children.

3. Know that every employee is different, listen to them personally, and seek to support them individually.

People want and need to know that their manager cares about them as a person. And one of the best ways you can demonstrate that you care is to listen to how returning to work has affected their lives. Your goal isn’t just to understand the impacts but to make unique accommodations where possible. Giving someone permission to come in a few minutes late so they can take their child to school – or get on the road early to beat traffic on the way home – prove to be minimal concessions that carry huge paybacks.

4. Manage everyone with the same concern.

A recent survey shows that most people (60% or more) have jobs that demand they come to a workplace every day. And while people whose jobs can be performed remotely are getting most organizations’ greatest attention right now, wise managers are intensely focused on supporting the people who must commute every day, put their kids in daycare, and never get a chance to work from home. Finding ways to make their work lives more accessible and more fulfilling mustn’t get lost in this moment. Your job as a manager is to be a supportive advocate for every person you lead.

TCI has hybrid work solutions that keep your people connected with the technology and tools they need. Contact us today at (703) 321-3030 or info@tcicomm.com.

Top 6 Benefits of RingCentral MVP for Mitel On-Prem Customers

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Cloud communications make it easier than ever to collaborate, connect, and work together effectively

To keep up in this new era of remote and hybrid work models, it’s imperative that organizations proactively adapt to this emergent way of communication and way of doing business.

Mitel and RingCentral have created a seamless cloud migration process specifically for Mitel on-prem customers, providing you with an effortless path to the cloud…

1. Easy Transition

RingCentral and Mitel worked together to ensure that your transition to RingCentral Message Video Phone (MVP) will be as smooth and hassle-free as possible. We’ve made the migration process simple for Mitel customers, with no disruptions at all to your business.

2. Improved Flexibility

RingCentral MVP’s integrated system allows you to seamlessly switch between various platforms, such as effortlessly going from your video call to your cell phone, without interrupting any communications. This makes remote work so much easier!

3. Superior Security and Privacy

Trust that your data is safe at every level with exceptional security, global reliability, and privacy. With dynamic end-to-end encryption, we empower our customers to do their best work – from anywhere and everywhere.

4. First-class Reliability

The importance of connectivity is at an all-time high during this age of remote and hybrid work environments. With reliability as a critical factor in productivity, RingCentral effectively shields you from ever having a dropped or poor connection.

5. Seamless Integrations

This cloud solution blends in smoothly with the business tools you already use every day. With its pre-built and custom integrations, MVP will make work significantly easier, boost productivity, automate workflows, and reduce the annoyances of daily tasks.

6. All-in-one Solution

By having a unified communications platform that does it all – message, video, and phone – on any device of your choice, RingCentral MVP’s single-solution approach eliminates the necessity of using multiple tools to get the job done.

Video: RingCentral MVP – Welcome to Simpler Communications [2:25 min.]

Better, Faster, Stronger

RingCentral MVP puts all your communication tools in a single hub on your desktop, making them effortlessly accessible, easy to manage, and enabling focused, effective collaboration for your teams – whether they work in the office, at home, or any place in between.

The TCI, RingCentral and Mitel partnership works harder so that you can work smarter.

NWEA – RingCentral Customer Success Story

It’s Time to Start Achieving Your Top Business Priorities

Take advantage of what RingCentral MVP has to offer and start seeing a difference in your quality of work today. With the simple transition from your current on-prem solution to RingCentral MVP, you will unleash the full potential of this easy, intuitive all-in-one tool with support from our dedicated teams, layered security, and a full force of advanced integrations.

Explore the possibilities of cloud communications… Contact TCI today: (703) 321-3030 or info@tcicomm.com.

eBook… How to Fortify Your Business for an Uncertain Future

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Connections matter – it’s one of the big lessons we’ve all learned in the past 2 years.

When it comes to business you need to keep collaborating, keep communicating and keep working from anywhere.

But how do you know if your business communications are strong enough to withstand future challenges?

Maybe you’ve put some quick technology in place to make it through the pandemic. Or maybe you’ve been chugging through it all with a legacy system.

That may be working for now, but what happens when the next crisis hits? The answer to these questions, and more, are covered in The Only Certainty is Uncertainty

This whitepaper by industry thought leader Frost & Sullivan will give you expert advice, statistics-backed insights, and clear recommendations to help you fortify your business for whatever comes next.

Need remote and hybrid working solutions that go beyond band-aid communications tools? Contact TCI today at (703) 321-3030 or info@tcicomm.com.

 

Tips for Team Success… 4 Types of Meetings You Want to Avoid in 2022

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Today, it seems like everyone is dialing in from their home office. Up to half of the workforce plans to work from home at least part-time, according to new research by Frost & Sullivan, so yet another evolution of meetings is on the horizon.

Given this new work environment, here are 4 types of meetings to avoid in 2022 – and tips to make your meetings more effective in our hybrid world.

1. The “Can Everyone See My Screen?” Meeting

The problem: Broken video and muted microphones may have been par for the course at the beginning of remote work, but with video usage 350% higher than pre-pandemic days according to Frost & Sullivan, meeting-goers expect more. Nobody wants to wait for their host to figure out how to share their screen or load their own presentation. Failed breakout rooms leave everyone feeling like their time has been wasted.

The fix: Make sure you’re using collaboration applications that effortlessly support the functions you need. Improvements like adaptive lighting, sound bars for better audio, and adjusted camera angles help make it feel like everyone is in the room together. It’s also important to ensure everyone involved can use these tools effectively. Spending time training your team means less precious time wasted during their actual meetings.

2. The “This Could Have Been an Email” Meeting

The problem: The entire team has gathered together to discuss the latest project, only to spend an excruciating hour going over a single document, line-by-line. Or the “update meeting” just to learn that there haven’t been any changes since the last time you met. If your meeting doesn’t require in-depth discussion and distracts people from their day, it probably could have been an email.

The fix: This might seem obvious, but sometimes emails really are better than meetings! Emails allow participants to respond at their own pace, provide complete records of the communication and give updates in real-time. Of course, nuance can sometimes be lost over text or ideas that need to be explained. In cases like these, having the right technology makes it easy to transition to a quick call, but only for long enough to clarify the point. Just be sure to follow up with an email to keep everyone on the same page.

3. The “What Are We Talking About Again?” Meeting

The problem: Absent agendas, rambling tangents, and discussions that are more like digressions – these are all signs that a meeting has gone off the rails. Without a focused plan and a dedicated leader to guide the discussion, the overall quality of work and satisfaction can suffer.

The fix: Unified communications technology makes it possible for a team leader to create and share an agenda ahead of time, along with any files needed for the discussion. Action items can be assigned and tracked in a collaborative workspace, so everyone is on the same page, during and after the meeting.

4. The “Gang’s All Here” Meeting

The problem: When too many people are required to attend a meeting that they have little practical involvement with, engagement rates plummet. Some studies show that less than 50% of meeting time is effective and engaging. The rate of engagement is even lower for remote participants, meaning that most meetings aren’t just boring, they’re ineffective.

The fix: The best meetings have a maximum of 5 or 6 participants, but the smaller the better. This allows everyone on the call to feel included in the discussion, leading to more innovative, productive dialogues. Make sure the collaboration tech for your meeting allows for each participant to easily communicate so that everyone’s voice can be heard.

Better Meetings in 2022

These are just four types of meetings we’d all like to put behind us this year, but there are so many ways to make meetings better. With hybrid work on the rise, it’s time to adjust our approach.

It’s time to embrace new ideas and technology to create an inclusive meeting culture that makes collaboration easy for everyone. TCI has the solutions. Contact us today at (703) 321-3030 or info@tcicomm.com.

 

eBook: What Post-Pandemic Life May Look Like for Your Business

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Flexible Work from Home arrangements may not end for many organizations in our region.

Digital Transformation has become comfortable and familiar, and many employees have fully embraced remote working – even when their managers haven’t.

The business world is transforming and adapting with new technology. Video meetings, Digital proximity, and Hybrid workforces are here to stay, and it’s important to have a post-pandemic plan for your business too.

Check out Mitel’s eBook:
Life on the Other Side of the Pandemic

Change can be a challenge, but the good news is that TCI is here to help. When it comes to business communications, we make it easy.

We have decades of experience and the tools and technology that can bring your employees, teams, and business together.

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