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Make Informed Decisions – How Performance Analytics Future-Proofs Business Communications

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Picture a busy office where every call, video conference, and message is essential to getting the job done. Everything needs to work smoothly, but as the business grows, the demands on its communication systems increase. Suddenly, dropped calls, lagging videos and unexpected downtimes disrupt workflow.

That’s where Mitel Performance Analytics (MPA) 3.5 comes in – a vital tool designed to future-proof your business communications.

From Reactive to Proactive Communication Management

Think of an IT team that used to spend its days constantly putting out fires – reacting to issues as they popped up and rushing to fix problems before they caused bigger disruptions. This reactive approach was stressful and inefficient, leading to breakdowns that affected everyone, from employees to clients.

MPA 3.5 offers real-time insights into the health of your communication system, giving your IT or partner team a clear view of potential problems before they become serious. Now, instead of just reacting, the team is anticipating issues. They’re preventing crises from happening at all.

This shift from reactive to proactive management has made an enormous difference. MPA 3.5 keeps communication systems running smoothly by catching issues early, ensuring every call connects, and every message is delivered on time.

Empowering Businesses with Insights

MPA 3.5 is more than just a monitoring tool; it empowers organizations with the information they need to make better decisions. With detailed analytics, you’ll gain insights into everything from call quality to network stability, allowing your support team to fine-tune your system for optimal performance.

For example, MPA 3.5 enables a business to spot patterns in network usage and adjust resources accordingly. This ensures that service does not slow down during peak times. These insights help companies maintain high service quality while optimizing operations, leading to better overall performance.

Adapting to a Changing Landscape

As businesses grow and evolve, so do their communication needs. Flexibility is critical, whether expanding to new locations, integrating new technologies, or scaling up to support more users. MPA 3.5 is built with this adaptability in mind. It allows organizations to easily incorporate new tools and features, ensuring their communication systems grow and change.

Imagine rolling out a new collaboration platform across multiple offices. The transition could be tricky, but with the help of MPA 3.5 on selected platforms, you can monitor the rollout in real-time, quickly identifying and resolving any issues. This ensures the new platform is running smoothly without disrupting ongoing work.

Securing the Future of Business Communications

A reliable and adaptable communication system is crucial in today’s complex and demanding business environment. By offering deep visibility, enabling proactive issue resolution, and supporting the integration of new technologies, MPA 3.5 ensures that businesses are ready for today’s challenges and well-prepared for the future.

Ready to optimize and maintain the performance of your systems? To learn more about MPA 3.5 contact us at (703) 321-3030 or info@tcicomm.com.

 

TCI Powers Business Connections & Control with Tailored Hybrid Communications

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TCI implements hybrid unified communications systems that combine the best of cloud-based managed services with an on-premises deployment.

Whether you’re pursuing growth, improving customer experiences, building culture, or reducing costs, TCI’s hybrid communication solutions can help you achieve your goals.

We’re ready to support your on-premises infrastructure and help you adopt the right blend of public, private, or partner hosting. Leveraging the flexibility of Mitel’s Common Communications Framework, our local experts seamlessly tie the right mix of solutions together for every client.

  • Common Experiences – Our hybrid cloud approach delivers consistency across your location, customer, and employee touchpoints
  • Integrating your UC and industry-specific solutions – With over 200 integrations, our Mitel-powered solutions enable value-driven connections with the business apps you use every day.
  • Control & Security – TCI’s focus on secure, resilient, and tailored communication solutions means you can depend on the highest performance and flexibility for your organization, all while maintaining local control.
  • Simplicity at Scale – Our platforms also allow you to scale with your embedded investments as you grow – up to 10,000+ users – and ensure operational continuity, compliance, and security.

TCI empowers you to adapt your communications with precision and confidence.

Get the planning conversation started… Call (703) 321-3030 or info@tcicomm.com.

 

An Effective Approach to Communication Resilience

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We want to underscore a vital truth: Even with significant investments in continuity planning and infrastructure, no communication solution is immune to unexpected failures.

Whether it’s an internet outage, a severed cable, or a data center affected by severe weather, these disruptions can occur despite our best efforts.

Fortunately, we can report that no TCI customers faced outages during the CrowdStrike incident in late July. This is a testament to the unwavering commitment to communication resilience we share with Mitel, our strategic technology partner.

Communication resilience is especially vital in mission-critical sectors where failures can have devastating consequences:

  • Hospitality and Entertainment – Consider airports that experience service disruptions and challenges communicating with customers during downtime. Handling communication surge events in the aftermath adds to their burden.
  • Healthcare and Emergency Services – Some providers will revert to pen and paper when access to electronic health records and other critical systems is lost. This shift highlights the vital need for uninterrupted communication channels in high-stakes environments.
  • Public Sector Operations – During the CrowdStrike outage, states like Alaska and New Hampshire experienced significant disruptions in emergency services. 911 systems went offline, affecting the public’s ability to get timely help.

The economic impact of outages can be staggering. Insurer Parametrix predicts that the CrowdStrike event alone could cost Fortune 500 companies over $5 billion in direct losses.

The TCI and Mitel Approach to Communication Resilience

These are known challenges for any digitally driven organization. Our shared approach prevents or mitigates failures, outages, and breaches through a comprehensive and multi-faceted strategy:

1. Embracing Hybrid Infrastructure – We believe hybrid infrastructure is essential for ensuring resilience:

  • Cost-Effective Support: Hybrid models accommodate diverse work styles and offer hands-on control over the environment.
  • Built-in Redundancies: Our solutions, with failover capabilities and geo-separated deployments, are designed to minimize the risk of communication downtime.

2. Security as a Core Principle – Security is not an afterthought in our solutions; it’s integrated from the ground up:

  • Vulnerability Intelligence and Secure Application Development: We embed best practices into our processes to ensure robust security.
  • Advanced Encryption: Our products adhere to the latest signaling and media encryption security standards, providing end-to-end protection.
  • Proven Expertise: With years of experience securing communications in multi-vendor environments, our solutions are well-tested and reliable.
  • Software Assurance (SWA): This feature ensures your Mitel solutions remain up-to-date and protected.

3. Compliance and Partnerships – We take pride in our compliance with a wide range of standards:

  • Certifications: Our services and solutions support rigorous standards, including DoD JITC, HIPAA, Dodd-Frank Act, MiFID II, DORA, MaRisk, FedRAMP, and ISO27001.
  • Security Partnerships: We collaborate with leading security firms, such as McAfee, Trend Micro, Check Point, Fortinet, Imprivata, TippingPoint, and IronPort, to provide comprehensive coverage.
  • Multi-Vendor Expertise: Our experience with multi-vendor environments helps map end-to-end security for your communication infrastructure.

Looking Ahead

TCI and Mitel’s engagement with security standards organizations like the Cloud Security Alliance and CIS Benchmark and adherence to IETF RFC recommendations (including TLS 1.3) underscores our commitment to continuous improvement in security and resilience.

While no system can be entirely impervious to failure, our proactive measures in hybrid infrastructure, embedded security, and rigorous compliance frameworks ensure that we are prepared to meet and overcome the challenges of modern communication disruptions.

For those navigating the complex landscape of communication resilience, rest assured that TCI stands ready to support you with solutions designed to keep your operations secure and your communications uninterrupted.

Learn more about how to mitigate digital threats and keep your organization communicating. Contact the TCI experts at (703) 321-3030 or info@tcicomm.com.

 

Take Your CU to the Next Level and Amaze Your Members with the Latest Communication Solutions

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TCI and Mitel customize Financial Services solutions that deliver amazing digital experiences for both your valued members and your staff…

Check out how this can work for your CU – Video 2:50 minutes

Local Credit Unions Trust TCI

Regardless of where your employees work (branch, head office, contact center, home) and which department they work in (Accounts, Loans, Investments, Cards, Mobile/Online, Services), TCI has the desk phones, mobile devices, voice/messaging/video apps, contact center solutions, compliance recording tools, and emergency notification applications they need to be effective, productive, and engaged.

Elevate Customer Satisfaction to New Heights

Our suite of customer experience management and workforce optimization solutions can provide your clients with automated self-service as well as personalized, human-assisted services that increase Customer Satisfaction scores by removing friction from the customer experience.

Digital Transformation on Your Terms

  • Retain and Attract Members – TCI’s omnichannel CX solutions improve First-Contact Resolution (FCR), Customer Satisfaction (CSAT), and Net Promoter Scores (NPS) by improving the digital experience. Members can interact with you on their preferred channel (phone, email, SMS, Web chat, Virtual Assistant, social media, etc.) in both self-service and human-assisted service modes.
  • Increase Profitability – Steer routine customer interactions to low-cost, AI-powered, self-service virtual assistants and allow human agents to deliver more personalized client care. Reduce operating costs and improve margins with flexible deployment and payment options from TCI that allow you to choose the most cost-effective UC service option for your credit union.
  • Integration – Regardless of where you are on your digital transformation journey, TCI and Mitel’s Financial Services Solutions’ open APIs allow you to integrate seamlessly with your FinTech partners through an extensive Developer Program for custom applications and integrations. You can improve identity management with speech biometrics, mitigate fraud risk with speech analytics, and more.

Flexible, Reliable, and Easy to Use

  • Phone Systems – Take advantage of an exceptionally feature-rich unified communications platform that can be deployed on-premises, in the private/public cloud, or in a hybrid model with desk phones and soft phone options for employees working in the main office, branches, contact center, or remotely from home.
  • Contact Centers – Get everything you need to operate a world-class customer experience center including built-in workflow designer, speech IVR, AI-powered voice/chatbots and agent assist, historical reporting, and real-time dashboards.
  • Workforce Optimization – Empower your employees with interaction recording, quality management, coaching and learning, speech analytics, and workforce management solutions that are proven to increase both the efficiency of your organization and the quality of your customer experience.

Our team of experts is ready to help you design, deploy and support a customized solution that’s right for your credit union. Contact us today: (703) 321-3030 or info@tcicomm.com.

 

How Performance Analytics Offer UC and Network Insights for Better Business Performance

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Why Performance Analytics?

Many TCI clients have deployed Mitel Performance Analytics (MPA). It’s an intuitive, user-friendly fault and performance management application that monitors and manages your entire network, with a special focus on voice quality.

You can monitor the performance of your entire communications network – identifying real-time issues and rapidly alerting your IT team to adverse conditions.

Check out this 6:30 min. video MPA overview

Mitel Performance Analytics provides quick resolution tools like secure remote access and active testing capabilities that make it simple to manage locations seamlessly. Whether you have 8 or 8,000 users, voice quality stays crystal-clear and downtime is minimized.

MPA also lets you know when and where a problem occurs. Voice quality problems – delay, echo, and jitter, for example – can be caused by a variety of events, from congestion to improper configuration. For faster problem resolution, MPA monitors devices like routers and servers in the network infrastructure, in addition to your UC systems.

Your admins can access devices from anywhere, and devices can be moved easily between containers. Plus, data can be consolidated in one central place. Information can also be shared more easily among your locations. You can now monitor just about any device, anywhere in the world.

Mitel Performance Analytics is available as part of your Mitel Premium Software Assurance subscription. Stay current with the latest Mitel Platform software releases, bug fixes, and security enhancements, while having access to expert support services whenever you need them.

Performance Analytics at a Glance

  • Continuous performance monitoring
  • Real-time alerting for fast problem detection
  • SIP voice quality (R Factor Rating per Call), valid for Mitel 6800, 6900 SIP phones, and MiCollab mobile and desktop softphones
  • Secure remote access and testing tools mean problems are fixed faster
  • Shifts support model from reactive to proactive, detecting and preventing problems before users are impacted
  • Proven in thousands of customer networks
  • End-to-end network performance management of your Mitel services AND the surrounding network

Key Benefits

  • Faster problem detection and resolution for more reliable network performance
  • Simplified management of large distributed networks
  • Improved user satisfaction and adoption
  • Better use of IT resources
  • Secure remote access

Key Features

  • Intuitive multi-tenant data-rich dashboards
  • Network-wide voice quality reporting and analysis, including softphones
  • Comprehensive testing tools and secure remote access
  • Network diagram integration
  • Reporting tools that add value
  • Scheduled backups

Reliable Unified Communications network performance improves the user experience and makes better use of an organization’s IT resources.

Contact your local TCI team today to learn more about MPA: (703) 321-3030 or GetHelp@tcicomm.com.
 

Overloaded with Too Many Apps & Communications Tools? Here’s 5 Ways to Streamline

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The average employee uses 17 different cloud apps, 3 content-sharing services and 3 collaboration tools.

If this sounds familiar, it might be a good time to consider a unified communication system like Mitel-powered TCI Host, which includes collaborative tools that allow team members to assign tasks, share documents, schedule calls, chat and conduct audio and video conferences at the push of a button.

Consider these pointers for re-energizing and remaking your approach to collaboration and communications.

1. Identify the purpose and value of each communications tool

Start by identifying what frustrates people, where necessities fall through the cracks, or how customers could be better served. Then evaluate your current tools in terms of:

  • Does the technology help or hinder productivity?
  • Do your communications tools keep your team’s conversations seamless no matter what device is used – be it smartphone, desktop or laptop?
  • Do they create a common space where team members can easily communicate, share documents and set up meetings?
  • Can employees respond quickly and efficiently to customers?

2. Analyze the costs vs. benefits of your communications software

The goal of any communications system is to aid productivity and bring value to the business. The problem is technology – especially when it’s the newest thing. You have to ask yourself: Is the time spent using that latest app really achieving the outcomes you need?

Spend more time assessing the costs of your existing communications tools, from time wasted swapping between business apps to the monthly costs of separate collaboration tools. If you’re not getting results, use this as an opportunity to find more cost-effective, all-in-one communications tools.

3. Reduce distraction and optimize attention capital

Step back from the whirl of digital life by identifying what’s most important to you, then add / keep the technology that will support your priorities. In business, that means finding solutions to increase productivity by automating simple tasks like setting up meetings and improving workflows.

Start by automating and controlling who can reach you, and when. Need some time to tackle a major project? Use presence technology to tell coworkers you’re not available, or you’re only available via a specific channel, like text.

4. Focus on the customer experience

As you’re evaluating your communications tools, consider how your communications software impacts your customer’s experience with your business. Does your current solution enable seamless communications both internally and externally? Does it easily integrate with other essential systems, like CRMs? Can your contact center agents quickly access the information and internal resources they need, when they need it? The answers to these questions directly impact your responsiveness to customers.

5. Make it convenient to work anywhere

With more team members working remotely – on the road, from a home office or in the field – reach out to them and find out what headaches they’re experiencing. Do your collaboration tools enable them to easily communicate and respond quickly to customers? Can they access information and people easily from their smartphone? Look for a communications solution like TCI Host, TCI’s Cloud Voice Service that allows your staff to access everything they need via a web portal.

Take a fresh look at your communication solutions to ensure you’re offering the best user experience. Contact us today at (703) 321-3030 or GetHelp@tcicomm.com.
 

NEC Phases Out Phone Systems & Support… TCI Can Help You Move Forward

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If you’re using a NEC SL2100, SV9100, or 3C System, this transition will occur over the next few years, with key dates to keep in mind:

  • December 31, 2024: Last day to order new NEC systems
  • March 31, 2025: Final date for NEC to ship ordered hardware
  • March 31, 2026: End of technical support from NEC

Given this timeline, you’ll want to start planning your transition to new communication solutions. Here are some key considerations:

  • Assess current needs: Evaluate your organization’s communication requirements and how they may have evolved since implementing your NEC system.
  • Explore alternatives: Research the latest unified communications (UC) platforms that offer features like VoIP, video conferencing, and mobile integration.
  • Consider hybrid and cloud-based solutions: Many businesses are moving to a mix of premises and cloud or fully cloud-based phone systems for greater flexibility and scalability.
  • Plan for migration: Develop a timeline for transitioning to a new system before NEC support ends in 2026.
  • Budget accordingly: Factor in costs for new hardware, software licenses, and potential infrastructure upgrades.

Special Offers for NEC Customers

While NEC is exiting the UC business, there are opportunities to find cost-effective alternatives. TCI and Mitel have special pricing available for you now – including significant discounts for upfront purchases or monthly subscription plans.

When selecting a new system, consider factors beyond just price:

  • TCI offers UC and Contact Center platforms that outperform NEC
  • Flexible deployment models (On-Premises, Private/Public Cloud, partner/IaaS hosted)
  • Scalability to accommodate future growth
  • Integration capabilities with existing business applications
  • Reliability and uptime guarantees
  • Choice of payment (CapEx or OpEx)
  • A local partner for service and support
  • Partner stability – TCI has over 40 years in the UC business
  • Expertise in Vertical solutions (e.g., Associations, Finance, Hospitality)
  • Incentive programs that deliver investment protection

Your local TCI team can assess your current Voice environment and recommend suitable solutions. By planning ahead and exploring your options now, you can ensure a smooth transition from your NEC system to a communication platform that better meets your organization’s evolving needs.

Let’s get started: Contact us at: (703) 321-3030 or GetHelp@tcicomm.com.
 

How DC Region Banks and CUs Improve Customer Experience with TCI & Mitel Technology

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Customer Experience that Your Bank or CU Can be Proud of

Creating a customer-first culture is about more than just client interactions. You need to provide tools that allow every part of your business to flourish. With happy, effective staff using secure, efficient communications, your organization can deliver the enhanced services your customers expect.

It pays to invest in Customer Experience (CX), but there’s a lot that needs to be addressed behind the scenes. Inconsistent service levels, outdated security, siloed staff, and narrow channels of communication are just some of the issues that get in the way of delivering exceptional customer service.

With local TCI experts and Mitel technology, you can develop the customer-first culture your business needs to thrive. Our suite of Financial Service Solutions help:

  • Improve customer interactions, whether in a branch or on a mobile app
  • Fulfill regulatory compliance
  • Strengthen security
  • Automate tasks to enhance operations
  • Enable employees or branch workers to be more responsive

For over 40+ years, TCI has empowered thousands of organizations to connect, collaborate and exceed customer expectations. Experience is why we partner with Mitel – a 50+ year global technology leader.

  • Mitel onboards 2 million+ New UC users per year
  • Mitel is #1 in Seven Core Industry Markets
  • Mitel operates in 100+ countries

Together, we deliver results.

TCI brings practical expertise, having served local financial services firms for decades. We’ll bring that in-depth knowledge to your organization – adding value to your UC investment and helping unleash your organization’s full potential.

Real Solutions… Real Impacts

  • Reliable Mitel telephony for 99.99% uptime
  • Customer-based routing for more personalized service
  • screen pops for efficient agent empowerment
  • Suggested responses for faster, more consistent customer service

Customized industry solutions are why so many local banks and credit unions connect their institutions with Mitel Financial Services Solutions – designed, deployed, and supported by TCI.

Let’s talk about improving your Customer Experience. Contact TCI today at (703) 321-3030 or GetHelp@tcicomm.com.
 

Navigating Communication Compliance in Healthcare

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The healthcare industry has always been at the forefront of safeguarding sensitive patient information, a responsibility that has become even more crucial in the post-pandemic era. With the rapid shift to digital communication channels and telehealth services, adhering to communication compliance regulations is not just a legal obligation but a cornerstone of patient trust and safety.

We’ll explore why healthcare communication compliance is paramount today and how it shapes the industry’s future.

The Rise of Digital Healthcare and Compliance Challenges

The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the adoption of digital technologies in healthcare. Telehealth consultations, electronic health records, and digital patient portals are now commonplace. While these advancements improve accessibility and efficiency, they raise significant compliance concerns regarding data privacy and security.

Ensuring Secure Communication and Data Protection

To protect patient information, healthcare providers must ensure secure, encrypted channels for communication and adhere to standards like HIPAA. Secure patient identification processes and data encryption are critical to maintaining compliance.

The Complexities of Telehealth Compliance

Telehealth has emerged as a vital tool for providing healthcare remotely. However, this convenience also introduces complexities in maintaining communication compliance. Healthcare providers must ensure that their telehealth platforms comply with regulations, such as data encryption and secure patient identification processes.

The Impact of Emerging Regulations on Operations – 2023 CMS Final Rule

New regulations are always on the horizon. For example, The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a final rule in response to address complaints of inappropriate marketing practices by Medicare Advantage organizations and Third-Party Marketing Organizations (TPMOs). The rule requires all TPMOs to adhere to all applicable laws, regulations, and CMS guidelines, including the requirements for conducting lead generation, marketing, selling, and enrollment activities with Medicare beneficiaries.

This meant that insurance companies and TPMOs, including healthcare agents and brokers, were now required to record all “marketing” calls with beneficiaries, including the enrollment process. This rule applies to both new and existing clients of the organization. The call recordings must then be stored HIPAA-compliant for at least 10 years – which almost certainly means higher operational costs for the affected companies. And that’s just one of the over 600 regulations that could potentially update their rules regularly, keeping every company’s compliance officers on their toes.

Educating Healthcare Staff and Safeguarding Patients’ Trust

With emergent technologies and communication channels, educating healthcare staff on compliance is crucial. Regular training sessions about the latest compliance regulations and the proper handling of patient information can mitigate risks associated with data breaches and non-compliance.

The Cost of Non-Compliance with HIPAA

Often, non-compliance leads to severe legal and financial consequences for healthcare organizations. From 2020 to 2022, the fines and penalties for violating HIPAA amounted to about $22 million. On top of that, the financial impact of ensuring data protection laws like HIPAA is also substantial, with the American Hospital Association reporting that the healthcare industry spends $39 billion every year on the administrative aspects of regulatory compliance.

Leveraging Technology to Ensure Compliance

So, how does one navigate this seemingly ever-changing landscape? The short answer is embracing technology as an ally. Leveraging technology can be a game-changer in ensuring compliance. Mitel Interaction Recording (MIR), powered by ASC Technologies, has tools that monitor communications and flag potential compliance issues that have been proven to help healthcare organizations remain compliant with healthcare standards and regulations. MIR is at the forefront of delivering the highest levels of compliance across several industries with features that include:

  • Highest security standards with encryption
  • Flexible recording rules
  • Powerful search and easy replay with strong access rights controls
  • Identifying calls that contain personal data
  • Automated compliance screening and alerting

The Imperative of Healthcare Communication Compliance

In the post-pandemic age, where digital communication in healthcare is more prevalent than ever, fulfilling communication compliance regulations is not just a regulatory requirement but a critical component of patient care.

Connect with a TCI expert to ensure your UC technology is protecting your patients and your organization. Contact TCI today at (703) 321-3030 or GetHelp@tcicomm.com.
 

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

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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.