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AI and Your Phone System… The Good, Bad and Ugly

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We expect the evolution of AI to be as earth-shaking as the creation of the semiconductor, the personal computer, the Internet, and the mobile phone. AI will change the way people work, learn, travel, get healthcare, and communicate with each other.

Evolving phone systems will be just one aspect of its far-reaching influence as AI revolutionizes industries and our society.

Where will AI take UC?

“2024 may well be the year of reckoning for AI. So far, the main application of Gen AI has been with chatbots and voice-enabled bots. The real value is transitioning from front-end chatbots to ones that can act based on their process inputs. The next step will be for customer support software to go beyond just answering questions and move toward enabling true end-to-end task automation.”
– Martin Bitzinger, Mitel SVP, Product Management

AI will improve customer service in phone systems in several ways, including:

  • AI-supported Contact Centers: AI will reduce the likelihood of human error with improved user satisfaction, shorter call times, and more accurate information for callers.
  • Personalization and Customer Satisfaction: AI-powered systems will enable businesses to provide more personalized responses, leading to improved caller satisfaction rates.
  • 24/7 Availability and Quick Response Times: AI will allow for round-the-clock availability of virtual assistants, leading to quick response times and improved customer experiences.
  • Automated Call Transcription: AI call transcriptions will enhance call quality assurance, aid in targeted training of new representatives, and help identify key service trends and recurrent issues, ultimately improving customer service.
  • Chatbot-Based Customer Support: Web-based chatbots powered by AI will enable customers to find solutions without calling customer service, thus enhancing the overall customer experience.

More powerful smartphones

Companies like Google, Qualcomm, and Apple are heavily investing in AI to evolve smartphones, with a focus on generative AI, which can create new content and provide personalized recommendations based on text and image inputs.

Trouble Ahead

The use of AI in phone systems won’t be without its challenges. Scammers are already using AI to clone voices, making phone scams more sophisticated and believable.

Experts recommend adopting a “code word” system with your loved ones, always calling back to verify the situation, and setting social media accounts to private to prevent publicly available information from being used against individuals.

AI-enabled phone scams have raised concerns about the increasing threat of advanced phishing and targeted scams, prompting more calls to regulate the use of this powerful technology.

Let’s explore new ways to leverage and safeguard the technology in your business. Contact us today at (703) 321-3030 or GetHelp@tcicomm.com.
 

5 Ways Your Current Phone System Can Limit Your Success

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Has your phone system kept pace with the times? More importantly, is it capable of helping you meet tomorrow’s challenges? Here, we outline five attributes you’ll want to consider when you’re thinking about improving your technology.

1. Ability to Add Features and Functionality

Make sure your phone system can keep pace with technological change and has the ability to embrace cloud-based applications and customized solutions as required. Look for these features and attributes:

  • Third-party integrations allow you to take advantage of cloud-based business process applications.
  • Easy & intuitive communications tools that are as simple as consumer apps will speed adoption.
  • Admin portal enables users to make real-time changes to preferences, permissions and groups.
  • Flexible service plans enable users to change service plans in real time as their needs change.

2. Productivity

Is your phone system boosting worker productivity or draining it? Reduce employee frustration and increase productive work time with these features:

  • Find me – Follows employees so they can get the call the first time around, regardless of the device they are using.
  • Presence – Enables employees to see when other co-workers are available, in a meeting, on a call or out of the office.
  • Collaboration tools – Makes it easier to exchange ideas and get work done with video, instant messaging and file and desktop sharing.
  • Application integration – Boosts the power of your CRM by seamlessly integrating calling features, call histories and customer data.

3. Scalability

Nearly every organization can benefit from the agility that comes from aligning its phone system with business needs. Look for these attributes:

  • Plug-and-play – Provides phones that are easy to install without costly upgrades.
  • Flexibility – Easily scales to support both the office and your mobile workforce.
  • Reduced complexity – Avoids complications that add costs and hinder your ability to scale.
  • Intuitive – Supports easy deployment by administrators and enables users to quickly be productive.
  • Simple licensing – Delivers flexible licensing so businesses can scale up or down as their needs change.

4. Mobility

Does your current phone system provide the same easy features and functionality to all staff members, no matter their location or device? If not, consider these capabilities:

  • Mobile applications – Allows personal devices to be integrated with your phone network.
  • Connectivity – Wi-Fi/cellular call handover to stay connected everywhere.
  • Collaboration tools – Provides team and video collaboration, instant messaging, and conferencing to facilitate greater collaboration from anywhere.
  • Security – Delivers features that keep voice and signaling safe, even in public hot spots.

5. Your Budget

Consider whether a CapEx or OpEx budgeting approach makes more sense:

  • Purchasing a standalone system can add complexity and require additional staff and time-consuming administration, resulting in greater costs over time.
  • Consider productivity-boosting options to upgrade your system in an easy-to-manage way that frees up IT resources and saves money.
  • Add new capabilities that seamlessly work with your existing system as your business needs change – without having to pay for features you don’t need.
  • If your system needs a complete overhaul, it may be cheaper to move to the cloud.

Communications are vital to your organization’s success. If your current phone system is holding you back, it’s time to discuss an upgrade. Contact us today at (703) 321-3030 or info@tcicomm.com.

 

Is an Aging Phone System Slowing Your Business? Adopt a Cloud-First Mentality to Boost Your Communications

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It’s going to happen… After years of faithful service, your premises communications system will eventually reach the end of its useful life. Maintaining and upgrading the hardware may become difficult or just won’t make financial sense. Updating the software may no longer be the path to all those advanced features you need to maintain efficiency and productivity.

Charting a New Path

The reality of diminishing returns will kick in and you’ll find yourself considering a new system. You’ll be faced with two potential paths to follow. You could replace the aging communications system with a new premises solution and go through all the deployment, configuration, and adjustment processes that go with it. Or you could chart a new path with a cloud-based communications solution.

Flexible and agile cloud infrastructure makes it easier to adapt to an ever-changing market environment. The pandemic has demonstrated the ease of access and speed to activation that cloud technologies provide. Enterprises that were already leveraging cloud-based communications systems were able to easily make the transition to remote work. Those without some form of cloud technology were left playing catch up.

A cloud-based communications system streamlines interactions between employees and partners and suppliers. With unified communication and collaboration tools, it can increase efficiency and improve customer service. It can also be the anchor of a digital technology strategy that leverages a variety of Software as a Service (SaaS) offerings.

Look Beyond Immediate Requirements

Consider the big picture by looking beyond immediate needs and factoring future evolution into your thought process:

  • A purpose-built cloud solution provides unified and scalable communications to anyone, anywhere, and on any device.
  • It enables more mobility, rich enterprise and team collaboration, and exceptional customer experiences.
  • The cloud can provide the flexibility and scalability to integrate with a variety of SaaS business support and productivity tools to further transform business processes.

TCI can help you migrate to a cloud communication solution that is customized for your business needs. Contact us today at (703) 321-3030 or info@tcicomm.com.

 

Phone Systems in the Cloud vs. On-Premises vs. Hybrid Deployments

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Phone systems have traditionally been deployed on-site, but the lure of the Cloud is strong. Many multi-site businesses are now using a hybrid combination of both… deploying an on-premises system at headquarters and Cloud solutions for the branch offices – all interconnected and centrally managed in a hybrid arrangement.

Click here for Mitel’s helpful Decision Tree for deciding on Premises vs Cloud

There are many reasons why On-Premises phone systems remain popular…

  • The need to control technology in-house.
  • The need for customized features, integration with other applications, or advanced call center capabilities.
  • The need for uninterrupted communications or compliance with strict regulatory requirements.
  • The need to depreciate equipment costs over time.

The Cloud can be a good fit for small to mid-sized businesses or a larger enterprise with smaller, remote offices…

  • Eliminates need for upfront investment. Costs become operational expenses and are more predictable.
  • No need for in-house staff to purchase, configure and manage your system, servers and storage.
  • Maintenance and support are simplified and upgrades are automatic.
  • Whether your business is growing or needs to scale down in a pinch, a cloud service can easily adapt.

Let TCI step you through all your VoIP deployment options, recommend the best approach for your business model, and manage the roll out for you. Contact us today at (703) 321-3030 or info@tcicomm.com.