Whenever I talk to AudioCodes partners these days about the unified communications and collaboration phenomenon that you and I more usually refer to quite simply as Microsoft Teams, one topic inevitably comes up. And that is the increasing number of enterprises that want to connect their Microsoft Teams deployments to the PSTN so they can place external calls to regular landlines or mobile phone numbers.
For service providers that supply these enterprises, Microsoft Operator Connect is making a name for itself as a worthy alternative to Microsoft Direct Routing when it comes to PSTN connectivity. To be honest, it’s pretty easy to see why – in fact, I recently wrote another blog post explaining exactly what Microsoft Operator Connect is.
A Great Place to Start, But Challenges Remain
Unlike Microsoft Direct Routing, which requires fairly extensive tenant setup efforts to onboard each customer, Microsoft Operator Connect enables service providers to deliver Microsoft Teams connectivity instantly. Although it requires a bigger initial investment in comparison to Microsoft Direct Routing, both in knowledge and work (plus the technical expertise required to integrate the Operator Connect API), this outlay definitely pays off in the long term.
However, from the service provider’s perspective, Microsoft Operator Connect integration does bring certain challenges of its own. One of these challenges involves the Operator Connect API, which requires development and design expertise that immediately translates directly into higher costs.
But unfortunately, this is the only tip of the iceberg. Once the API integration phase is complete, service providers should also build a multi-tenant management system for customer onboarding, operation and support, as well as a user management portal for defining calling policies. All this requires further development time and PowerShell expertise, which doesn’t come cheap. And even after this stage is completed, you’ll have to recruit a group of PowerShell ninjas to keep it all going unless you develop an automated user management portal.
Introducing AudioCodes Live Cloud
We at AudioCodes have developed a solution to simplify service providers’ integration with Microsoft Teams, making it possible for all service providers to share the benefits of Microsoft Teams and Operator Connect with as many of their customers as possible.
That solution is called AudioCodes Live Cloud.
AudioCodes Live Cloud is a multi-tenant, white-label SaaS platform that helps service providers deliver Microsoft Direct Routing and/or Microsoft Operator Connect, enabling them to rapidly onboard and manage business customers while significantly reducing their OPEX. It guarantees high quality voice and video collaboration for customers of any size on a straightforward and transparent per-user per-month subscription basis.
Here’s just a taste of what service providers can expect with AudioCodes Live Cloud:
- Automated processes for easy tenant onboarding and accelerated Microsoft Teams deployments.
- A multi-tenant management portal for service providers and their channels.
- A user management portal for setting user profiles and corporate calling policies.
- Powerful analytics and reporting tools for real-time insights into the customer’s operation resulting in improved service and higher availability.
Focus On What’s Really Important
Whether a service provider is already using Microsoft Direct Routing and would like to expand its offering, or just wants to deliver Microsoft Operator Connect connectivity, AudioCodes Live Cloud is just about the quickest, most seamless and most cost-effective way to enable Microsoft Teams voice out there today.
But ultimately, and perhaps most importantly in our ultra-competitive business landscape, AudioCodes Live Cloud makes it possible for forward-thinking service providers to focus their energy on what really matters – growing their business offering and streamlining their customer onboarding strategy.
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Want more info about simplifying PSTN Connectivity to Microsoft Teams?
