Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) and Contact Center as a Service (CCaaS) solutions have evolved to address the growing communication needs of modern enterprise customers and businesses. CCaaS platforms are geared toward external customer communications, while UCaaS solutions are designed for internal collaborations. Cloud-based technology has revolutionized contact centers, making them more agile and able to meet customers in an omnichannel environment. UCaaS tools further amplify a company’s ability to guide customers to the necessary solutions.

An emerging trend is integrating UCaaS and CCaaS platforms into a single-pane-of-glass dashboard to streamline communications. However, integration itself is not enough. Simply applying APIs can lead to clunky and wooden workflows. To maximize results, companies need an integrator—a provider that can stitch together applications in meaningful ways and incorporate legacy systems, such as analog phone lines, into a simplified workflow.  

This blog will review the best-in-class UCaaS and CCaaS tools from CBTS and discuss the benefits of integration.

Read our e-book: UCaaS and CCaaS: Maximize your results with integration

UCaaS portfolio

CBTS leverages longstanding partnerships with industry leaders Microsoft and Cisco to offer superior collaboration platforms.

Microsoft Teams Voice

Microsoft Teams Voice (MSTV) is a leading contender for integration with a cloud-based contact center. MSTV blends voice services with Microsoft Teams to provide cross-organizational collaboration through video and messaging. In addition, Microsoft products integrate well with each other, making it easy to introduce other systems, such as scheduling and storage, into more efficient processes.

Learn more: How CBTS is integrating Hosted UCaaS with Microsoft Teams Voice for improved collaboration

Webex Calling

Webex Calling combines video, cloud calling, video conferencing, and scheduling into a singular platform that utilizes Cisco’s innovative Webex collaboration application.

Learn more: Upgrade to future-proof phone services with Webex Calling

CCaaS portfolio

CBTS contact center solutions utilize best-in-class technology to provide seamless communications with customers.

CXsync

CXsync is a CBTS CCaaS solution. Key features from this self-service platform include a streamlined agent experience, support for omnichannel communications, and an open API infrastructure that makes CXsync ideal for integration with UCaaS and other communication tools.

Learn more: How CXsync is transforming small and midsize businesses through cloud-based contact centers

Five9

Five9 is one of the largest cloud-based contact center providers, with literally billions of minutes of calls each year. Five9 offers a range of platform options, including a blended contact center. With CBTS deployment, Five9 can be fully integrated with Microsoft Teams.

Learn more: Future-proof your contact center with cloud-based tools from Five9 and CBTS

Webex Contact Center

Webex Contact Center is another diverse CCaaS solution that utilizes Cisco infrastructure and features phone, web chat, e-mail, and video conferencing to create rich customer experiences.

The many benefits of integration

There are many compelling reasons to integrate CCaaS and UCaaS tools, especially when working with an integrator like CBTS. They include:

1. Efficiency. Joining UCaaS and CCaaS in a single solution drastically reduces the time it takes to switch between multiple tabs or applications.
2. Omnichannel outreach. Cloud-based contact center agents can respond to customer questions at the channel of their choice, whether it be web chat, SMS message, social media instant messenger, e-mail, video, or phone.
3. End-to-end control. Agents, managers, and admins can view and act on customer communications in each aspect of the communication life cycle—from the initial query through resolution and follow-up—regardless of whether the communication comes from the UCaaS or CCaaS workflow.
4. Greater visibility of customer data. Integration makes a customer’s history visible for each new agent so they can focus on supporting the customer rather than spend valuable time getting up to speed.
5. Enhanced collaboration. Agents can quickly route customer communications to the managers or specialists who can rapidly and expertly address their concerns.
6. Merged analytics. Increase insight into the entire communications system across both UCaaS and CCaaS. Intelligent reporting allows your contact center to spot potential issues and create greater efficiencies in workflows in what were previously siloed operations.
7. Cost efficiency. A merged communication system means you spend less on individual applications and make predictable monthly OpEx expenditures rather than costly CapEx purchases every few years.
8. Better customer experience. Unifying CCaaS and UCaaS make for a smoother customer experience by providing agents with the tools to meet customers through various channels. Additionally, automated reminders tell agents when to schedule follow-ups with customers, callbacks, and send surveys.
9. Focus on innovation. The IT department can turn its efforts toward innovation rather than maintenance by freeing up IT teams from maintaining legacy phone and communication systems.
10. Integrations with calling tools and third-party applications. A unified CCaaS and UCaaS system makes additional integrations easier to implement. For example, Software as a Service (SaaS) tools such as CRM, project management platforms, and many other applications can have built-in style functionality, which allows agents to access data without clicking away to separate apps. In addition, calling features such as IVR, auto attendants, and voicemail can be incorporated seamlessly into the unified system. Because it is a cloud-based solution, your contact center will have access to cutting-edge technologies like AI and machine learning tools.

The value of an IT solutions partner

Each company and its workflows are unique. That is why a turnkey solution is not ideal for integration. Instead, organizations need white-glove, customizable services finely tuned to your company’s needs. Working with an integrator lets your company craft solutions across platforms to optimize workflow to ensure the best customer experience possible.

With over 20 years of telecommunications experience, CBTS has the knowledge and expertise to serve as an integrator for your company. No matter which cloud-based contact center solution is right for your business, CBTS can streamline your work processes into a unified communications platform that drives customer experience and boosts collaboration across the enterprise.

To learn more about integrating your communications systems, download our e-book UCaaS and CCaaS: Maximize your results with integration. To get started with the integration process, get in touch today.

What is Microsoft Teams Operator Connect?

Operator Connect is a new program from Microsoft for select operators, or service providers, that enables additional integration into customers’ Microsoft tenants to provide public switched telephone network (PSTN) service. Since launching last fall, Microsoft Teams Operator Connect has added functionality to Microsoft Teams Voice and created new options for boosting customer communication experiences.

Operator Connect builds on previous Teams Voice plans, adding greater functionality inside Teams admin center (TAC), an intuitive graphic interface. Administrators and engineers no longer need to rely on PowerShell (Microsoft’s proprietary code platform) for the day-to-day management of their Microsoft Teams Voice users. Instead, admins make changes directly through TAC. In addition, due to peering with Microsoft’s network, Operator Connect promises greater security and call quality.

Let’s review the benefits of implementing Microsoft Teams Operator Connect and briefly explore the differences between Operator Connect and Direct Routing.

Learn more: Microsoft Teams Voice

Why implement Teams Operator Connect?

Microsoft Teams Operator Connect adds no-code functionality in an easy-to-use portal. Previously, users who wanted to apply simple changes to phone numbers, contacts, or permissions had to rely on administrators to provision them into the system using PowerShell.

CBTS is one of a handful of Microsoft vendors chosen to join the program. Clients can select CBTS as their preferred partner through a simple menu on the dashboard. From the user side, it’s essentially “plug and play” while CBTS engineers handle the rest of the setup.

Also read: How to train your organization to use Microsoft Teams

Microsoft Teams Voice delivery options

CBTS supports our clients through each step of the Teams Voice implementation process from conception to deployment. We advise our clients on licensing, securing communications, video conferencing, and streamlining workflows. Our team is certified by Microsoft and can guide you through the different Microsoft Voice delivery options:

• Direct Routing – Direct Routing is meant for large corporations that need a lot of flexibility in their Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) systems. Customers who utilize Microsoft Direct Routing gain unprecedented control over their phone systems. CBTS provides session border controllers and call paths, but the client does not need to turn over administrative controls.
• Microsoft Teams Operator Connect –Operator Connect is the next evolution in voice from Microsoft. Deeper integration between CBTS and Microsoft allows additional admin functionality directly within Teams admin center. Direct peering with Microsoft enables CBTS to offer enhanced quality of service. CBTS packages all this with E911 services to give customers an easy-to-predict monthly subscription option.

By choosing CBTS as your trusted Microsoft voice provider, our experts will work with your team to understand your unique business needs and requirements to identify which Microsoft voice option best fits your organization.

Additional calling features

Operator Connect merges Microsoft’s powerful collaboration tools with telephony features to create an elegant, streamlined communications platform ideal for the hybrid workplace.

Additional calling features include:

• Calling plan options to choose from.
• Concurrent call paths.
• Hosted session border controllers.
• DIDs.
• Auto attendants and call queues.
• Built-in disaster recovery.
• Teams-certified device ready.

Learn more: Optimize your Microsoft investment

Why CBTS?

Managing UCaaS options can be overwhelming, as customers must wade through a sea of features to find the ones that best meet their needs. Fortunately, as a Microsoft Certified Solutions Partner with an Advanced Specialization in Calling for Microsoft Teams, CBTS is uniquely positioned to help customers make informed communications decisions. CBTS builds on its 15-year relationship with Microsoft to help customers get the most from their Microsoft cloud environment.

From the vendor perspective, Microsoft Operator Connect is a highly selective service. It is invite-only, meaning Microsoft handpicks partners to add to the platform. Once selected, a vendor must go through a multi-month vetting process. CBTS is one of the first of a handful of vendors currently available to offer Microsoft Teams Operator Connect.

CBTS provides ongoing, expert support in onboarding, implementing, and managing Microsoft unified communications solutions, allowing your business to future-proof communications systems.

Get in touch to start your unified communications journey today.

What is Webex Calling?

As internal and external business communications become more complex, companies are breaking away from legacy PBX phone systems. Cisco Webex Calling is a cloud-based, single-platform telephony system that allows companies to integrate multiple communications platforms without drastically changing workflows or devices. The cost-effective Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) solution is ideal for small and midsize companies.

This blog will explore how implementing Webex Calling from CBTS can save your company time, money, and valuable IT resources.

The benefits of Webex Calling

Comprehensive collaboration tools

Webex Calling elevates meeting experiences through high-quality audio and video calls. In addition, users can utilize the equipment they already own, such as softphone headsets. With Webex Go, staff can incorporate personal smartphones into the hosted phone system. 

The Webex Go platform protects employee privacy by adding a second “work” line onto any personal phone and incorporates the same video and voice sharing features as the Webex Calling platform. Users can further enhance their cloud calling experiences remotely or at headquarters with Webex-integrated devices such as video devices, and room systems. 

Integrations and control

Webex integrates with hundreds of top-of-the-line platforms and applications, including other UC products such as Microsoft Teams and cloud-based tools. As a result, customers can collaborate efficiently without leaving the Webex app or drastically altering workflows.

Another powerful feature is the Control Hub, which works as a single pane of glass. Administrators can generate and monitor custom analytics simultaneously.

Disaster recovery, security, and survivability

Properly configuring Webex Calling to your company’s existing workflow can take time and effort. Fortunately, CBTS is well-versed in setting up hosted phone services for our clients. CBTS was one of the first IT technology providers to offer a “Cisco-as-a-Service” solution. 

What can customers expect from CBTS implementation? CBTS deploys a phased implementation process that includes the following:

• Consult – CBTS runs an initial assessment to determine the best technology, platforms, and approaches to apply to your unique business needs. Our project managers then guide your team through each phase of the process.
• Build – Certified CBTS engineers design and build custom solutions to support your business goals in the long and short terms.
• Transform – The solutions are fully deployed and fine-tuned in the context of business operations.
• Support – Whether transitioning to tech support or fully managed services, CBTS continues to partner in your lasting success.

How does this look in practice? After an initial consultation determining that Webex Calling is the best fit for your business, engineers custom-build the solution and launch it on a test case. After piloting and fine-tuning the platform to your unique specifications, CBTS implements the solution companywide. Then, CBTS transitions into the ongoing maintenance, management, and support role.

Learn more: Delivery over technology: The CBTS technology implementation process

Why CBTS?

CBTS has a deep history of partnership with Cisco—including a Cisco Master Solution Provider certification (among others). By implementing Webex Calling through CBTS, companies call on our expertise to boost productivity, streamline systems, and save money by avoiding upfront capital investments and with transparent, fixed monthly prices. 

Additionally, because Webex Calling is a cloud-based system, updates, upgrades, and maintenance all occur automatically with little to no downtime. The system is highly scalable, simplifying the process of adding new employee lines or updating SaaS services as your company expands over time.

At CBTS, our team is committed to your success. Get in touch to learn if Webex Calling is a good fit for your company.

Alternative financial services (AFS) companies face unique IT challenges. This industry serves millions of people with payday loans, check cashing, currency exchanges, and other vital services for their customers. Some AFS corporations have hundreds of branches complemented by online and mobile banking options. And yet, spread wide across countries or even continents, many firms must contend with multiple telecom providers that rely on aging infrastructure.

Managing complex multi-site WAN connections can easily become a nightmare for IT staff. Slow, outdated networks can lead to frustration for IT staff and unsatisfactory service for customers. To solve these concerns, companies must have high-quality network connections in place. For alternative financial services companies, implementing VMware SD-WAN™ (software-defined wide area network) and Cisco Meraki Network as a Service (NaaS), achieves fast, reliable connectivity to serve their clientele.

This blog post will highlight how alternative financial services companies have overcome the drawbacks of a traditional WAN (wide area network) by embracing an SD-WAN solution through a NaaS provider.

Read more: Answering a crucial question: What is SD-WAN?

The trap of perpetual infrastructure investments

With an unreliable system of WAN connections cobbled together across hundreds or thousands of miles, IT managers and network administrators often find themselves troubleshooting more often than optimizing. IT teams at AFS companies, managing multiple carriers and often unable to accurately pinpoint issues, may find it challenging to hold service providers responsible.

IT managers at AFS companies find themselves reinvesting in costly, dated technology simply to maintain their networks, while doing nothing to improve the overall quality of their infrastructure. A Cisco Meraki NaaS and VMware SD-WAN solution for financial services companies enables them to offload the burden of maintaining a disparate, end-of-life network infrastructure and focus on serving customers and improving the bottom line.

Also read: How SD-WAN security enhances critical business applications

Financial services companies improve app performance and call quality through NaaS and SD-WAN

Working with a certified Cisco Meraki NaaS and VMware SD-WAN provider gives alternative financial services companies options when mapping the best strategies for system upgrades. When implementing an SD-WAN solution across many locations, AFS companies should choose a highly experienced partner to prevent service interruptions or blackouts at retail branches.

By working with a certified SD-WAN managed services provider, AFS companies upgrading to a cloud-based model can enjoy many benefits. Customers and employees gain better access to the Cloud and enjoy improved performance. IT managers can make informed decisions by having greater visibility of the entire network. And perhaps most importantly, properly implemented SD-WAN delivers reliable and secure connectivity to all branches and remote staff.

A NaaS solution powered by Cisco Meraki allows network-wide improvements without increased operational costs. By tapping a NaaS provider like CBTS for support, companies pay a fixed monthly fee that encompasses all phases of solution implementation from hardware and licensing to configuration, implementation, and co-management. Cisco Meraki’s single-pane-of-glass dashboard gives complete visibility into the network. With greater insight into the company’s network, it can improve incident response efficiency and effectiveness, simplify deployment of new technologies, and strengthen security.

Learn more: How Cisco Meraki + CBTS NaaS team up to deliver cost-efficient modernization for your network

The benefits of co-managed SD-WAN and NaaS

There are many things to consider when choosing an SD-WAN and NaaS provider. Making the right choice is vital to the lasting success of your network solution.

When strategizing SD-WAN implementation, consider whether a co-managed solutions partner is right for you. Under this service model, you can rely on the experts at CBTS to handle the day-to-day upkeep of your network. This approach frees up IT staff to focus on innovation rather than putting out fires.

Want to see how this process can work for you? Read this case study to learn more about how financial services company Money Mart implemented a Cisco Meraki NaaS and VMware SD-WAN solution to boost network performance and upgrade the user experience for their customers and employees.

What is CXsync?

Businesses must prioritize customer experience (CX) or risk losing sales. According to PWC, 73% of customers say that quality CX drives their buying decision. However, it can be difficult for marketing or customer service departments to create the customer touch points they need to ensure a high-quality experience without the resources of larger companies. Enter CBTS CXsync—a cloud-based Contact Center as a Service (CCaaS) solution.

As the name suggests, CXsync aims to synchronize customer experience across all channels. CXsync integrates Interactive Voice Response (IVR), Automatic Call Distributor (ACD), and Unified Communications (UC) technologies into a singular cloud platform that was previously unavailable without costly operating investments.

This blog will examine the benefits of CXsync’s cloud-based contact center platform and how its powerful features benefit every level of your organization.

CXsync’s cloud-based contact center is built for enterprise businesses

CXsync’s platform has rich features that would work well for call centers of any size. Businesses deploy CXsync to manage and report on integration across multiple voice and digital channels. The platform provides specific role-based tools for each level of the call center organization—call agent, manager, and administrator.

CXsync provides a high-quality front-end experience for both your customers and contact center agents. In addition, CXsync has robust back-end features that enable users to create a personalized platform.

Download our Essential technical guide to modernizing your cloud contact center with CXsync.

CXsync’s feature-rich platform enhances each level of call center operations

An omni-channel cloud-based contact center lets customers ask for help wherever is most convenient for them and allows call agents and supervisors to manage those interactions in real time. The advantage of the omni-channel approach (over multi-channel) is that communication feeds are streamlined in to a single agent interface, greatly simplifying the experience for agents. CXsync is also highly customizable and scalable. It can be configured to meet the specific needs of your call center, adding in new channels as needed.

Call agent

Hiring and retention of call center agents is precarious in the best of times but has become even more difficult in light of current labor shortages. That’s why CXsync offers customizable features for calling agents to heighten their experiences:

• Configure local station settings.
• Set status: Ready, Not Ready, Lunch, Meeting, Break, etc.
• Toggle auto-answer off or on.
• Initiate outbound communication through any channel.
• Schedule follow-up reminders.

Manager

Management can utilize role-based permissions through a set of low-code interfaces. Managers can:

• Monitor calls silently.
• Provide in-call guidance that only agents can hear.
• Barge into calls (unmute and talk directly to the customer).
• Access reports, recording playback, and in-platform training materials.
• Apply scorecard-based management tools.

Administrator

CXsync provides all the tools admins need to keep everything running smoothly. Administrators can supervise the performance of the cloud-based call center on macro and micro levels. They can monitor individual calls, view reporting on customer experience trends, and identify call agent and manager training opportunities.

Other features include: 

• Assign role-based permissions by an individual or in bulk.
• System monitoring and troubleshooting tools.
• Configure E911 services.
• Manage and assign out from queues.
• Caller Names Management (CNAM).

Why CBTS?

Modern customers demand the highest level of experience, regardless of channel. CXsync brings a powerful toolset to meet that demand and is only the latest offering from the CBTS CCaaS and UCaaS portfolio. CXsync has a rapid implementation timeline and CBTS has developed a methodology to guide clients through implementing the CCaaS solution. The phased approach allows our clients to set clear objectives and meet a series of milestones before reaching the next phase, ensuring quality control and efficiency at each step of the journey.

Get in touch with CBTS to learn more about how CXsync cloud-based contact center can give your business the tools it needs to thrive.

Though more workers are returning to the office as the pandemic gradually dissipates in the U.S., remote work is here to stay. A Gartner survey found that 80% of companies plan to allow employees to work remotely at least part-time; another 47% of respondents said their staff will now have an option to work from home full-time. Adopting Microsoft Teams and training your team on how to use it effectively will maximize your team’s productivity and efficiency.

Long-term remote collaboration requires company leaders to ensure that their employees know how to fully utilize the raft of new communication technologies available. CBTS’ approach unifies Microsoft Teams and Microsoft Teams Voice with formidable hosted public branch exchange (PBX) features, flexibility, and reliability.

This blog will provide essential information on how to use Microsoft Teams and Microsoft Teams Voice to provide maximum benefit to your organization.

Also read: CBTS awarded Most Promising Microsoft Solutions Provider by CIOReview

How to use Microsoft Teams to improve collaboration

Microsoft Teams equips employees to work anywhere and from any device by offering secure access to business applications, video conferencing, and chat. Microsoft Teams Voice from CBTS further enhances the collaboration experience in Teams by empowering organizations to use it as their primary phone system.

Microsoft Teams Voice enables IT departments to consolidate phone system management into the Teams environment already adopted by their organization, eliminating the need to activate, manage, and support separate calling applications for employees. Teams users can make and receive phone calls through the Teams application on their computers, mobile phones, or tablets. This flexibility allows organizations to reduce or eliminate expenses associated with physical phone devices.

CBTS provides the connectivity companies need to enable Teams Voice calling and assists with the activation, management, and support of the Teams phone system. Companies can choose to layer additional services and applications such as Contact Center, Call Recording, and Receptionist software. CBTS can also provide guidance and solutions for legacy elements of clients’ environments that cannot be migrated to Teams.

Learning how to maximize the use of Microsoft Teams is a great first step for companies looking to improve overall performance and productivity.

Read more: Building the best Microsoft Teams adoption strategy for your company

Collaborate more effectively by creating Teams and adding guests

Your team can easily access the platform from a web browser, desktop application, or mobile app. Guest access is also permitted, meaning you can invite users from other Office 365 tenants to a Microsoft Teams hub without needing additional licenses.

Users can navigate various sections through icons on the Microsoft Teams app bar that enable them to create a team, add guest users, hold meetings, and more. To collaborate in Teams, users must be either a member of a Teams hub or the creator of one. To create a team:

1. Click “Teams” from the app bar.
2. Click the “Join” or “Create a Team” link that appears at the bottom of the app bar.
3. Click the “Create a Team” card.
4. Enter the name and description of the team.
5. Choose your team’s privacy settings: a Private Team means only team owners can add members, while a Public Team allows anyone in your organization to join the team.
6. Click “Next.”
7. Add members to the team in the “Add” box by including a name, e-mail address, distribution list, or mail-enabled security group. Teams can have a maximum of 2,500 members, whether these members are company employees or external users invited through secure guest access.

All guests must have a Microsoft 365 account. To add a guest to your team in Teams:

1. Select the “Teams” icon and add them to the team in your team list.
2. Select “More Options,” then click “Add Member.”
3. Enter the guest’s e-mail address. Anyone with a business or consumer account such as Outlook or Gmail can join your team as a guest.
4. Add your guest’s name through the “Edit Guest Information” option.
5. Click “Add.” Guests will receive a welcome e-mail invite that includes information about joining Teams.

Also read: A Q&A on Microsoft Teams in the Big Picture

Harnessing the Microsoft Teams planning tool for more dynamic meetings

When first learning how to use Microsoft Teams, the Planner tool is a simple way to organize tasks. Here’s how to do it:

1. Select the “+” icon in a channel.
2. Select “Planner.”
3. Create a plan and select “Save.” Then, create a new plan and enter a tab name. Or choose a plan from the “Existing Plans” drop-down.
4. After adding tasks, you can sort them into Buckets to help break up types of work, departments, and more. Just select “Add New Bucket” and enter a name.
5. Add and assign tasks, with details including the due date and the person taking on the assignment. You can also manage group tasks by selecting “Group by Bucket,” and selecting an option from the drop-down.

Blending VoIP, dial-in audio conferencing, and HD video makes online meetings more dynamic. Companies looking to maximize their Microsoft investment can migrate telephony services into Microsoft Teams and see numerous financial and organizational benefits.

Also read: Critical Capabilities for Meeting Solutions

Easy tips to get your company started on Microsoft Teams

How you manage your team ultimately determines its productivity and efficiency. For organizations already making use of Microsoft Teams, a few simple tips will help you get the most out of the platform:

• Customize your notifications.
• Use the integrated SharePoint feature to store and share files.
• Give titles to your chat exchanges to make them easier to follow.
• Forward e-mail messages into a channel.
• Save screenshots during meetings for future downloads.
• Bookmark important messages from Teams chats.
• Use Microsoft Teams mobile apps for on-the-go messaging.

Contact us to learn how using Microsoft Teams—with hands-on support and guidance from CBTS—can enhance your organization’s remote collaboration, voice, and conferencing capabilities. CBTS has combined its long history of delivering enterprise-level Unified Collaboration tools and meeting solutions with Microsoft Teams.

The future (and arguably the present) of networking belongs to the Cloud. Legacy WAN networks deployed on aging MPLS systems can no longer handle the sheer amount of data, processing power, and security needed to keep businesses competitive. The resources required to maintain legacy networks are becoming increasingly untenable. More and more, we find on-prem data centers reaching the end of their lifespan, requiring migrations to a cloud-based network. Software-defined wide area network (SD-WAN) is a robust methodology that shifts the burden of data flow from hard-line MPLS networks to the cloud.

SD-WAN deployment benefits include increased network speed, less downtime, and increased efficiency across the board. Additionally, it expands data real estate. Companies need real-time access to their applications, mobile data, at-home devices, and data from IoT devices. As a result, the number of points of presence (PoP) for many companies, especially those in the healthcare field, has grown exponentially. Because of this, the number of potential vulnerabilities for cyberattacks has grown to match. As such, the future of SD-WAN will hinge on current and cutting-edge security tools such as SASE, ENI, and specific deployments of machine learning (ML) and AI.

What is SD-WAN?

In a nutshell, SD-WAN architecture shifts the control of a wide area network for a company and its branches from an onsite data center and hardware to cloud-based software. This software controls connectivity, data management, and the flow of information from headquarters to company branches and remote workers. SD-WAN connection endpoints—branches, data centers, cloud platforms, or corporate offices—are referred to as the SD-WAN edge. As we’ll discuss in more detail later in the post, securing the edge network is a core issue vital to the future of SD-WAN.

According to a study conducted by Gartner with CBTS, the drivers of SD-WAN adoption are the need to:

• Improve networking speed and agility.
• Minimize or eliminate downtime.
• Reduce costs and make predictable capital expenditures.

Optimize performance for end users and administrators.

Also read: Key SD-WAN advantages your hybrid work-from-home model needs

The future of SD-WAN

Cyberattacks continue to grow in volume and complexity. In 2021, an attack with an instance of 17 million requests was recorded from a botnet three times larger than any previously registered attack. The rate and escalation of cyberattacks are not slowing down. A second attack later that year—an attack of 22 million requests per second—dwarfed the first attack. Experts predict that another attack will take place soon that surpasses 30 million requests per second. Fortunately, cybersecurity measures continue to evolve as preventing cybercrime becomes a focus for enterprises and government agencies.

SASE

Secure Access Service Edge (SASE, pronounced “sassy”) is an architecture that utilizes SD-WAN via an encompassing cloud-native framework. First defined in 2019 by Gartner, SASE is a philosophical approach to cloud security instead of a set of tools or a specific technology. The SASE model merges networking and security to reduce hardware, simplify operations, and minimize security risks.

SASE engages with five core technologies:

• Integrated SD-WAN
• Cloud access security
• Firewall as a Service (FWaaS)
• Secure web gateways
• Zero trust network access (ZTNA)

SASE is a borderless approach to networking, meaning it can support globally distributed teams and customers. Global environments allow employers to embrace a modern, work-from-anywhere mentality. Migrating to SASE PoPs optimizes where data lands in the network by combining software apps and data storage. Additionally, the integration of FWaaS refines and maximizes security measures for data centers. SASE reduces latency and results in a higher performing network by adding PoPs globally, so data doesn’t have to travel as far. These gateways provide the functionality, reliability, and access that teams and customers need.

ENI

Edge network intelligence (ENI) allows enterprises visibility of their end-user and IoT devices. ENI creates a complete view of the entire data plane for each user (wired and wireless). This allows IT teams to home in on issues such as latency via automatically generated issue tickets. ENI also proactively engages in self-healing for the network after problems have been identified. Another feature of ENI is integration with AI-empowered Network as a Service (NaaS) such as Cisco Meraki or Juniper Mist.

Learn more: Thinking big on future of networking

AI/ML

ENI uses machine learning algorithms to detect, monitor, and interact with end-user devices across a client’s data estate. SASE providers also deploy AI to scan for threats and block attacks proactively.

But in terms of potential, AI and ML are just beginning to scratch the surface. AI/ML will be integral to the future of SD-WAN.

Other innovations

Beyond security advancements offered by SASE, ENI, and other AI solutions, other innovations will continue to trend as SD-WAN moves into the future. Those innovations revolve around:

1. Operational simplicity.
2. Automation.
3. Reliability.
4. Scalability.
5. Solutions with flexible business models.

Given the movement of most industries, it also seems highly likely that future iterations of SD-WAN technology will work well with multi-cloud platforms and help to streamline those environments.

Strategic roadmap for the future of SD-WAN

Legacy MPLS architecture is nearing the end of its lifespan in many cases. Compounded with the surge of data streams from mobile, at-home, and IoT devices, networks are primed to falter in the immediate future without SD-WAN solutions. Replacing traditional networks in favor of SD-WAN will allow for greater agility, simplicity, and performance on every level of business operations.

CBTS is at the forefront of SD-WAN conversion for our clients. The flexibility of SD-WAN means that delivery is potentially borderless, with service in over 60 countries. Often, we can utilize existing MPLS networks to deploy SD-WAN quickly and efficiently. Our suite of managed services—including networking—are best-in-class and a valuable way to offload burden from IT teams.

Get in touch to learn more about future-proofing your business with our managed SD-WAN, networking, or security services.

Instead of patching together disjointed systems for voice solutions and cloud-based collaboration, forward-looking companies want to synergize and streamline their corporate telecommunications experiences. As more businesses settle into long-term work-from-home environments, remote teams need more efficient ways to connect to the critical applications they use daily. Microsoft Teams collaboration tools offer a reliable solution for companies looking to optimize their communications systems.

By combining VoIP communication with collaboration into a single integrated platform, companies can benefit from the CBTS Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) solution. By choosing a Hosted UCaaS service, businesses can free up IT resources and tap into their employee’s full potential by boosting the productivity of their remote workforce. Meanwhile, IT can now enable a robust PBX solution to Microsoft Teams users and their entire organization.

This blog will explore how integrating Hosted UC with Microsoft Teams boosts collaboration and efficiency for IT and across all business departments.

What is Hosted UC, and why are industries shifting towards it?

In the past, businesses relied on Private Branch Exchange (PBX) systems through hard-wired networks and phone systems. However, aging PBX systems have speed, quality of experience, and security issues. Unified Communications (UC) emerged as a cloud-based solution to these communication challenges.

UC systems can be integrated with existing PBX systems or implemented independently of existing systems. Hosted UCaaS allows businesses to access all their communications through an accessible web-based dashboard and incorporate IP headsets into comm systems.

As a certified Microsoft Solutions Partner and Cloud Service Provider, CBTS calls on the Microsoft Teams collaboration suite to deliver a seamless telecom experience. This frees your IT department from having to spin up patchwork solutions or support multiple VPNs to connect remote workers to the tools they need to be successful.

Learn more: How a certified Microsoft partner can advance your digital disruption

Reliable remote Microsoft Teams collaboration

By offering local and remote workers secure access to all the business applications they use to do their jobs, the Microsoft PBX solution from CBTS equips employees to work anywhere from any device. CBTS enterprise voice solution achieves 99.999% reliability and redundant network design, ensuring uninterrupted call delivery and business continuity—even during emergencies and power outages.

Microsoft Teams collaboration features also include:

Teams and channels

Teams are a way of organizing people, projects, and other content. Channels are dedicated threads inside each Team that allow messaging and file sharing regarding specific topics and projects.

Meetings

Teams allows for superior video and audio conference calls through an intuitive web-based application. Instantly launch online meetings with a single click and invite guests to join from any mobile device, desktop, or web browser without requiring proprietary conferencing software or complicated login instructions. Facilitate real-time collaboration with screen sharing features and integrated applications that make meetings more meaningful and productive. Teams also makes it easy to broadcast webinars of up to 1000 participants.

Voice

Voice is fully integrated with Teams, meaning you can reach virtually any device using your work phone number. Additionally, users can respond to phone or other messages directly from Teams regardless of the device they are currently using or their location.

File storage

All members of Microsoft Teams have access to SharePoint Online, which allows for greater collaboration through easily navigated and secure file storage.

Learn more: The widespread benefits of Microsoft Teams

Integration Capabilities

Power Apps, which is automatically integrated into Teams, is a low-code application development platform. Power Apps utilizes visual tools over code, allowing users to solve problems without learning to code.

Another powerful integration is Cisco Broadworks, an enterprise-grade VoIP and collaboration platform. Broadworks allows businesses to streamline their voice and communications tools into a single stream and offers powerful features, such as:

• Omni-channel call centers
• AI-powered Interactive Voice Response (IVR) 
• Reporting and analytics
• Call recording
• Mass notifications
• e911

The implementation of Microsoft Teams collaboration solutions is custom to each client and makes it easy to integrate Office 365 apps as needed.

Learn more: Building the best Microsoft Teams adoption strategy for your company

The bottom line in Unified Communications

Combining your enterprise calling plan with the powerful collaboration capabilities of Microsoft Teams enables highly scalable, flexible, and reliable communications, ensuring employees can be productive whether they’re remote or on-premises. Additionally, the solution allows them to communicate however they prefer, whether on a soft client, handset, or mobile device.

Deploying this unified solution can even help reduce costs by leveraging your current phone systems and eliminating the need for additional network gateways, with fixed monthly expenses to help plan your IT budget without any surprises. Bringing CBTS voice solutions into the Microsoft Cloud through Direct Route delivers an average monthly savings of 30% compared to Microsoft’s calling plans, giving clients the best of both worlds without adding financial burdens.

With customized implementation, adoption, and ongoing expert support from CBTS, you can future-proof your company’s collaboration solution by integrating the best communication tools from Microsoft and Cisco.

Contact us to learn how CBTS and Microsoft Direct Route can enhance your organization’s remote collaboration, voice, and conferencing capabilities.

Learn more: The CBTS / Microsoft Partnership

The financial world is moving quickly, especially when it comes to technology. All the operations in your company depend on technology these days, but you need to focus on servicing your customers. You need your network to be reliable, fast, and secure so that key systems are always available to customers and employees. Every minute your network is down, your financial services firm loses significant money.

Many financial services firms are now enjoying the benefits of Network as a Service (NaaS) to power their network. While similar to Software as a Service (SaaS)—where a single program is accessible from the cloud—NaaS gives a business access to its entire network from any location or device.

NaaS is a scalable method of supporting, maintaining, expanding, and securing today’s commercial networks. As a fully managed networking solution with cloud integration, security, switching, Wi-Fi, management, monitoring, and SD-WAN, NaaS is suitable for a single location or a multi-site operation. Its scalability means that a NaaS solution can be customized to suit the unique needs of each customer.

Learn more about NaaS from CBTS.

With the implementation of NaaS, your financial services firm can see distinct benefits that together save time and money.

Scale your network seamlessly even as you reduce your hardware costs

NaaS allows you to seamlessly scale your network so that you don’t have to spend more money on additional hardware, or more time predicting the effects of expansion and contraction on your network. If you buy infrastructure that cannot handle your organization as it grows, you will spend extra money improving that infrastructure throughout time. On the flip side, if your company becomes smaller, your network will be too big. NaaS can give your business the freedom to evolve without worrying about having the right technology to make it happen. Add bandwidth and even new offices as your business grows, painlessly add or subtract employees from your network without having to search for or acquire additional technology—NaaS can make it all happen, resulting in big benefits for a savvy financial company.

Read more: The Cincinnati Reds are getting the benefits of NaaS

Also, does it seem like the moment you integrate a new product with your network, it’s already out of date? Not surprisingly, your business begins to spend more money and time to update or upgrade equipment, with IT operations struggling to keep up with the rapid pace of technological evolution. However, with NaaS you always have access to the latest features and capabilities without purchasing additional equipment.

Stay up-to-date and secure

In addition to monitoring and installing system updates and patches, the integrated communications solutions company stays on top of the turbulent security landscape, because today’s security threats are costly, not only in dollars but also in reputation.

It can be a full-time job to not only protect your financial network against security threats but also protect your employees and customers across your network. Trust NaaS to keep your network and its users safe with the latest security applications and hardware. Moreover, your integrated communications solutions company stays current with all security patches, updates, and upgrades. NaaS can help you rest more easily knowing that your network is protected while also giving your IT team time to work on business initiatives and giving you more time to focus on your customers.

NaaS benefits the IT teams working to meet financial customer expectations

Technology projects like interactive teller machines and video ATM kiosks that are rising to meet customer expectations will, in turn, create more demand on your systems. Using NaaS enables allocation and throttling to ensure that critical systems can maintain optimal performance. At the same time, customers and employees still have the network access they need to do their jobs or complete their transactions.

With a NaaS solution, your business can rely on the integrated communications solutions company to handle the management and monitoring of your network. As a result, your firm spends minimal time on maintaining the network and your IT department is freed up to access cutting-edge technology for projects and business initiatives aimed at creating a more personal customer experience and driving growth.

See how businessess across verticals are leveraging NaaS: How Network as a Service can benefit your business.

By using NaaS, your financial institution or firm no longer has to worry about your network or having the bandwidth and connectivity necessary to function day-to-day. Contact CBTS to learn how reaping the benefits of NaaS will allow your firm to focus on driving financial success for itself and its customers.

As the omni-channel contact center experience grows more complex, it can be challenging to maintain consistency and continuity. With more companies shifting toward a remote work environment, it’s even more important to equip agents with the same service capabilities regardless of location.

Aging on-premises contact center solutions can’t keep pace with the rapidly changing telecommunications landscape. As a result, limited technical capabilities can hold companies back. By contrast, the feature-rich functionality of Five9 Contact Center as a Service (CCaaS) from CBTS keeps businesses of all sizes nimble and poised for growth.

Cloud-based contact center solutions can help companies keep pace with these changes by equipping agents to provide stellar service across channels, leveraging advanced features and unlimited integration capabilities to stay ahead of the curve. By offering Five9 Contact Center as a Service, CBTS gives enterprise clients a scalable platform to enhance the customer experience while streamlining agent workflows. Combining these contact center tools with Unified Communication as a Service (UCaaS) solutions from CBTS empowers companies to future-proof their contact center experience for remote agents and customers.

This blog will discuss a few ways Five9 and CBTS are working together to expand customer service communication capabilities.

Read more about remote work best practices here: 10 Tips for Engaging New Work-at-Home Agents

Delivering a seamless contact center experience

Call center agents can’t provide a streamlined customer experience if they have to toggle between multiple systems to field incoming calls, use outbound dialers, or switch from voice to other channels. The Five9 blended contact center unifies inbound and outbound calling features to bridge this gap so agents can access multiple applications simultaneously through a single cloud-based platform.

In addition, CCaaS and UCaaS solutions connect agents with customers across voice, e-mail, web, social, chat, and mobile. Built-in integrations and advanced API capabilities offer connectivity to critical business applications that agents use every day. Customers ultimately benefit from this seamless experience, thanks to integrations with Salesforce, Microsoft (Dynamics), NetSuite, Oracle (Service Cloud), ServiceNow, Sugar CRM, Velocify, Zendesk, and Zoho. This collaboration also includes open REST-based API functionality that integrates with existing systems, enabling higher quality service across channels.

Empowering call center agents anywhere

Whether your agents work from one central office, multiple locations, or remotely from home, Five9 Contact Center and CBTS offer scalable support. The flexible cloud-based platform keeps agents connected anywhere, on any device, by providing reliable access to all the tools they need.

Five9 also offers comprehensive supervisor capabilities that let you monitor, whisper, and barge into calls from any location so that you can manage agent interactions everywhere. Plus, real-time insights and robust performance metrics help supervisors manage contact center operations at a glance.

Other contact center features from Five9 and CBTS include:

• Bundle integrated collaboration and UCaaS solutions to reduce expenses.
• Single account team, project management, training, and implementation.
• Overlay hosted unified communications advanced PBX features.
• No interruption of service and ease of migration.
• Common calling plan and extension dial legacy systems.
• Consolidated billing for all solutions.
• Redundant global data centers.
• Strict end-to-end security protocols.
• Real-time software upgrades.
• 99.99% uptimes.
• 24x7x365 U.S.-based support. 

Integrated solutions with Five9 CCaaS and UCaaS

Technological advances in cloud computing allow companies to integrate UCaaS with CCaaS solutions, allowing both service types to be accessed through a single platform (such as Webex or Microsoft Teams).

Bundling Five9 Contact Center software with CBTS UCaaS solutions can reduce expenses while streamlining your company’s telecom infrastructure into one flexible platform with a single vendor. In addition, as a single solution provider, CBTS can fully customize each client’s communication capabilities—allowing you to bring your own voice (BYOV) provider or adopt a cloud-based voice solution like Webex Calling or Microsoft Teams Voice to support your agents’ PSTN calling.

CCaaS offers flexible scalability as your contact center needs grow and change. You can simply add more agent licenses with our concurrent user-based pricing, IVR ports, and line capacity—only paying for what you use to make growth more affordable. Additionally, the interfaces are intuitive, and training is included so administrators can easily add and change routing strategies and IVR call flows.

Read more: How to launch a modern call center to offer seamless service in times of crisis

Future-proofing the Furniture Mart contact center with Five9 CCaaS and Cisco UCaaS

Due to an aging, inefficient communications infrastructure, the Furniture Mart partnered with CBTS to upgrade its contact center processes and move away from dependence on analog phone systems. The implementation of CCaaS and UCaaS technology modernized its communications systems and integrated capabilities to improve customer satisfaction.

CBTS provided the following solutions:

• A custom-designed platform that combines Five9 software with a Cisco UCaaS solution across the entire environmen.t
• A fully-integrated voice solution with unified inbound and outbound calling, allowing agents access across multiple apps in a single platform.
• An upgraded omni-channel communications hub with voice, SMS-text, chat, and e-mail capabilities.

As a result, the Furniture Mart employees now utilize a seamless set of communication tools that improve the customer experience and reduce the risks associated with relying on analog systems. Calls and other communications can now easily be dispatched from customers between different departments. Additionally, the company’s modernized communications solution has improved collaboration potential and workplace productivity.

“The outstanding CBTS project management team walked with us throughout the whole process. Their ability to solve our company challenges rose above just the technical aspect and far exceeded our goals.” — Erald Gjoni, Chief Information Officer, The Furniture Mart USA

Read the complete case study: Leading furniture company enhances communications with combined UcaaS and CCaaS

Cloud-based communications solutions from CBTS

Consumers today demand faster service from companies across multiple communication channels. They expect contact centers to deliver extraordinary experiences with every interaction, but that becomes more challenging as communication technologies rapidly evolve. CBTS and Five9 will help you adapt quickly to the constantly changing technology landscape and stay ahead of the competition.

As a leading Five9 Contact Center provider and integrator, CBTS offers solutions to future-proof your contact center with reliable cloud-based tools that deliver consistent, high-quality customer experiences across channels, devices, and locations. The streamlined platform enables service with more flexibility, functionality, and consistency—ultimately boosting agent productivity and customer satisfaction.

Contact us to learn more about bundling Five9 Contact Center as a Service with CBTS enterprise voice solutions to enhance your contact center experience.

Read more about Five9 Contact Center solutions:

Enhance the customer experience by blending Five9 Contact Center as a Service with CBTS enterprise voice solutions