Fusion Connect, and Microsoft Cloud Solution Provider, now offers Operator Connect for Microsoft Teams, allowing businesses to seamlessly integrate calling capabilities into the leading collaboration platform. Built on a shared service level agreement between Microsoft and Fusion Connect, the new offering ensures the availability of the platform and services, backed by Fusion Connect's comprehensive service guarantee, that includes on-time installation and 100% availability for next-generation services. This offering expands Fusion Connect's existing managed and professional services that support mid-market and enterprise companies to take full advantage of the Microsoft 365 platform. With Operator Connect for Microsoft Teams, Fusion Connect clients can make calls to mobile devices and landlines directly through Microsoft Teams with dedicated local phone numbers that can be accessed on any device, including PCs, smart phones, tablets, and Teams-enabled desk phones. Operator Connect is the next generation of Direct Routing, adding full PSTN connectivity to Microsoft Teams. In addition, the reliable, accessible, and low-maintenance calling option eliminates the cost to manage and maintain an onsite or cloud-based PBX (private branch exchange) system. By partnering with Fusion Connect for Microsoft Teams calling services, companies can further converge their use of Microsoft 365 services, and take advantage of essential collaboration, continuity, and employee management features, including: Business Continuity: Fusion Connect's design and implementation of Operator Connect delivers uninterrupted voice service even if Microsoft Teams service is not available, allowing clients to maintain full business operations. Global Coverage: Phone numbers are available in the US, Canada, Mexico and more than a dozen European countries, with a broader international expansion throughout 2023 into additional countries in Europe, Latin America, and Asia Pacific. Professional Implementation Support: Peace of mind with managed implementation support to handle system configuration, technical staff training, and service activation, all leveraging an automated set of tools to ensure a quick start for all clients.
Simplified Administration: Enhanced management portal simplifies the native Microsoft administration console, allowing administrators to obtain new phone numbers and deploy new Microsoft Teams seats, in real-time and on-demand. Employee Productivity Management: This Fusion Connect value added service enables companies to manage productivity of a hybrid workforce by identifying strong performers and those who need additional coaching to drive productivity. A Harris Poll commissioned by Fusion Connect earlier this year shows that collaboration tool challenges hurt productivity. Nearly a third of office workers (31%) say dealing with technology issues related to collaborating with others has negatively impacted their productivity. In addition, most workers are forced to juggle multiple communication channels. More than four in five office workers (84%) use at least two communication channels for work, with 18% saying they use five or more. Fusion Connect's Operator Connect for Microsoft Teams unifies employees on a single platform for collaboration, calling, messaging, video meetings, and file sharing, allowing companies to eliminate other platforms in their environment and take full advantage of their Microsoft 365 subscription. It also delivers a simplified administrative portal for a frictionless, self-service experience for managing Operator Connect; users can purchase and assign country-specific phone numbers for their entire team at any time. Most importantly, Operator Connect is fully integrated into the Microsoft 365 platform and takes advantage of the security features of that platform, with the option of adding comprehensive network security services from Fusion Connect. Combining Fusion Connect's unique business continuity approach with the robustness of the Microsoft 365 platform delivers unparalleled redundancy and peace of mind to clients.