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10 Benefits of Unified Communications in Today’s Digital Workplace

Effective communication is paramount to success in today's fast-paced, digital workplace. As organizations increasingly rely on multiple messaging and collaboration platforms, seamless integration and interoperability have never been more critical. This is where unified communications comes into play, offering a powerful solution to streamline workflows and improve productivity in a multi-platform environment. Table of contents 1. What is Unified Communications? 2. The Benefits of UCaaS in a Multi-Platform Environment 2.1 Seamless Communication and Flexibility 2.2 Enhanced Collaboration and Presence Awareness 2.3 Improved Workflow Efficiency and Productivity 2.4 Cost Savings and Reduced Overhead 2.5 Flexibility and Scalability 2.6 Streamlined IT Operations 2.7 Improved Customer Service 2.8 Enhanced Security 2.9 Accommodating Hybrid Work 2.10 Interoperability: Bridging Diverse Systems 3. Implementing Unified Communications: Best Practices and Considerations 3.1 Develop an Adoption Lifecycle Plan 3.2 Address Security Concerns 3.3 Evaluate Network Architecture 3.4 Consider Managed Services 3.5 Focus on User Experience and Training 3.6 Integrate with Existing Systems 4. The Future of Unified Communications 4.1 AI-Powered Assistants and Chatbots 4.2 Advanced Analytics and Machine Learning 4.3 Enhanced Video Conferencing Capabilities 4.4 Improved Mobile Experiences 4.5 Greater Emphasis on Security and Compliance 5. Extending Unified Communication & Collaboration with NextPlane OpenHub 6. Why Unified Communications Is So Important for Business Success .wp-block-yoast-seo-table-of-contents { border: 1px solid #d1d1d1; padding: 15px; border-radius: 5px; max-width: 600px; color: #000000; } .wp-block-yoast-seo-table-of-contents h2 { font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 5px; } .wp-block-yoast-seo-table-of-contents ol { list-style-type: none; padding-left: 0; margin: 0; } .wp-block-yoast-seo-table-of-contents li { margin: 5px 0; } .wp-block-yoast-seo-table-of-contents a { text-decoration: none; font-size: 16px; display: block; color: #000000 !important; } .wp-block-yoast-seo-table-of-contents ol ol { padding-left: 20px; margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 5px; } .wp-block-yoast-seo-table-of-contents a:hover { text-decoration: underline; } .wp-block-yoast-seo-table-of-contents-icon { float: right; margin-left: 10px; cursor: pointer; } document.querySelectorAll('.yoast-table-of-contents a').forEach(anchor => { anchor.addEventListener('click', function(e) { e.preventDefault(); // Відміна стандартної поведінки посилання const targetId = this.getAttribute('href').substring(1); // Отримання id без "#" const targetElement = document.getElementById(targetId); if (targetElement) { targetElement.scrollIntoView({ behavior: 'smooth' }); } }); }); What is Unified Communications? Unified communications, also known as Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS), combines phone, video conferencing, chat, screen sharing, and file management into a single, unified cloud-based system that is managed and monitored by a service provider. UC becomes a strategic decision because it can address communications issues in new ways by delivering an integrated platform where all these applications are in use in a common -- or unified -- environment. It is a user-centric communication experience that helps bridge the gap between in-office workers, remote employees, and customers within a single application. Gartner® defines UCaaS as "a cloud-delivered service that provides many of the same functions as premises-based unified communications (UC) solutions." These solutions include standard communication tools and services such as instant messaging, audio, web and video conferencing, email, screen, and file sharing, plus mobility tools and collaborative apps that facilitate conversation and collaboration between remote employees to help keep them productive. The Benefits of UCaaS in a Multi-Platform Environment 1. Seamless Communication and Flexibility One of the primary advantages of unified communications is the ability to facilitate seamless communication across different platforms. Employees can send messages, share files, and participate in group discussions without the need to switch between multiple applications. This streamlined approach to communication reduces the time and effort spent navigating different tools, ultimately boosting productivity. For example, imagine an organization using Microsoft Teams for internal communication and Cisco Webex for external collaboration with clients. Without unified communications interoperability, employees would need to constantly switch between the two platforms to communicate with both their colleagues and clients. This process can be time-consuming and disruptive to workflow. However, with interoperability, employees can communicate with internal and external contacts from a single interface, eliminating the need to juggle multiple applications. Moreover, UC empowers your workforce with multiple connected communication channels in one solution. Even fully remote employees only need an internet connection to access your network and use all the features to be productive members of your team. Siemens, a global leader in industrial automation, implemented a Unified Communications (UC) solution to address communication challenges across its worldwide operations. By integrating tools like voice, video, and messaging into a single platform, Siemens achieved seamless communication, enabling employees to collaborate efficiently across regions and time zones. This implementation led to a 25% increase in productivity, as employees could work more effectively without the disruptions caused by switching between multiple platforms. Additionally, Siemens reported a 20% reduction in communication-related costs, thanks to the streamlined system and reduced need for maintaining separate communication tools.The UC solution also supported remote work and flexible hours, which became particularly valuable during the COVID-19 pandemic. Siemens saw a significant improvement in project turnaround times, with teams able to collaborate in real-time, regardless of their location. This enhanced global communication capability improved operational efficiency and contributed to a more cost-effective working environment. 2. Enhanced Collaboration and Presence Awareness Unified communications also promotes enhanced collaboration by enabling users to see their colleagues' real-time availability and presence status, regardless of the platform they are using. This feature lets team members quickly identify who is available for a discussion or collaboration, eliminating the need for time-consuming back-and-forth communication to coordinate meetings or projects. In a unified environment, an employee using Slack can easily see the presence status of a colleague using Microsoft Teams and vice versa. This real-time visibility into availability facilitates more efficient collaboration, as team members can quickly reach out to one another when they are available rather than wasting time trying to coordinate schedules across different platforms. A global technology leader, IBM implemented a Unified Communications (UC) solution to enhance collaboration by integrating real-time presence awareness across multiple platforms, including Slack and Microsoft Teams. This integration allowed employees to instantly see their colleagues' availability, regardless of the platform they were using, leading to a 30% increase in team productivity. By eliminating the need for time-consuming back-and-forth communication to coordinate meetings, IBM facilitated quicker and more efficient collaboration, enabling teams to reach out and engage immediately when colleagues were available. Additionally, the UC interop solution reduced communication-related costs by 20%, as it streamlined the use of various platforms into a cohesive system. This approach minimized the need for multiple licenses and training on different tools, further reducing overhead costs. The enhanced real-time collaboration capabilities also accelerated decision-making processes, improving IBM's overall operational efficiency. 3. Improved Workflow Efficiency and Productivity Unified communications interop integrate various messaging and collaboration platforms between teams operating in different locations and time zones to help optimize workflows and reduce inefficiencies. Employees can access the information and resources they need from a unified interface, minimizing the need to switch between different applications. This streamlined approach to work enables teams to focus on their core tasks rather than wasting time navigating multiple systems. A survey by Eastern Management Group has shown that companies adopting UC, on average, see a 52% improvement in workplace productivity and a 25% boost in operating profit. When your team knows precisely what communication platform to use for everything, they won't spend countless hours searching emails and other apps. Cisco, a global leader in networking and IT, implemented a Unified Communications (UC) solution to address inefficiencies caused by using multiple disparate communication platforms across its international teams. By integrating these platforms into a unified interface, Cisco streamlined its operations, allowing employees to focus on core tasks without switching between different systems. This integration led to a 52% improvement in workplace productivity and a 25% boost in operating profit as the company reduced operational complexity and enhanced collaboration across locations and time zones. The UC solution also contributed to significant cost savings by minimizing the need for multiple licenses and reducing communication inefficiencies. Cisco's experience highlights the powerful impact that a well-integrated UC system can have on workflow efficiency, productivity, and overall profitability. 4. Cost Savings and Reduced Overhead Implementing unified communications can significantly reduce organizations' costs. By leveraging existing investments in different platforms and enabling them to work together seamlessly, companies can avoid the expenses associated with migrating to a single, unified system. UC allows organizations to maintain their current infrastructure while reaping improved communication and collaboration benefits. Moreover, UC can help organizations reduce the costs associated with training and support. By allowing employees to continue using the platforms they are already familiar with, organizations can minimize the need for extensive training on new tools and systems. This approach saves time and resources and helps ensure a smoother transition to a unified environment. Shell, a global leader in energy, implemented a Unified Communications (UC) solution to address rising communication costs and inefficiencies caused by multiple disjointed platforms across its global operations. By integrating existing systems into a seamless UC environment, Shell avoided the high costs of migrating to new platforms while enhancing communication and collaboration across its workforce. This approach allowed employees to continue using familiar tools, significantly reducing the need for extensive retraining. As a result, Shell reduced communication costs and overhead by 25% by streamlining support and minimizing the need for multiple licenses. The UC implementation not only reduced expenses but also improved operational efficiency, enabling Shell to maintain its existing infrastructure while enjoying enhanced communication across its global teams. 5. Flexibility and Scalability Unified communications allows organizations to adapt to changing communication needs and preferences. As new platforms emerge or business requirements evolve, UC allows companies to integrate additional tools into their existing communication ecosystem easily. This scalability ensures that organizations can continue supporting effective communication and collaboration, even as their technology landscape changes. Morgan Stanley, a global financial services leader, faced challenges in maintaining effective communication across its 60,000+ employees worldwide as new technologies and tools rapidly emerged. To address this, the firm implemented a Unified Communications (UC) interop solution that provided the flexibility to integrate various communication platforms into a single, scalable system. This UC solution allowed Morgan Stanley to seamlessly add new tools without disrupting its existing infrastructure, ensuring consistent and efficient communication across its global operations. The implementation of this UC system resulted in significant cost savings and improved operational efficiency by reducing the need for expensive system overhauls and minimizing disruptions. Morgan Stanley's ability to adapt to changing communication needs while maintaining a robust infrastructure highlights the value of a flexible and scalable UC solution in the fast-paced financial industry. 6. Streamlined IT Operations When you examine your company's communication methods, you may discover several solutions, each needing dedicated support and vendor management. That means IT is responsible for deploying and effectively managing a UC platform across the organization. However, unified communications benefits IT staff by deploying applications in a common environment. IT teams achieve deployment either through on-premises appliances, VMs, or managed services within a public cloud. The ability to properly manage a range of communications applications is ideal -- especially when it eliminates the need for employees to seek communications tools outside the control of IT. For example, BYOD policies and shadow IT present ongoing challenges for IT, as control over network resources keeps slipping into the hands of end users. IT would welcome anything to level the playing field. With network communications management, UC is an improvement over enabling anyone to randomly choose communications tools that open the entire organization up to malware threats and data loss. A UC interop solution helps free up IT resources from consolidating all communication in one platform. This time can be better spent innovating proactive strategies to grow your business and meet corporate goals. Coca-Cola, operating in over 200 countries, faced significant IT challenges managing multiple communication platforms across its global network. The IT department was burdened with supporting various solutions, leading to inefficiencies, increased costs, and security risks due to shadow IT. To address this, Coca-Cola implemented a Unified Communications (UC) interop solution that consolidated all communication tools into a single, manageable platform. This move streamlined IT operations, reducing complexity and freeing up resources for innovation and strategic initiatives. The UC platform also enhanced security by minimizing the use of unauthorized communication tools, ensuring all communications were secure and compliant with corporate policies. Additionally, Coca-Cola realized substantial cost savings by reducing the number of vendors and platforms requiring support. This case demonstrates the significant benefits of UC in streamlining IT operations, improving security, and achieving cost efficiencies in a large global enterprise. 7. Improved Customer Service As cloud-based platforms gain traction, the rationale for integrating UC with the contact center is strengthening. While on-premises systems cannot support that option, many cloud providers now offer UC and contact center platforms on a joint basis. These platforms sell well because they share many common elements with premises-based tools, and with the cloud, they can be easily scaled into an integrated offering. The introduction of UC capabilities in the contact center means that agents can more easily access resources outside the contact center while engaging with customers, so they can find the right resources within the organization on the fly and connect them as needed. Otherwise, agents must end the call, search for the right help, and then call the customer back -- not a recipe for excellent customer service. With UC in place, agents have a better chance of a fast resolution, with only a single call necessary to assist the customer. Alaska Airlines faced challenges in maintaining high customer service standards as it expanded, particularly with the need for quick issue resolution. The airline implemented a cloud-based Unified Communications (UC) solution integrated with its contact center to address this. This integration allowed customer service agents to access internal resources and collaborate with other departments in real-time while on a call with a customer, significantly reducing the need for follow-up calls and improving first-call resolution rates. As a result, Alaska Airlines saw a 15% improvement in customer service productivity and reduced operational costs by streamlining communication processes. The ability to resolve most inquiries in a single call enhanced customer satisfaction and loyalty, demonstrating the powerful impact of integrating UC with contact center operations. 8. Enhanced Security IT security is a core strength of UC since it natively integrates all the applications into a unified platform. Since all the applications interwork with each other, communications are more seamless as the platform doesn't need to authenticate each incidence of usage. Along the same lines, UC integration makes it easier for IT to apply a standard set of security policies across all communications applications. Tasks like security patches or compliance updates are also less complex to manage than if each application had its own set of protocols and parameters that required separate attention. A less obvious benefit is reduced reliance on consumer-grade applications, which can introduce new security risks since they deploy outside the IT purview. When all collaboration applications work seamlessly on a common platform, workers have less reason to download standalone applications from the cloud. Johnson & Johnson, a global leader in healthcare, faced significant security challenges due to the use of multiple communication platforms across its worldwide operations. The reliance on disparate systems made it difficult to enforce consistent security protocols, increasing the risk of data breaches and non-compliance with stringent healthcare regulations. Additionally, employees using unsecured, consumer-grade applications outside IT’s control further heightened security vulnerabilities. Johnson & Johnson implemented a Unified Communications (UC) solution to address these issues by integrating all communication tools into a secure platform. This allowed the IT department to apply standardized security policies across the entire organization, simplifying the management of security patches, compliance updates, and user authentication. By centralizing communications, the company also reduced the need for employees to use unapproved applications, thereby minimizing potential security risks. As a result, Johnson & Johnson significantly enhanced its security posture, ensuring better protection of sensitive data and easier compliance with regulatory standards. The unified platform not only streamlined IT management but also reduced the frequency of security incidents, demonstrating the critical role of UC in safeguarding enterprise communications. 9. Accommodating Hybrid Work Telephony vendors developed UC as a successor to private branch exchange, which has been in decline for some time. While these first-generation tools brought new value to enterprises looking to stay current with technology, today's cloud-based UC offerings are even more beneficial. Remote work sharply increased due to the COVID-19 pandemic but is challenging to support with premises-based technology. The new remote work norm has pushed IT to adopt technologies that support a decentralized workplace, positioning UCaaS as an especially handy technology for enterprises. For disparate team members to collaborate effectively, they need a consistent set of tools and applications. Remote workers use a variety of endpoints across a variety of settings, and UC offers the same UX as in the office, making it much easier to collaborate, regardless of location. PwC, a global leader in professional services, faced significant challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. The shift to remote work exposed the limitations of its premises-based communication systems. The firm needed a solution to support its decentralized workforce and ensure consistent and effective communication across its global operations. To address this, PwC implemented a Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) solution, which provided a cloud-based platform for all communication needs. The UCaaS platform allowed PwC to offer employees the same user experience (UX), regardless of their location or device, enabling seamless collaboration between remote and in-office workers. Integrating telephony, messaging, video conferencing, and other tools into a single platform made it easier for global teams to stay connected and productive in a hybrid work environment. As a result, PwC achieved seamless collaboration, improved productivity, and the scalability needed to support its growing workforce during the pandemic and beyond. The consistent communication experience across all work environments demonstrated the effectiveness of UCaaS in accommodating hybrid work and maintaining operational efficiency. 10. Interoperability: Bridging Diverse Systems One of the foremost challenges in deploying UC is ensuring interoperability among different UC components and vendor solutions. With organizations often using a mix of communication tools from various providers, achieving seamless integration can be daunting. Interoperability issues can lead to fragmented communication, diminishing the effectiveness of the UC system. Organizations must carefully select UC solutions that adhere to industry standards and offer robust integration capabilities to ensure a cohesive communication ecosystem. Airbus, a global aerospace leader, faced significant challenges with interoperability due to the diverse communication tools used across its global operations. The company's reliance on multiple systems from different vendors led to fragmented communication, making collaboration across departments and locations difficult and inefficient. This fragmentation not only affected productivity but also posed security and compliance risks. To address these issues, Airbus implemented a Unified Communications (UC) solution specifically designed to bridge diverse systems. The chosen UC platform adhered to industry standards and offered robust integration capabilities, enabling seamless integration of tools like Microsoft Teams, Cisco Webex, and legacy systems. This integration allowed Airbus to create a cohesive communication ecosystem where all channels worked seamlessly, improving coordination and project execution. As a result, Airbus experienced enhanced productivity, with teams able to collaborate more effectively without the disruptions caused by incompatible systems. The unified approach also strengthened the company’s security and compliance by ensuring consistent communication protocols across all platforms. This case highlights the critical role of interoperability in creating an efficient and secure communication environment in large, complex organizations. Implementing Unified Communications: Best Practices and Considerations While the benefits of unified communications are clear, implementing a UC solution can be a complex and challenging process. Here are some key considerations and best practices for deploying UC in your organization: 1. Develop an Adoption Lifecycle Plan Start with an adoption lifecycle plan to achieve a truly connected workforce. According to a Verizon-sponsored survey by Wainhouse Research, companies that began this way increased speed and reduced IT costs and risks. 2. Address Security Concerns Consider how you will secure access to video conferencing and other tools. What are the platform's security features? Ensure your UC solution provides robust security measures to protect your organization's sensitive information. 3. Evaluate Network Architecture Assess your current network layout and determine if the proposed network has enough redundancy to support a UC solution. This may involve upgrading your existing infrastructure to ensure optimal performance. 4. Consider Managed Services Bringing in a managed service provider (MSP) can save companies time and money by allowing IT to focus on other projects and reduce the time and expense of filling potential skills gaps. According to Wainhouse Research, 47% of vendor-led programs were successful, compared to 33% of do-it-yourself programs. 5. Focus on User Experience and Training Ensure your UC solution provides a seamless user experience across all devices and platforms. Invest in comprehensive training programs to help employees maximize the new tools and features. 6. Integrate with Existing Systems To maximize efficiency and productivity, look for UC solutions that can easily integrate with your existing business applications, such as customer relationship management (CRM) systems. 7. Plan for Scalability Choose a UC solution that can grow with your organization. This will allow you to add new features and users as needed without significant disruption or cost. The Future of Unified Communications As the workplace continues to evolve and remote work becomes increasingly prevalent, the importance of unified communications will only grow. By embracing UC, organizations can future-proof their communication infrastructure, ensuring that their teams can collaborate effectively, regardless of their platforms or locations. Moreover, as new communication and collaboration tools emerge, UC will play an increasingly critical role in enabling organizations to integrate these tools seamlessly into their existing infrastructure. This includes integrating artificial intelligence (AI) and automation technologies, which can further enhance productivity and streamline workflows. Some emerging trends in unified communications include: 1) AI-Powered Assistants and Chatbots AI-powered assistants and chatbots transform how businesses handle customer service and internal support. These technologies leverage natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning algorithms to understand and respond to user inquiries, automate routine tasks, and provide instant assistance. Customer Service: Chatbots can handle a variety of customer interactions, from answering frequently asked questions to processing transactions. For example, an AI-driven chatbot integrated into a company's website can instantly respond to customer queries about product details, order status, or support issues, reducing the need for human intervention and improving response times. Internal Support: In internal support scenarios, AI assistants can help employees with IT issues, HR inquiries, or operational questions. They can guide users through troubleshooting steps, provide information about company policies, or even automate repetitive tasks like data entry and scheduling. 2) Advanced Analytics and Machine Learning Advanced analytics and machine learning are providing deeper insights into communication patterns and employee productivity. By analyzing data from various communication channels, organizations can identify trends, optimize workflows, and make data-driven decisions. Communication Patterns: Advanced analytics and machine learning are providing deeper insights into communication patterns and employee productivity. By analyzing data from various communication channels, organizations can identify trends, optimize workflows, and make data-driven decisions. Employee Productivity: Advanced analytics tools can track metrics like response times, engagement levels, and task completion rates. By correlating these metrics with communication data, organizations can identify high-performing employees, detect productivity issues, and implement targeted training or support. 3) Enhanced Video Conferencing Capabilities The integration of virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR) into video conferencing is creating more immersive and interactive meeting experiences. These technologies enhance collaboration by providing a more engaging and realistic environment for virtual meetings. Virtual Reality (VR): VR can simulate a physical meeting room or collaborative workspace, allowing participants to feel as if they are in the same room despite being geographically dispersed. This can be particularly beneficial for brainstorming sessions, training workshops, or team-building activities. Augmented Reality (AR): AR overlays digital information onto the real world, enabling users to interact with virtual objects during a video call. For example, AR can be used to visualize 3D models, annotate documents, or share interactive presentations during meetings. 4) Improved Mobile Experiences With the rise of remote and on-the-go work, enhancing mobile functionalities in unified communications solutions is crucial. Modern UC platforms are increasingly focusing on providing robust mobile experiences to ensure that employees can stay connected and productive from anywhere. Mobile Optimization: Features such as push notifications, mobile conferencing, and offline access are becoming standard. These capabilities allow users to receive real-time updates, participate in video calls, and work on documents even when they are not connected to the internet.Unified communications solutions are being optimized for mobile devices, with features such as responsive design, mobile-friendly interfaces, and streamlined workflows. This ensures that users can access all necessary communication tools and resources on their smartphones or tablets. Mobile-First Features: Features such as push notifications, mobile conferencing, and offline access are becoming standard. These capabilities allow users to receive real-time updates, participate in video calls, and work on documents even when they are not connected to the internet. 5) Greater Emphasis on Security and Compliance As communication technology evolves, there is an increasing focus on implementing advanced security measures and ensuring compliance with regulatory standards. Protecting sensitive information and maintaining privacy are top priorities for organizations. Advanced Security Measures: Unified communications platforms incorporate end-to-end encryption, secure authentication methods, and real-time threat detection to safeguard communication data. These measures help prevent unauthorized access, data breaches, and cyberattacks. Compliance Features: UC solutions are being designed to comply with various industry regulations and standards, such as GDPR, HIPAA, and CCPA. This includes features like data retention policies, audit trails, and compliance reporting to ensure that organizations meet legal and regulatory requirements. Extending Unified Communication & Collaboration with NextPlane OpenHub In today's global business environment, interoperability across multiple collaboration platforms is crucial for the success of geographically dispersed teams. As highlighted in Harvard Business Review's "Global Teams That Work," effective management of such teams requires seamless communication and integration of different tools. The SPLIT framework emphasizes choosing the right technology to reduce social distance and enhance collaboration. NextPlane OpenHub enables seamless communication and collaboration across a wide range of messaging and collaboration platforms, including Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Slack, Cisco Webex, and more. Organizations can easily connect their disparate communication tools, creating a unified, federated environment that promotes productivity and efficiency. Key features and benefits of NextPlane OpenHub include: Universal Channels: Create cross-platform messaging system for seamless conversations. Direct Messaging: Enable cross-platform private chats. File Sharing: Share documents across platforms effortlessly. Presence Synchronization: View real-time availability across platforms. Centralized Administration: Manage all collaboration from a single interface. OpenHub breaks down communication barriers, allowing organizations to maximize their investment in collaboration technology regardless of their partners' preferred platforms. It enables seamless interaction between users of different platforms, ensuring inclusive and efficient communication across the entire business ecosystem. Why Unified Communications Is So Important for Business Success Effective communication and collaboration are essential for any business in today's digital age. Unified communications offer a powerful solution for bridging communication gaps, improving productivity, and enhancing the overall employee and customer experience. By implementing a comprehensive UC strategy, organizations can: Streamline communication and collaboration across multiple platforms Increase productivity and efficiency through improved workflow management Reduce costs associated with maintaining multiple communication systems Enhance customer service and satisfaction Improve security and compliance measures Future-proof their communication infrastructure for continued growth and innovation As businesses adapt to the changing work landscape, including the rise of remote and hybrid work models, unified communications will play an increasingly critical role in ensuring seamless operations and maintaining a competitive edge. Organizations should carefully evaluate their needs, choose the right unified communications solution, and develop a comprehensive implementation strategy to reap the full benefits of UCaaS. By doing so, they can unlock the full potential of their workforce, drive innovation, and position themselves for long-term success in an increasingly digital and interconnected world. If collaboration interoperability sounds like the solution to connecting your global teams, discover Teams integration opportunities that NextPlane offers. .inline-heading{ display: inline; }

MSTeams vs Zoom Logos

Microsoft Teams vs. Zoom: Which Is Best for Your Business?

In today's digital era, where remote work has become the norm for many businesses, choosing the right collaboration tool is more crucial than ever. Microsoft Teams and Zoom, renowned for their user-friendly interfaces, are two of the leading platforms in this domain. They offer a wide array of features to facilitate communication, collaboration, and productivity among teams. This comprehensive analysis aims to delve into the features, benefits, and potential drawbacks of Microsoft Teams and Zoom, helping you decide which platform best suits your business needs. Overview of Microsoft Teams and Zoom Microsoft Teams, a comprehensive collaboration tool, offers seamless integration with Microsoft 365 applications. This compatibility ensures that your existing systems can be easily incorporated, providing a unified workspace for workplace communication, collaboration, and file sharing. Teams' features include chat, video meetings, voice calls, and extensive integration with Microsoft Office applications like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote. Zoom, primarily known for its video conferencing capabilities, has become a household name for virtual meetings. It offers high-quality video and audio conferencing, webinars, live chats, screen sharing, and other collaborative features. Zoom's user-friendly interface, reliability, and scalability have made it a trusted choice for businesses of all sizes. Market Share Microsoft Teams has demonstrated its adaptability and market resilience, with a significant milestone of reaching 300 million monthly active users as of January 2022. Its popularity soared during the pandemic, as numerous companies already utilizing Microsoft 365 seamlessly transitioned to Teams for remote work, a testament to its enduring market presence and adaptability. Zoom also saw explosive growth during the pandemic, reaching a peak of 300 million daily meeting participants in April 2020. As of December 2021, it had 509,800 customers with more than ten employees. Zoom remains the market leader in standalone video conferencing. Key Features Comparison Communication and Collaboration Microsoft Teams integrates chat, file sharing, and video meetings directly within the platform. It also has deep integration with Microsoft 365 for real-time document collaboration. Teams channels can be customized with tabs, connectors, and bots to suit project or team needs, facilitating a highly organized and tailored collaboration environment. Zoom focuses on delivering high-quality video conferencing and offers features like breakout rooms, virtual backgrounds, and touch-up appearance. Zoom recently changed the name of its main package to Zoom One to rebrand as a more comprehensive all-in-one collaboration tool. This means Zoom now has some great collaboration features (more robust chat, whiteboard, and live collaborative notes, to name a few). But these features are still nowhere near as advanced as Teams. This is because Teams was built as an all-in-one collaboration tool from day one, whereas Zoom began as a video conferencing tool—and is still in the early days of becoming something more. For starters, Teams offers a lot more chat functionality than Zoom. The screenshots below clearly show that Zoom chat, while passable, is a bit more essential compared to Teams. Zoom chat has emojis. But what if you want to send stickers to your professional coworkers? In Teams, you can personalize stickers to call people out or reference projects you're discussing.  Video Quality Both Teams and Zoom provide high-definition (HD) video. Zoom supports up to 1080p HD video, while Teams supports 720p HD video in 2x2 gallery view and 1080p in other views when using a full HD capable webcam. Zoom is often cited as having slightly better video quality and performance overall. However, Teams has rapidly improved and offers comparable quality in most scenarios. MS Teams vs Zoom Bandwidth Usage Zoom recommends a minimum up-and-down speed of 1.2 Mbps for high-quality video calls and 1.8 Mbps for 1080p HD. Teams adjusts video quality based on available bandwidth. It requires approximately 1.2 Mbps for HD group video calling and 1.5 Mbps for HD 1-on-1 video calling. Teams can still function on connections as low as 30 kbps. Zoom may provide a more consistent experience in low-bandwidth environments, but both handle varying conditions well. Meetings, Conferencing & Webinars Zoom set the standard early on, focusing on simplicity, reliability, and features like virtual backgrounds. It handles large meetings of up to 1,000 participants and webinars with up to 50,000.  Teams has steadily closed the gap, matching many of Zoom's features while leveraging its advantages in unified communication. Teams meetings max out at 1,000 participants, but its 20,000-person view-only broadcasts suit most webinar needs. Zoom remains the go-to choice for organizations seeking a standalone solution for video meetings and webinars. However, Teams' deep integration with Microsoft 365 provides a compelling option for those already in the Microsoft ecosystem. Data Usage Zoom uses roughly 540MB-1.62GB of data per hour for 1:1 calls and 810MB-2.4GB per hour for group calls. Teams use 30MB-130MB per hour for 1:1 calls and 225MB-450MB per hour for group calls. When comparing data usage between MS Teams and Zoom, MS Teams demonstrates greater efficiency, using substantially less data for both 1:1 and group calls. Teams is preferable for those with restrictive data limits or slower internet connections. Ease of Use Teams boasts a comprehensive set of features, which, while powerful, can sometimes result in a steeper learning curve for new users. Its deep integration with Microsoft 365 makes it a seamless addition for businesses already using Microsoft products. Zoom is celebrated for its simplicity and ease of use. Setting up meetings and inviting participants is straightforward, making it accessible for users with varying levels of technical expertise. Integration and Extensibility Microsoft Teams offers extensive integration within the Microsoft ecosystem and hundreds of third-party applications, making it a versatile tool that can adapt to various workflows and business needs. Zoom provides integration options with many applications, including Microsoft Teams, enhancing its functionality. However, its ecosystem is not as extensive as Teams, focusing on enhancing its core video and audio communication offerings. Microsoft Teams vs Zoom Rooms Microsoft Teams Rooms and Zoom Rooms cater to different business needs by enhancing collaboration in hybrid meeting scenarios. Microsoft Teams Rooms, integrated deeply with Microsoft 365, is tailored for internal team collaborations, featuring advanced security, AI-driven enhancements, and extensive Microsoft ecosystem integrations. Zoom Rooms, ideal for customer-facing settings, offers unique features like Kiosk Mode and digital signage to enhance visitor interactions. The choice between the two depends on your specific business requirements and existing technological infrastructure. Two of the many benefits of Microsoft Teams Rooms are wireless content sharing and Teams panels. Teams panels are wall-mounted devices that provide meeting details and reserve meeting spaces. Another feature includes improved video meeting options with AI-powered voice and face recognition. With intelligent speakers, AI can identify who is speaking and add the person’s name to the meeting transcript. Microsoft Teams Rooms also offers a collaborative workspace that anyone in the meeting can access. In Microsoft Teams, you can share your screen to a OneNote page, but only you can add to it. Microsoft Teams standalone doesn’t have these features in its video meetings. It only has spotlighting, sharing screen options, and basic chat features. Microsoft Teams is an app included in Microsoft 365. Microsoft Teams Rooms is a separate platform that integrates into Microsoft Teams to work alongside it. So, Microsoft Teams Rooms has all the features of Microsoft Teams, with added benefits. The program aims to create seamless video conferencing between combined remote and in-person meetings. Internal communication is much more efficient with both platforms integrated. If you want to facilitate hybrid meetings, Microsoft Teams Rooms is better than Microsoft Teams alone. Zoom and Zoom Rooms cater to different aspects of hybrid meetings. Zoom Rooms enhances the hybrid meeting experience with additional features, serving as a dedicated platform to facilitate smooth transitions during meetings. While Zoom is primarily an application for joining meetings, Zoom Rooms is designed as a collaborative space with specialized hardware options, maintaining the interactive elements even when participants are remote. It supports third-party integrations and is optimized for comprehensive video conferencing needs, offering more structured capabilities than Zoom. Screen Sharing Both support high-quality screen sharing with minimal latency. Microsoft Teams enables users to share their entire screen, a specific app, or a file. It includes convenient integrations like PowerPoint sharing with slide control. Zoom supports sharing all or part of a screen, a specific app, files, or a whiteboard. It also includes remote control and annotation features. Security and Compliance Teams benefit from Microsoft's comprehensive security framework, offering advanced security features and compliance certifications suitable for industries with strict regulatory requirements. Zoom has significantly improved its security measures, including end-to-end user encryptions. However, it has faced scrutiny over security concerns, prompting ongoing efforts to enhance data protection and user privacy. Pricing and Plans Microsoft Teams is included in many Microsoft 365 subscription plans, providing a cost-effective solution for businesses already invested in the Microsoft ecosystem. Standalone plans are also available for companies looking for only Teams capabilities. Zoom offers a free tier with limitations on meeting duration and participant count. Its paid plans are designed to accommodate businesses of all sizes, with features scaling according to the plan chosen. The chart below breaks down each Microsoft Teams plan's features. The main differences are meeting duration limits, participant capacity, file storage, and each plan's Microsoft apps. Note that Office 365 E3 is the only plan that allows you to host large-capacity events. Microsoft TeamsMicrosoft 365 Business EssentialsMicrosoft 365 Business BasicMicrosoft 365 Business StandardPrice*$0$4 per month per user$6 per month per user$12.50 per month per userGroup Meeting Max Duration60 min30 hours30 hours30 hoursMax Meeting Participant Capacity100300300300Office Apps and Services Included (in Addition to Teams)NoneNoneExchange, OneDrive, SharePoint, Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPointExchange, OneDrive, SharePoint, Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher (PC only), and Access (PC only)Personal File Storage and Sharing with OneDrive–10 GB per user1 TB per user1 TB per userHost Online EventsNoNoNoYes What’s unusual about Microsoft Teams is that paid plans start at $5 per month, which is relatively low for a premium video conferencing solution. This makes Microsoft the winner in the Microsoft Teams vs. Zoom category of “lowest price” for premium plans. With Microsoft Teams premium plans, you get the virtual meeting app plus access to other Microsoft software, which only adds to the value you receive. The one catch is that paid plans require an annual subscription. Microsoft offers a 30-day trial on all paid plans, so you can try premium plans before committing. Zoom offers three paid plans in addition to its free plan. The chart below details the key differences among the plans. Zoom BasicZoom ProZoom BusinessZoom Business PlusPrice$0$159.84 per year, per user$219.84 per year, per user$269.88 per year, per userGroup Meeting Max Duration40 min30 hours30 hours30 hoursOne-to-One Meeting Max Duration30 hours30 hours30 hours30 hoursMax Participant Capacity100100300300Min Number of Licenses Required111010Large Meeting Add-OnNoYesYesYes Industry-Specific Considerations Education: Teams benefits from integration with educational tools like OneNote Class Notebooks and assignment management. Zoom provides features like breakout rooms that educators value. Both offer plans tailored for educators. Healthcare: Both include features to support HIPAA compliance. Teams' integration with Microsoft 365 supports broader healthcare workflows. Zoom's simplicity suits providers focused mainly on telehealth visits. Government: Teams meets critical government security and compliance standards like FedRAMP and DISA SRG L2. Zoom also offers a government plan to address the public sector's requirements. Microsoft Teams vs Zoom Comparison Chart ZoomTeamsMarket Position#1 in video conferencing# 1 in the team collaboration platformMeeting collaboration and productivity featuresScreen sharing, remote-control access, collaborative notes, whiteboard, breakout rooms, and chat featuresExtensive collaboration features, including robust chat, whiteboard, action item lists, live document collaboration, and a WikiCustomizationAdvanced, including noise reduction and light adjustment depending on your environmentNoise reduction is available, but device settings are slightly less customizable.Ease of useEasy to join from any device, even without an accountApp needed to join from mobile devices, but otherwise streamlinedVideo quality1080p at 30fps; handles slow internet better1080p at 30fps, but can slow down due to extra chat/collaboration featuresAIMeeting catchups, chapter highlights, and AI summaries (all included in paid plans)Similar offering to Zoom, but only available to users with a Microsoft Copilot licenseParticipant capacity1,000 on the Enterprise Plus package (or with a large meeting add-on); 500 on Enterprise; 300 on Business; 100 on Pro1,000 on E5 (top Enterprise plan); 300 otherwiseTranscriptsBusiness plans onlyBusiness plans onlyApp integrationsNearly 2,500 and NextPlane OpenHub2,000+, tightly integrated with Microsoft 365 and NextPlane OpenHubCloud storageUp to 10GB; unlimited storage for Enterprise users1TB for Business Basic users and aboveMeeting time limit40 minutes on the free plan, 30 hours per month on the paid plans60 minutes on the free plan, 24 hours per month on the paid plansRecordingAvailable on all plansAvailable on paid plans onlyCaptioningAuto-captioning on all plans (including free plan), with translated captions available on Business Plus and aboveAuto-captioning on all paid plans; translated captions on Business Basic and above.Video QualityUp to 1080p HDUp to 1080p HD, often cited as slightly betterRecommended Bandwidth1.2-1.5 Mbps for HD1.2-1.8 Mbps for HDMax Participants1,000 meeting, 20,000 view-only1,000 meetings, 50,000 webinarsTypical Data Usage225MB-450MB/hr. group calls810MB-2.4GB/hour group callsIntegrated Room SolutionsMicrosoft Teams RoomsZoom RoomsStrengthDeep integration with Microsoft 365Focus on video conferencing simplicity and reliability Which is Best for Your Business? The decision between Microsoft Teams and Zoom depends on your business's specific needs, existing infrastructure, and priorities: Choose Microsoft Teams if: Your business is heavily invested in the Microsoft ecosystem.You require a platform that combines communication, collaboration, and productivity tools in one place. You need extensive file sharing and real-time document collaboration. Choose Zoom if: Your primary need is for high-quality, reliable video conferencing.You prefer a platform that is straightforward and easy to use. Your team requires a tool that can be quickly adopted with minimal training. Extending Collaboration with NextPlane OpenHub While both Teams and Zoom offer extensive collaboration capabilities within their respective platforms, many organizations face the challenge of enabling seamless communication with external partners, clients, or teams who may use different tools. This is where NextPlane OpenHub comes in. That’s a groundbreaking solution that enables cross-platform collaboration between Microsoft Teams and Zoom users, as well as other popular platforms like Slack and Webex. With OpenHub, teams can effortlessly connect and communicate with users on other collaboration platforms, breaking down silos and allowing for smooth interoperability. By leveraging OpenHub, Teams users can collaborate with external stakeholders without switching between multiple apps or managing separate accounts. Its advanced features include: Universal Channels: Create channels that span multiple platforms, allowing users from different tools to participate in the same conversation seamlessly. Direct Messaging: Enable private 1:1 or group chats between users on different platforms, fostering secure and efficient communication. File Sharing: Share files and documents across platforms, ensuring everyone has access to the information they need, regardless of the tool they use. Presence Synchronization: View users' real-time availability status across platforms, facilitating effortless and more effective collaboration. Centralized Administration: Manage all Internal & external collaboration from a single interface, simplifying governance, security, and compliance. By integrating Microsoft Teams with Zoom, organizations can maximize the potential of both collaboration platforms, fostering a more connected, efficient, and productive workforce. Recent studies show This is particularly valuable in today's multi-platform collaboration landscape, where businesses need to work with a wide range of partners, clients, and stakeholders who may have different tool preferences. With NextPlane OpenHub, Teams users can seamlessly collaborate with Zoom users and vice versa, ensuring no one is left out of the conversation. This integration breaks down barriers and enables organizations to make the most of their investment in collaboration technology, regardless of the platforms their external partners use. Conclusion Both Microsoft Teams and Zoom offer compelling features for businesses looking to enhance their communication and collaboration capabilities. Microsoft Teams is the more holistic solution, designed to facilitate communication and deep collaboration, especially for companies already using Microsoft 365. On the other hand, Zoom focuses on providing a top-notch video conferencing experience and is renowned for its ease of use and reliability. Ultimately, the choice between Microsoft Teams and Zoom should be based on your business's unique needs, goals, and current technological ecosystem. By carefully evaluating the features and benefits of each platform, you can make an informed decision that best supports your team's productivity and collaboration. .wp-block-table table tr td, table tr th { border: 1px solid white; padding: 10px; } .wp-block-table table tr td p, .wp-block-table table tr th p { margin: 0 !important; } .wp-block-table table thead { border-bottom: none; } .wp-block-table table thead tr { background-color: rgb(69, 116, 196); color: white; text-align: center; } .wp-block-table table tr:nth-child(even) { background-color: rgb(216, 225, 242); } .wp-block-table table tbody tr:not(:first-child) td:first-child { font-weight: bold; }

MS Teams Tips

Microsoft Teams Tips & Tricks: Maximize Productivity with Essential Features & 2024 Updates

In the era of remote work and geographically dispersed teams, digital collaboration tools have become indispensable for businesses to thrive. Microsoft Teams has emerged as a powerhouse, empowering organizations to streamline communication, enhance teamwork, and boost productivity. As the world embraces new ways of working, Teams has continuously evolved, introducing features that cater to the ever-changing needs of modern workforces. The platform's evolution has been driven by a deep understanding of the challenges teams face today's fast-paced, digital landscape. From seamless integration with Office 365 to advanced video conferencing capabilities, Teams has become a central hub for teamwork, enabling users to easily collaborate, communicate, and manage projects. As we approach 2024, Microsoft Teams continues to push the boundaries, introducing groundbreaking updates that promise to revolutionize how we work. This guide delves into essential tips and the latest updates to help you leverage Microsoft Teams to its full potential. Streamlining Communication Effective communication is the cornerstone of productive teams, and Microsoft Teams offers a wealth of features to ensure seamless interactions. One of the most powerful tools is notification customization. By fine-tuning your notification settings, you can focus on the most critical communications without being overwhelmed by constant alerts. Customizing notifications based on priorities, channels, or specific individuals can significantly reduce distractions, allowing you to concentrate on the tasks at hand. Another game-changing feature is the use of @mentions. By mentioning specific team members in conversations, you can ensure that essential messages are noticed, fostering engagement and timely responses. However, it's essential to strike a balance and use @mentions judiciously to avoid notification overload. Microsoft Teams offers a comprehensive set of keyboard shortcuts for those seeking to maximize efficiency. From navigating between channels and threads to quick access to search and command boxes, these shortcuts can save precious time and streamline your workflow, allowing you to accomplish more in less time. Enhancing Collaboration Microsoft Teams' true power lies in its ability to facilitate seamless collaboration within teams and across organizations. One of the most significant advantages is the platform's deep integration with Office 365. This integration enables real-time co-authoring of documents, spreadsheets, and presentations, eliminating the need for constant file sharing and version control headaches. However, collaboration extends beyond document editing. Teams also offers robust file management capabilities through its integration with SharePoint. By leveraging SharePoint within Teams, users can effortlessly organize and access shared files, ensuring crucial information is always at their fingertips. Advanced file management features, such as version control, check-in/check-out functionality, and customizable metadata, empower teams to maintain order and efficiency in their document repositories. Another powerful collaboration tool within Teams is channels, which keep conversations organized by specific topics, projects, or departments. By strategically creating and managing channels, teams can segment conversations and projects, ensuring that relevant information is easily accessible to those who need it. Channel organization can be tailored to specific teams, projects, or workflows, fostering focused collaboration and reducing information overload. Threads in Microsoft Teams allow users to keep conversations organized and focused within a channel. Engage in threads by replying directly to a specific message to maintain topic coherence, distinguishing between when to start a new thread versus continuing an existing one. Utilize mentions judiciously to alert relevant team members without overcrowding their notifications. Manage and monitor important threads by pinning or saving messages, ensuring critical information is readily accessible. Adopting these practices ensures streamlined, focused communication, enhancing teamwork and productivity. Mastering online meetings in Microsoft Teams involves scheduling and joining meetings seamlessly, leveraging features like background blur and live captions for professionalism and accessibility, and engaging participants actively. Maintaining engagement is key, as well as using interactive elements such as polls and Q&A. Post-meeting, sharing recordings, and notes is essential for keeping all participants informed and ensuring continuity of discussions. This comprehensive approach ensures effective, inclusive, and productive online meetings, adapting to the rise of remote work. 2024 Updates and Features As we approach 2024, Microsoft Teams continues to push the boundaries of productivity with many exciting updates and features. One area that has seen significant enhancements is video meeting capabilities. Teams now offers expanded options for background customization, allowing users to project a professional and personalized image during virtual meetings. These features, from virtual backgrounds to blur effects, help maintain a polished appearance, even in less-than-ideal environments. Language barriers have historically been a challenge for global teams. Microsoft Teams is addressing this issue head-on with improved language translation features. With real-time translation capabilities, teams can communicate seamlessly, fostering inclusivity and ensuring that valuable insights are not lost in translation. Perhaps one of the most exciting developments in Teams is the introduction of AI-powered features. Meeting scheduling and summarization are now augmented by AI, streamlining the process of organizing meetings and capturing key insights. Additionally, AI-driven assistance can help teams stay on track during meetings, ensuring that discussions remain focused and productive. Cross-Platform Collaboration NextPlane OpenHub is a game-changing solution that enables seamless cross-platform collaboration for Microsoft Teams users. With OpenHub, teams can effortlessly connect and communicate with users on other collaboration platforms, such as Slack, Cisco Webex Teams, and Zoom. This integration breaks down silos and allows for smooth interoperability, ensuring that no one is left out of the conversation. NextPlane OpenHub's advanced features, such as universal channels, direct messaging, and file sharing, enable Teams users to collaborate with external partners, clients, and colleagues without the need to switch between multiple apps or manage separate accounts. By leveraging NextPlane OpenHub, organizations can maximize the potential of Microsoft Teams, fostering a more connected, efficient, and productive workforce in today's multi-platform collaboration landscape. Optimizing Your Teams Experience While Microsoft Teams offers a wealth of features out of the box, maximizing its potential often requires a proactive approach. Regularly reviewing and updating your Teams setup is crucial to ensure you take advantage of the latest features and optimize your experience. One area that warrants frequent attention is the integration of third-party apps. Teams offers a vast ecosystem of third-party integrations, ranging from project management tools to customer relationship management (CRM) systems. By carefully selecting and integrating the right apps, teams can streamline their workflows, centralize data, and enhance productivity. Additionally, engaging with the Microsoft Teams community can provide invaluable insights and best practices. From user forums to developer communities, these platforms offer a wealth of knowledge, enabling users to learn from experienced professionals, stay informed about upcoming features, and share their own MS Teams hacks. Advanced Tips for File Management and Sharing Effective file management and sharing are critical for maintaining order and productivity within collaborative environments. Microsoft Teams offers a range of advanced features to streamline these processes. Implementing a hierarchical file system is a powerful strategy for organizing files within Teams. By mirroring project or department hierarchies, teams can create an intuitive structure that makes locating and accessing relevant files easy. This approach reduces the time spent searching for information and ensures everyone is on the same page. Metadata and tags are another valuable tool for file management. By assigning descriptive metadata and tags to files, teams can facilitate easier search and retrieval. This is particularly useful when dealing with large repositories of files, as it allows users to quickly find the information they need without sifting through countless folders. Collaboration with external partners often requires secure file sharing. Teams offers robust features for managing external access, including granular permissions, time-bound access, and secure sharing links. By carefully controlling who can access specific files and for how long, teams can maintain the confidentiality of sensitive information while still fostering effective collaboration. Customizing Teams with Apps and Bots Microsoft Teams offers a vast ecosystem of apps and bots that can be customized to suit specific team needs, automate tasks, and streamline workflows. Identifying key apps for integration is the first step in customizing Teams. Popular apps cover a wide range of functions, from project management and customer support to productivity and data visualization. Organizations can significantly enhance efficiency and productivity by carefully selecting apps that align with team goals and workflows. Building and implementing custom bots is another powerful way to tailor Teams to specific needs. Bots can automate common tasks, provide instant access to resources, and even facilitate data collection and analysis. Microsoft offers a range of platforms and resources for bot development, making it accessible to teams with varying levels of technical expertise. Power Automate, a tool deeply integrated with Teams, allows users to create automated workflows that solve common business problems. From data collection and approvals to notifications and reporting, Power Automate can streamline repetitive tasks, freeing up time for more strategic work. Security Practices to Protect Your Teams Environment As teams increasingly rely on digital collaboration tools, ensuring the security of data and communications becomes paramount. Microsoft Teams offers a range of advanced security features and best practices to help organizations safeguard their environments. Configuring advanced security settings is a critical first step. Teams provides options for end-to-end encryption of sensitive communications, ensuring that only intended recipients can access the information. Data loss prevention (DLP) strategies can also be implemented to prevent the inadvertent sharing of confidential data. Educating team members on best practices for security is equally important. Regular training programs can help users identify phishing attempts, secure their personal and team accounts, and adhere to organizational security policies. By fostering a culture of security awareness, teams can minimize the risk of data breaches and protect sensitive information. Regular security audits are also essential for maintaining a secure Teams environment. These audits help identify potential vulnerabilities, ensure compliance with data protection regulations, and provide an opportunity to update security measures as needed. Conclusion Microsoft Teams has become an indispensable tool for businesses seeking to maximize productivity and foster seamless collaboration in the digital age. By leveraging the platform's ever-expanding features and staying abreast of the latest updates, teams can streamline communication, enhance collaboration, and achieve new levels of efficiency. As we look towards 2024 and beyond, Microsoft Teams continues to innovate, offering advanced file management features, customization through apps and bots, and robust security practices. By embracing these tools and best practices, organizations can create a secure, productive, and future-ready environment that empowers teams to work smarter and achieve their goals. Boost productivity with Microsoft Teams is an ongoing journey that requires a proactive approach, continuous learning, and a willingness to adapt to new features and best practices. By committing to this journey, teams can unlock the full potential of digital collaboration and thrive in an increasingly connected world.

Best Microsoft Teams Apps

Best Microsoft Teams Apps In the world of multi-channel productivity software, Microsoft Teams reigns supreme. Built for businesses of all sizes operating in any industry, the platform has proven itself to be much more than your typical group messaging application. Its integration with more than 600 apps makes Microsoft Teams one of the most versatile collaboration platforms on the market, helping you stay connected and engaged. In this guide, we’ll run through some of the best Microsoft Teams apps designed to supercharge your user experience and keep you and your team happy, focused, and productive. Polly First up is Polly—an app that allows you to create surveys directly inside your Microsoft Teams channels, giving members a quick and easy way to vote on specific questions. All you have to do is provide the questions and answers, and Polly will perform the vote-counting analytics in real-time. Despite its unassuming interface, Polly has plenty of advanced offerings, particularly when it comes to running polls. Among an array of other features, Polly lets you schedule polls and ask single, multiple-choice, and agree/disagree questions. There’s also the option to postpone results, display or hide results, and allow your audience to respond anonymously Trello From big picture projects to last-minute details, Trello is a project management software that keeps track of all of it. The Trello board is made up of lists, and within each list are cards that allow you to add comments, upload files, create labels, and add due dates. This is somewhat of a departure from other similar tools as it takes a more visual approach to task management. As one of the best apps for Microsoft Teams, the Trello integration makes it easy to view assignments and facilitate discussions between team members. Its intuitive design also enables users to organize and prioritize projects in a way that works best for their team. MindMeister If you have an idea in need of development, you might want to consider using a mind map. If you’re unfamiliar with the concept, a mind map is a diagram built for visualizing and organizing information that maps out the relationships between different pieces of content. With MindMeister for Microsoft Teams, you can bring this content to life in a collaborative way, allowing multiple contributors to make additions and edits to the mind map. Additional features include turning mind maps into dynamic presentations, commenting and voting on topics, and adding visual elements to map topics. Salesforce What once started as a SaaS company has grown into the 5th-largest enterprise application software company in the world. Founded in 1999, Salesforce specializes in customer relationship management and is now used by more than 150,000 organizations worldwide. The Microsoft Teams Connector for Salesforce keeps your team up-to-speed by delivering relevant content from services you’re already using directly into a channel. The Salesforce Connector sends regular updates about activities in the Salesforce account you want to track. With teamwork continuing to be a driving force in the workplace, the integration between Salesforce and Microsoft Teams will boost productivity and efficiency. Adobe Creative Cloud Adobe Creative Cloud is a set of 20+ apps and services that give subscribers access to a variety of software used for web development, video editing, graphic design, photography, and more. Instead of purchasing each app one at a time, this option allows users to pay a monthly subscription fee depending on which ones they’re using. Together, Adobe Creative Cloud and Microsoft Teams combine creative work and teamwork. With the Creative Cloud app for Microsoft Teams, graphic designers can easily share their work, receive feedback, and stay in-the-know regarding the latest actions taken on their assets. Google Analytics If you run a website, blog, or any other type of internet property, chances are you’ve already used Google Analytics to monitor traffic, review page views, and look into user demographics. By connecting Google Analytics to Microsoft Teams, you can receive updates directly in Microsoft Teams on your site’s traffic – and then collaborate around them, all within a single application. Aggregating data from different sources and accessing everything you need in one place; this opens up plenty of opportunities to take action and make powerful business decisions. Remember ThisRememberThis is one of the newer apps on this list, one that’s ideal for those who misplace content and have trouble keeping track of conversations. When used in tandem with Microsoft Teams, RememberThis allows you to set custom reminders on your most important chats. Sometimes, we create channel threads only to attempt to refer to them later without being able to find anything. They may have been accidentally deleted or buried underneath newer chat threads.RememberThis helps prevent those discussions from disappearing in the stream of new content. By setting time-based reminders, RememberThis will add a reply to the conversation, so it pops back up into your activity feed. You’ll never have to worry about forgetting again and can therefore, focus your efforts on other aspects of your business. MURAL Launched in 2018, MURAL is a leading visual collaboration tool that utilizes agile and design thinking methods to improve the way people work together. This digital workspace integrates seamlessly into your Microsoft Teams workspace when you add a custom tab, notification bot, and messaging extension. If you receive an invitation to MURAL or someone has @ mentioned you, the bot will inform you via a private message. If the conversation requires additional visual collaboration, just find and share a template right there and then using the MURAL messaging extension.Using any device and any browser, even distributed teams can work together more efficiently by having all their favorite digital whiteboard tools in one place. Givitas It’s no secret that loyalty and engagement contribute to a positive working environment. Givitas is a software solution that operates under the idea that “no question is a bad question” and seeks to make employees comfortable asking for help. The integration with Microsoft Teams ensures that users have access to a wealth of resources, advice, and connections. Not only does it encourage sharing and collaboration across silos, but Givitas also provides analytics and metrics detailing usage and benefits. When knowledge-sharing is made simple, more people are likely to find the correct answer, solve their problems, and better retain everything they learned. Jell Part collaboration app and part project management tool, Jell is essentially a goal-tracking platform where teams can share daily plans, accomplishments, and challenges from one central place. Jell brings structured communication to Microsoft Teams through daily standups, as well as customizable team check-ins and flexible reminders. The daily standups in Jell can be used to keep track of what your teams are working on, without having to spend time in unnecessary meetings. While Jell offers several pre-made templates, you also have the option of completely customizing your check-ins for management updates, one-on-one sessions, and more. You can even set up reminders to reflect your team’s schedule. Jell makes it simple to optimize reminders for teams that may work across multiple time zones too. Bonus Apps While we’ve barely scratched the surface with our list of top paid apps, check out some of the Microsoft Teams best free apps we’ve listed below. Wiki Aside from using main channels, threads, and chats, Wiki offers users an alternative way to communicate in Microsoft Teams. While most immediately think of “Wikipedia” when they hear the term “Wiki,” this software actually allows companies to share and record information online. You have the option to add a Wiki as a tab directly to your channel, add pages to Wikis categorized by topic, and collaborate within Wikis using @ mentions. Use the app as your own dedicated workspace to keep notes or and keep all your information in one place. Wiki definitely comes in handy for FAQs. Cisco Webex The modern business uses more than one messaging app, as they often have trouble finding just one that can fulfill their specific needs. However, with Microsoft Teams, you don’t have to choose between two different apps, especially if you love the functionality of both. The Cisco Webex Meetings bot combines the functionality of Microsoft Teams and Cisco WebEx Meeting so that you can easily schedule, start, and join meetings without switching from app to app. You can even share content created in Microsoft apps in the Cisco Webex app and send links from Webex into Microsoft Teams. Final Thoughts There you have it—the best Microsoft Teams apps around. This is by no means a comprehensive list of every integration worth looking into. There’s plenty more to explore if you want to maximize your team’s efficiency. Productivity is especially important where collaborating remotely is essential. NextPlane enables Microsoft Teams users to connect with their colleagues that are on different collaboration and messaging tools. They can communicate with them, inside or outside their company, through messages with rich text and emoji reactions, sharing presence status, inviting and participating in channels, and sharing files. Plus, NextPlane connects over 750,000 enterprise users every day from thousands of Global 5000 companies. That means interoperability won’t be an issue.

NextPlane announced two new offerings- OpenCall and OpenAxys

NextPlane announced two new offerings- OpenCall and OpenAxys

NextPlane, a leading provider of interoperability and federation services for collaboration solutions, today announced a set of new software offerings – OpenCall and OpenAxys – that enable next-gen AI capabilities into Microsoft Teams PSTN calling with Unified Communications (UCaaS) and call center (CX) platforms while seamlessly empowering a suite of new capabilities leveraging large language models (LLMs). OpenCall seamlessly integrates any Unified Communications (UC) platform, PBX, or SIP Trunk provider with Microsoft Teams, allowing users to effortlessly make calls and display their presence status directly within Teams while utilizing their current SBC, PBX, and SIP Trunk setup.  OpenAxys provides a host of new capabilities by seamlessly integrating UC & contact center (CX) platforms with AI tools and LLMs such as Open AI, Meta Llama 2, Google Bard, and many more. “Our new research on voice platform migration shows almost half of U.S. businesses are still using legacy voice systems, and at the same time, a growing number are embracing cloud-based communications platforms like Teams or Slack for communication and collaboration,” said Matt Davis, analyst at Independent Research an analyst firm focused on the telecom.  “Innovative solutions like NextPlane’s that are designed to allow these presence and messaging technologies to talk to one another will increase in importance as cloud-based collaboration grows.” “OpenCall and OpenAxys enable all service providers the ability to quickly and seamlessly deliver differentiated services to their subscribers,” said Farzin Shahidi, Founder and CEO of NextPlane. “Regardless of their UCaaS or CX platform, the CSPs can quickly offer new functional benefits to their subscribers by seamlessly integrating Teams or other presence and messaging platforms while also leveraging large language models to streamline operational models further and save time and money.” More on OpenCall OpenCall seamlessly integrates any Unified Communications (UC) platform, PBX, or SIP Trunk provider with Microsoft Teams, allowing users to effortlessly make calls and display their status presence directly within Teams while utilizing their current SBC, PBX, and SIP Trunk setup.  NextPlane enables subscribers to upgrade their Microsoft Teams calls with an advanced AI companion that transcribes and analyzes voice and video calls. Powered by sophisticated LLMs, OpenCall transforms transcripts of video and audio calls into detailed summaries, capturing action items, key decisions, and sentiment analysis, all aimed at significantly enhancing your productivity.  NextPlane serves as a dynamic interoperability layer, future-proofing integration with the Microsoft Graph API or SIP Gateway. This ensures effortless communication with any SBC, PBX, or SIP Trunk. Like an adept navigator, this layer skillfully maneuvers through Microsoft’s evolving landscape, ensuring stability and reliability. It provides a robust management interface and API, ideal for both current configurations and future resale opportunities. More on OpenAxys NextPlane’s OpenAxys offers seamless integration of communication platforms with major LMMs and AI tools. NextPlane’s innovative approach elevates real-time teamwork and guarantees full access to the advanced functionalities of a subscriber’s preferred AI tools within UC and CX platforms.  It automates summaries for all customer interactions, voice and digital by leveraging generative AI and integrating industry-specific AI models with LLMs and boosts efficiency, cuts costs, and improves agent performance. This latest feature enhances CX platforms by matching consumers with agents using sentiment analysis for personalized interactions.  NextPlane OpenAxys functions as an abstraction layer, bridging the gap between UC platforms, custom applications, AI tools, and LLMs. This unique setup allows for seamless communication and integration across these different technologies. It simplifies the complexities involved in connecting custom apps and advanced AI capabilities with communication solutions, offering users a streamlined, efficient way to leverage the full potential of both their custom applications and state-of-the-art AI technologies within a unified environment.

No Jitter Roll: Gen AI Dominates News with New Products from Adobe, CallRail Labs, NextPlane and more

Welcome to this week’s No Jitter Roll, our regular roundup of product news in the communication and collaboration spaces. This week, we highlight: Adobe's leap into the AI Assistant market, Menlo Security's Secure Enterprise Browser product, NextPlane's LLM interoperability solution for UCaaS and CCaaS platforms and the availability of Tableau Pulse. Finally, a Sennheiser and Q-SYS joint solution was certified for use with Cisco’s Collaboration Devices. ADOBE LAUNCHES AI ASSISTANT IN READER AND ACROBAT Adobe introduced AI Assistant in beta, a new generative AI-powered conversational engine in Reader and Acrobat. AI Assistant, integrated into Reader and Acrobat workflows, will generate summaries and insights from long documents, answer questions, and format information for emails, reports, and presentations. Some of the additional capabilities include the ability to generate citations (to verify sources for the assistant’s answers) and clickable links to information within documents.  Source: Adobe Adobe stated that it takes an LLM-agnostic approach to using machine learning models and that it “prohibits third parties from manually reviewing or training their LLMs on Adobe customer data.” (For more, read Adobe’s AI Ethics.) AI Assistant is available now in beta for Acrobat Standard and Pro Individual and Teams subscription plans on desktop and web in English, with features coming to Reader desktop customers in English over the next few weeks at no additional cost. Reader and Acrobat customers will have access to the full range of AI Assistant capabilities through a new add-on subscription plan when AI Assistant is out of beta (no timeframe on that was provided). MENLO SECURITY LAUNCHES ITS SECURE ENTERPRISE BROWSER The cloud-browser security platform provider announced its Secure Enterprise Browser solution which is powered by Menlo Security’s Menlo Secure Cloud Browser. The Secure Enterprise Browser provides several new capabilities which allow it to manage local browser security policies within Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge. These capabilities are delivered via the Menlo Security Browser Posture Manager (for browser configuration assessment and attack surface analysis), the Menlo Browser Extension and Menlo Security Client (these extend zero-trust to more users, devices, and applications), and the Menlo Security Last-Mile Data Protection. This latter product extends copy-paste control, user-input limits, watermarking and data masking to the local browser endpoint.https://www.youtube.com/embed/Bggywu4TEUk?wmode=opaque&controls=&rel=0 NEXTPLANE’S NEW OPENCALL AND OPENAXYS INTERCONNECT LLMS, UCAAS, AND CCAAS The provider of interoperability and federation services for collaboration solutions launched two software offerings – OpenCall and OpenAxys. OpenCall integrates a unified communications (UC) platform, PBX, or SIP Trunk provider with Microsoft Teams so that users can make calls and display their presence status in Teams while using their current SBC, PBX, and SIP Trunk setup. OpenAxys integrates UC and contact center platforms with LLMs from companies such as such as OpenAI, Meta, Google and others. CALLRAIL LABS UNVEILS AI-POWERED SELF-REPORTED ATTRIBUTION The lead intelligence platform provider launched its self-reported attribution product which uses conversational AI to listen, understand, and report on when customers share information about the factors that prompted their engagement or purchase decisions. For example, the CallRail Labs product uses AI to analyze call transcripts using AI to find phrases, related terms, and context clues that indicate whether a sale was made on the call or not. It also uses context clues to identify qualified leads, automate follow-up messages, and analyze calls to provide coaching.  Source: CallRail AI-POWERED ANALYTICS PLATFORM TABLEAU PULSE NOW AVAILABLE Data analytics platform Tableau (owned by Salesforce) announced the general availability and pricing for Tableau Pulse, as well as some new features. Available today, Tableau Pulse is free with all Tableau Cloud editions and Embedded Analytics solutions. Its AI capabilities run through the Einstein Trust Layer, which is a secure AI architecture natively built into the Salesforce Platform.  Source: Tableau New features included in the latest release of Tableau Pulse include: Tableau Pulse Insights Platform: Automatically detects drivers, trends, contributors, and outliers for the metrics users specify.Tableau Pulse on Mobile: Provides users with data insights in natural language on their mobile device, including Tableau Mobile, Slack, and email.Tableau Pulse Slack Digest: Shares AI-generated summaries and contextual insights in a Slack channel using the Tableau for Slack app.Tableau Pulse Metrics Layer: Helps users create their own metrics definitions (i.e., sets of metadata that establish the meaning and business context of a metric). SENNHEISER AND Q-SYS CERTIFIED FOR CISCO’S COLLABORATION DEVICES Sennheiser, an audio technology provider, and Q-SYS, an audio, video, and control platform provider, announced that their combined solution is now certified for use with Cisco’s Collaboration Devices. The joint solution includes Sennheiser’s TeamConnect Ceiling 2 mic and the Q-SYS Core Nano processor. Both are pictured below.  

ITEXPO Exhibitor NextPlane Connects UCaaS, CX with Microsoft Teams and Generative AI for Frictionless Interactions

Gone are the days of isolated teams and clunky communication channels because seamless communication across platforms have become the lifeblood of collaboration, innovation and success. But why is this so critical? The answer lies in the fabric of how we work today. Businesses are dynamic ecosystems teeming with diverse teams, often scattered across different time zones and continents. Global partnerships, remote workforces and the often-changing tech landscapes demand agility and adaptability. Information needs to flow freely, regardless of the platform it's housed on. Of course, achieving this communication promised land isn't magic. It requires a strategic approach, often involving adopting unified communication platforms, like NextPlane, a prominent figure when it comes to interoperability solutions for businesses that need to connect users on different collaboration platforms. NextPlane bridges the gap between popular options like Microsoft Teams, Slack and Zoom, which allows for effortless communication and streamlined workflows regardless of chosen software. In another step to break down communication silos, NextPlane announced an expansion that broadens its offerings to seamlessly integrate UCaaS and CX platforms, particularly with Microsoft Teams. The expansion also marks a foray into generative AI LLM services. Through this integration, UCaaS and CX platforms can effortlessly connect to Teams, which extends their PBX functionalities and provides customers with AI-powered features for an enhanced user experience. These new capabilities allow users to leverage features like AI-powered transcriptions, smart summaries and automated follow-up action items. Highlights of the new features include intelligent meeting summaries, which facilitate asynchronous information sharing and action-oriented follow-ups by suggesting next steps and summarizing key points. Then, there are enhanced meeting transcriptions that distinguish between speakers and suggest actionable insights, reducing the need for redundant and time-consuming tasks like manual note-taking as well as improved tracking that lets users directly link meeting artifacts to CRMs like Salesforce for centralized access, tracking and reporting. “The recent AI enhancements to the NextPlane platform and services epitomize our goal of delivering superior experiences for both employees and customers,” said Melissa Abramson, chief revenue officer at NextPlane. “We are dedicated to developing and introducing features that bring significant value to our customers, demonstrating our deep commitment to their success and satisfaction.” The expansion follows previous moves NextPlane made to start 2024. For example, NextPlane introduced key innovations to bridge communication gaps in January. The flagship release, the NextPlane Phone App for Microsoft Teams, enables PSTN calling directly within Teams, eliminating the need for additional licenses or software. NextPlane also launched OpenCall, which integrates existing UCaaS platforms with Teams. This feature allows users to make and receive calls in Teams while utilizing their UCaaS features. As for providers can map Teams users to SIP extensions, offering full control and automation. The built-in Teams app unlocks seamless integrations with other Microsoft 365 applications. Then, NextPlane's OpenAxys integrates UCaaS/CX platforms with advanced LLMs like ChatGPT and Bard. This simplifies access to AI capabilities, which opens the door for service differentiation and potential revenue growth for providers. “Our ongoing commitment to AI-driven advancements is fueled by our dedication to equipping organizations with the technology and solutions that enhance customer engagement, communication and collaboration,” said Abramson. Offering innovative solutions like OpenCall and OpenAxys allows NextPlane to not just bridge the gap between different communication platforms but also elevate the user experience with advanced AI capabilities. This recent expansion further solidifies that bridge. Source: tmcnet.com Author: Greg TavarezGreg is a writer for TMC's family of digital properties, covering a broad range of business technologies. He brings more than 8 years of content writing and editing experience to TMC, having spent time as content producer and editor with USA Today Network and GateHouse Media. Greg earned his Bachelor of Arts in Journalism degree from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville.

ITEXPO Exhibitors NextPlane and TeamMate Technology Address Microsoft Teams Interoperability Challenges

Microsoft Teams is a staple when it comes to collaboration platforms. It enables efficient remote work, while robust security features ensure data protection. Customizable interface and third-party app integrations enhance workflow efficiency, making it an ideal solution for businesses to boost productivity. Despite the widespread adoption of Microsoft Teams as a communication and collaboration platform in many workplaces, interoperability remains a challenge. Teams users often find themselves restricted when attempting to communicate with users on other UCaaS and collaboration platforms. This lack of communication interoperability can hinder productivity and collaboration efforts, particularly in environments where multiple platforms are utilized or when collaborating with external partners or clients who may use different tools. One of the primary reasons for this limitation is the proprietary nature of Microsoft Teams and its closed ecosystem. While Teams offers integration with various Microsoft services and applications, it can be challenging to establish direct communication channels with users on competing platforms such as Slack, Zoom or Cisco (News - Alert) Webex. Interoperability issues also arise due to differences in protocols, security measures and feature sets between different UCaaS and collaboration platforms. Achieving communication between these platforms requires extensive technical integration efforts and standardization, which can be complex and time-consuming. Additionally, concerns about data privacy, security, and compliance further complicate efforts to establish interoperability between disparate systems. So how are these interoperability challenges addressed? There isn’t exactly the most clear-cut answer to that, but two organizations are keen on addressing them head-on: NextPlane, a provider of AI-enabled connectivity services, and Teammate Technology, a pioneer in advanced voice calling systems. “By partnering with NextPlane we intend to bridge this divide and set a new standard for Teams interoperability services,” said Eric Hernaez (News - Alert), CEO of TeamMate Technology. Hernaez will be among the panelists in an ITEXPO session titled “Attention UCaaS Providers: What's Your Teams Strategy?” TeamMate Technology, an ITEXPO exhibitor, helps organizations unlock the full potential of their existing communication platforms by getting the most out of Microsoft Teams. Their solution lets service providers craft custom, branded Teams applications that integrate call control, user portals, PBX (News - Alert) notifications and soft keys. This approach allows organizations to utilize both familiar communication tools and the modern features of Microsoft Teams. NextPlane, also an ITEXPO exhibitor, recently expanded its capabilities to intelligent interoperability between UCaaS and CX platforms with Microsoft Teams. The expansion also included integration with major generative AI large language model services to enable various UCaaS and CX platforms to offer GenAI features to their customers, The two, in collaboration, combined their strengths to improve user experience and productivity for Teams users. NextPlane and its interoperable collaboration solutions are set to be integrated with Teammate Technology's interoperability platform that enables UCaaS providers to easily integrate Microsoft Teams with their UCaaS service. NextPlane's robust presence technology combined with Teammate Technology's voice solutions means users can enjoy a seamless experience between Microsoft Teams and their existing UCaaS platforms. The partnership also allows UCaaS users to share presence and status, and exchange messages – which does include rich text and emoji reactions – with Microsoft Teams users and other collaboration services user, as if they were on the same platform. “This partnership is about bringing the best of both worlds to UCaaS providers,” said Farzin Shahidi, CEO of NextPlane, who is also set to be among the panelists in the same session with Hernaez. “With improved communication, businesses can expect a significant boost in productivity and collaboration, fostering a more dynamic and responsive work environment.” The long-story-short? The two companies plan to completely change how businesses communicate – it doesn't matter if internally or with their clients. Learn more from them at ITEXPO.

NextPlane’s Affordable Microsoft Teams PSTN Calling Solution for UCaaS and Service Providers

In the wake of the pandemic, Microsoft Teams has emerged as one of the fastest-growing enterprise applications, facilitating seamless collaboration and communication among teams. However, the cost of integrating telephony into Teams plans has posed a significant challenge for many businesses. "Most Microsoft Teams users do not have access to integrated calling capabilities, which means they can't use Microsoft Teams to place calls outside the organization or to customers," said Irwin Lazar, President, and Principal Analyst at Metrigy. Recognizing the need for affordable calling capabilities within Microsoft Teams, RingCentral has recently unveiled RingCentral for Teams 2.0. This Next Generation Integrated Calling Experience empowers Teams users to make calls outside their organizations and connect with customers seamlessly. Also addressing this concern, NextPlane, a leading provider of federation services for collaboration platforms such as Slack and MS Teams , has stepped forward to provide an innovative solution that enables PSTN calling for Microsoft Teams without requiring customers to purchase a calling plan or a Teams Phone license at additional cost. NextPlane ConverseCloud sits between Microsoft Teams, PBX and SIP trunks and serves as the centralized hub for handling all SIP and media traffic across multiple Teams tenants and PSTN providers. NextPlane utilizes TLS encryption to deliver end-to-end security for all calls and communication, ensuring the privacy and integrity of Teams users’ conversations. In addition, the NextPlane management portal simplifies the provisioning and user-phone number management workflows. Moreover, with NextPlane’s advanced analytics, organizations can gain valuable insights to optimize their communication strategies and drive enhanced productivity. “With the majority of Teams customers on Microsoft 365 E1 or E3 licenses, which do not include telephony”, Farzin Shahidi, NextPlane CEO, said, “We are working with our UCaaS partners to offer affordable PSTN calling to their Teams customers that optimize their workflows, and increase employee productivity.” Leveraging its Instant messaging and presence connectivity across Teams, Zoom, Cisco Webex, and Slack platforms, NextPlane plans to also offer PSTN calling for Zoom, Cisco Webex, and Slack. NextPlane's game-changing technology allows UCaaS and Service Providers to enable their customers to seamlessly unlock the full potential of their investments in Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Cisco Webex and Slack.