Integration has become a business fundamental in today’s digitally connected environment. And when it comes to the South African IT channel market, this is even more so the case as partners and customers want to leverage distributors who create unique cross-sell opportunities through innovative solutions. We have taken this to heart and developed an ideal unified communications application for modern businesses looking to capitalise on the growth potential that the new year will provide.
By harnessing the respective strengths of Microsoft, Poly, and Ribbon, we have created the Westcon Cloud Connect app. This lets customers fully use the functionality of Microsoft Teams by adding on the Ribbon Connect service and attaching Poly personal audio devices to create the ultimate communication solution. And because we created it, this is a unique value proposition exclusively available to our channel partners and their customers through Westcon-Comstor.
A remote world
We are all too aware that the traditional office environment has changed irrevocably. Hybrid working has become part of the new normal that sees a mix of office and home-based employees. To ensure that organisational teams can still effectively communicate, the use of Microsoft Teams has grown exponentially over the past two years.
This has resulted in companies looking at identifying user-friendly and cost-effective ways of making Teams their primary voice dialling platform. This is possible with Ribbon Connect, which is easy to deploy, integrate, and purchase through BlueSky.
And when the company attaches Poly headsets and speakerphones, the quality of the communication experience is extended even more.
This is where Westcon Cloud Connect comes in. This application can be added to existing infrastructure, is completely scalable, and enable partners to introduce a managed services layer for customers who want to transform their communications for today’s more agile demands.
True cloud-based communications
Fundamentally, Westcon Cloud Connect is a cloud-hosted solution that allows for optional hardware to be integrated. It delivers all the functional elements of communications directly to the device and location of the user’s choice through a software-as-a-service model.
Using Westcon Cloud Connect as a unified communications foundation, Westcon-Comstor partners gain access to a tool that lets them monetise Microsoft Teams deployments in a practical cloud calling solution that will reinvent how people engage with one another.
It delivers true, functional, and operational cloud calling regardless of whether employees work from home, work in the office, or even adopt a hybrid model.
All-in-one value proposition
With Westcon Cloud Connect, partners have access to dedicated account management. This sees them able to call on specialists for Microsoft Teams, Poly, and Ribbon as the need arises. It really is as simple as reaching out to an integrated ecosystem of support to address any challenges around unified communication.
And then there is the wealth of education services that can be accessed. Westcon-Comstor delivers certified and bespoke training courses via its accredited Microsoft Learning Centre. This empowers our partners to deliver accredited services built on a global best practice knowledge base. If that is not enough, there is extensive support services available on-demand. The pre- and post-sales teams from Westcon-Comstor can deliver the assistance needed for any remote or onsite technical issues, provide ongoing maintenance, or even manage solution delivery in a way that customers will never even know we were there.
We can further assist our partners by packaging tailor-made services that are customised around their bespoke solutions and technologies as well as Westcon Cloud Connect. This sees them able to provide an even more innovative value proposition to customers.
More features, more value
Leveraging the power of Microsoft Teams, Westcon Cloud Connect provides an integrated solution that sees customers fully benefit from all the features of the Microsoft solution. Some of the features include instant deployment; Ribbon Connect being fully Microsoft Certified for direct routing; being able to connect with existing carriers and PBXs; accessing a fully managed cloud service with a self-service portal requiring no additional hardware or software; and automatically updated with all the latest patches and security enhancements to ensure files are available on the go.
Westcon Cloud Connect brings together the full, unfiltered version of Microsoft Teams, coupled with Ribbon, and enhanced with the hardware potential of Poly devices. It is a simple, per user, per month, risk-free offering. And because Ribbon is seamlessly interoperable with Poly, the entire offering is easy to deploy and completely customisable to cater for virtually any customer requirement.
Using Westcon Cloud Connect as a unified communication solution realises the need for clear, integrated engagements with employees and customers wherever they are. And because it is cloud-hosted, Westcon Cloud Connect can leverage all the high performance computing capabilities that come along with that.
Download the Westcon Cloud Connect app from the Microsoft AppSource store today.
