Microsoft Teams, as one of the leading all-in-one platforms for communication, collaboration, and productivity, has transformed the way we work. More than 300 million people rely on this this solution to keep teams aligned. The only problem? They often struggle to bridge the gaps between Teams, and their existing, essential business tools.
Cisco BroadWorks, and the BroadSoft ecosystem are responsible for powering endless enterprise-grade calling solutions, offering greater functionality than Teams’ own phone offerings. The challenge for business leaders is in figuring out how to connect their current phone technology to all of the beneficial capabilities Microsoft Teams has to offer.
Fortunately, there is a solution for companies, service providers, and resellers alike.
The Issue with Linking Broadsoft and Microsoft Teams
Though Microsoft and Cisco may be competitors in the communication and collaboration space, they’ve both recognized the overlap between their potential customers. In fact, the companies have announced integration options and device accreditation options in the past, to ensure that organizations can access the best of both worlds.
Unfortunately, even with devices that work across both platforms, it’s difficult for companies to access a truly “aligned” Broadsoft and Microsoft Teams experience. Microsoft Teams might be able to run seamlessly on Cisco Room and Desk devices, but companies can’t access a full BroadSoft experience within Teams, without the help of resellers and MSPs.
As standard, Teams doesn’t offer any visibility into Broadsoft itself. This means that users on Teams can’t access Broadsoft directories, and associated functionality, without jumping between different apps and platforms. The only way to address this issue, is with a dedicated application that forms the “glue” between the two platforms, converting them into a single ecosystem.
Bridging the Gap Between BroadSoft and Microsoft Teams
The good news for business leaders, is the flexibility of the Microsoft Teams platform, combined with Microsoft’s commitment to working with third-party vendors, means it is possible to customize the system to suit your needs, and align with other technologies. Here’s how businesses can get started.
Step 1: Identify Your Needs
The first step in bringing BroadSoft and Microsoft Teams together, is determining what you need from your unified ecosystem. For some businesses, the most important feature will be the ability to access Broadsoft directories and presence information within Teams.
For others, it may be important to access more advanced solutions, such as agent dashboards, where teams can monitor workflows, collaborate with teams, and track metrics. Or you may need comprehensive supervisor tools which assist business leaders with assigning tasks to team members and monitoring performance KPIs.
You may even want to access the full benefits of BroadSoft’s contact center solutions within Teams, unlocking better call quality, routing capabilities, and customer management solutions. Whatever your specific needs, ensure you look for a solution that supports straightforward deployment and offers an easy-to-use interface for agents and supervisors.
Step 2: Find the Right Vendor
Few vendors can offer a truly comprehensive solution for connecting BroadSoft and Microsoft Teams, so it’s important to examine your options carefully. For instance, leading solutions provider Kakapo Systems offers one of the most robust and flexible systems for integration.
Unity for Teams gives companies a convenient way to add BroadSoft directories and overlay services, including call center capabilities into the Teams landscape. Going beyond the basics of standard integration options, Unity for Teams brings all of the Unity apps companies use to manage Broadsoft, from Agent and Supervisor solutions, to Unity Desktop into the Teams environment directly.
The solution helps to eliminate process swapping and context switching, and ensures a more advanced calling experience within Teams for all users. It enables access to call control and recording options, start/pause options, barge-in, escalation tools and more.
Plus, with consolidated licensing, users can access the Unity ecosystem however they want, through Teams, their web browser, or a Windows device.
Step 3: Plan for Future Growth
Crucially, when integrating BroadSoft with Microsoft Teams, its essential to ensure your ecosystem can adapt and grow according to your changing needs. Solutions like Unity for Teams give businesses an open environment, which allows for comprehensive customization, and the addition of integrations.
Business leaders can connect their BroadSoft and Teams environment with CRM solutions, for more granular insights into customer journeys. They can leverage Outlook contacts and ACD functionalities from BroadSoft within the Teams ecosystem. Plus, they can easily scale their solution, adding new users and systems with a straightforward dashboard.
Choosing a flexible and open solution for your Teams and BroadSoft toolkit means your organization can continue to add new functionality, and facilitate growth as employee and customer needs evolve. This gives business leaders an excellent way to transform their communications solution into a point of differentiation, helping them to separate themselves from the competition.
Connecting Microsoft Teams and BroadSoft
While Microsoft Teams has proven to be a valuable platform for synchronizing teams and enhancing productivity, it lacks some of the capabilities of a full business communications suite. BroadSoft’s enterprise-grade calling and contact center tools help organizations to unlock a greater ROI from their Teams ecosystem, while delivering more streamlined customer and employee experiences.
Kakapo Systems offers one of the most convenient ways to connect the benefits of BroadSoft to Microsoft Teams, with its Unity for Teams offering. The solution offers full access to BroadWorks business directories, ACD functionalities, and powerful voice solutions, without complexity.
With this unified solution, business leaders can access the rich calling experience they need within the Teams environment, while reducing the risk of context switching and boosting productivity.
By synergistically enabling access to all of the Unity for Teams applications within the Teams interface, employees benefit from a straightforward, intuitive experience that paves the way to rapid business growth. Discover the benefits that come from a truly connected Microsoft Teams and BroadSoft experience with Unity for Teams today.
