As the world continues to suffer the shockwaves of the COVID-19 pandemic, companies in the communication and collaboration landscape, like Mitel, are working hard to help their clients. Recently, Mitel announced the arrival of a new offer for customers that want to try their cloud video conferencing and collaboration solutions for free, for up to 6 months, discounts on its UCaaS service in addition to special pricing to enable remote working for the on-premises portfolio.
What’s more, the Mitel brand is consistently rolling out useful information and guides on its website to help partners and end-users alike cope with the sudden rise in demand for remote working solutions. I spoke to the VP for Cloud Sales for EMEA and APAC, Rami Houbby (pictured, above), to learn about Mitel’s recommendations for companies in these trying times.
How is Mitel Helping Businesses Right Now?
Countless organisations have been forced to abandon their offices and embrace the remote working landscape like never before, as governments strive to reduce the spread of COVID-19. As a result, business leaders are finding themselves searching for budget to support a new portfolio of technology for cloud collaboration and video conferencing and to find effective technological solutions that can deliver business continuity in these unpredictable times.
To assist these businesses, Mitel is offering 6 month free trial of its collaboration and communication software MiTeam Meetings. According to Houbby, this is just the first stage in a series of programs that Mitel will be bringing to the market.
“Some people and organisations aren’t used to this new remote working environment, and we’re trying to make it easy as possible for them to make the transition"
"We’ve published a number of articles on our website for people who need advice on how to work effectively from home. At the same time, we’re delivering educational and empowerment promotions to deliver the technology that people need, in a way that fits with business budgets and addresses business needs.”
Rami told me that Mitel has been using its own collaboration and communication tools for years, and they’ve seen more people progressively embracing remote technologies. Now, however, companies are under more pressure than ever to make the change. This will accelerate digital transformation and change the perception of remote working in the future.
What Do Companies Need for Remote Working?
A lot of companies are now asking themselves whether they’re better off investing in team collaboration, UC, or video conferencing technology to suit their new remote working needs. According to Rami, the answer to that question is “all of the above.”
Houbby told me that the objective for companies right now is to maintain human connections in a virtual space, while driving productivity and business continuity. “Our partners have what it takes to advise their customers on the solutions that they need most, by examining their current workforce and the ways that they work best.”
However, Mitel believes that companies will need access to a wide range of communication options besides just video conferencing or instant messaging. “We all have our own preferred channels of communication, and companies need to be able to cater to all of these methods. Some people will want to move straight to video, others will prefer to stick with instant messaging. You want a solution that can give you access to everything at once.”
What is the Benefit of Working with a Partner?
While there are various freemium tools that companies can buy and install online, Mitel emphasises the importance in working with partners on this remote working migration. One of the biggest issues that’s often overlooked, according to Houbby, is the infrastructure level when installing a new remote working solution. Integration with existing UC or telephony infrastructure to maintain a seamless user experience which positively impact productivity is also important. Partners know how to do that work - OTT purchased online is highly unlikely to be able to integrate.
