Deltapath has released Deltapath Talk for Microsoft Teams to break down digital silos and increase employee productivity.
The unified communications provider’s new solution allows users to start audio and video calls and switch from chat to phone within the Teams tenant.
The new integration can be accessed from the Teams sidebar, making it quick and easy for users to make calls, removing a common digital silo in the workplace.
David Liu, CEO of Deltapath, speaks about the importance of breaking down silos: “While a lot of people are used to switching between applications, it is unnecessary and unproductive. Digital silos are one of the main problems we are trying to solve.”
“If you are already chatting on Teams from your computer or mobile device, we want you to be able to simply click on the Deltapath Talk icon, select the number you want to call, and press a button to connect. We don’t want you to have to switch to another app or device.”
Organizations have created myriad digital silos by adopting new apps to solve problems without paying too much attention to the cumulative effect of multiple disconnected applications.
The pandemic was a further catalyst of digital silos, as a wave of organizations added Microsoft Teams for meetings. As these companies are increasingly dependent on Teams and also beginning to look for cloud calling solutions, separate voice calling applications are being installed, which creates a silo directly within communications systems and contact centers.
Sometimes this silo is not limited to switching applications on a device; not all legacy phone systems can provide voice calling applications. This means employees must use a legacy phone to make and receive calls as no other options are available.
Subscribers to the Microsoft Teams Office 365 E1 and E3 packages can use the platform for meetings, chat, and content sharing, but they must source their own voice capabilities. Again, the result is often the installation of a calling application which does not integrate with Teams, driving a wedge between two popular and closely related functions.
How to Remove Digital Silos
To remove workplace silos, companies can centralize their data, features and functionality onto a single platform and add integrations to reduce app switching.
Microsoft and Google are working to reduce digital silos. Google announced its Rooms updates within Google Chat are aimed at bridging “people, topics, and projects” within Google Workspace.
One way to eliminate silos in communications is to change to a solution which includes voice. For most companies, this will mean getting an E5 subscription or adding phone licences and calling plans to their subscription. There is a step up in cost involved with these options.
Deltapath Talk for Teams is an integration targeting this exact digital silo by integrating voice into Teams. The integration is free for Microsoft 365 E1 and E3 subscribers using Deltapath’s UC or moving onto it.
The voice integration includes a phone book, which can be accessed from within Teams. Furthermore, while you are chatting with somebody in Teams, you can click the Deltapath Talk icon, which will then display that person’s contact numbers so you can quickly initiate a call to them.
Use the Deltapath Talk icon to access a dial pad to dial any number at any time. You are not restricted to a single set of contacts.
It is also possible for organizations using legacy phone systems that cannot connect to Teams to leverage Deltapath as a gateway to connect and give users an integrated experience with voice in Teams.
Liu spoke about a key differentiator of the solution: “Our whole objective is helping customers using other brands. For instance, if you are using Cisco or Mitel, you will be able to connect to Microsoft Teams through a similar integration.
“Even with older Cisco installations, if you do not have the license to connect to Microsoft Teams and use a Webex plugin, you would still be able to benefit from this integration.”
“Our integration benefits organizations differently across all brands.”
If you are interested in learning more about Deltapath Talk for Microsoft Teams or Deltapath’s other solutions, you can visit Deltapath’s website.
