CallTower has made a name for itself as a leader in offering its US customers the widest set of features and highest quality of voice calling through Direct Routing for Microsoft Teams.
Now they are taking their show on the road and enhancing their full technology stack internationally with the launch of local in-country Native Microsoft Teams Direct Routing UCaaS solution.
In May, CallTower announced that their Microsoft Direct Routing solution is now available in over 100 countries, enabling customers to access high quality voice calling for global landline and mobile through their Native Microsoft Office 365 Teams integration. All while keeping the calls local.
This move adds Direct Routing voice calling for Office 365 users in 30 more countries than is available through Microsoft itself. Microsoft does not offer Business Voice outside of the US, UK, and Canada, leaving Direct Routing as the only international solution for phone calling.
Bringing Service Closer to the Customers
Speaking with CallTower’s Chief Revenue Officer William Rubio, he tells UC Today that this launch will enable them to bring not only their high level of voice quality service to the international market, but a wide range of features that US customers have been benefiting from over the past few years. This includes CRM and Contact Center integrations, texting, and support for analog devices like overhead, paging, door buzzers, credit card machines, security gates, and the like. They are also launching a new receptionist console and enhanced call recording within Teams and Azure, adding to their existing package of features.
Powering this new rollout of US-level service is CallTower’s expansion to have a physical presence in a range of global data centers, increasing their proximity to customers for faster, higher quality data services.
These locations include the UK, Germany, Australia, and Singapore. For countries that require a local provider to handle voice calling like India and China, CallTower has teamed up with leading local organisations to offer service in those locations.
Rubio makes the point that CallTower is focused on optimizing service for each location, understanding that every country has its own specifications and requirements in order to offer the best service.
“What might work great for the UK might not work right for China, which might not work right for Australia,” he says, explaining that, “The good thing is that we have options in these locations to offer flexibility and work in the local contexts”
How to Know if Your Solution is Microsoft Native
A key differentiator that CallTower is bringing to its international customers in comparison with much of the competition is that their technology stack is the genuine Native Direct Teams Routing solution.
This is not always the case in the Direct Routing market, where it is not uncommon for providers to offer only a portion of the Microsoft phone system application –– or none of it at all.
In these situations, users can add additional layers of risk, both from a security standpoint as well as from a service one. If the solution is not one supported by Microsoft, then organisations are dependent on their service provider for solving any issues that may arise, so buyer beware.
Rubio offers a few basic tips for users to understand if they are using a solution that is in fact Microsoft Native.
“You can pretty easily identify if you are not using Native Microsoft Teams by if you have to make some of the basic system changes through third-party applications instead of the Office 365 portal,” he says. “If I have to change my call queue, auto attendant, or check my voicemail through different applications, then I know that the solution I’m using is not leveraging the Native Microsoft tech stack.”
My Take
For organisations operating on a global scale, CallTower’s expansion to bring the same level of voice quality and stack of features offers an exciting opportunity to bring all of their locations up to the same standard of service.
By setting up shop closer to where their customers are, CallTower is taking an important step in leveling the playing field and making it even easier for organisations to leverage the full Microsoft Teams technology stack for a stronger business impact.
For more information, visit CallTower to learn more about their Native Direct Teams Routing options in your area.
