OFFICE 365 CLOUD VOICE

Transcription

1 July 2016 I n f l u e n ce and insight t h ro u g h social media 5 Key Considerations When Choosing Technology for Use with OFFICE 365 CLOUD VOICE W H I T E P A P E R Prepared by Zeus Kerravala ZK Research A Division of Kerravala Consulting 2016 ZK Research

2 ZK RESEARCH 5 Key Considerations When Choosing Technology ZK RESEARCH for Use with Office Report 365 Title Cloud Goes Voice Here ABOUT THE AUTHOR Zeus Kerravala is the founder and principal analyst with ZK Research. Kerravala provides tactical advice and strategic guidance to help his clients in both the current business climate and the long term. He delivers research and insight to the following constituents: end-user IT and network managers; vendors of IT hardware, software and services; and members of the financial community looking to invest in the companies that he covers. Over the past few years, Microsoft Skype for Business has shifted from being used primarily for chat and presence to becoming a broad-based unified communications (UC) platform. One of the fastest-growing features in Skype for Business is the enterprise voice capability. The ZK Research 2016 Unified Communications Survey shows that 40% of Skype for Business customers are now using the platform for voice (Exhibit 1). Many of these customers are now considering complementing the deployment with or shifting to Microsoft s cloud suite, Office 365. Despite the rise in other forms of communication, such as text messaging and chat, voice calling remains the most commonly used form of communications in the workplace. Office 365 is Microsoft s productivity cloud platform that includes the Office suite as well as several other collaboration tools. Office 365 cloud voice puts full PBX functionality into the cloud, enabling customers to have the rich Skype for Business experience without having to deploy premises-based infrastructure. When migrating to Office 365 cloud voice, customers must evaluate whether their existing audio devices are compatible or whether new technology may be needed. Exhibit 1: Skype for Business Is Now Often Used for Voice Percentage of Respondents Which Microsoft Skype for Business/Lync features are you currently using? % 71% 6% 40% 35% 12% 0 IM/ Presence Web Conferencing Audio Conferencing Enterprise Voice Desktop Video Room Video ZK Research 2016 Unified Communications Survey Here are five key considerations when choosing technology for use with Office 365 cloud voice: 1. Can t we just use headsets? Conceptually, it makes sense that one could plug a headset into a laptop and use the headset and a soft client for all the calls. However, there are a number of issues to consider. The first is headset fatigue. Wearing a headset all day long 2

3 Customers should consider the different scenarios and environments where voice calls are made and ensure the technology used is compatible. can fatigue users who are not accustomed to it. Another issue is managing the headset. If it s a Bluetooth device, then it needs to be charged. After a few long conference calls, the battery will be drained, which means the worker can t use it again until it s charged. Also, if the PC needs to reboot, calls can t be made until it s finished going through that cycle. Headsets are a great complement to a physical phone and many users may prefer them, but they can t replace it in every use case. 2. Beyond the desktop, what about conference rooms? Customers should consider the different scenarios and environments where voice calls are made and ensure the technology used is compatible. These include: All forms of desktop users including IP phones, USB phones and other alternatives to a headset Huddle rooms Conference rooms Installed audio systems for large conference rooms, boardrooms and classrooms 3. You may be thinking about a voice deployment now, but what about video? More and more people are using video on a daily basis, and businesses should include it in their plans. Like voice, video comes in many flavors, and all of them need to be considered: Desktop video: Users may choose to make Office 365 video calls from their soft client, and the choice of vendor can make a big difference in quality and experience. For example, Polycom s Better Together over Ethernet feature on VVX phones supports both call control and media path. Media path support means that if the laptop or PC has typical audio I/O (or none at all), the worker can use the superior audio I/O of the VVX phone instead of the PC s built-in audio, which is typically very low quality. Huddle rooms and conference rooms: Businesses should consider in which rooms video should be placed to complement the conference phone and maximize collaboration with video and content sharing. Organizations should look for a partner that offers a broad line of solutions. For example, Polycom has a range of solutions to choose from, including Polycom RealPresence Group Series, CX5500 Unified Conference Stations and RealPresence Trio. 3

4 Interoperability with existing video systems: Most businesses have existing video solutions, and they should choose a solution provider that can connect Microsoft video to leading vendors such as Polycom and Cisco. Polycom RealConnect is the only interoperability solution qualified to work with Microsoft. 91% of users today use Skype for Business for IM and presence. 4. What other features should be considered? Below is a list of other important features to consider: Calendar integration and pop-up reminders for scheduled Office 365 conference calls: This feature will delight users the first time they see it on their phone after upgrading from an older PBX. The ability to mute far-end participants when on a conference call: This can eliminate issues such as when far-end participants put the call on hold and music starts playing, or when a cell phone caller has too much background noise. Using Skype for Business for IM and presence: 91% of users today use Skype for Business for IM and presence. Naturally, extending the presence information of favorite contacts to a worker s phone boosts team productivity and differentiates the Office 365 phone s UC experience from that of the traditional PBX phone. Using favorites with contact cards makes it easy for users to see when and how to connect to one of their frequently called team members. For example, if a coworker s status is away, an employee can use the coworker s contact card on the phone to dial his/her mobile number. Optional expansion modules: Workers who fulfill the role of a department receptionist may want expansion modules to help see who is available, away or on a call at a glance. Color expansion modules combined with flexible line key contacts placement help organize and expand contacts beyond the lines available on the phone itself. Boss/admin feature: Executives typically have administrative assistants who place and screen calls for them. Intercom and paging: If these PBX-type features are important to a business, the company must be sure to ask whether its phone vendor supports them. Polycom VVX phones can support features like these that are not directly supported in the Office 365 cloud PBX today. 4

5 Support for music on hold: Some third-party interoperable phones have it and some don t. Providing music while on hold lets the far-end caller know that he or she was not accidently hung up on. Noise-canceling technology: Work environments are changing, and many open-office environments are very noisy. Businesses should choose vendors that have features that make it easy for far-end callers to hear and understand call participants if they are talking in an office with a lot of background noise. Polycom s Acoustic Fence is an example of such a feature. 5. What does it sound like? The only way to understand sound quality is to participate in a live demonstration and experience it in person. No vendor can explain this through a presentation. Businesses should have a demonstration or do a small-scale trial to evaluate the phone experience. A phone call might be a customer s first point of contact with a company; therefore, the quality of the phone experience says something about the business. Companies should not ruin the impression of their business by purchasing the cheapest quality phone. They should give customers the best possible experience. CONTACT zeus@zkresearch.com Cell: Office: ZK Research: A Division of Kerravala Consulting All rights reserved. Reproduction or redistribution in any form without the express prior permission of ZK Research is expressly prohibited. For questions, comments or further information, zeus@zkresearch.com. 5