Businesses leveraging both 8×8 and Microsoft Teams can now more tightly integrate the two platforms, streamlining communication workflows and enhancing customer experience. 8×8 offers a Contact Center solution specifically designed for Microsoft Teams, providing a unified platform for agents and improved collaboration capabilities.
Bridging the Gap: 8×8 and Microsoft Teams Integration
The integration addresses a common scenario where organizations have already invested in 8×8’s Voice over IP (VoIP), unified communications, or contact center solutions but have also adopted Microsoft Teams for meetings and collaboration. Rather than forcing a complete migration to Teams Phone, 8×8 provides multiple pathways to connect the two systems, catering to different organizational needs and levels of integration desired. According to 8×8, they currently support over 500,000 Teams users.
Three Integration Scenarios
8×8 outlines three core methods for integrating with Microsoft Teams. The first, and most basic, involves using the 8×8 phone app within Microsoft Teams. This approach is geared towards users who require fundamental calling functionality directly within Teams without the full suite of features offered by 8×8 Voice for Teams. It’s a lightweight solution ideal for organizations wanting simple access to 8×8 calling features without the complexity of Direct Routing or a complete platform shift.
To utilize the 8×8 phone app, organizations need an 8×8 X Series subscription (X2 or higher is recommended) and a valid Microsoft Teams license. This method provides a stepping stone for organizations hesitant to fully commit to a deeper integration.
Deeper Integration: 8×8 Voice for Teams
Beyond the basic app integration, 8×8 offers a more comprehensive solution: 8×8 Voice for Teams. This leverages Microsoft’s Direct Routing service, allowing 8×8 calling to be natively integrated into the Teams environment. This provides a richer experience, enabling features like skills-based routing with real-time Teams user presence, meaning calls can be intelligently directed to the most appropriate agent based on their skills and current status within Teams. This deeper integration allows agents to quickly connect and collaborate with experts to resolve customer issues more efficiently.
Omnichannel Contact Center Capabilities
The 8×8 Contact Center for Microsoft Teams goes further, offering a full suite of omnichannel contact center functionality directly within Teams. This includes features like two-way chat from both the 8×8 Agent Workspace and Microsoft Teams, as well as full reporting and analytics into call quality, performance metrics, activity history, and speech analytics. The solution is Microsoft Teams-certified and supports unlimited voice calling to 48 countries.
Key Benefits of Integration
8×8 highlights several key benefits of integrating its platform with Microsoft Teams. These include improved agent efficiency through seamless access to organizational resources via Teams calling, chat, and presence. The integration also enhances customer experience (CX) with AI-powered tools such as Intelligent Customer Assistant, Quality Management, and Interaction Analytics. Skills-based routing ensures customers are connected with the right agent the first time, and on-net transfers to experts help optimize costs.
From an administrative perspective, 8×8 emphasizes the simplicity of its solution. The cloud-based portal reduces complexity by eliminating the need for on-premises Session Border Controllers (SBCs), SIP Trunk configuration, or PowerShell scripts.
Compliance and Security
Regulatory compliance is also addressed through 8×8 Call Recording, providing a mechanism for organizations to meet recording requirements. The solution is designed to support various compliance initiatives.
Integration with Existing Systems
8×8 Contact Center for Microsoft Teams integrates with popular Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems, including Dynamics 365, Salesforce, Zendesk, and ServiceNow, further streamlining workflows and providing agents with a unified view of customer information.
Looking Ahead
The integration of 8×8 and Microsoft Teams reflects a broader trend towards unified communications, where organizations seek to consolidate their communication tools into a single, seamless platform. By offering multiple integration options, 8×8 caters to a diverse range of customer needs and allows organizations to adopt the level of integration that best suits their specific requirements. As Microsoft Teams continues to gain adoption, integrations like this will become increasingly important for businesses looking to maximize their investment in both platforms.
