Calling All Service Providers! All You Need to Know About the Microsoft Teams Pivot Program with VOSS
September 29, 2022
Tim Jalland, Solution Owner, VOSS Solutions
If you are a Service Provider and running a hosted voice solution – such as Cisco Hosted Collaboration Solution (HCS) – then this post will be relevant to you. Your end customers are exploring their options for cloud voice as they face the fact that these platforms have reached the end of their natural life and are being pushed to alternatives (such as Cisco Webex Cloud). That’s a significant challenge for partners who face increasing customer churn and loss of revenue.
In this blog post I’m sharing details on the Pivot Program, launched this week in conjunction with Microsoft, to help you retain and transition existing customers and attract new business.
What Is the Partner Pivot Program?
In the first phase, the Pivot Program is designed for Cisco HCS Service Provider and Managed Service Provider partners to help them retain – and attain growth – from their existing customers. The program helps these partners pivot their existing customer base to Microsoft’s 365/Teams cloud-based collaboration environment. The Pivot Program includes a range of planning and enablement services, a proven automated migration path to move end customers to the cloud, Microsoft certification (if required), and the VOSS award-winning UC performance management and automation management toolset.
How is Microsoft Involved?
The program was initiated by Microsoft to help partners transition their customers to cloud voice and the award winning Microsoft Teams collaboration platform. Microsoft has selected VOSS as the partner to deliver the program and are providing access to key technical skills, training, certification, assets and resources.
What value does VOSS bring?
VOSS has a multi-vendor automation platform installed at many Cisco HCS partners that allows existing customers to incrementally move across to Microsoft Teams in a phased manner and with minimal disruption. VOSS also has a sophisticated migration toolset and proven experience migrating from Cisco to Microsoft Teams.
For partners interested in this program, the benefits include:
- Retaining & moving customers to Microsoft Teams Phone in a non-disruptive way
- Accelerating the enablement of Microsoft Teams Voice – technical skills & capability
- Consolidating existing platforms to rationalize services, support and license costs
- Increasing efficiency, reducing costs, and relieving the burden on technical staff
- Upselling cloud voice services into customers with existing Microsoft E5 licenses
- Targeting new SMB segments in a fast and profitable way with zero touch administration
- Improving customer engagement & reducing service desk calls with a self-service portal
How Will This Affect Partners’ End Customers?
The program delivers a single and coherent management capability across existing platforms and customers along with a migration pathway to new cloud services. That pathway allows end customers to be moved in a phased migration based on their individual needs, retains customers, and provides a foundation for future growth opportunities.
Many traditional hosted telephony platforms are reaching the end of their natural life. These platforms can be catered for, customers can be moved in a bulk migration program, and costs, licensing and specialist support resources can be reduced or redirected.
Can Partners Use the Program for New Customers?
Customer migration and retention is one goal. The other is to capitalize on new growth opportunities in segments that were previously out of reach. Many small and medium businesses are now adopting Microsoft Teams Phone. Manage this with VOSS, supported by the program to deliver workflows, automation, and self-service that in turn drives a much faster on-boarding process and a significant reduction in day-to-day servicing costs.
Does this Support All the Voice Interconnect Options on Microsoft Teams Phone?
The Pivot program supports all Microsoft Phone options, including Calling Plans, Direct Routing and Operator Connect. These can be freely mixed and matched across customers and within the same customer.
How Does a Partner Get Started on the Program?
Partners will need to nominate a point of contact Business Sponsor and sign up to the program terms and conditions. After that, we will schedule a planning workshop to get started.
What Support Is Available?
During the program enablement phase, the Partner will be working with a VOSS technical team after which they will be in the safe hands of the VOSS customer support team, and with access to a range of resources through the VOSS Customer Portal.
We Are Here to Help
For more information about the Pivot Program, please click here or contact us.
