In a recent interview with SmartCom Summit’s Rob Kurver, Dawn-Marie Elder of SIPPIO discussed the impressive growth of Microsoft as a UCaaS (Unified Communications as a Service) player. According to Elder, “I don’t think I saw it coming back in the mid 2000s when they entered the cloud space, but it doesn’t surprise me at all because it makes sense that if you are doing file share and collaboration and instant messaging and all the other things that Teams does, you would naturally bring the voice into that so that end users can really modernize their work experience and have One-Stop shopping for everything that they need to do their daily work and be productive.”

The pandemic has also played a role in the growth of Microsoft Teams, as it has changed the way people work and communicate online. Elder remarked, “I think it made people give up some of their old habits and look for new ways of working to work more efficiently. If the pandemic hadn’t happened, it probably just would have continued on a steady course, but not have the spikes that it has right now.”

Opportunities for Service Providers and Carriers

When asked about the opportunities presented to existing players or new entrants in the industry, Elder emphasized the importance of the customer experience and how service providers can differentiate themselves by focusing on the customer journey and helping users modernize their experience with Microsoft Teams. She stated, “I think that the service providers really need to think about how are they going to change the conversation and it be less about feature and functionality and more about how are they going to help that customer on their journey.”

In addition to existing players, carriers and mobile operators also have the opportunity to enter the UCaaS market and provide next-generation telephony services to their customers. However, Elder cautioned that in order to be successful in this new role, traditional providers will need to consider things they may not have in the past, such as the user experience and engagement, in order to truly fulfill the needs of their customers and ensure that they are heard directly rather than just being a part of a corporate contract.

SIPPIO: An Operator Connect Acceleration Partner

SIPPIO is a company that helps service providers accelerate their adoption of Microsoft Teams as a communication and collaboration platform. As an Operator Connect Acceleration Partner, SIPPIO works with service providers to implement and optimize Microsoft Teams for their customers, with a focus on improving the user experience and driving adoption of the platform.

Conclusion

Microsoft’s growth as a UCaaS player is a testament to the success of its collaboration platform, Microsoft Teams. The pandemic has played a role in the platform’s growth, as it has prompted people to embrace new ways of working and communicating online. Service providers and carriers looking to enter the UCaaS market have the opportunity to differentiate themselves by prioritizing the customer experience and focusing on the customer journey. SIPPIO is a valuable partner for service providers looking to adopt and optimize Microsoft Teams, offering a range of professional services, training, and solutions to help drive adoption of the platform.