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Microsoft for healthcare features empowers healthcare providers via Teams

In Microsoft 365, Microsoft Teams
May 18, 2020
3 Min Read
M

Microsoft for healthcare has gained popularity ever since the coronavirus pandemic has taken the rise. Microsoft Teams has benefitted business, academic industry, and other domains while organizations had to impose a work from home policy. On top of that, Microsoft Teams health has benefitted the healthcare industry with its novel solutions for collaborating amongst the healthcare providers.

New capabilities in Microsoft 365 empower healthcare professionals

As the number of confirmed cases increase in the coronavirus dashboard, experts from Microsoft sensed a few needs for better healthcare collaboration amongst the providers and thus has rolled in new capabilities to empower healthcare organizations amidst COVID-19 pandemic with Microsoft Teams health care solutions. Features like very urgent messaging, visit scheduling, contacting the on-shift clinician and other new features are part of Microsoft for healthcare and directly address core challenges that the healthcare providers are facing these days with messaging and health systems.

Empowering the frontline workers and the healthcare sector

To stay informed about the availability of beds and supplies that are running out like masks or ventilators, the experts at Microsoft has created a Healthcare Emergency Response Resource Tracking system. The Microsoft Teams health Emergency Resource Tracking Solution can now be used to manage emergency responses and frontline workers can collect the information via their devices especially with coronavirus dashboard. Then the healthcare leads can take quick decisions in real-time on where to divert the upcoming patients due to scare resources.

The messaging features allow care teams to securely coordinate patient care

Microsoft Teams health solutions include new messaging features including the following capabilities:

  • Secure communication: Teams is end-to-end encrypted and deploys the latest methods of security
  • Priority notifications: This alerts the recipient unless a response is received. The messages are sent every two minutes up to 20 minutes.
  • Message delegation: This allows receipt to delegate messages to another contact, while the original recipient is busy in surgery or unavailable.

Also read: Tips to keep communication services up during covid-19

Enhancements added to healthcare data interoperability

With the growing needs of data handling and digitizing patient data, one of the top priories is the interoperability of data. Microsoft this introduced emerging standards like FHIR in Microsoft for healthcare, to cater for this challenge. Microsoft Team’s health solutions include providing a hub to access digital health records of patients.

MachCloud – The all-in-one platform for collaboration according to modem day collab needs

MachCloud is a robust communication services provisioning platform that empowers businesses with all the tools needed for a modern-day collaboration experience. MachCloud offers MachCloud Solution for Microsoft Teams®, the Microsoft Teams oriented Calling solution with additional solutions like MachCloud, Calling in Teams, and Direct Routing via Microsoft Teams. With a variety of pricing and plans, MachCloud has got one for every type of business.

Head to MachCloud to experience modern-day collaboration with the latest tools and security.

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Will legalization of “work from home” benefit economy?

In Business Communication
May 4, 2020
3 Min Read
W

After the COVID-19 outbreak, all major companies around the world had to enforce a work from home policy. The much hype created on the concept of work from home is now taking to a next level after German Labor and Social Affairs Minister announces that the country plans to present a bill on legalizing working from home as a basic workers’ right, encouraging remote workers throughout the country.

Work from home has been proven to be more productive

The proposal hasn’t come out of the blue.  The concept of Work from home has been popular form quite a while. With entrepreneurs having an option to hire remote working employees, there is a high chance of finding the best fit for a vacancy which wasn’t really possible with geographical restrictions at all times. Besides, it is a good way to cut costs on commuting to work, thereby, saving the worker time and bucks!

Technological advancements fuel speculations on telecommuting becoming a norm

Workplace has now been taken to a next level. Technology has encouraged workers and entrepreneurs to ditch brick and mortar and adopt a virtual workplace that is a workplace of the future in a cost—effective manner.  Many collaborative tools and digital communication services have emerged as essential tools to run any type of business, online or otherwise. Services from Microsoft have been very effective in this domain with products like Teams, Yammer, SharePoint and collaboration between these via Microsoft 365 and much more. It wouldn’t be wrong to state that if such a bill on workers’ right to work from home is passed, technology would prove this decision to be a better one for the benefit of work force and the overall economy.

ALSO READ: Tips to continue process of effective business communication during coronavirus crisis

MachCloud – the all-in-one communication platform for remote workers

MachCloud is equipped with state-of-the-art tools to assist remote workers. The robust platform provides a unique collaboration solutions and communication services that is not only pocket-friendly, but also effective for Team work. MachCloud offers services offered by Microsoft Teams for collaboration with other Microsoft 365 tools for added productive. With MachCloud, employees working from home experience the exact collaborative environment needed for office-based communication. Whether you are Team Lead or any other employee, you can effectively communicate with staff and collaborate on Project files, documents with added features for collaborations like chats, IM, voice notes, @mentions, video conferencing and Calling in Teams.

Get MachCloud for a best in line remote working experience with MachCloud’s wide variety of products to facilitate telecommuting.

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Microsoft 365 | Rebranding Office 365 business plans

In Microsoft 365
April 17, 2020
3 Min Read
M

The news is huge! Microsoft has decided to rebrand Office 365 business plans and name them on Microsoft 365 context, from April 21st, 2020. A few years ago when Microsoft 365 was introduced, its sole purpose was to provide a subscription bundle of Windows 10, Office 365 and Enterprise Mobility + Security. However, recently, Microsoft made an announcement that the tech giant has decided to rebrand a few subscription plans, and introduced a few new plans.

Which plans are affected by this M365 name change?

The flowing plans are affected by this announcement:

  • Office 365 Business and Office 365 Pro Plus

Both of these will be called Microsoft 365 Apps starting 21st April, 2020. To distinguish between the two, Microsoft will continue using “for business” and “for enterprise” as labels

  • Office 365 Business Premium

This will be rebranded Microsoft 365 Business Standard and all occurrences in documentation must be changed accordingly.

  • Office 365 Business Essentials

This plan will now be called as Microsoft 365 Business Basic from 21st April, 2020.

  • Microsoft 365 Business

Even though it is not a part of Office 365 family, Microsoft has announced this would be rebranded as Microsoft 365 Business Premium.

Which plans remain unchanged?

Other than the plans mentioned above, most plans are unaffected by the name change announcement. To give you a clear view you about whether your subscription plan is rebranded or not, take a look at the following list and find it yourself. The following plans have remained unchanged.

Office 365 for Government

  • Office 365 G1
  • Office 365 G3
  • Office 365 G5

Office 365 for Enterprise

  • Office 365 E1
  • Office 365 E3
  • Office 365 E5

Office 365 for Education

  • Office 365 A1
  • Office 365 A3
  • Office 365 A5

Office 365 for First line

  • Office 365 F1

The motivation behind rebranding

The Microsoft officials mentioned in the blogpost, where they announced the rebranding news, that the idea of rebranding is to indicate that Office 365 is not just Word, Excel and PowerPoint that half of the world still believes. Office 365 has grown a lot in the past years with products like Teams, Forms, Stream, and Planner and the name Microsoft 365 is a true depiction of what Office has evolved into, over the years. The officials confirmed that there won’t be any changes for now in price, features or the plans.

MachCloud – the favorite Microsoft 365 Provider for Resellers

If you are in search for a Platform to offer best in line Microsoft 365, look no further. MachCloud offers the best Reselling opportunity for all Office 365 resellers in the market. With better profit margins and a high reliability of services, MachCloud has become the favorite platform for Resellers. It offers basic plans like business plans (which include Business Basic, Business Apps, Business Standard and Business Premium), enterprise plans (which include Enterprise E1, Enterprise ProPlus and Enterprise E3) as well as Add-ons like Business Voice, Phone System and Business Apps. With the addition of delivering telephony services you offer a complete package, all from the MachCloud Portal.

Stay ahead of the curve and get your hands on MachCloud for a smooth and profitable service delivery to your customers.

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Unleash the power of Microsoft Teams with an existing PBX telephone system

In Microsoft Teams
March 9, 2020
4 Min Read
U

Microsoft Teams is the next generation of collaboration tools for the modern workplace. When migrating to Microsoft Teams you do not want to sacrifice important PBX features. Until MachCloud Solution for Microsoft Teams, integrated support in Microsoft Teams for an existing PBX was not available such as retaining your existing phone number and dial by extension.

Introducing MachCloud Solution for Microsoft Teams, a fully automated service for calling in Microsoft Teams, while maintaining your existing PBX. MachCloud Solution for Microsoft Teams works in minutes without PBX migration or phone number porting.

MachCloud Solution for Microsoft Teams benefits

You should consider all Microsoft Teams limitations before migrating. There is no coexistence between Microsoft Teams and third party PBX. The only option you have is to fully migrate and accepting all limitations, or simply continue to use two separated platforms. The biggest advantage of MachCloud Solution for Microsoft Teams is that you can maintain your existing PBX and don’t have to compromise on functionality. You can continue to use your existing number plan with dial by extension. MachCloud Solution for Microsoft Teams also integrated fixed and mobile devices, allowing the caller to dial out using the company main phone number directly from the Microsoft Teams smartphone app. Another great feature is that when a Microsoft Teams user is unavailable the call can be forwarded to any group, extension or to the receptionist.

How does it work?

Microsoft Teams user is linked to an existing PBX extension for example 201. The username, password, and extension (201) of the user is entered in the self-service web portal. MachCloud’s geo-redundant platform ensures that the fixed device at the workplace is replaced by the Microsoft Teams user smartphone.

Teams Voice PBX Integrations - MachCloud

It is not required to migrate all PBX users simultaneously to Microsoft Teams. Users who are not ready simply continue to use the PBX system as before. Important to know is that MachCloud Solution for Microsoft Teams does not make any changes to the PBX configuration, SIP trunk or external telephone numbers.

Call function comparison of Microsoft Teams and MachCloud Solution for Microsoft Teams?

Microsoft Teams built-in PBX functions are limited and by far the most important reason why companies do not consider migrating. A short comparison:

Features and options

Microsoft Teams

MachCloud Solution for Microsoft Teams

Advanced PBX functions such as multi-level hunt groups

Not available

Available

Easy sign-in sign-out for hunt groups  

Not available

Available

Use of a single telephone number block

Not available

Available

Back-up routing, in case Microsoft Teams users are unavailable

Not available

Available

Easy migration without number porting or replacing SIP trunks

Not available

Available

Keep existing call routing plan and extensions in place

Not available

Available

Flexible number presentation when making calls

Not available

Available

What licenses are required?

To start using MachCloud Solution for Microsoft Teams the following Microsoft licenses are required:

Direct Routing connection

 MachCloud Direct Routing Connector, you can choose any Microsoft license:

For instance: Microsoft Office 365 E1, Microsoft Business Basic, etc.

Microsoft Teams User

MachCloud User license for Microsoft Teams. You can choose out of these Microsoft licenses:

  • Office 365 E1  + Phone System
  • Office 365 E3  + Phone System
  • Office 365 E5  (Phone System included)
  • Microsoft 365 Business Basic + Business Voice (without calling plan)
  • Microsoft 365 Business Standard + Business Voice (without calling plan)
  • Microsoft 365 Business Premium + Business Voice (without calling plan)
  • Microsoft 365 Enterprise E3 + Business Voice (without calling plan)
  • Microsoft 365 Enterprise E5  (Business Voice included)

What does it cost?

  • MachCloud Solution for Microsoft Teams licensing cost is calculated per user per month. Contact your service provider or MachCloud for more information and pricing.
  • Direct Routing between Microsoft tenant and MachCloud requires one Microsoft user license (take any license you want) and one MachCloud Direct Routing Connector license.
  • The connection between Microsoft Teams User and MachCloud Telephony network requires one MachCloud User license for Microsoft Teams.
  • Microsoft requires each Teams user to have a Phone System addon (Office 365) license or Business Voice addon (Microsoft 365) license.
  • MachCloud partner will be responsible for charging the end-user (customer). A detailed report of existing accounts will be available in the self-service web portal.
  • The existing calling plan and PBX remain unchanged. MachCloud calling plan or cloud PBX is optional and not included.
  • Prices do not include sales tax (vat) where applicable.

What are the prerequisites?

  • Extension numbers can be 2, 3, 4 or 5 digits long, with the exception of 100-199.
  • The Microsoft Teams user can only make and receive calls. All other functions are provided by the existing PBX system.
  • After successfully registering and purchasing MachCloud Solution for Microsoft Teams licenses you will have access to the self-service web portal for configuring Microsoft Teams call settings.
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The essential guide to SIP trunking Pros and Cons

In SIP Trunking
March 20, 2019
4 Min Read
T

Entrepreneurs who are familiar with enterprise phone systems know how SIP Trunking pros and cons since SIP trunking are trending in the market. In fact, the phone connections which include physical lines connected to a PBX are now replaced with IP based connections in most of the enterprises and most organizations are now opting for SIP trunks because it is high-time entrepreneurs take decisions to switch to the technology of the future for their cloud business.

Before implementing any new technology into the organization, it is important to know SIP trunking Pros and cons and does a cost-benefit analysis. Today in this blog post, we tell you about various advantages you get while opting for SIP trunking and other drawbacks that are important to know so that you are prepared for the unwanted.

SIP Trunking Cons

The cost of implementation

By opting for SIP trunking, there is not only a cost of implementation, but there are recurring costs too. There are monthly subscriptions with variable costs. Some of the costs billing is directly proportional to the amount volume of costs, the more the calls, the higher would be the bill.

Maintenance requirements

Another drawback is the maintenance requirement for on-premise setups. There are two ways to tackle this, either employ experts for decent maintenance over time or opt for companies who outsource maintenance services, both can become expensive one way or another.

Advanced planning required

You need to research more before you actually get landed on the most optimal solution for your organization. The decisions like the architecture of SIP, centralized versus distributed, plans about capacity, peak traffic estimates, network load etc. and the important aspect of security have to be made within the organization.

SIP Trunking Pros

The cut-down costs

While the cost is viewed as a drawback, most enterprises look to it as a benefit. Taken a decade into account, the overall costs of SIP trunks are less as compared to other technologies like VoIP in ten years. In other words, they have a promising effect on the company finances over a longer period of time.

Customizability

One of the major SIP trunking pros include the factor of high customization that is not found in hosted services other than SIP trunks. With this option, cloud business can now choose to control options like upgrade options, security updates, latest patches and many more, all this without the involvement of an external vendor.

Productivity

SIP trunking, along with Unified communication, give the benefit of increased productivity. There is more collaboration and access to customers and partners saves time on collaborative projects.

MachCloud: The promising SIP trunking solution for your Cloud Business

MachCloud is your gateway to excel in Service management and Communication delivery. With offerings like services from Microsoft 365, Skype4B, SIP Trunking and Hosted Voice, MachCloud is the most promising Office 365 Services and SIP trunking provider in market for your cloud business.

Major services offered by this revolutionized platform include: Office 365 on Boarding, Office 365 Migration and Office 365 Admin as service. CSPs can start selling Office 365 & VOIP Services by Partnering as a Private Label partner or a Trusted Advisor. With best experts form the industry on board, MachCloud gives excellent customer support and technical assistance at any point of time. The Self-service control panel works wonders which offers premium office 365 experience.

There are many flexible plans to choose from this multinational cloud platform. It also offers trusted infrastructural deployment with the best architects in the market. With this approach, things are managed proactively and delivered seamlessly. It’s the next level agile platform that meets your current and future cloud business needs. Here’s your chance to take the most promising services and implement them on your cloud business.

 

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