Webinar recap: Zoom ahead of the competition with UC, contact center and AI

True to the brand name, Zoom is a master of acceleration. As of August 2022, the supplier’s Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) platform, Zoom Phone, went from zero to 6 million users in 4 years.“We grew it to a complete PBX replacement in a short amount of time,” Eric Truax, a channel solutions engineer for Zoom, said during a webinar co-hosted by Zoom and Stratosphere Networks. “We did that by being innovative and by listening to feedback.”

During the July 27 webinar, Truax discussed the business benefits of deploying Zoom’s cloud communication solutions – including Zoom Phone, Zoom Contact Center, and Zoom Virtual Agent. If you want to modernize your company’s operations with agile and innovative software, here are some highlights from the webinar that you should find useful.

Zoom Phone: Migrating traditional PBX functionality to the cloud

Zoom’s UCaaS offering is a modern phone solution that includes all the traditional PBX services and features (such as making and taking calls and digit dialing) in a cloud-delivered platform. Zoom Phone offers domestic and international PSTN as well as seamless workflow with Zoom meetings.

One of the most notable benefits of the solution is its centralized management, with a single point of administration for managing features like analytics and reporting, auto attendant, and so on.

“We’re able to provide a single pane of glass as an administration point for all your phone needs,” Truax said. “That’s one of the most powerful tools.”

Other key Zoom Phone benefits and features include but are not limited to the following:

High-level security and reliability

• End-to-end encryption (TLS 1.2)
• Secure HD voice
• Globally distributed data centers
• Quality of service delivered via adaptive rate codec

A robust hardware ecosystem

• Various options including handsets and analog devices
• Desk phones natively integrated into Zoom
• Paging integration

Compliance with regulations like GDPR

Easy to scale via simple licensing changes

• Able to meet the needs of 5 users or 50,000

Continual updates via Zoom’s engineering and operations teams

999 percent availability guaranteed via SLA

• Less than one hour of downtime per year

Ongoing innovation due to Zoom’s agile mindset

Extendibility and hundreds of integrations (e.g., Salesforce)

Video-first architecture

Global footprint

• Phone service delivered anywhere in the world with internet access

Native PSTN phone service in 47 countries

• Provider exchange and bring-your-own-carrier (BYOC) phone service options for countries without native Zoom phone service

Note: Stratosphere Networks is a Zoom Phone Certified Integrator, meaning we can add value to your Zoom environment by assisting with design, deployment, solution management, and white-glove project management services.

Zoom Contact Center and Zoom Virtual Agent: Creating a seamless customer experience

Calling a service provider who doesn’t have easy access to all your information can be a frustrating experience. Zoom’s Contact Center as a Service (CCaaS) solution allows businesses to avoid that type of blunder with an omnichannel platform that lays the groundwork for seamless customer journeys. The cloud-native software allows agents to deliver highly personalized service via various channels. It’s optimized for video, has advanced routing capabilities, and includes intelligent self-service functionality.

All customer interactions are tracked to facilitate continuous conversations. For example, if someone starts out looking at your website, participates in a web chat session, and then calls your company, the agent they talk to will know what they originally asked about via web chat.

“That’s where we keep customers for life, because of all that information being brought across,” Truax said. “They feel taken care of and connected with us. That’s what Zoom Contact Center’s goal is.”

The solution also serves as a single platform for UC and contact center. Once you have the proper licensing, you can access Zoom Contact Center via the same pane of glass you rely on to access other Zoom solutions like Phone and Meetings.

“We put the effort in to be the absolute best solution you can find,” Truax said.

To further enhance the customer and employee experiences, the AI-powered Zoom Virtual Agent leverages a chatbot mechanism to optimize workflows like checking order status and resetting passwords, providing answers to routine inquiries in milliseconds. The Virtual Agent integrates with Zoom Contact Center to maximize productivity and ensure your customers receive prompt service.

During the webinar, Joe Williams, a senior vice president of advisory services for Stratosphere Networks, also gave an overview of Stratosphere’s history and services. With over 20 years of IT and telecom experience, the technology advisory firm’s team helps businesses find solutions that meet their unique needs. With an extensive partner network full of best-in-class suppliers like Zoom and access to advanced tools for generating detailed comparison matrices, Stratosphere saves business leaders dozens of hours by doing the homework for them and empowering them to transform with confidence.

To learn more about Zoom and explore your technology options, connect with our consultants today by calling 877-599-3999 or emailing sales@stratospherenetworks.com.