Bring a better Mobile Calling Experience, SMS, fax, and more into your Microsoft Teams apps – No Teams Phone license required!

The broadest set of telephony integrations in UCaaS - Get the flexibility to embed RingCentral where you work or to make your Microsoft 365 apps even more powerful.

Microsoft-certified Contact Center – Maximize agent productivity by integrating RingCentral’s Microsoft-certified Contact Center right into Microsoft Teams.

Advanced call analytics – no Microsoft Power BI license needed – RingCentral’s analytics empower you to build reports from templates, customize them for your needs, and share them with anyone. No data science degree or costly PowerBI license required.

Let’s talk about integrating Teams and RingCentral for better, faster business performance. Contact CTS today at 800.787.4848 or jnolte@ctsmd.us.

News You Can Use: Act Now + Apply for Maryland’s Business Telework Assistance Grant Program

The Maryland Department of Commerce has funds available to help businesses across the state expand telework capabilities for their employees.

The Business Telework Assistance Grant Program provides grants of up to $25,000 to help businesses purchase the equipment necessary to develop and implement telework policies, including hardware, software, and technical services. 

To be eligible, businesses must have a physical location in the state, be in good standing, and be in the process of developing a telework policy that conforms to the best practices established by the Office of Telework Assistance.

CISA and the National Security Agency (NSA) have released five joint Cybersecurity Information Sheets to provide organizations with recommended best practices and/or mitigations to improve the security of their cloud environments.

CISA and NSA encourage all organizations to review the practices and implement the mitigations provided to help strengthen their cloud security.

Contact CTS today at 800.787.4848 or jnolte@ctsmd.us.

New Federal legislation has been proposed to strengthen consumer protections in the face of evolving Robocall technology and Text scam practices – The Do Not Disturb Act (H.R. 7116).

Contact CTS today at 800.787.4848 or jnolte@ctsmd.us.

The university experience has been transformed by recent events and the rising prevalence of remote learning, and it will only continue to evolve as technology advances. Here are the top ways unified communications and collaboration solutions will benefit higher education in the coming academic year.

1. Improved Campus Safety and Emergency Response – The safety of students, faculty, and staff is vital on and off campus. UC solutions go beyond emergency call boxes by integrating notifications, video surveillance, and mass communications. Administrators can quickly disseminate critical information during emergencies, facilitating swift response and evacuation procedures. UC enables mass notifications on various channels: students on their phones, professors on their laptops, and facilities staff on their walkie-talkies. With additional features like geofencing, messages can be sent using location information for targeted on- and off-campus alerts.

2. Streamlined Admissions and Enrollment Processes – Admissions and registration are two of the most essential functions of universities and colleges. UC tools enable institutions to connect with prospective students and conduct remote interviews, eliminating geographical barriers and saving time and resources. Online registration helps students enroll in the classes they want while streamlining scheduling. The seamless integration of UC technology into administrative systems and apps simplifies behind-the-scenes tasks like scheduling and managing financial aid. Virtual assistants quickly answer routine student questions, transferring more complicated cases to human agents. AI analytics provide insights to accelerate decision-making and improve the overall admissions experience.

3. Better Remote and Hybrid Learning Models – Even though students have returned to the campus, remote and hybrid models still play a pivotal role in making education more accessible to everyone. With conferencing capabilities, virtual classrooms, and digital collaboration tools, UC systems allow students and instructors to engage in interactive and immersive learning experiences regardless of physical location. Whether collectively editing a shared document or planning a presentation on a video call, students can efficiently work together. Staff and faculty can connect from multiple campus sites to coordinate research, manage course sections, or update grades.

4. Relief of Financial Pressures – Operational costs are rising for universities and colleges, even as public funding becomes tighter. Balancing budgets while providing high-quality instruction and maintaining innovative research programs is a significant challenge for many educational institutions. Institutions can make the most of their investments with cost-effective collaboration technology that integrates with their existing systems and applications like Microsoft Teams. Another way organizations can benefit from quality products and competitive pricing is by participating in a cooperative purchasing agreement like SourceWell’s contract with Mitel.

5. Real-time Technological Advances – Colleges and universities, especially research institutions, are expected to be cradles of knowledge and innovation, so keeping up with the rapid pace of technological advancement is crucial. They must continually update their infrastructure, educational tools, and teaching methods to keep pace with emerging technologies like artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and online learning platforms. Subscription-based UC models can be updated easily, so IT administrators can rest assured that their systems are always running the newest technology.

CTS and Mitel offer educational institutions the technological tools to facilitate connections between students, faculty, and staff. With customizable, scalable options, Mitel’s award-winning UC solutions increase productivity, enhance safety, and maximize IT investments for educational organizations of all sizes.

Contact one of our educational experts today at 800.787.4848 or email: jnolte@ctsmd.us.

Know someone grappling with their Remote or Hybrid Workforce? Moving or looking for a new phone system? A friend who needs faster broadband or Wi-Fi? A business partner who wants to add Video Meeting tools?

Tell us about it... Just mention the "Newsletter Referral Program" when you contact us – we'll take care of the rest. CTS rewards you with $250 when we get their business. And there's no paperwork hassle or hoops to jump through.

Contact us with your sales tip at: 800.787.4848 or jnolte@ctsmd.us.