When government agencies, schools and universities think about mass notification systems, the safety of the public or student body is usually the primary benefit they consider. But safety is only the tip of the iceberg. A sophisticated unified communications system that delivers robust mass notifications also improves productivity, interactions and agility.
When officials need to connect to the right people at the right time, notifications must be simple to craft and disseminate, with the option to send out messages to select groups of people across multiple devices. Staff, students and parents are demanding. They expect to be informed of events in real-time and through their preferred channels. The antiquated methods of phone chains and even website or social media posts no longer make the grade.
Mass notification systems yield big returns The good news is unified communications technology has advanced to the point where mass notification systems can meet these elevated expectations..

At Mitel, we’re fortunate to work with an incredible partner community full of deep, diverse expertise. So, each month, we’re going to share some of that expertise by highlighting partner blog posts about the business communications topics relevant to modern IT pros.
Today's Business Phone Systems Aren't One-Size-Fits-All By Marco
When it comes to your business, there are certain things that set your company and its workforce apart from the competition and the rest of your industry as a whole. Perhaps you proudly boast a mobile workforce that is always on the go. Or maybe you revel in conducting most of your work from your office space. Whatever it is, your business is unique and deserving of a business phone system that matches it.
Read the post. >
4 Problems Retailers Can Solve with Better Inventory Management By CDW
Recently, I drove to a large, brick-and-mortar bookstore in search of a specific novel. Although the book was on best-seller lists only a few years ago, t..

As a generation bitten by the travel bug, Millennials are an attractive target market for the hospitality industry. But as a fully digital and mobile generation, they’re also something of a challenge. Besides having high expectations for seamless, personalized service, Millennials orchestrate every aspect of their lives through their smartphones.
To create the kind of experience that builds their loyalty and earns high ratings on travel web sites, hotels must deliver sophisticated digital and mobile concierge services throughout a Millennial traveler’s stay—and especially pay attention to “the little things.” At the heart of this idea is a mobile app that’s fully integrated with your communications technology and property management system.
Consider, for example, the numerous touchpoints – and the revenue-generating opportunities – of the typical Millennial’s visit. While still en route to your hotel, they use your app to check in – and accept your offer of a room upgrade. Because yo..

In the quest to deliver a more personalized customer experience, businesses have found an unlikely ally in machines. From tiny sensors to artificially intelligent contact centers, machine-based technologies can help businesses better understand, serve and communicate with their customers.
This white paper, based on a recent survey conducted across six countries and 2,500 IT decision-makers, discovers businesses almost universally see machine-based technologies as a significant value-add in delivering a more personalized customer experience.
See an excerpt below or download the entire white paper.
Customer Experience Is King Every business believes they offer something unique to their customers that differentiates them in the marketplace, whether it’s a patented product or a specialized service. Yet, increasingly, the key differentiator for companies isn’t simply what product or service they deliver, but how they deliver it.
In a world where online storefronts can be launched in we..

With so much change in the communications and collaboration industry, it’s no surprise that people are hungry for information, and we’re excited that more and more of you are coming to our blog to get it. For those who want to see some of the year’s highlights, here are our most visited posts for 2017 and the top trends to look forward to in 2018.
Most Visited Post #1: 5 Essential Business Phone Headset Etiquette Rules for Work Basic headset etiquette is important for a well-functioning workplace, so we’ve taken it upon ourselves to put these basic rules down in ink (or in this case, pixels). Feel free to pass them around your office—especially if you have any chronic offenders. Your coworkers will thank you.
Go to the post >
Post #2: 10 Perfectly Organized Server Rooms & Cable Closets That Will Make OCD IT Pros Smile Taming server rooms and cable closets is a daunting task, and doing it well is as much art as science. In fact, the results of a well-organized setup often end up look..

There’s lots of buzz around the cloud these days and cloud communications is no exception. But buzz isn’t always an indicator of a business case for technology purchases. Smart businesses are asking what’s driving the rush to the cloud—and they’re getting solid answers. So why are so many businesses moving communications to the cloud today? Here are 10 real-world reasons.
1. Cost Predictable monthly costs. This may seem like old news, but many companies don’t realize just how much they can save by moving their communications to the cloud. By hosting a phone system over the Internet, businesses are charged on an “as needed” basis, paying only for what they use. That makes cloud-based communication systems especially cost-effective for small businesses—eliminating the need to pay for the installation and maintenance of a traditional phone system.
2. Management Outsource IT support to the provider. The management of an on-site solution can be very expensive. Because of the complexity of..

Once long ago, hotels, motels and other hospitality businesses occupied a fairly simple space in people’s lives—they were a place for guests to lay their heads away from home. But anyone who’s spent time in the hospitality industry in the last several years knows that the role of technology in hospitality businesses has drastically expanded.
In many cases, they’re becoming hubs of activity unto themselves. Most of this activity relies directly or indirectly on technology, making IT more important to hotel operations and the guest experience than ever before.
So we’re here to share ten of the top communication technology trends in hospitality today. Check them out. Think about which ones make sense for your business. And if you see an opportunity, you can get out in front and begin planning accordingly. After all, in hospitality, every advantage counts.
1. Mobile device as door key It’s fascinating that a function as simple as a door key could undergo so much evolution. But the tool ..

We saw a lot of changes to the call center and customer experience landscape in 2017. Cloud communications and virtual agents were on the forefront of everyone’s minds, and social media was more important than ever. 2018 is shaping up to be the year of strategic thinking: better analytics, more intentional social media conversations and innovative ways to involve artificial intelligence. To help you stay on target for 2018, we’ve identified nine of the most influential trends affecting centers so far.
1. Digital transformation Businesses have always tried to differentiate themselves on price or product quality. Today, however, we’re seeing that customers are more frequently looking for something more: a rewarding experience that leads to a long-lasting relationship with a business. Customer interactions are no longer stand-alone activities, and customers are demanding a more comprehensive and consistent experience.
Digital transformation, the application of advanced technologies that..

Who knew a punctuation mark could be so controversial? Yet, the simple period has sparked much discussion in contact centers. What’s all the buzz about?
As contact centers use SMS and web chat more frequently to connect with customers, agents must take care to craft messages that fit their company’s style and tone. However, new communication channels are often open to misinterpretation. So, even grammar can be an issue.
Case in point: The period, which has been the subject of some debate. Some argue that in text messages and chat sessions, this simple punctuation mark presents a cold, aggressive tone. Using it at the end of casual text messages is perceived as insincere and communicates a sense of finality, as in: “this conversation is over.” For many grammar diehards, however, the period is a staple of propriety and excluding it is simply, well, incorrect.
So how do you set the right standards for the text and chat conversations your contact center reps have with customers? It dep..

Consumers are ramping up their adoption of the Internet of Things (IoT). Sales of smart devices like the Amazon Echo sound system and intelligent thermostats and lamps are on the rise, with Gartner predicting there will be 8.4 billion connected “things” in 2017, up 30% over 2016.
All this points to IoT use becoming a priority for businesses over the next several years. With the ability to collect data about how, where and when consumers use products and services, these technologies are poised to usher in a new era of customer experience. Consider these five examples.
1. More Personalized Service With IoT, businesses will collect more detailed data about how individual customers use their products. Amazon already enables customers to easily re-order products with the push of a button, and both LG and Samsung have introduced smart refrigerators that allow consumers to view their contents via an app.
While this is useful for planning grocery store runs, IoT can personalize the customer..