We recently surveyed a thousand people to find out how many communications apps and tools they used. More than four in ten said that they used four or more communications apps regularly as part of their daily workflow. Now that is a lot of context switching to deal with, especially when you’re “spinning multiple plates” in a fast-paced work environment where you need to protect your time (and prevent information overload!).

It’s also one of the many reasons why we’ve come up with a direct routing solution that adds global voice calling into Microsoft Teams. Tens of thousands of Teams users now rely on 8x8 voice services without switching context, which means they use their time effectively and stay focused on work tasks without distractions. By the way, our survey also found that 80% of respondents, when asked how important it was for a single native dial pad in Microsoft Teams, said they wanted just one native dialer. They didn’t want a calling bot to make calls from Teams.

Now the obvious question you may have: “If I want to have global telephony services in Microsoft Teams, then I just need to get calling plans from Microsoft. Right?”

Well, the answer is: “It depends.”

But, you knew I was going to say that. After all, this is my 8x8 blog so you would expect me to say that. I also have the FACTS and a compelling story on my side.

That’s what this week's chapter in Connect Everywhere is all about. You would expect that Microsoft is the obvious choice. They dominate in so many areas. But for global or unlimited calling plans, you’ll have to read this week’s chapter for a better way.

Enjoy,

Mayur