Grant Thornton is a large accounting firm with over a hundred meeting rooms across Australia. Like many firms, they used the timing of the COVID-19 pandemic to upgrade and modernize their rooms.  They knew they needed to undertake a digital transformation journey to modernize, simplify and standardize their user experiences across many locations, while at the same time upgrading from Skype for Business to a native Microsoft Teams Solution.

They wanted their employees to collaborate as equals – whether they were working from home, on the go or in the office.  Their search was for a solution that would simply and easily replace their existing room systems without having to reinvent the wheel.

After researching the space in detail, Grant Thornton selected a suite of Poly systems to meet their needs.  The Poly Studio X30s they selected were more cost effective than the MTR options they reviewed, and they were so simple to install that they could manage the deployment internally – which also resulted in significant cost savings for the project.

Supplementing those, Poly Studio X50s and G7500s handled the larger and more complex rooms in the project.  Because all of these systems had the same user interface and firmware, Grant Thornton could standardize their user experience across all locations.  And, because they were all Android based appliances, they were able to easily slide into rooms to replace previously existing devices with only minor tweaks needed to existing automation and control systems.

“The complexity of our larger rooms with significant automation” provided an additional challenge, according to Carlo De-Fazio, Technology Officer at Grant Thornton.  “These rooms can sit between 20 and 250 people in any given video conference, and each individual room refit would have required significant investment to make it Microsoft Teams compatible.”

He explained that their research and comparisons quickly showed the Poly solutions to be the best option on the market.  “Not only was the cost of the [Poly] units less expensive than the Windows-based devices, but the installation was far simpler. Cabling locations, including various parts to the unit, were fewer, and the overall footprint was lighter,” said Carlo. “This meant we could do the installation ourselves, which not only saved money on the devices but the installation cost as well,” he added.

Over a series of months Grant Thornton started retrofitting the rooms themselves (with light touch support from their local vendors NQAV and Generation-e.)  “It became obvious how easy the device setup was, and the user experience was solid. Each month new features were added to the devices, and they quickly surpassed the Windows devices for feature parity” Carlo explained.  “The new rooms performed brilliantly. They look so professional, and our people have picked up the new interface very swiftly,” he highlighted.

“We saved millions of dollars and still had a premium finish” he explained.  However, he pointed out that in reality, “the saving was not as significant [to us] compared to how nice the new equipment is. The rooms look brilliant, and the devices were easy to setup. Overall, we could not be happier with our approach and outcome.”

Click above to hear Carlo explain in his own words.

When Grant Thornton looked for a solution that would allow their over fourteen-thousand employees to make hybrid working a seamless experience – no matter where they were working from – Poly systems were clearly the right answer.  To find out more about how Poly solutions can be the right answer for your organizations, and to learn about Poly’s unique, next-generation innovations like Poly Director AI and NoiseBlock AI, reach out to your local Poly representative.

SECURE A ONE-TIME DISCOUNT ON YOUR FIRST POLY MICROSOFT TEAMS ROOM

Poly is delighted to offer a unique, one-time discount on your first Microsoft Teams Room. This offer applies to both the Poly Studio Focus and Small/Medium Room Kits for Microsoft Teams Rooms.

For more information about Poly’s solutions for Microsoft Teams, contact a Poly representative or head to Poly.com!

Earlier this year, Poly’s partner LogMeIn rebranded as GoTo. The rebranding represents more than just a name change and new logo, it focuses on a new positioning of GoTo’s suite of products. Poly recently connected with GoTo’s Annick Mottard, Senior Product Owner, and Thomas Crist, Senior Product Owner UA/Hardware, for a brief Q&A session to learn more.

Congratulations on your recent company rebranding from LogMeIn to GoTo! What led your company to make this change?

We rebranded as GoTo to reflect our deep dedication to making IT easy, anywhere. Especially for small and midsize businesses (SMBs). The change goes beyond just our name and logo. We also launched a simplified product portfolio with a single application and two flagship products: GoTo Resolve, a brand-new IT management and support product, and GoTo Connect, a new experience for unified-communications-as-a-service (UCaaS). These products are now united by a single application administrative system and converging user experience.

This evolution comes from listening to our nearly 800,000 customers, over one billion people joining meetings, classes or webinars and half a billion connections on the company’s remote access and support tools. GoTo and the new portfolio better represent the company and our commitment to SMBs. We understand their challenges and have the focus and resources needed to address these pain points to better serve their dynamic working environments.

As part of the rebranding, you also focused your products around two lines of business: GoTo Resolve and GoTo Connect. Tell us a bit about each of these product lines and what’s changing with the product portfolio.

With GoTo Resolve, we’re providing IT admins with a powerful tool to support their businesses and employees in this new hybrid workforce world. The IT admin is at the heart of this solution, we’re solving for their everyday tasks and challenges.

With GoTo Connect, we have integrated voice, meetings, contact center and messaging together in one app. Now, you can see your contacts, place and receive phone calls and attend your meetings all in the same space.

This rebrand has unified everything in the GoTo app and admin system. We are the only company with both communications and remote support tools built for SMBs.

Poly and GoTo work closely on joint solutions for the GoTo Connect service line. How do the Poly endpoints integrate with and add value to the GoTo Connect services?

With the workforce moving toward a permanently hybrid environment, the need for physical communication devices is still strong. Businesses and their employees still need phones, headsets, webcams or videoconferencing devices for meeting rooms. Not everything can be done efficiently with a laptop and a cellphone. Thus, leveraging GoTo with Poly hardware provides our customers with a complete solution for their communication needs.

Our GoTo Connect solution fully integrates with the Poly VVX series and CCX series desk phones and Poly Trio 8300 and 8800 conference phones. Poly headsets can also be used with either a compatible desk phone or the GoTo Connect app.

With conference rooms being used again for hybrid meetings, GoTo Room is a great solution for collaboration between in-person and remote participants. GoTo Room runs natively on the Poly Studio X all-in-one video bars without needing a separate PC, making them easy to deploy and control in rooms of all sizes.

How is GoTo helping customers adapt to new ways of working, communicating and collaborating?

GoTo is about empowering businesses to get work done anywhere, at any time. We give customers the tools to empower employees so they can get work done on their own terms: from taking business calls on the go, to hosting virtual gatherings or webinars, to troubleshooting laptops. We ensure that businesses continue moving without disruption—your devices stay up and running while your employees collaborate seamlessly in the office, at home or on the go. We believe flexibility is all about employee empowerment and that means working when, where and how it’s best for them. We enable that with our unified portfolio.

Final question: why partner with Poly?

Poly has a long-standing relationship with GoTo and has proven to be an excellent strategic partner for over fifteen years. GoTo and Poly have worked collaboratively to build an extensive product line reflecting the needs of GoTo customers and partners. This complete line of products, including headsets, cameras, phones and videoconferencing devices for rooms, provides a unified experience for our users. Poly’s approach to the GoTo partnership has been one of hard work, creativity and understanding as the GoTo brand has evolved into the powerful suite of tools offered today.

To learn more about the full suite of Poly Solutions to support GoTo, visit Poly.com

Poly headsets have been powering mission-critical communications since the first moon landing and today we’re excited to introduce the latest addition to our lineup, the Voyager 4300 UC Series. The Voyager 4300 UC Series provides the flexibility users need to stay connected to all their devices, keeping hybrid teams productive with Poly’s world-class audio performance, all-day comfort, and dual-mic Acoustic Fence technology that eliminates background noise whether working at home or in the office.

Phenomenal flexibility, connectivity, and wireless freedom in an entry-level Bluetooth headset. What else could you need? 

Works the way you do

One headset, any device, multiple ways to work! The Voyager 4300 UC Series simultaneously connects to all your communications devices – PC/Mac, mobile, tablet and, the Voyager Office base (sold separately), or a desk phone. The Voyager 4300 UC Series can be used as a wired or wireless headset, delivering the freedom of a wireless headset and the dependability of a corded option when needed. Additionally, the BT700 adapter allows for up to 50 feet of wireless connection for those corridor warriors who like to roam around the office or remote workers who want the flexibility to move around their homes.

Class-Leading Audio Performance

With all the audio excellence you expect from Poly in an entry-level, wireless Bluetooth® headset, the Voyager 4300 UC Series features noise-canceling Dual mic Acoustic Fence technology so the people on the far end hear YOU – not your surroundings. The Voyager 4320 enables you to stay in the zone with stereo sound and passive noise isolation. The Voyager 4300 UC Series supports A2DP and AVRCP for a high-quality seamless multimedia experience. If all of that doesn’t grab your attention the Voyager 4300 UC Series also features Poly’s SoundGuard Digital Sound, which levels sound for listening comfort and acoustic limiting to protect your ears against loud sudden sounds.

Prevent Mute Mishaps

Users can also remain confident and in control of the dreaded mute mishap – one of the biggest pain points of remote meetings. This headset comes with an easy-to-find-and-use mute button so you can remain confident that you are the only person that will hear you talk to the delivery man. Dynamic Mute Alert notifies users when they talk while muted meaning that talking to yourself or needing to apologize for talking on mute becomes a thing of the past.

No More Battery Anxiety

The Voyager 4300 UC Series has up to 24 hours of talk time, so battery life won’t be an issue. If you do forget to charge your headset, just plug in the included USB cable to your computer and you have a corded headset and no battery worries.

Making it Easy for IT

As hybrid working becomes the new normal, IT departments are facing new challenges to outfit and support their users. Thanks to Poly Lens software, the Voyager 4300 UC Series is easy to deploy, easy to manage and easy to update remotely. Some of the features the Voyager 4300 that IT teams will love:

• Self-service with QR codes for easy end-user deployment
• Remote management and future proof with Poly Lens
• Universal charge stands that are also compatible with Voyager Focus 2 for easy portfolio deployments
• Office base available for connection to a desk phone, computer, and mobile
• Mono and stereo wearing styles – giving users choices
• Ideal for new hybrid working – portable design and a carrying case means users can take with them for moving between the office and home office
• Microsoft Teams Certified to deliver seamless Microsoft Teams experience
• Zoom certified for a plug and play Zoom experience
• 2-year global warranty
• Optional Poly+ for after-sales piece of mind direct from Poly

Collaborate Seamlessly with Microsoft Teams and Zoom

The Voyager 4300 UC Series is available in a Microsoft Teams certified version to support easy collaboration and communication with a dedicated Team button for instant access to the Teams Desktop App. The Voyager 4300 UC Series is also Zoom certified and optimized for a seamless Zoom experience. The Voyager 4300 UC Series is designed to take your hybrid working experience to the next level by making your app experiences better.

Get the best of both worlds

The Voyager 4300 UC Series is the best of both worlds. The freedom of a wireless experience with the option for corded dependability. Seamless deployment and app integration with the features users want and need most. For more information about the entire Voyager family of products available now, visit poly.com/voyager-4300.

Whether you are dialing in from a summer road trip or crushing meetings on your back porch, Poly and Zoom are your go-to tools for a “work from anywhere” summer. With a full suite of Zoom certified devices – speakerphones, web cameras, and now USB headsets—you can join Zoom meetings however and wherever your summer takes you, with the confidence that you will look great and sound great regardless of whatever fun might be happening in the background. With so many options to choose from, let’s take a look at some Zoom certified fan-favorites: 

Voyager Focus 2 Headset

The most recent addition to our lineup of Zoom Certified gear, the Voyager Focus 2 wireless headset is designed to give you world class focus so you can work anywhere, thanks to its virtual “focus zone” that blocks out background noise. Use the Voyager Focus 2 headset on your Zoom calls or use it just to relax and listen to music.

• Peace of mind, with the best audio and user experience with a Zoom certified product
• Control over your Zoom meeting directly from the headset (call answer, mute and volume) or from the Zoom platform – the choice is yours
• Enjoy work wherever you are with our best noise reduction yet.

Watch features and benefits here.

Poly Studio P5 webcam

Add a Poly Studio P5 USB professional webcam for an amazing, highly portable video experience.  The P5 USB webcam gives you premium camera optics and broadcast quality visuals, so you look your best on Zoom calls.

• Exceptional camera optics and automatic low-light compensation
• You can take it with you: small, rugged and portable
• Make life simple: easy to use, setup, and manage

Watch features and benefits here.

Poly Sync 20

If you are looking for a Zoom certified speakerphone that doubles as Bluetooth speaker to pump out some tunes when lounging poolside, the Poly Sync 20 is what you want in your bag.

• Enjoy remarkable sound from meetings to music
• Slim and portable – take it with you anywhere
• It goes as long as you do with up to 20 hours of battery life

Watch features and benefits here.

Poly Power, Zoom Simplicity

Poly’s audio and video innovations make Zoom communications feel natural and work effortlessly, no matter where your summer adventures find you.  Make every meeting experience great with optimized and joint certified solutions for Zoom Meetings, Zoom Rooms and Zoom Phone.

To learn more go about Poly personal solutions and Zoom, please visit: https://www.poly.com/content/dam/www/solutions/platform/zoom/doc/poly-personal-solutions-zoom-brochure-en.pdf

For more information about how you can utilize the Power of Poly and Zoom Simplicity go to poly pagehttps://www.poly.com/us/en/solutions/platform/zoom

Even though your workplace likely won’t return to a pre-pandemic ‘normal’, the service delivered by your call center needs to. It will be different –  business as unusual.   To support your CSRs as your workplace evolves and to get back into your cycle of continuous improvement, you’ll need to consider how to enable teams in the new era of hybrid working.

What does this look like in practice?  Essentially it is empowering employees with the right tools to get work done wherever they are – whether that’s from the office or from home.  While working in any location sounds a great idea, realistically you’ll need to provide your team with gear that offers reliability and flexibility for work from any location.

Why hybrid working? Your employees have come to expect it. They’ve realized they can work just as effectively from home as they can from the office, and people really like not having to commute. Here’s more info on your options for hybrid working in this blog post.

Moving to hybrid working in your call center will be complex, you don’t want to throw away perfectly good deskphones, so you’re likely to be mixing old and new telephony equipment, deskphones and softphones, even old and new laptops.  Oh, and you don’t want to throw away those old Poly headsets as they still work really well.

What’s the answer?

The new DA75, 85, and 85-M from Poly.

Featuring some really simple, yet innovative new features, these new smart digital adapters will seriously improve your ability to implement hybrid working.

USB-A and USB-C on the same cable

Why hasn’t anyone thought of this before?  Rather than trying to keep track of which USB port is free on each employee’s laptop, or spending time with each employee when they need a new device, you can just provide the DA75 or 85 to each employee and they can choose either the free USB port, or the best USB port.  There’s no adapter to lose, the cable natively terminates in USB-A, and the USB-C adaptor is attached to the cable.

Teams Certified

The DA85-M is the first call center-specific headset to feature a native Teams experience.  If you are already on Teams, or considering moving to it, the DA85-M will open the full Teams experience – easy Teams access, missed call notifications, and a seamless integration.

Usability Improvements

This isn’t our first rodeo.  The DA75 and 85 are our fourth generation USB to QD digital adapter, so we’ve learned a lot about how people use them.  These new adapters feature improved cable durability, because for the first time, hybrid working means your employees will be taking equipment between the office and home office.  We’ve made the audio experience incredibly good regardless of the headset type being used – the really smart DA75 and 85 detect the headset type and dynamically adjust the audio to match.

We’ve also kept in all the really good stuff from previous products, the Poly QD means you can re-use all your existing Plantronics/Poly headsets – this is the same QD that gives you unlimited compatibility for your headsets across deskphones, softphones (link to DA series product page) and mobile devices. You can manage your devices remotely, ensuring they are always up to date with firmware.

The DA75 and 85 are the culmination of our learning from working with customers over many years, and focusing on what they need to make running a traditional or hybrid call center easier. All of the features and benefits work just as well if you are migrating to a PC based softphone, a cloud connected soft client, or even a deskphone with a USB port.

Learn more about the DA75, 85, and 85-M here: www.poly.com/us/en/products/headsets/da/da-series

Poly and Microsoft go way back. The combination of Poly and Microsoft is indispensable to any organization committed to delivering the richest and most complete collaboration experience for their team members. This long-standing partnership has driven major innovation over the past year as the era of hybrid working has unfolded, requiring a new generation of premium audio and video products so you can have your best Teams meeting—anywhere, anytime, every time.

We’re honored to be recognized as a finalist in the Microsoft 2021 Partner of the Year awards among a global field of top partners for demonstrating excellence in innovation and implementation of customer solutions based on Microsoft technology. Poly is the only Partner in our category that can check all of the boxes for our Customers to help accelerate their journey to Teams from hardware to software, implementation services to support.

Our Teams certified headsets, video and audioconferencing products, desk phones, analytics software and services are beautifully designed and engineered to connect people with incredible clarity. They’re pro-grade, easy to use and work seamlessly with Microsoft Teams. Let’s take a look at the full portfolio…

VIDEO: Poly room solutions for Microsoft Teams, including G-series Teams Rooms on Windows and Poly Studio X30 and Poly Studio X50 Teams Rooms on Android, deliver the familiar Teams interface, combined with powerful Poly audio and video technologies. From the conference room to the home office, Poly makes hybrid working a seamless experience. Poly Studio P Series personal video conferencing devices make the most of video calls from wherever work happens. High-performance cameras compensate for lighting imbalances. Premium audio eliminates distractions. Standalone certified Teams Rooms camera options are also available for the conference room such as the new Poly Studio E70.

VIDEO INTEROPERABILITY: Poly RealConnect enables video interoperability with Microsoft Teams without adding complexity. With RealConnect, it’s easy to connect your H.323/SIP videoconferencing systems to Microsoft Teams (or Skype for Business) meetings. Keep the workflow you’re used to, just add video interoperability so anyone can join the meeting from their personal clients, Microsoft Teams Rooms systems, as well as from video conferencing systems. It’s that simple.

HEADSETS: Poly headsets are beautifully designed tech that let you hear and be heard with incredible clarity, while tuning out distractions. Delivering crazy good audio for your most important conversations. Poly’s Microsoft Teams-certified headsets meet Microsoft’s audio requirements and include a dedicated Teams button to instantly invoke Microsoft Teams to the foreground for streamlined communications. Poly headsets certified for Skype for Business are recertified for Microsoft Teams, providing similar user experience. The Voyager family of Bluetooth® wireless headsets provides seamless, multi-device connectivity for today’s workforce. The Savi family provides a selection of DECT™ wireless headsets that offer best-in-class sound quality and multidevice connectivity, long-range and hands-free mobility and hours of talk time for ultimate efficiency. The Blackwire family gives you a broad selection of corded UC devices that deliver outstanding audio quality and reliability, ease of use and price points to meet any budget.

DESKTOP: In the office, at home or on the go, Poly delivers the broadest set of voice devices for Microsoft Teams. The Poly CCX Series delivers exceptional audio quality and the option to choose a headset or handset (CCX 500/600).

CONFERENCE PHONES: Customers looking for conference and speakerphones for their Microsoft Teams communications turn to Poly when they want high-quality audio and innovative features that transform the conversation. Poly Trio C60, the latest and most powerful Trio conference phone to date, sets the new conferencing standard for Microsoft Teams calls with familiar interface and one touch-to-join calendar integration. Also certified for use with Microsoft Teams Rooms as USB audio device. Poly Sync Family USB/Bluetooth® smart speakerphones provides premium sound, easy connections, and flawless meetings. Poly Sync 20 for personal spaces and Poly Sync 40 and Poly Sync 60 for conference rooms.

SOFTWARE: Poly Lens provides workspace insights and management software through quick device onboarding, inventory management, and intelligent news feed. Get a clear picture of your Microsoft collaboration environments, with a spotlight on how your spaces and devices are being used. Device management puts you in control across your entire organization while the cloud-based architecture gives you security, flexibility, and agility.

SERVICES: Putting all the pieces together for a seamless transition to Microsoft Teams can be a complex endeavor. Only Poly offers a comprehensive line of support services that are certified for Microsoft Teams. For IT managers, this means that they can count on Poly’s global Professional Services team to provide support when it comes time to plan, deploy, operate, and support your Microsoft solution environment — including headsets — all through a single call.

In order to realize the full power of Microsoft Teams, users need the right devices. After 15 years (and counting) of partnering with Microsoft in the collaboration space, Poly has created a one-stop shop for both personal and group collaboration needs. It’s not just about offering the most, or the best, unified communications and collaboration products that power Microsoft Teams experiences (which we also do!). It’s about giving customers a complete end-to-end Teams solution set…. And this partnership is just getting warmed up!

Here are a few easy ways to get started working with Poly to kickstart your Teams journey with clarity and confidence:

• Request a free 20-minute consult and talk to one of our Microsoft Teams experts.
• Visit our website to learn more about Poly Cloud Accelerator Workshops for Microsoft Teams and our complete portfolio of Professional Services for Microsoft Teams.
• Contact TeamMicrosoft@poly.com to accelerate your Poly Microsoft Teams Journey today.

Poly’s early defining moment was in 1961 when Neil Armstrong famously spoke the words “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind”, through a Poly headset as he stepped onto the moon during the Apollo 11 mission.

This summer, as Poly celebrates 60 years of powering mission-critical communications, we’ve achieved another impressive milestone: we just shipped our 30 Millionth Blackwire headset, bolstering our leadership position in the category.

Introduced in 2009, The Blackwire line transitioned from being a small segment of our portfolio into our top-selling, corded headset that is a favorite among customers. The tremendous volume and success of Blackwire showcases how impactful PC-connected, portable headsets can be for organizations moving to the cloud and supporting a hybrid workforce.

Poly has been at the forefront of innovation in the headset space from our early days in Aeronautics/ Aerospace to the current era of Unified Communications delivering seamless connections to Zoom and Teams meetings and introducing incredible technologies such as Active Noise Cancelling and Acoustic Fence to block out distracting background noises.

We were honored to be recognized by Frost & Sullivan with the 2021 Global Product Leadership Award for the Blackwire 8225 corded headset, citing unmatched audio quality and fostering innovation that addresses our customer needs.  With that type of validation and accolades from leading research firms, it’s no surprise that units are flying off the shelves.

Putting 30 Million in Perspective

30 million is a huge number. Just think what it would look like if all those headsets were laid end to end; how far would it reach?  With 2 meters of cable for each headset, that would equal 60,000km or 37,300 miles – laid end-to-end that would be enough to wrap-around and the moon five times!

The Blackwire line continues to help Poly live up to its legacy of providing best-in-class headsets that enable the most mission-critical communications, no matter where you are getting work done.

After all of the video calls we’ve been on in the past year, it’s well understood that those free earbuds that came with your phone or your computer’s audio just don’t cut it for professional collaboration. In this new era of hybrid working, professional-grade tools make all the difference between meetings that feel like the team is back together again or feeling worlds apart.

To ensure all meeting participants have an equitable seat at the table – whether they’re sitting in the conference room or working from a kitchen table – it’s best to invest in a quality headset that blocks out distracting noises, improves the sound of your voice, and protects your focus like the treasure that it is. We have just the tool for the job… Introducing the all-new Microsoft Teams and Zoom Compatible Voyager Focus 2 premium Bluetooth® headset.

Poly’s most recent persona research found that distracting noises are among the most common productivity crushers affecting hybrid workers, with 94 percent of respondents reporting that they have experienced being distracted by background noise during work calls – an increase from 71 percent in 2017. This rise is significant, but not all that surprising as more workers are now experiencing a whole new set of interruptions in their own homes. Regardless of whether you’re working from home or back in the office, the bottom line is nine out of 10 workers feel that noise is an issue impacting their workday.

The Voyager Focus 2 is the latest iteration of one of Poly’s most beloved and best-selling headsets of all time, the Voyager Focus. For the first time, this new addition to the Voyager Focus series, adds hybrid active noise-canceling technology along with our best microphone noise-canceling to date with Poly’s signature Acoustic Fence for an unparalleled wireless audio experience.

ENGINEERED FOR AUDIO PERFECTION

Unable to build a sound-proof wall around our users, Poly engineers did the next best thing, enlisting our leading-edge noise-canceling technology to build a “focus zone” into the Voyager Focus 2. By combining Poly’s world-class active noise canceling (ANC) technology with our signature Acoustic Fence, the new Voyager Focus 2 delivers an unparalleled wireless audio experience that keeps you in the zone regardless of what cacophonous noise might be happening in the background.

Digital Hybrid Active Noise Cancelling – Protects your Focus

Dog barking? Kids getting rowdy? Sitting close to that loud talker back in the office? Good news – the Voyager Focus 2 can take care of all that with digital Hybrid Active Noise Cancelling (ANC). Three settings allow you to set just the right level of noise cancelation for your current surroundings. Hybrid ANC blocks out more background noise than traditional ANC by monitoring the noises at the entrance to the user’s ear and outside of the headset and cancels it out. When it comes to all-day use, hybrid ANC prevents users from feeling fatigued during and between calls— something that can happen when using other ANC headsets. To learn more about Poly’s hybrid ANC technology, visit this tech tip.

Poly Acoustic Fence Technology – Ensures you Sound Great

All those noises mentioned above that disrupt your focus are equally (if not more) distracting to the people on the other end of the call. To ensure that those on the far end of your calls hear you clearly, the Voyager Focus 2 features Poly’s Acoustic Fence technology. If this sounds familiar, we first included this technology into a headset with the Blackwire 8225. Since then, our engineers have improved the performance to well within the Microsoft Teams Open Office Premium requirements.

BATTERY LIFE THAT GOES THE EXTRA MILE

What good is all-day comfort if your battery can’t keep up? On the Voyager Focus 2, we increased talk time to up to 19 hours for those extra long collaboration sessions. And for extra flexibility, you can extend the battery life of your headset by using it as a corded headset with audio over USB mode.

COLLABORATING IS A BREEZE

To keep the conversation running smoothly, this simple plug-and-play headset features intuitive call controls directly on the earcups and a pinch-to-mute button on the boom.

When it comes time to ‘jump on a call,’ the Voyager Focus 2 is fully compatible with all leading communication applications, is Zoom Certified, and even comes in a Microsoft Teams Certifed version. So, regardless of what platform they use to meet, you can join them no problem.

MICROSOFT TEAMS CERTIFIED

A new addition to the industry’s most comprehensive lineup of Microsoft Teams certified USB audio devices, the Voyager Focus 2 is available in a Teams version that features a convenient Teams button and an LED that signals notifications. From here, you can tap to instantly invoke the Teams desktop app for streamlined communications.

WORK THE WAY YOU WANT

The Voyager Focus 2 works across all your devices and is available as a UC version and in an Office version. The UC version connects to your mobile via Bluetooth and to your computer via the BT700 Bluetooth USB adapter. This all-new adapter is 50 percent smaller than its predecessor and boasts an improved wireless range of up to 50m/164 ft.

The Office version connects to a desk phone and your computer through the included cables as well as to your mobile device via Bluetooth.

MAKE IT YOUR OWN

The Voyager Focus 2 gets even better when used with the Poly Lens Desktop app. From a single app, you’re in control of customizing your headset to work how you work, stay up to date with the latest software, access product guides, and even get tech support.  And built-in wellness reminders and nature sounds help you stay happy and focused throughout your busy workday.

FIND YOUR FOCUS

For audio perfection responsible for distraction-free conversations and an unshakable ‘focus zone,’ look no further than the brilliantly engineered Voyager Focus 2 Bluetooth headset. With smart noise-canceling features, an easygoing disposition toward any collaboration platform, and software that will improve your workday, there’s a lot to love about this update to a Poly fan-favorite. For more information about the Voyager Focus family of products available now, visit Poly.com.

For people working in a variety of industries, the confidentiality of day-to-day conversations is critically important. Meeting necessary security requirements during a time when so much of our work happens remotely has been a real concern for those working in areas such as finance, healthcare, government, and call centers that routinely handle sensitive information. Enter the Savi 7300 Office Series, Poly’s latest wireless headset, with the highest level of security for those top-secret conversations.

CONFIDENTIAL? COVERED.

With the Savi 7300 headset, you and your callers can speak freely knowing calls are protected with the highest level DECT^TM Security Step C and 256-bit AES encryption for maximum security. Combined with a noise-canceling microphone with Poly Acoustic Fence technology, your agents can be sure that sensitive information won’t get picked up by a neighboring call.

WALK + TALK – EVEN AT DENSITY

Need to get up and stretch your legs? Go step into the other room to speak in private? The Poly Savi 7300 Office Series was designed to enable everyone to enjoy the freedom of a wireless headset while keeping communications secure. In particular, some call centers have never been able to fully embrace wireless headsets due to limitations on the number of people able to use wireless in one space. Those limitations have been removed. With the Savi 7300 Office Series, worrying about interference is no longer a thing – even the largest call centers.

DESK PHONE AND PC CONNECTION

For many call centers, the desk phone continues to be a vital part of how work gets done – and with good reason. Desk phones work even when your computer is off, they’re easy to use for outbound calling and offer extremely reliable high-quality audio. However, that’s not to say that many organizations aren’t also leveraging the benefits of web-based collaboration platforms like Zoom and Microsoft Teams. The Savi 7300 Office Series has all of your bases covered by working beautifully with desk phones and web-based applications alike – and can even conference together seamlessly. While this flexibility is great for productivity, this is also a source of confidence that your Savi headset will work with any of your future technology roadmap choices.

CERTIFIED BY MICROSOFT TEAMS

The Savi 7300 Office Series is available in a Microsoft Teams Certified version to give your employees a great experience with single-tap access to the Teams software and notifications for missed calls or voicemails. It works so well that it meets the Microsoft Teams open office requirements.

WORK WORRY-FREE

So, whether you’re a secret agent or a call center agent, the Poly Savi 7300 Office Series headset will keep your conversations under lock and key with perfect clarity. Learn more about the Poly Savi 7300 Office Series headset.

When looking at the customer service sector, if anything can be near certain during these unpredictable times – it’s that hybrid working is the future for the call center. As a matter of fact, Frost & Sullivan predicts that 20% of the call center workforce will working from home in the near future. That’s a bold statement for an industry where only 2% of employees were working outside the office prior to COVID-19. However, the regulations introduced by governments globally are having a long-lasting impact and organizations that viewed home working as a temporary issue, now need to move to a more permanent hybrid working approach to ensure the safety of their employees.

TWO APPROACHES TO CONSIDER

Many call center employees want to work from home at least some of the time, with a majority of 53% reporting that they want a blend of home and office or ‘hybrid working’. Meanwhile, the majority of businesses will need to ensure they reduce the number of people in the office to maintain social distancing – this can be resolved by having a hybrid workforce. Which begs the question, what is the best approach to take to achieve having a healthy and happy workforce while also abiding by local regulations. There are two approached to consider – a hybrid workforce and hybrid employees.

A HYBRID WORKFORCE

• How it works – split employees into teams, with one team dedicated to home working, the other dedicated working in the office.
• Advantages – teams know their location and can make long-term plans and you can provide dedicated solutions for each team’s needs.
• Disadvantage – limited flexibility if an employee’s situation or local regulations change.

HYBRID EMPLOYEES

• How it works – customer service reps can choose where they work best –in general or on certain days of the week. They then split their time working in the office and at home.
• Advantages – this is employees’ favorite solution – blending time learning in the office with time at home.
• Disadvantage – requires a booking or planning system to ensure the number of employees in the workplace at once is not too high.

WHAT MODEL IS RIGHT FOR YOUR CUSTOMER SERVICE TEAMS?

After visiting many call centers, it becomes obvious that customer service teams are generally a young workforce, with many of them in their first role on the career ladder. Therefore, we can’t assume they have a dedicated room or space to work from home. Our partners at Leesman surveyed home workers globally and found that approximately 30% of them are not working from a suitable space. As this survey covers entire organizations, it is likely that the proportion of call center employees without a suitable space to work is higher. With their roles being customer facing, it’s especially important that these agents present and maintain a professional image for the company.

SOME MORE CONSIDERATIONS

• Personality types – sending home employees who are outgoing is going to be challenging for them. They need to be in the office for social interactions with people.
• Ergonomics – employees must have a space or room to work. This ensures an optimum ergonomic setup and gives them the ability to hide it all away at the end of the day. Working on the kitchen table isn’t a long-term solution!
• Technology – High quality broadband internet is essential. At a push, employees can use mobile devices, but a fully featured softphone will give a better experience. Employees also need to be comfortable with getting technology working themselves as IT support won’t extend to home callouts.
• Management – Ensure your supervisors are comfortable with remote analysis, coaching, and management.

WHAT DO YOU NEED?

So, what changes to your audio and video devices do you need to make to ensure hybrid working is a success? And, how do you do this against a backdrop of cost control? As the work environment and technology platform is likely to be uncertain for some time, you need a headset that will work across all the different ‘phones’ that your employees use. Your existing Poly headset with a Quick Disconnect (QD) is the right solution here – the QD gives you unlimited compatibility to work with any technology platform.

If your employees are in the office, there’s no urgent need to make changes for hybrid working. If you are still using legacy desk phones, now may be the time to start investigating in cloud options. An audio processor such as the MDA524 gives you the option to connect to both desk phones and PCs – future proofing your current headsets for any technology path.

If your employees are at home, they are probably using a cloud connected softphone, or even a mobile device if broadband quality isn’t high. Again, your existing Poly headsets with a QD will work here. Using the DA80 to connect to the PC for softphone work, or a short cable when using a mobile phone.

DEVICE MANAGEMENT

Regardless of where your teams are, they need to sound professional. To ensure they are using only approved devices, and that these devices are kept up to date, use Plantronics ManagerPro to fully understand the devices on your network. In addition, if your supervisors can’t see their staff, Plantronics ManagerPro gives them insight into employees that will enable them to make targeted interventions if employees performance drops and impacts customer experience.

KEEP EVERYONE CONNECTED

Finally, you’ll always need video to keep your team together. The social element of working is important to many call center employees, so if they can’t be together in person, seeing each other on video is the next best thing – ready for bring your dog to work day?

CONCLUSION

Regardless of which approach to hybrid working you take, the way in which we look at call center home working needs to change. Home working isn’t just for managers, nor for the most productive employees, and it shouldn’t be given as a reward. Look at each employee’s situation individually to decide the best location for them to work and set them up for success accordingly.

Learn more about Poly solutions for the Call Center.