Microsoft will introduce CRM Record Pop to inbound Teams Phone in November 2022.
The innovation is similar to screen pop, a popular feature within most CCaaS solutions.
When an employee accepts a PSTN call from a customer, the solution presents the relevant CRM record or case information associated with their number.
As a result, call handlers have critical information for resolving queries at their fingertips. Moreover, customers do not need to repeat themselves – a pet peeve for many.
In launching this feature, Microsoft brings CCaaS features to those outside of the formal contact center – which is perhaps ideal for businesses that do not require a feature-rich CCaaS solution.
Sharing his perspectives on LinkedIn, Tom Arbuthnot, Microsoft MVP and Co-Founder of Empowering.Cloud, said:
I know a lot of customers would like this. If it works alongside Auto Attendant and Cloud Call Queues it’s a really nice feature for the ‘in-the-box basic contact center’.
Indeed, the possibility will excite many SMBs as CRM integration has proven tricky for many Teams users.
Conventionally, the process involves PowerShell commands and other complex functions that have deterred potential adopters.
However, this innovation may make it much more accessible, allowing Teams to interact with Salesforce, HubSpot, SugarCRM, alongside many other CRM vendors.
Unfortunately, the need for middleware is unlikely to go away. Yet, thanks to this new announcement, the capability to merge Teams with a CRM is much more palpable.
Teams as a Platform for CX Innovation
Microsoft Teams leads the UCaaS market, with 270 million users worldwide.
As such, many CX vendors sense an opportunity to enhance the Teams experience faster than Microsoft can.
