Skip to main content

Tag: #education

Microsoft Teams app on laptop and mobile phone Microsoft Teams app on laptop and mobile phone

How Reaseheath College have integrated Microsoft Teams into their Avaya Telephone system

Written by matt on . Posted in Blog.

With 258 million paid seats for Office 365, which includes access to Microsoft Teams and 75 million daily active users of Microsoft Teams during the Coronavirus pandemic, many businesses are now looking at their longer-term options to incorporate a more permanent voice, video and team collaboration strategy into their business, ideally using the technologies they have already invested in.

This is an area of many moving parts and no ‘one size fits all’ solution. There are also several factors to consider, to ensure your overall strategy ticks all the boxes across the wider business needs in terms of functionality, service delivery and compliance.

Reasehealth College were using two disparate technology platforms for managing voice, video and team collaboration.

The Avaya IP Office Server Edition system had been heavily invested in by the college to support all voice interactions. Reaseheath were using Microsoft Teams for collaboration and video meetings.

What were the key drivers for bringing these two disparate technologies together?

During a recent technology review meeting with Reaseheath, Reaseheath shared some key challenges around student/teacher communication and ensuring easy access to their ‘Wellbeing team’. Evoke discussed the potential option of integrating Reasehealth’s current Avaya IP Office system to their Microsoft Teams environment. There are tangible merits of this dual strategy which unifies the market leading voice capabilities of the current Avaya system with the flexible and widely deployed MS Teams technology, within the college.

The Avaya system was initially introduced to Reaseheath as a communication platform. The ability to integrate this into Microsoft Teams further extends that capability. It enables Teams users to be provided with voice and voice users with Teams, all as a single solution. Avaya on its own does not offer the same unified flexibilities that can be found in Teams. Teams on its own does not offer the unique school safety features offered by the Avaya system, it offers a diminished phone system, and eye watering call charges for out of bundle calls – e.g. mobile at 12.3 pence per minute. Therefore, a Teams integration into your Avaya Platform offers you the best of both worlds, further enhancing the overall end to end experience of voice, collaboration and video for staff, as they work from any location.

What Key Benefits can a dual Avaya and MS Teams strategy bring?

  • Keep your existing phone services with all the features you rely on
  • Only enable the solution for users and groups that need it
  • Streamline the number of tools your users need to use, reducing cost, administration and training.
  • A flexible SBC that supports both Teams integration and safe deployment of Avaya remote worker licences where needed.
  • Voice calling capability for Teams users and Unified Communications for Avaya Users
  • Easy and costs effective mobility and flexibility deployment to remote devices via the Teams app.

“A fantastic integration to Teams under normal circumstances, however with the current scenarios facing remote working for the majority, especially within the education space, this has transformed how we can deliver and support our students”

– Gareth Ferris​, IT Systems & Infrastructure Manager

If you would like to learn more about how Evoke can work with you to integrate Microsoft Teams with your current voice platform, please do get in touch with your Account Manager or one of the friendly team on 0800 8403688 or hello@evoketelecom.com.

evoke on stage at the CNA awards evoke on stage at the CNA awards

Evoke Telecom Scoop Major Industry Award.

Written by matt on . Posted in Blog, Schools.

ICT Channel Superstars Evoke Telecom win prestigious award at the 2019 Comms National Awards

 

There is elation in the Evoke Telecom offices today. This is because the team are celebrating winning the award for the Best Enterprise Vertical Market Solution at the 2019 CNA Comms National Awards.

And what an evening the awards night was! In true CNA style, this unforgettable eighties themed event was held at The Hilton on Park Lane, London. The host for the evening was the incredibly witty and entertaining BBC newsreader, Huw Edwards.

The evenings proceedings were opened by singer Tony Hadley. The former Spandau Ballet front man delighted the audience with some of his timeless classics. A truly ‘Gold’ evening all round!

Evoke director’s David and Susie Wardell were supported by Ashley Gavin from Avaya. Together they joined over 600 representatives and industry leaders who also attended from across the ICT channel.

 

Held in London each year, the CNA Awards are ‘the big one’ in the Telecoms and ICT industry.  Now in their 18th year, they have become the Information and Communication Technologies industries most revered event. The purpose of these annual awards is to recognise and reward excellence, innovation and outstanding achievement in the UK.

Evoke Telecom were recognised by an esteemed panel of 14 judges for providing the UK’s first ever Avaya Smart Campus solution. This solution has transformed security and safety for staff and over 2000 pupils at the Loughborough Schools Foundation.

This year the awards saw a record numbers of entries, from literally thousands of hopeful businesses. Evoke were delighted to be awarded finalist status and then go on to win their category award.

Evokes Managing Director David Wardell commented

“Evoke are honoured to receive this high level of recognition for providing a ‘UK first’ solution. What is more pleasing is that it helps to address one of the most important and relevant topics of current times, ‘School Safety’. “

If you would like to learn more about the solution that we provided to the Loughborough Schools Foundation, then please click here.

 

 

 

 

Books for Schools

Written by matt on . Posted in Blog, Schools.

School Budget Time. 

February looms and with it comes dreaded ‘Budget Time’ for schools and education establishments across the length and breadth of the UK.

Over the last few years schools have found it tougher and tougher to stretch their budgets. Simple things like buying new books have become a real challenge. Heads and Governors alike are increasingly wrestling to deliver against each line.

Unfortunately, it is often the school library that misses out on funding. Books are simply expected to last longer and longer.

To offer a little help along the way, Evoke Telecom will launch our ‘Books for Schools’ initiative this February. 

We have selected a series of popular children’s authors and topics to create a helpful library boosting parcel. Theses mixed packs of 25 books have been offered to a selection of Primary Schools and Primary Academies.

 

Michael Morpurgo and Sophie McKenzie

The team at Evoke Telecom are very excited about this program. We simply can’t wait to see the smile on children’s faces as they find these new books in their library.

Included will be books from the likes of; – Michael Morpurgo, Anthony Horowitz, Sophie McKenzie and Lauren Brooke. As parents will know, all of these are great favourites with Primary age students.

‘Small gestures that bring big smiles’

Respite for Heads and Governors. Welcome news for the school Librarian.  But most importantly of all, new books that we hope will bring a big smile to the faces of many Primary School pupils for years to come.

Now there’s a thought for February ~ ‘small gestures that bring big smiles’