Teams Phone Mobile, a perspective from Harold Wortman, Senior Product Manager, Verizon
Oct 2, 2024
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Harold Wortman, Senior Product Manager for Mobile Unified Communications at Verizon, leads the charge in integrating mobile services with Microsoft Teams. He dives into the three-year journey of developing Teams Phone Mobile, highlighting user experience and network optimization. Wortman discusses the importance of familiar mid-call features and navigates the complexities of various telecom operators. He also touches on growing adoption trends among small to medium-sized businesses and the role of security in mobile communication.
The development of Teams Phone Mobile represents a significant integration effort between Verizon and Microsoft to enhance mobile communication.
Small to medium-sized businesses are adopting Teams Phone Mobile more quickly than larger enterprises due to integration complexities and communication silos.
Deep dives
Integration Journey of Teams Phone Mobile
The development of Teams Phone Mobile represents a significant investment for Verizon, involving a complex integration with Microsoft that connects the mobile platform directly to Verizon's wireless network. This integration, which is unique as it taps into the core components of their network, required rigorous testing and coordination between the two companies to ensure reliability and performance. The journey began with conceptual discussions around three years ago, leading to a productive development phase that brought the product to market within 18 months. Key challenges included designing features that are both user-friendly and fit well with existing mobile functions, which necessitated ongoing adjustments to enhance the product's usability.
User Experience and Feature Development
From the onset, a priority for the Teams Phone Mobile offering was to streamline the user experience, providing users the ability to easily turn the service on and off as needed. The product was designed to offer basic call functions directly through the native dialer, anticipating that users would prefer familiar capabilities like call waiting and three-way calling without needing to navigate the Teams app. However, early user feedback revealed gaps where familiar features were missing, prompting Verizon to rapidly adapt by adding essential mid-call functionalities back into the mobile experience. This proactive response to user needs demonstrates Verizon's commitment to continually refine their product based on real-world use cases and customer expectations.
Adoption Trends and Market Considerations
Evidence indicates that smaller businesses and mid-market companies are adopting Teams Phone Mobile at a faster rate compared to larger enterprises, primarily due to the complexities involved in reorganizing communication structures within established companies. The silos between mobile and IT departments often inhibit seamless integration, leading to slower decision-making in larger organizations. Despite these challenges, there’s a growing recognition of the solution’s benefits, particularly its ability to bring voice and messaging into a cohesive system that enhances security and compliance. As more operators enter the market, competitive dynamics are expected to accelerate adoption, though the pace may vary significantly by region and organization size.
Harold Wortman, Senior Product Manager - Mobile Unified Communications at Verizon, discusses the journey of deploying Teams phone mobile, feature development and mobile as a default mode of communication,
Teams Phone Mobile offers a seamless mobile communication experience within the Teams platform
Significant, with interest from small to medium-sized businesses, enterprises, and government organizations
Widespread adoption may take time due to the complexity of integrating with different mobile operators
Security and compliance are important considerations for organizations, and Teams Phone Mobile can help
Thanks to Ribbon, this episode's sponsor, for their continued support of the community.
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