Communicativ and InfraCom Communications — a partnership that takes Teams telephony into the future
Do you invest in new technology but transferthe old way of working to the new platform? If so, you will never get effective collaboration in the company. The world and our way of communicating is changing, it is important to keep up. Eric Hartsink, CEO Communicativ.
Eric Hartsink is the CEO and founder of Communicativ, a communications and collaboration integrator based in the Netherlands. Communicativ is a Microsoft Trusted Partner with a focus on delivering value to customers who use Microsoft’s platform, primarily Teams. This is a focus they share with InfraCom Communications.
With nearly 10 years of experience in Unified Communications, Eric has a wealth of experience in creating effective communication. UC is fundamentally about integrating communication systems such as telephony, email, chat, and video calls into a single interface, but UC also aims to help users get the most out of the tools.
Communicativ has launched its DirectRoute365, which is built on InfraCom Communications’ telephony and Teams apps. They have many businesses with over 1,000+ connections using the telephony solution. Communicativ is the market leader in the Netherlands for Microsoft Teams.
When Eric looks for partners, it is important that they can add value to Communicativ’s offering but also that Communicativ can add value to theirs, otherwise it will not be a true partnership in Eric’s mind.
Communicativ has its customers on paper in the Benelux countries, but many of them are international companies with offices around the world. Each market has its own characteristics, for example, it is common for telephony systems to be sold by telecommunications operators in the Nordic countries while in the Benelux they are sold by IT companies.
Partnerships are becoming increasingly important for collaboration in markets with different needs and traditions. Having a local partner in another market is a win-win scenario for Communicativ and InfraCom Communications because they have the same goals and focus when it comes to customers.
Something that Eric really appreciates about the team behind InfraCom Communications is their pragmatic approach to the market and customers. They seek solutions as soon as a question arises without having to be escalated through management teams or complex case management systems.
— There are many companies that bring a product to market but fail to offer innovation and support to partners and customers. InfraCom Communications delivers on all points. Their products live up to their promises and we call them directly if we have questions or concerns.
The Future of telephony in Teams
Eric has seen that customers’ telephony habits are changing. It is no longer important to remember a phone number or keep track of which device is being used – landline, mobile, or Skype. In the past, it was difficult to deploy new systems and devices in large enterprises. The systems were complex to integrate and were often standalone with complicated interfaces.
“Today, we can deploy telephony and communication tools in companies with 1,000 employees within a timeframe of 8-10 weeks. This shows the usability of Teams,” Eric tells us. “At the same time, the number of small businesses with under 100 employees with offices in multiple countries is increasing, and they need effective communication tools. The world is changing, and a new communication landscape is emerging.”
Control over communication is starting to shift from system owners to users. The flexibility of Teams and telephony in Teams allows the tool to adapt to the situation and the user, rather than the other way around. A single interface for all communication on all devices makes collaboration easier and more efficient. This places demands on systems and providers, who must now collaborate at a deeper level to meet customer needs and expectations.
“We are seeing that businesses are becoming increasingly international. A small company like Communicativ delivers globally, from Canada to Hong Kong. This places high demands on us and our partners. InfraCom Communications has many smart people, we learn from them and they learn from us – a true partnership,” Eric concludes.