About ShoreTel Shoregear

ShoreTel is a Sunnyvale, California-based telecommunications company that delivers unified communications (UC) and call center technology. The company, which was founded in 1996, has regional offices in the UK, Germany, India, Australia and Spain. Edwin J. Basart and Mike Harrigan, who previously founded Network Computing Devices, set up the organization. Since its inception, ShoreTel has acquired various companies. In 2010, the organization purchased enterprise mobile provider Agito Networks in a deal worth around $11.4 million. In 2012, ShoreTel purchased New York City-based M5 Networks for $146 million — one of the biggest financial acquisitions of that year. The company rebranded M5 Networks’ cloud services as ShoreTel Sky and has since introduced new services under this name, including conference calling and instant messaging. In 2016, ShoreTel acquired Corvisa, a deal which helped them expand their SIP trunking capabilities. ShoreTel changed its name from Shoreline Communications in 2004. In 2013, Don Joos, previously of Avaya, became ShoreTel’s president and chief executive.

ShoreTel is a leader in VoIP communications, with a variety of products for small, medium and large businesses. These include Connect Cloud, which combines UC and VoIP technologies in the cloud. This flexible platform includes popular features like call blocking, call forwarding, and phone alerts. Call centers use this service: they access a dashboard and monitor call activity in real time, assess agent and queue statuses, create reports and share valuable data. Another service, Connect Hybrid, offers businesses a hybrid cloud solution. Users can download applications, includeing CRM and ERP integration apps, which allows companies to track customers and clients for more effective operations. Connect Common UC Platform was launched in 2015, after two years of planning and development. This platform has a single user interface and combines cloud-based and on-premise UC products. Other services include Connect OnSite and Flex Contact Center, a comprehensive solution for call center management. All of these platforms provide users with enhanced disaster recovery, so businesses can access data after an emergency like a storm or a flood, or a security breach.

ShoreTel has won a string of awards over the years. Its ShoreTel Connect service scooped the Unified Communications Product of the Year Award in 2016. The company also won Technology Provider of the Year at the 2016 IT Europa Awards and Best Telecommunication Website at the 2016 Web Awards. Other accolades include Best in Unified Communications and Collaboration at Network World Asia’s Product Excellence Awards, Best Midmarket Solution at the Xcellence Awards and Communication Solutions’ Product of the Year.

About Microsoft Dynamics

Microsoft Dynamics or Dynamics 365 is a line of enterprise resource planning and CRM software applications delivered through a network of reselling partners that provide specialized services. It is a part of Microsoft Business Solutions so that it can be used in conjunction with other Microsoft programs and services like Office 365, Sharepoint, Outlook, Azure, and Yammer.

Originally developed by Great Plains Software, Microsoft Dynamics was founded in 1981 in Fargo, North Dakota. With businesses seeking out an innovative accounting software to help manage their accounting operations, Great Plains produced an accounting system that included modules for inventory sales order processing, purchasing, and the like. It partnered with Solomon, the second largest accounting software program, in 1999. Microsoft eventually acquired the software in 2000 to create Microsoft Dynamics.

Microsoft Dynamics offers a variety of products geared toward solving different CRM problems. It has specific applications for Sales, Customer Service, Operations, Financials, Field Service, Project Service Automation, and Marketing.

The Sales application has built-in digital intelligence and automated processes designed to increase the user’s revenue while also controlling acquisition costs. It features predictive analytics and automated lead scoring.

Another favorite product is the Customer Service application, which boasts of a unified platform that makes information available across all engagements so that agents can offer consistency and personalization to each client. It is best paired with Microsoft Dynamics for Marketing, which makes every marketing interaction intelligent so more personalized content and experiences can be delivered to prospects.

For remote enterprises, Microsoft Dynamics also provides an application for Field Service. It features optimized scheduling capabilities, inventory management, and mobile productivity. It also has a profitable predictive service equipped with built-in data collection, analysis, and alerts.

Microsoft Dynamics for Project Service Automation is ideal for project-based businesses. It can be easily linked to Microsoft Project, making scheduling and project planning hassle-free. It even has a customer billing feature that provides project managers one location where they can review, override, and approve all job costs.
Microsoft Dynamics has received several accolades over the years, including recognitions in four major categories of the 2015 CRM Magazine Market Leader Awards: Best in Enterprise CRM Suite, Midmarket CRM Suite, Small Business CRM Suite, and Sales Form Automation.

It also won in the web support and customer case management categories of the 2016 CRM Magazine Service Leader Awards. Microsoft Dynamics won the CUSTOMER Magazine Product of the Year Award within the same year.