This month, we focus on some of the challenges and opportunities facing local organizations as they seek ways to advance workforce efficiency, improve customer experience, cut costs, and become more competitive. Whatever your challenge, TCI has solutions to set – and keep - your organization on the right path: 

Contact me today to discuss how TCI’s products and services can help your organization get more out of its technology investments – now and in the future.

Tom Cornbrooks, President (703) 321-3030 cornbrookst@tcicomm.com

Effective cybersecurity is not a “set it and forget it” panacea but an active, ongoing process. To establish a robust security foundation, your IT team must diligently implement and maintain these critical best practices:

Limit administrator access on user devices. This simple step can thwart many attacks that rely on users inadvertently running malicious software. Without admin rights, users can't install unauthorized programs, significantly reducing your attack surface.

Keeping software up to date is one of the most cost-effective security measures. Enable auto-updates where possible and prioritize vulnerabilities listed in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog. Remember, many successful attacks exploit known vulnerabilities that have not yet been patched.

Don't fall victim to ransomware due to inadequate backups. Regularly schedule backups for all critical systems and, crucially, test both partial and full restorations. Develop a comprehensive backup strategy, including frequency (continuous, hourly, weekly) and a detailed restoration plan.

While smartphones and Chromebooks typically come with built-in encryption, Windows and Mac laptops often require manual configuration. Given the frequency of laptop theft or loss, ensuring your entire fleet has encrypted drives is essential for data protection.

Don't rely on user compliance alone. Implement technical controls to mandate MFA across your organization. Regularly audit for non-compliant accounts, paying special attention to new hires and staff who've recently changed devices.

System administrators are prime targets for cybercriminals. Surprisingly, Microsoft reports that only about half of Azure Active Directory global admins use MFA. Make it a non-negotiable policy for all admin accounts to use MFA, as compromised admin credentials can lead to catastrophic breaches.

By consistently applying these practices, you'll significantly enhance your organization's cybersecurity posture, making it far more resilient against common attack vectors.

Your organization’s Voice Communications need to be protected too. Make sure your systems are secure. Contact TCI at (703) 321-3030 or GetHelp@tcicomm.com.

If you’re using a NEC SL2100, SV9100, or 3C system, this transition will occur over the next few years, with key dates to keep in mind:

Given this timeline, you’ll want to start planning your transition to new communication solutions. Here are some key considerations:

While NEC is exiting the UC business, there are opportunities to find cost-effective alternatives. TCI and Mitel have special pricing available for you now - including significant discounts for upfront purchases or monthly subscription plans.

Your local TCI team can assess your current Voice environment and recommend suitable solutions. By planning ahead and exploring your options now, you can ensure a smooth transition from your NEC system to a communication platform that better meets your organization's evolving needs.

Let’s get started: Call (703) 321-3030 or GetHelp@tcicomm.com.

The capabilities and scope of the traditional call center have expanded as technology continues to evolve.

Today’s contact center operations can range from a few customer service representatives in a small business to enterprise-level corporations with hundreds of agents spread across multiple regional offices and remote telework locations.

TCI’s contact center experts can get you up to speed on the latest tools, and when you’re ready, our local team can design, deploy, and support your solution.

TCI's Mitel-powered Customer Experience solutions feature interaction routing, self-service IVR, performance analytics, real-time dashboards, and workforce optimization tools.

Start a different conversation with your customers when you give them the freedom to interact with you the way they want (voice, text, chat, video) on any device, and give your employees the tools to manage today’s omnichannel customer journeys.

Build a World-Class Customer Center

Don't just connect with your customers, convince them you care with an omnichannel communications suite featuring workflow designer, speech-enabled IVR, speech analytics, quality and performance management, real-time dashboards, and more.

Ready to improve your customer satisfaction scores, first contact resolution rates, and customer effort scores? Contact us today: (703) 321-3030 or GetHelp@tcicomm.com.

Take your public service to the next level with unified communications solutions that enhance the citizen experience while ensuring the effectiveness, efficiency, survivability, and compliance of your services.

From secure, high-quality communications and user-friendly collaboration software to durable hardware with easy installation and reliable customer support, TCI has what it takes to support your mission.

Contact us today: (703) 321-3030 or GetHelp@tcicomm.com.

Business communication vendors and customers often jump on the latest buzzwords and market trends. Remember when we were all going to meet in the metaverse wearing clunky headsets? TCI takes a different approach – highlighting flexibility, choice, quality, and security to prioritize customer needs over marketing hype.

Let's delve further by breaking down our four core focus areas:

While most UC vendors jumped on the cloud-first, UCaaS/public cloud bandwagon, TCI stayed true to its strategy of listening to its customers to find out what they wanted. Rather than getting caught up in the public cloud buzz, TCI recognized that a one-size-fits-all cloud approach doesn't work. Some companies may be public cloud-ready, others require the security and control of on-premises solutions, and others prefer a private cloud deployment. TCI is uniquely positioned to provide a hybrid cloud choice, whether on-prem, private cloud, public cloud, or a combination of the three.

Public cloud solutions don't always provide the privacy and security required for businesses in regulated industries or various verticals, and a hybrid cloud approach may be more practical. TCI offers a hybrid cloud model to meet the evolving needs of these businesses by supporting the reliability, security, data privacy, and regulatory compliance of on-premises and private cloud models, combined with public cloud accessibility.

Another core and long-term strategy that hasn't changed over the years is focusing on various vertical industries. TCI's deep vertical integrations address the specific challenges and workflows of industries like finance, associations, government, healthcare, education, hospitality, etc. For example, walk into any local credit union, and you'll likely find a TCI-supported phone system behind the scenes running the whole communications ecosystem at the backend.

AI is on everyone's mind, and TCI is working with Mitel, our strategic technology partner, to offer AI capabilities for UC/CC and vertical use cases that augment and improve customer experience and productivity.

TCI's success strategy starts and ends with listening to customers. Building long-term relationships helps us understand each customer's journey and provide ongoing support. For our customers, it's all about our flexibility, reliability, and innovation.

TCI delivers flexible and customer-centric solutions. Let’s talk about your communications today: (703) 321-3030 or GetHelp@tcicomm.com.