There are two steps that operators must take before they can begin onboarding to Microsoft Teams Operator Connect. Operators must first fill in a nomination form and then complete a pre-qualification attestation.
Completing the Microsoft Operator Connect nomination form
Filling out the nomination form gets you on Microsoft’s radar. Here you will have to give details about your company composition and contact information.
Microsoft show their confidence in their accelerators from the very first step. To gain access to the nomination form you can contact the accelerator of your choice. By reaching out to an accelerator from the get-go, you can streamline your entire runway.
Carrier Automate can help here
Even though the nomination form is the first hurdle for applicants, it can take some industry know-how to fill out correctly. We can give you access, walk you through the questions and talk through the impacts your answers may have. During this initial phase Carrier Automate can help you in justifying the business case for Operator Connect by hugely reducing costs compared to a self-build. As experts at onboarding to Operator Connect we can also help you with your implementation plan and building a business case. Read on to see how we can help with this as you tackle the pre-attestation!
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Completing the pre-qualification attestation for Microsoft Operator Connect
The all-important pre-qualification attestation includes 60 questions. In essence, these questions are to find out what your plan for Operator Connect is and what would make you a valuable part of the marketplace. Through the attestation you will have to provide Microsoft with a strong business case, including an agreement to sell a certain number of seats. On top of this you will have to share with them a developed implementation strategy.
Operators have only 3 weeks to complete this document. If certain criteria are not met at this point, then you may be out of luck. If you are not successful in your application (or if you fail to complete the attestation in the allotted time) you will be dropped back to the start of the process. Whereas this is not a catastrophic outcome and you can apply again, Microsoft only process a batch of new operators into the program once per quarter at most.
As well as demonstrating your commercial readiness and your go-to-market strategy you will also need to provide in-depth information about your business and technical makeup.
Carrier Automate can help here
3 weeks is not a lot of time to complete the attestation, let alone plan a business case or implementation schedule. You may also have to change or set up new aspects of your business. At this stage, Carrier Automate doesn’t just provide expert pre-qualification support; We can deliver core requirements you may be missing. Carrier Automate can give you crucial API infrastructure or Teams integrations which can take many months to develop from scratch. With us, you will not have to develop any of these aspects.
Getting ready for Operator Connect is not just about adjusting your technical stack. You also need to consider your go-to-market. For this stage, we can also provide our market expertise and go-to-market assistance. You can include these facets within your pre-attestation, enabling you to be successful in your application. Perhaps more importantly we can help you develop your strategy and enable you to sell the agreed amount of seats.
At this early stage, you want to have a firm plan in place for getting technically ready. But it is also crucial that you are commercially ready. After all, there is nothing worse than having a fully developed product that is not ready to sell! For this part of your journey expert advice from an established industry partner is key. Carrier Automate can help you decipher things like target markets, sales team compensation, marketing and pre-sales activity, and volume forecasts. With Carrier Automate you can start selling from day one.
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What options are available whilst my application is being processed?
The application process for Microsoft Operator Connect takes time. This in turn may cause delays that disrupt your go-to-market timeline. You do however have a variety of options at your fingertips whilst your application goes through.
Carrier Automate can help here
We can offer multiple solutions while you wait to hit the ground running with Operator Connect.
- Option 1 – Carrier Automate is not just a way of connecting voice services to Microsoft Teams. It is an agnostic multi-UCaaS system where you only need to onboard once to unlock voice in Teams, Webex and Zoom. If you are facing Operator Connect delays or an extended runway, you can onboard with us and deploy an alternate UCaaS until you are Microsoft approved. When ready you can use the same system that you have already onboarded to launch on Operator Connect.
- Option 2 – Using Carrier Automate, you can create your service for voice activating Teams and deliver it yourself utilizing the BYOC model. Whilst this option misses out on the upsides of an Operator Connect marketplace listing, you can dramatically decrease the time it takes for you to go to market. You can run your entire offering through the Carrier Automate portal just like you would if you were an Operator Connect partner.
- Option 3 – Before Carrier Automate, DSTNY Automate got its start offering a Direct Routing service called Call2Teams. As the voice market grew, Call2Teams quickly become a world leader. DSTNY connect ~10% of Microsoft’s global Phone-enabled users to PSTN/UCaaS services.
With direct routing, there is no application process. Not only this but with our per-user, per-month model carriers and channel partners can start selling immediately. You can even further your understanding of Teams voice whilst you deploy Direct Routing.
There are differences between Direct Routing and Operator Connect, but a combined solution is also possible.
This is the first in a series of blogs that take a look at the process for onboarding to Microsoft’s Operator Connect, looking at the challenges and how to overcome them with the help of your chosen Accelerator partner.