Microsoft Teams SMS

One thing’s for certain: The COVID crisis radically impacted the way businesses and consumers interact. Whether we’re in retail, manufacturing, or medical practice - strict social distancing measures and work-from-home mandates forced abrupt changes to our work habits. We sought innovative ways to connect with our clients and co-workers - and some of these are still working today. We now rely, as never before, on digital tools that enable us to collaborate, create, and connect – at a distance. A case in point: The spectacular spike in Microsoft Teams usage. Offering unparalleled collaboration features, Microsoft Teams (MS Teams) has proved a vital resource for both private and public organizations struggling to keep trading in unprecedented times.

But there was another communication hero that came to the fore at this time. And one we’re all familiar with: SMS text messaging.

SMS Drives Results Like No Other Channel

One of the most unexpected shifts in company and consumer behavior during the pandemic was an increased reliance on SMS communication. Yet maybe we shouldn’t be surprised.

Often dismissed as old technology, SMS still achieves results that other channel users can only dream of: With a 90% open rate, 98% read rate, 95% retention rate, and 90 second response rate, there is no other channel better able to get messages out to everyone fast in a crisis: And to do it so reliably.

And that’s just for starters.

SMS is the Key Enabler of Touchless Customer Experiences

During the pandemic and beyond, SMS proved to be a key enabler of touchless customer experiences, such as curbside pickups or carpark waiting rooms.

Quite simply, texting cuts through noise. It’s easy, it’s fast, and it’s personal. And since almost everyone’s mobile phone can send and receive texts, people are comfortable texting and enjoy it’s convenience.

But in the wake of COVID, we recognized the need to speed up our communications. But we could only do this successfully by reducing the number of applications we use to communicate.

Which is why, even before COVID-19 came upon us, users of MS Teams demanded the ability to text directly from their UC&C platform.

And now they can!