Between supporting your contact center reps, your customers, and the tech that keeps the contact center stable, the pressure to deliver an uninterrupted customer and employee experience is higher than ever. Host Josh Chronister is joined by Tom Arbuthnot and Gidi Adlersberg for an in-depth conversation focused on Microsoft Teams contact centers, Teams Phone extensibility, the Unify integration model, and how these pieces come together with Azure Communication Services. The discussion covers the significance of Microsoft’s new certification paths, how third-party solutions work alongside Teams, and why tight integration and reliability matter when it comes to delivering 99.999% uptime. Listeners will gain insights into choosing between Connect, Extend, and Unify certifications, the advantages of using Azure’s native capabilities, and what it means for scaling, onboarding, and future-ready contact center solutions.

👤 Guest Bio

Tom Arbuthnot

Tom Arbuthnot shares his perspective as a Microsoft MVP expert on Teams, with first-hand insights into the evolution of Teams Phone extensibility, integration models, and the contact center certification landscape.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomarbuthnot/

Gidi Adlersberg

Gidi Adlersberg brings his experience as a contact center leader at AudioCodes, highlighting the journey from early adoption of Azure Communication Services to bringing unified contact center solutions into production.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gidiadlersberg/

📌 What We Cover

What Teams Phone extensibility means for contact centers and how it enables new types of integrated experiences

The difference between Teams Phone extensibility as a technology platform and Unify as the certification model for Microsoft Teams contact centers

Why Microsoft transitioned from the “Power” model to “Unify,” and what that change means for integration and terminology

A comparison of Connect, Extend, and Unify certifications, and what to consider when selecting a vendor or solution

The pivotal role of Azure Communication Services as the engine under Teams Phone, including practical examples of SDK-based integration

Benefits of tight integration: seamless management of Teams phone numbers, direct routing, and five nines uptime for voice

How Teams Phone extensibility and Unify make deployment and onboarding easier, supporting incremental migrations and scaling for large enterprises

Key factors to consider when selecting a Unify-certified contact center solution—including vendor experience, delivery, implementation, and the importance of being future-ready with AI

🔗 Resources Mentioned

Microsoft Learn documentation page for certified contact center vendors

Azure Communication Services (also referenced as “the engine under Teams Phone”)

Teams Admin Center

Microsoft Dynamics 365 Contact Center

AudioCodes Voca CIC (referenced as Voca CIC, with 99.999% uptime for voice)

Microsoft Teams Enterprise Connect 2024

LinkedIn profiles:

Tom Arbuthnot: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomarbuthnot/

Gidi Adlersberg: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gidiadlersberg/

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Get Started with Voca CIC:

👉 Start a free trial of the Voca Conversational Interaction Center for 30-days: https://voca.audiocodes.io/signup

👉 Learn more about AudioCodes Voca CIC: https://www.audiocodes.com/solutions-products/voiceai/voca-conversational-interaction-center