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Transforming IT Support in Higher Education with Microsoft Teams Contact Center Solutions

By Preston Martin, Contact Center Solutions Expert at Landis Technologies

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The landscape of IT support in higher education is evolving rapidly. As expectations rise, IT departments are challenged to deliver faster, more efficient support across multiple channels while staying within tight budgets. Having worked closely with IT departments across the higher education sector, I’ve seen firsthand how the right contact center solutions can address these challenges and enhance the overall experience for students and faculty.

At Landis Technologies, our Contact Center for MS Teams solution is designed to meet these needs head-on. By integrating seamlessly with Microsoft Teams, we help institutions streamline their IT support operations, improve user experience, and deliver high-quality service in a way that feels familiar and intuitive.

Meeting the Changing Expectations of IT Support

Today’s students and faculty expect IT support that mirrors the speed and convenience they experience from leading companies like Amazon or Apple. This shift has created specific challenges for higher education institutions, including:

      • Multi-Channel Support: Users now expect to engage with IT support through their preferred channel, whether it’s voice, chat, email, or text. This is particularly important for younger students who may prefer chat or text over phone calls due to anxiety or preference.

        • 24/7 Availability: IT issues don’t keep office hours, and universities must be prepared to offer around-the-clock support. Whether it’s resetting a password at midnight or resolving a technical issue directly before class, immediate help is often needed.

          • Reputation and Efficiency: A university’s IT department directly impacts its reputation. Negative experiences—such as long wait times or poor agent performance—can lead to frustration, and in today’s connected world, complaints spread quickly. Ensuring IT support is efficient and reliable is crucial to maintaining institutional reputation.

        How Landis Technologies Solutions Make a Difference

        At Landis, we understand these challenges and have developed solutions that transform IT support operations in higher education. Here’s how Landis Contact Center for Microsoft Teams, can help your institution excel:

            1. Seamless Microsoft Teams Integration

          The Landis Contact Center solution integrates natively with Microsoft Teams, a platform already familiar to most students and faculty. This familiarity minimizes disruptions during implementation and reduces the learning curve. Whether IT support is handled by part-time student workers or full-time staff, the simplicity of staying within the Teams ecosystem ensures a seamless experience. This not only improves efficiency but also boosts user confidence and morale by eliminating the need for multiple logins or switching between tools.

              1. Flexible Licensing Options

            Higher education IT support often relies on student workers, many of whom work limited hours. Traditional contact center licensing models, which are typically designed for full-time staff, can be costly and inefficient in this context. Our flexible licensing allows universities to tailor the solution to their specific needs, — whether it’s a full-time agent or a part-time student worker.

                1. Advanced Call Routing and Prioritization

              When it comes to IT support, getting the right person on the line quickly is key. Our advanced call routing directs users to the most qualified agents based on factors like the caller’s identity and the nature of their issue. For urgent situations—such as a faculty member requiring immediate assistance before class—our system can prioritize their call to ensure they receive prompt support.

              We also provide escalation options for critical scenarios. For example, mental health hotlines can use keyword-based prioritization, ensuring that students in crisis receive support quickly, potentially bypassing other calls.

                  1. Cost-Effective Solutions

                We understand that budgets are tight in higher education, and IT departments are often expected to do more with less. That’s why Landis Contact Center solutions offer robust functionality while maintaining cost-efficiency. We offer the features institutions need without the excess costs associated with unnecessary extras. Many of our clients appreciate that we deliver exactly what they need—powerful features at an affordable price.

                    1. Enhanced Capabilities within Microsoft Teams

                  Our solution does more than just integrate with Teams—it enhances its capabilities. Support interactions can start as a voice call and seamlessly elevate to video, screen sharing, or even remote desktop control, all within the same platform. This is invaluable for IT support staff resolving complex technical issues, reducing time-to-resolution and improving the user experience.

                  Real-World Success in Higher Education

                  We’re proud to have worked with many higher education institutions, helping them transform their IT support services. Here are just a couple of success stories:

                      • Mental Health Hotline: One institution used our system to support its mental health hotline, ensuring that students in crisis were given priority. With advanced routing, urgent calls were escalated to the front of the queue, providing life-saving assistance faster.

                        • Faculty IT Support: Another university implemented our solution to improve faculty IT support during time-sensitive situations like pre-class emergencies. With dedicated queues for faculty members, support agents trained in faculty-related issues ensured minimal disruption to classes and higher satisfaction among educators.

                      Preparing for the Future

                      As IT support continues to evolve, higher education institutions will increasingly rely on AI and automation. By using AI tools like chatbots for common issues (e.g., password resets), human agents can focus on more complex problems. Additionally, as predictive AI becomes more advanced, we expect proactive IT support to become the norm, anticipating issues before they occur.

                      Best Practices for Implementing a Contact Center Solution

                      If you’re considering implementing a contact center solution, keep these best practices in mind:

                          • Focus on Pain Points: Identify your institution’s specific challenges and choose a solution that directly addresses them.

                            • Leverage Existing Tools: If you already use Microsoft Teams, opt for a solution that integrates seamlessly with it.

                              • Prioritize Flexibility: Make sure your solution can accommodate part-time workers and fluctuating needs.

                                • Enhance User Experience: Choose a system that improves response times and provides a familiar, user-friendly interface for both students and faculty.

                              Stay Ahead of the Curve

                              Higher education institutions are facing new challenges in IT support, but the right solutions can turn those challenges into opportunities. At Landis Technologies, we’re committed to helping you deliver high-quality, efficient, and reliable support through our Microsoft Teams-integrated contact center solutions. By prioritizing simplicity, flexibility, and cost-effectiveness, we make IT support easier for everyone involved.

                              To learn more about how Landis can help your institution, schedule a free Contact Center for MS Teams demo—we’d love to discuss your specific needs.

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