Unify Model for Microsoft Teams: The key to deliver a truly native Teams experience

Seamless integration with Microsoft Teams is no longer a luxury for modern businesses, it's a necessity. For both front-desk attendants and contact center agents, the quality of this integration is crucial. It directly impacts productivity, simplifies complex processes, and defines the customer experience from the very first interaction.

But not all integrations are created equal. Behind the technical terms "Connect," "Extend," and "Unify" lie very different operational realities for your teams. This article decrypts these models and explains why the newest, Unify, represents a quantum leap for any organization using Teams for voice communications.

Microsoft Teams: The three integration models (Connect, Extend, Unify)

To understand the final user experience, one must return to the technical fundamentals defined by Microsoft.

Connect: The complex telephony project
This model involves building a complex "sidecar" integration between the Contact-Center-as-a-Service (CPaaS/CCaaS) solution and Teams, typically using Direct Routing to connect an agent's DID. This is essentially a traditional telephony project, requiring new phone numbers and complex call flows. There is no real application integration between the systems. It forces a complete context switch for agents, is fraught with deployment complexity, and requires lengthy debugging, making it inefficient and outdated.

Extend (Based on Graph APIs): The proven functional model
This model allows a third-party application to leverage Microsoft Graph APIs to handle calls from Teams. The application can run within the Teams interface as a tab, providing context and avoiding some switching. This model has proven its efficiency and scalability for handling high call volumes.

However, its limitations are significant:

• Media control: Advanced call handling like recording, real-time transcription, or AI analysis is complex or impossible.
• The double ring: Architecturally, Microsoft Teams and the third-party app remain two separate call handlers. This means when a call arrives, both the Teams client and the attendant console or contact center app ring simultaneously. This is confusing and stressful for any agent but is particularly disruptive for receptionists whose primary function is to answer calls instantly and efficiently.

Unify (Based on Azure Communication Services): The deepest integration
The Unify model represents a fundamental architectural shift. It uses Azure Communication Services (ACS) as the backend to natively control Teams' communication features (voice, video), replacing the limited Graph API approach for voice. From the frontend, the agent interface uses the Teams JavaScript SDK to become the primary call control surface.

The result: the boundary between the Teams app and the agent's workspace disappears. Teams delegates call control entirely to the unified application, offering a truly fluid and coherent experience for every user and finally eliminating the frustrating "double ring."

Heedify certified Unify: The end of compromises

It is in this context that we are proud to announce that Heedify is now certified for Microsoft's Unify integration model for both our Attendant Console and Contact Center solutions.

This certification is not just a technical validation; it is the concrete resolution of fragmentation. Thanks to Unify, Heedify can now natively interact with the Teams voice client.

The implications are direct and transformative for all users:

• An end to the double ring. Now, when a call comes in, only the Heedify interface rings.
• We intercept and manage the Teams call directly within our unified interface, which becomes the single, streamlined control point.
• The experience is finally perfectly fluid and native. Agents no longer have to think about the tool; they focus entirely on the conversation and the customer.

The business opportunity with Unify

The Unify model is more than a technical improvement; it's the foundation for a smarter contact center. By providing a solid, native, and unified technical foundation, it unlocks powerful new capabilities that were previously difficult or impossible to achieve:

• Real-time transcription of customer conversations.
• Automated call summarization for agents and CRM systems.
• Sentiment analysis to gauge customer satisfaction live.
• Live voice coaching to guide agents toward better outcomes.

Delivering on the promise of intelligence

‍For Heedify users, this seamless flow of information is a game-changer:

• For Agents: They can see the call transcript live, adjust the automated summary for accuracy, and access all customer context without switching apps.
• For Your Business: Call transcripts, adjusted summaries, and interaction data can be automatically synced to your CRM via simplified Power Automate flows, ensuring data accuracy and providing rich insights for every customer interaction. This turns every call into actionable intelligence.

Beyond basic integration, towards intelligent customer relationships

At Heedify, we no longer just connect to Teams; we unify the experience for your entire organization. By eliminating technical compromises, we open new horizons for a more efficient, intelligent, and data-driven customer relationship.

Ready to discover a truly unified future for Microsoft Teams?

Schedule time with our team now for a demonstration of the power of Heedify, now Unify certified for both Attendant Console and Contact Center, and enhanced by AI.