Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A. Inc. (Konica Minolta) has announced a new partnership with NTS Communications (NTSCom) that will allow it to expand its unified communications (UC) offering to include clients using Microsoft Teams.

The Direct Routing for Teams solution, powered by NTSCom's iPILOT platform, offers a cloud platform as a service (CPaaS) to support the entire Microsoft Teams calling life cycle. This includes migration, deployment, capacity management, support, analytics and integration. It automates direct routing capabilities while solving for carrier-hosted SBCs, on-premise SIP trunks or bring-your-own SBCs.

"We are thrilled to be able to meet the demand from the ever-changing hybrid workforce and offer a new level of connectivity for the Microsoft ecosystem," said Todd Croteau, president of global information technology services, Konica Minolta. "This innovative software creates a more streamlined and robust user experience to collaborate, interact and manage ongoing communication projects from anywhere. We believe this will be the fastest growing SaaS solution ever sold by Konica Minolta."

"We are ecstatic to be partnering with Konica Minolta," said Aaron Barnes, CEO, NTSCOM. "For 150 years, Konica Minolta has been on the forefront of emerging technologies. iPilot, being the leader in direct routing, along with Konica Minolta's best-in-industry practices creates a heavyweight team destined for great outcomes in the SaaS and tech realms."

For companies whose business continuity relies on calling capability, the shift to hybrid and remote work styles has created challenges as they struggle to emulate their in-office systems for remote employees. The ability to eliminate the need for physical phones and seamlessly deploy direct routing for Microsoft Teams reduces the complexity, time to deploy and overall cost, allowing businesses to run smoothly from anywhere.

By integrating NTSCOM's iPILOT platform, Konica Minolta's Direct Routing for Teams can deliver a one-stop solution that guarantees excellent communication. Simple automation allows users to be up and running with full calling capabilities in minutes. Benefits include:

• A secure, reliable and fully customized solution
• Secure back-end cloud infrastructure and Microsoft Teams' IM, presence, audio/video conferencing, web collaboration and screen sharing capabilities elevate the UC offering
• Full integration with the entire Office 365 ecosystem
• Microsoft Teams fully integrates with Microsoft Outlook email and calendars, SharePoint, the Microsoft Office suite, CRM software and a variety of other services for maximum convenience and efficiency
• Eliminates the need for on-premise PBX hardware and costly capital expenditures
• The quick deployment time for Konica Minolta's Microsoft Teams infrastructure translates into reduced time to market and enables users to benefit from the latest technology with predictable, fixed monthly operating expenses

In other news, Konica Minolta has announced  President and CEO Sam Errigo has joined more than 2,400 CEOs and presidents in signing the CEO Action for Diversity and Inclusion pledge. CEO Action for Diversity and Inclusion is the largest U.S. CEO-driven business commitment to advance diversity and inclusion within the workplace. The coalition offers opportunities to network with peers around DEI topics, resources, mentoring programs and more.

"One of Konica Minolta's strengths as a global company is that employees of different national origins, orientations, beliefs, cultures, languages, genders, ages and expertise work together in regions all over the world," Errigo said. "It is this employee diversity that leads to innovative thinking, original ideas and value generation. Partnering with CEO Action aligns extremely well with our own ideals — this initiative is the very embodiment of 'Inclusive and Collaborative,' one of the six core values that make up the Konica Minolta philosophy."

Konica Minolta strives to be a model corporate citizen, and is making strides to drive diversity, equity and inclusion with meaningful progress. The company's inclusion commitments include:

• Emphasizing what employees need to flourish at work, including continuous review of hiring, development, promotion and compensation practices, to ensure equality for all employees
• Hosting monthly "speaker series" sessions with its women's business resource group, Step Forward
• Championing LGBTQ+ employees and allies via dedicated programming and executive sponsorship
• Implementing voluntary inclusion learning for all U.S. and Canadian employees
• Adding Juneteenth to the company holiday calendar in direct response to employee feedback and to deepen organizational commitment to racial justice
• Offering a platform for DEI programming that celebrates difference and showcases the company's vibrant culture
• Partnering with customers to advocate for the empowerment and advancement of women via professional development, networking and sharing best practices
• Activating employees to volunteer in the local community

"Konica Minolta is committed to upholding a culture that truly values the unique talents we each bring to the workplace and places a premium on belonging," said Nikki Jones, director of diversity, equity and inclusion, Konica Minolta. "We are working hard to demonstrate through words and concrete actions that Konica Minolta is a welcoming and rewarding place to work for people of all identities and backgrounds. Signing the CEO Action pledge shows how serious we are about being change agents and contributing to a better society for everyone."

Broadening its commitment to supporting diversity and inclusion and adding value to society, in 2022 Konica Minolta launched its Step Together program, a new initiative for the empowerment of women in its dealer channel. Modeled after Step Forward, the program is intended to inspire the professional development of women within the office technology industry and bring them together for support, collaboration and inspiration. Through fun and engaging networking events, the program builds community, creates a positive environment in which to share experiences and supports intentional leaders. Konica Minolta is the first and only manufacturer to bring together the women of the office technology industry in this fashion.