5 Reasons You Should Start Using Azure Communication Services for Jira

Effective communication has always been a key to the success of every company, but in an era of constant connectivity, it means literally everything both for customer experience and corporate relations. As customers go digital and more teams across the globe are moving to remote work, services like Alpha Serve’s Azure Communication Services for Jira take over.

Research by Forrester Consulting shows that companies that invest in customer experience enjoy 1.6x higher brand awareness, 1.5x higher employee satisfaction, 1.9x higher average order value, 1.7x higher customer retention, 1.9x return on spend, and 1.6x higher customer satisfaction rates. It’s an ancient history that customer service encompasses any interaction, online or offline, from the first contact to the sale and far beyond, but communication is at the top of a ladder. As customer behavior is becoming increasingly digital, demands rise respectively. According to another study, 64% of consumers expect companies to respond and interact with them in real time.

Communication is not less important for corporate culture. As the number of teams switching to remote work grows, managers need more efforts to keep the employees motivated and loyal to the company. And online communication services are here to help. In a 2015 study, it was found that, overall, telecommuting increases job satisfaction, performance, and feelings of commitment to an organization among employees.

With all that in mind Microsoft has developed Azure Communication Services (ACS) — a platform, that makes it possible and easy for developers to add voice and video calling, chat, and SMS text message capabilities to websites, mobile, and desktop applications with just a few lines of code. And Alpha Serve brought those capabilities to the Jira Service Management and Jira Software users.

So here are 5 reasons why you should give the app a try and increase your overall business productivity.

Unclear tasks or unworking software, misunderstanding with the customer, or a need to solve the problem? There are plenty of situations when the possibility to immediately connect with colleagues or customers can save money, reputation, or even business. Fortunately, now you can reach the other party just with one click on a button directly from the Jira Service Desk ticket or Jira Software issue.

Sometimes, texting is not the best way to solve the issue, and more interactive communication methods may come in handy. With Azure Communication Services for Jira, in addition to common text messages and chats, you can enjoy audio or video calls. What is more, you can seamlessly shift between voice and video formats. The conversation starts directly in Jira, and there is no need to switch to another window. The screen sharing option is also available for more illustrative discussions and quick problem-solving.

There are some cases that require more than two participants to discuss the issue or solve the problem. Thanks to Azure Communication Services for Jira, it is now possible that other watchers, reporters, experts, or stakeholders quickly join the conversation. Just share a short link. You can track the full contact history in the issue comments. Users may also be notified of the meeting by email.

Not all issues can be solved immediately. You may need to gather additional information, consult other experts or just find time for conversation. In this case, you can use the app’s scheduling option and set the most appropriate date and time for the meeting.

You and your partners do not need to be concerned with security issues. Azure Communication Services is built within a global, reliable cloud — Azure, which means you can communicate with your teammates and customers with the same secure and reliable platform that is used by Microsoft Teams.

If the above sounds convincing to you, just give Azure Communication Services for Jira a shot. Simply find it at the Atlassian Marketplace and select Free trial to get a 30-day free trial license or Buy now to purchase the application.
The Cloud version of Azure Communication Services For Jira is free for small teams up to 10 users. Permanently.

Alternatively, you can install Azure Communication Services for Jira directly from the Jira desktop. To do this, go to the Apps tab and select the Find new apps section. Enter “Azure Communication Services for Jira” in the search field and find the app in the search result. Choose a suitable purchase option and follow the standard installation path.

As communication plays an increasingly important role in today’s highly digitalized and globalized world, businesses have to adopt appropriate tools to better connect with customers and ensure effective interactions between the members of the team who may work remotely. That’s why Microsoft has developed its innovative communication platform Azure Communication Services. Alpha Serve adapted it for Jira — a tool used by thousands of companies across the globe for project management or providing problem-solving services for customers. The Azure Communication Services for Jira allows teams to quickly connect with each other and customers with only one click and to use both video and voice calls as well as different options to facilitate communication. So, if you use Jira on a daily basis, give the app a try and see how it will impact the business’s overall performance.