This PortaOne webinar is tailored for service providers looking to launch high-demand CRM capabilities for their B2B clients quickly.
Presenters include Klaus Haertel, Director of Strategic Alliances & Channel Sales at PortaOne; Unoma Adeyemi, CCO of PressOne; and Ken Adams, Co-founder and President of P2P/Helios, who shared insights into turning CRM users into long-term customers.
Check out the highlights below, or watch the full recording to discover how to offer high-value CRM communication services, with tools that fit different customer environments.
CRM Widget by PressOne: Embedded Calling in HubSpot, Zoho & Freshdesk
Unoma introduced PressOne Africa as a CSP building innovative voice solutions across Africa, now partnering with PortaOne. She explained a common issue business customers face: their CRM holds contact data, but calls are made outside the CRM, making it hard to log notes or access recordings easily.
To solve this, PressOne created easy-to-deploy call widgets that integrate directly into CRMs like HubSpot, Zoho, and Freshworks. These widgets let users make and receive calls from inside the CRM, record conversations, and take notes—all without switching platforms. The setup takes just five steps and about 15 minutes. CSPs can use the default branding or customize the widgets themselves. A live poll after the presentation showed that the next most requested CRM integration is Microsoft Dynamics.
Helios Solution: Omnichannel CRM Messaging
Ken Adams from P2P Labs introduced Helios, an omnichannel customer engagement platform built specifically for CSPs, MSPs, and service providers. Integrated with PortaOne, Helios enhances existing voice infrastructure rather than replacing it. Ken emphasized their mission to bring powerful enterprise-grade features—like chat, social media, voice, video, AI bots, and email—into one unified tool designed for SMBs, but at an affordable price.
Unlike typical multi-channel tools, Helios offers true omnichannel capabilities with a shared inbox for seamless team collaboration. It integrates popular platforms such as WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, Telegram, and more, enabling CSPs to help their clients engage customers on their preferred channels.
Ken also introduced UC Plus, a concept that combines Helios with PortaSwitch and PortaPhone to deliver an upgraded unified communications experience. UC Plus enhances standard UC tools by layering in social channels and CRM integrations, empowering agents to work more efficiently and deliver better customer service.
Flexible CRM Integration for CSPs with PortaOne Workflows
Klaus Haertel shared that working directly within a CRM like HubSpot feels natural and efficient. With PortaOne’s integration, features like click-to-call make communication seamless and error-free. He emphasized that Helios and PressOne aren’t competing solutions but serve different needs. While some businesses prefer CRM-centric workflows, others benefit from omnichannel tools like Helios. PortaOne’s flexible platform supports both approaches, allowing CSPs to combine solutions to match their customers’ specific needs.
Special Offer for PressOne Dialer Integration
Webinar participants can use the promo code PORTA50CRM to get 50% off the cost of a custom PressOne dialer integration (excluding the Freshworks integration, which is already underway). This offer, co-sponsored by PortaOne, applies to other CRMs like Dynamics. Contact either PortaOne or PressOne to claim the offer.
Q&A Session
Q: Can the PressOne solution be used with softphones other than PortaPhone?
A: Absolutely. If you already have a softphone in place, you can continue using it with PressOne.
Q: What is the most pressing challenge you hear from businesses in the United States?
A: Many businesses feel overwhelmed by the rapid pace of AI advancements, leading to confusion and inaction. Helios addresses this by offering a solution that users can adopt gradually. For SMBs, starting small—like enabling SMS or web chat with an AI co-pilot—is often more effective than jumping into full-scale digital transformation all at once.
Q: Do you see voice communication going away completely?
A: Voice isn’t going away anytime soon, especially in regions like Africa, where there’s a strong cultural preference for personal, one-on-one conversations. Even in the U.S., many businesses still use legacy PBX systems. While AI and natural language processing are advancing quickly, full adoption—especially by small businesses—will take time. Some customers still prefer the human touch of a phone call, while others lean toward chat, provided it works well. Ultimately, it’s about striking a balance, and adoption will depend on cultural shifts and how easily new tech can be integrated into everyday workflows.
