It’s not a stretch to say that Microsoft Teams is one of the most popular communication tools in the world. Around 270 million people used Teams last year,1 so it’s easy to see why more companies are looking for a way to use this fast, reliable collaboration platform as a business voice solution.
While there are currently 80 million active Microsoft Teams Phone users,2 voice-enabling the platform can be a complicated process for businesses of all sizes. In this blog, we’ll explore the benefits of using Teams Phone, the complexities of Microsoft phone system licensing, and how to find the best solution for voice-enabling Teams for your organization.
Microsoft Teams Phone System is a cloud-based telephony solution that enables businesses to use Microsoft Teams as their primary communication and calling platform. It replaces traditional Private Branch Exchange (PBX) systems by allowing users to make, receive, and transfer calls via the Microsoft Teams app, using Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology.
The system provides enterprise-grade call management features, including call forwarding, voicemail, auto-attendants, call queues, and conferencing. Users can connect to the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) through Microsoft Calling Plans or Direct Routing, which integrates Teams with third-party telecom providers.
Using the Teams phone system offers a variety of benefits for businesses of all sizes. Some of the biggest advantages include:
Microsoft Teams calling plans integrate seamlessly with the rest of the Teams platform, so you can unify your communication and collaboration tools into a single platform. Employees can make calls, send messages, share files, and collaborate in real time, all in the same easy-to-use interface.
Teams leverages Voice over IP (VoIP) technology, which tends to be more cost-effective than traditional phone systems. Plus, Microsoft calling plans and pricing options – including domestic and international calling packages – are competitive, so your business can pick an option that suits your budget best.
Teams Phone is designed to scale alongside business needs. Since it’s cloud-based, you can easily add or remove phone lines and users as needed without having to make significant changes to your voice infrastructure.
Microsoft Teams has made a name for itself as a must-have for remote and hybrid work collaboration. With the phone system add-on, your employees can leverage Teams’ audio conferencing and other communication tools, as well as make and receive business calls from any device, anywhere.
System administrators can easily configure and manage phone system settings, assign phone numbers, set up call routing, and control calling features for individuals or departments from a centralized portal. Teams’ management functionality also simplifies user management by enabling supervisors to generate comprehensive reports, lead meetings, monitor calls, and more.
Microsoft Teams Phone can seamlessly integrate with other Microsoft 365 tools, including Outlook, SharePoint, and OneDrive, so employees can access contacts, schedule meetings, share documents, and collaborate while on a call.
Use advanced features, such as auto attendants, call forwarding, call queues, and more, to create efficient call-handling workflows, streamline customer service, and improve the overall communication experience for your employees.
Microsoft prioritizes security and compliance, and Teams Phone is no exception. The platform includes data encryption protocols, secure authentication measures, compliance with industry regulations, and adherence to data protection standards, so you can have peace of mind knowing your call data is secure.
Voice-enabling Microsoft Teams offers more than the ability to make and receive calls within the application. A Teams phone system license unlocks enterprise voice features such as:
Auto attendants automate call handling and routing for incoming calls. You can configure them to provide options for callers to hear a recorded message or select specific departments.
Teams’ cloud voicemail functionality enables your employees to receive and manage voicemail messages and text transcripts directly within the Teams app.
Caller ID displays the incoming caller’s phone number or name directly in the Teams app. MS Teams also enables easy caller ID customization for outbound PSTN phone numbers.
Call forwarding allows incoming calls to automatically redirect from one number to another. You can configure MS Teams’ call-forwarding rules to redirect incoming calls to other employees as needed.
Teams also supports call transfer functionality, which enables your employees to transfer ongoing calls to other team members or phone numbers.
Audio conferencing enables your employees or other users to call into meetings from their phones, internal or personal, using shared audio conferencing numbers or toll-free numbers.
Employees can place a call on hold, which generates a unique code that any other employee or administrator can use to retrieve the call.
Call queues help distribute incoming calls to a group based on predefined routing rules, which can be especially useful for call centers or departments that handle a high call volume.
Teams offers advanced call analytics and reporting features, so administrators can easily monitor call quality, analyze call data, and gain valuable insights.
While using MS Teams phone system capabilities can give your business a competitive advantage, purchasing a calling plan license directly from Microsoft can be confusing.
For organizations with a Microsoft 365 Enterprise E3 plan, you’ll have to procure the right Teams calling plan to meet your company’s specific voice needs. E5 plans include a Teams Phone Standard license (more on that below), but determining whether this option offers everything you need can be difficult without in-depth knowledge of how these calling plans work.
Here’s a high-level overview of the basic Microsoft calling plan options:
Teams Phone Standard is the basic licensing option for Microsoft’s hosted telephone service. This option provides all Teams Phone capabilities through a direct routing solution, so you can use your current SIP trunks and on-premises voice infrastructure to leverage Teams’ phone system PBX capabilities over PSTN or an internet connection.
Purchasing a calling plan for Teams enables your users to make outbound calls via the app by connecting to PSTN phone numbers with Microsoft as your PSTN provider. Basic Microsoft calling plans include:
Direct routing is a straightforward way for businesses to make and receive phone calls in Microsoft Teams using the Public Switch Telephone Network (PSTN). With direct routing, you can leverage the collaboration benefits of Microsoft Teams while still choosing a preferred provider for your voice services.
While this option often still requires an MS phone system add-on license to work, many businesses prefer direct routing because it provides more flexibility, uptime, and resilience. By integrating Teams via direct routing, you benefit from reliable voice services delivered through your VoIP carrier’s purpose-built backbone – something Microsoft doesn’t have.
Navigating Microsoft Teams phone system options can be a challenge, but you don’t have to do it alone.
CommQuotes has helped businesses voice-enable Microsoft solutions for over a decade, so we can take the guesswork out of licensing requirements, pricing, and feature gaps to help you get started with Teams Phone. We have access to hundreds of direct routing partners, so we’ll help you get the Teams calling tools and features you need at a price you can afford.
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Reach out to CommQuotes today to learn more about how we can help you find the right Microsoft Teams Phone solution for your business.
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