What is Microsoft Teams Phone?
Microsoft Teams Phone (formerly known as Teams Phone System) is a cloud-based phone system that expands Teams’ voice capabilities and transforms it into a fully-fledged enterprise telephony system or PBX. It integrates seamlessly with Microsoft Teams, enabling users to make and receive calls, hold meetings, and manage contacts within the same platform.
Some of the PBX features supported by Teams Phone include call transfer, call queue, auto-attendant, voicemail and music on hold. With a comprehensive set of calling features, Teams Phone allows businesses to streamline their communication infrastructure, enhance collaboration and improve productivity across their organization.
How much does Teams Phone cost?
Microsoft Teams Phone licensing works by offering flexible options to accommodate different business voice calling needs. The primary licensing options include the Teams Phone Standard license, which can be added to any Microsoft 365 subscription, and the Teams Phone with Calling Plan, which bundles the phone system with domestic and international calling capabilities. For more information about what is included in these options and current pricing, click here.
Additionally, organizations can choose to use Direct Routing for Microsoft Teams, where they connect their existing telephony infrastructure to Teams using Microsoft-certified session border controllers (SBC) for full voice functionality. This can potentially reduce costs while allowing them to retain their current phone numbers and services.
This flexible Teams Phone licensing approach ensures that businesses can select the most appropriate and cost-effective solution for their Teams voice calling requirements.
How does Teams Phone connect to the public switched telephone network (PSTN)?
There are three different ways provided by Microsoft for organizations to connect their Microsoft Teams deployments to the PSTN to enable a comprehensive phone system for Teams voice calling. These are:
- Direct Routing for Microsoft Teams - Here, Microsoft Teams customers connect to local PSTN or SIP trunk providers using certified session border controllers. Direct Routing allows organizations to keep their own carrier (BYOC), as well as integrate with existing voice systems like PBXs, unified communications (UC) or contact centers.
- Operator Connect – Customers can select a qualified operator from the list in the Microsoft Teams Admin Center. The chosen operator will then contact the customer and connect them to the service. AudioCodes’ session border controllers are certified for Operator Connect and AudioCodes Live Platform is an approved platform for Operator Connect Accelerator.
- Calling Plans – This subscription-based telephony solution from Microsoft allows you to make and receive voice calls using Microsoft Teams. It simplifies deployment by letting you purchase phone numbers and minutes directly from Microsoft. However, its availability is limited to specific countries and it does not offer the flexibility of Direct Routing with regard to connectivity with legacy voice systems and networks.
What solutions does AudioCodes offer for Teams Phone?
AudioCodes offers a comprehensive range of innovative solutions to enhance the Microsoft Teams Phone voice calling experience and boost organizational productivity, all based on more than three decades of field-proven telecommunications expertise. They include:
- Session Border Controllers for Direct Routing and Operator Connect – AudioCodes’ Mediant session border controllers (SBC) are certified by Microsoft for Direct Routing and Operator Connect. They deliver seamless connectivity, enhanced security and voice quality assurance at any scale, and include cloud-native, virtualized and appliance SBCs for enterprises and service providers.
- A One-Screen Microsoft Teams Contact Center – The AudioCodes Voca Conversational Interaction Center is a certified Microsoft Teams contact center built in Azure with ready-to-use conversational AI. Its lightweight design builds on the trusted reliability of Teams Phone and is easily scalable to every Teams user across the organization for a unified customer and employee experience.
- Microsoft Teams Rooms Solutions – AudioCodes offers an extensive selection of Microsoft Teams Rooms solutions, including innovative audio and video devices, meeting room controllers and other accessories, to support every room type in today’s busy hybrid workplace.
- IP Phones – The AudioCodes 400HD series of IP phones is a range of easy-to-use, feature-rich desktop devices with familiar and intuitive user interfaces for a highly productive Teams voice calling experience.
- AudioCodes Live Platform – AudioCodes Live Platform is a complete calling and contact center experience for Microsoft Teams. Packed with advanced onboarding automation and management tools, this cloud-based solution offers seamless Direct Routing and Operator Connect PSTN connectivity as well as a wide range of add-on voice applications.
