It's safe to say 2020 has been a bit of a crazy year, Covid-19 has meant a lot of work dynamics have shifted massively and forced a digital adoption that would have otherwise taken years to adapt too. Remote working has become the new normal, empowering your team to work effectively and efficiently has never been more important.
This blog aims to help explain exactly what Teams Voice is and how this can help your business.
What is Teams Voice? Teams Voice is Microsoft’s cloud-based phone system allowing calls to be made using the team's client. It is a replacement for the traditional telephony providers/in-house phone systems that can be difficult and expensive to manage. The calling capabilities are powered by the phone system functionality features within Microsoft 365. Key Features of Teams Voice include:
Phone System (formerly known as Cloud PBX) with Microsoft Calling Plans or Direct Routing for PSTN services
Users can receive and transfer calls using mobiles, desk telephone hardware or software phones on their devices. These devices can be mobile IOS or Android and the desktop client supports Windows and Mac.
Domestic Calling – Calls that are made from your own country/region are free. International plans and toll-free dialling are also available.
Audio Conferencing – Teams Voice allows you to host conference call with people who may not use teams and/or don’t have an internet connection
How does it work? Microsoft Teams Voice is a license which we can apply to your existing Microsoft 365 users. We setup some special VoIP (Voice over IP) lines and connect those to your Microsoft 365 platform, purchase and assign the licenses, our cloud gurus run some clever PowerShell scripts for you and away you go. You get a direct dial for each user and we can activate Auto attendants, call queues, pretty much everything your normal phone system has to offer but with less fuss. Each user will have access to direct dial numbers and can participate in call groups and the auto attendant. To add to this, you are entitled to multiple calling functions, for example:
Call History
Call Forwarding
Voice messaging
Simultaneous calls etc.
Dial by name directory
Presence (shows other team members when you're on a call)
How will this benefit you? Cost effective call plans: Understanding that each company has different requirements, Teams voice call plans can be tailored to you and your company, thus making sure that you are not paying for anything unnecessary. In fact, we bundle plenty of minutes with each subscription, so you don’t have to worry about paying for local, national and mobile calls. Anywhere Anytime: By integrating Teams Voice Calls, calls can be received anywhere, on any device. Whether you’re remote working from home using your mobile or in the office. Why have a separate application or piece of hardware when you can simply use a product that you’re no doubt already using every day. If you haven’t been introduced to teams yet, then get in touch and one of our team would be happy to show you what it has to offer. Integration: When you adopt Microsoft Teams Voice, this allows you to fully integrate with other Teams features such as messaging, meetings, emails and documents, thus enabling a more fluid and efficient way of working. Although times may be difficult, Total IT’s specialist cloud team are on hand to discuss your options and help you along your IT journey. Get in contact today for more information and assistance on Microsoft Teams Voice and our call plans.
