The complete guide to connecting Microsoft Teams with a voice solution
Microsoft Teams has become an essential tool for business collaboration, with a user base of approximately 130 million commercial users. The suite of cloud-based features, including instant messaging, file sharing, and video conferencing, has become indispensable for organizations aiming to keep their teams connected, regardless of location. As more businesses look to leverage this popular platform for voice communication, the question arises: Can Microsoft Teams provide a reliable voice solution?
Enabling Microsoft Teams for Voice: Your Options
Businesses can use Microsoft Teams as a voice solution. By integrating voice capabilities into the Teams application, organizations can simplify their communication processes. This integration allows for making and receiving phone calls, setting up dedicated phone numbers, and integrating with other applications, among many other benefits.
What Teams Voice Solutions Are Available?
Businesses looking to use Teams as a voice solution have several options. Here are the most popular ways to enable Microsoft Teams for voice:
- Microsoft Calling Plan
A straightforward approach is to purchase Microsoft’s Calling Plan add-on license. This option provides Teams users with assigned phone numbers, complete with features like voicemail, speed dial, and contacts. While convenient, it may not be the best choice for businesses that need to connect existing phone numbers or equipment.
- Direct Routing
Direct routing allows organizations to connect their existing voice infrastructure to Teams via a session border controller (SBC). This method enables you to retain your current phone numbers and infrastructure while benefiting from Teams’ advanced collaboration tools.
- Hybrid Solutions
Hybrid Teams voice solutions combine on-premise or cloud-based telephony infrastructure with Microsoft Teams. Often, voice providers use SBCs to connect their cloud-based services with Teams, offering the advantages of an all-in-one, integrated communication platform.
Benefits of Enabling Microsoft Teams for Voice
Enabling Microsoft Teams for voice can significantly improve business communication. Here are some key benefits:
- Seamless Communication
Employees spend about 70% of their workweek communicating. By using a Microsoft Teams voice solution, your team can make and receive calls directly from a familiar platform, reducing the need to switch between devices or applications.
- Enhanced Collaboration
Teams is built for collaboration. Adding voice capabilities allows employees to hold virtual meetings, conference calls, and webinars within the platform, eliminating the need for external conferencing tools. Instant messaging and presence status ensure real-time connectivity, even when team members are unavailable for calls.
- Higher Productivity
A central platform for communication and collaboration reduces app switching and increases efficiency. Microsoft Teams can boost employee productivity by 15 to 25 minutes per day, translating into significant labor cost savings over time.
- Increased Mobility
Enabling voice in Teams keeps remote and hybrid workers connected. Unlike traditional phone systems that tie employees to desk phones, Teams allows for calls from any location or device, supporting flexible work arrangements.
- Cost Savings
Traditional phone systems come with significant costs for hardware, software, and maintenance. Teams voice solutions eliminate the need for traditional phone lines, offering substantial cost savings. Additionally, cloud-based voice services can reduce downtime by 14%, yielding further financial benefits.
- Improved Customer Service
Teams’ voice features enable call routing, queues, and auto-attendants, enhancing customer experience by reducing wait times and directing calls to the appropriate departments. Integration with CRM systems improves customer data management, allowing for personalized service.
Optimize Your Communications with Horizon Telecom
Connecting Microsoft Teams with a voice solution can revolutionize your business communications. However, choosing the best option can be challenging due to the variety of available solutions. Horizon Telecom helps you select the optimal Teams voice solution that perfectly fits your business communication needs. Our direct routing solution fully integrates Microsoft Teams with our reliable, geo-redundant voice platform, offering both direct routing and hybrid deployment options. We provide the power of Teams combined with the flexibility of a true cloud voice provider, all through an intuitive interface.
Learn More and Transform Your Communications
Contact Horizon Telecom today to discover how we can improve your business communications with our Microsoft Teams solutions