Connect Everywhere 4 Microsoft Teams calling must-knows.
Connect Everywhere 4 Microsoft Teams calling must-knows.
If you’ve standardized employee collaboration on Microsoft Teams, you’re probably already thinking about ways to allow users to make and receive phone calls directly from Teams. After all, they already spend a big chunk of their day in Teams collaborating and getting work done. This should be simple.
Like all technology choices, however, the devil is in the details. Here are four things to consider when adding voice calling for Teams:
If you’ve standardized employee collaboration on Microsoft Teams, you’re probably already thinking about ways to allow users to make and receive phone calls directly from Teams. After all, they already spend a big chunk of their day in Teams collaborating and getting work done. This should be simple.
Like all technology choices, however, the devil is in the details. Here are four things to consider when adding voice calling for Teams:
If you’ve standardized employee collaboration on Microsoft Teams, you’re probably already thinking about ways to allow users to make and receive phone calls directly from Teams. After all, they already spend a big chunk of their day in Teams collaborating and getting work done. This should be simple.
Like all technology choices, however, the devil is in the details. Here are four things to consider when adding voice calling for Teams:
If you’ve standardized employee collaboration on Microsoft Teams, you’re probably already thinking about ways to allow users to make and receive phone calls directly from Teams. After all, they already spend a big chunk of their day in Teams collaborating and getting work done. This should be simple.
Like all technology choices, however, the devil is in the details. Here are four things to consider when adding voice calling for Teams:
1. What kind of telephony coverage do we need?
The answer here may seem obvious. But the reality is that many voice services for Teams give you limited public switched telephone network (PSTN) coverage. If your business is mostly local, then that’s not a problem and you can use the phone services provided directly by Microsoft. But if you need global calling capabilities or call center/CRM integration, then you will need a more sophisticated solution that uses Microsoft Teams Direct Routing, connecting into worldwide PSTN networks. The good news is that sophisticated doesn't need to mean difficult.
1. What kind of telephony coverage do we need?
The answer here may seem obvious. But the reality is that many voice services for Teams give you limited public switched telephone network (PSTN) coverage. If your business is mostly local, then that’s not a problem and you can use the phone services provided directly by Microsoft. But if you need global calling capabilities or call center/CRM integration, then you will need a more sophisticated solution that uses Microsoft Teams Direct Routing, connecting into worldwide PSTN networks. The good news is that sophisticated doesn't need to mean difficult.
1. What kind of telephony coverage do we need?
The answer here may seem obvious. But the reality is that many voice services for Teams give you limited public switched telephone network (PSTN) coverage. If your business is mostly local, then that’s not a problem and you can use the phone services provided directly by Microsoft. But if you need global calling capabilities or call center/CRM integration, then you will need a more sophisticated solution that uses Microsoft Teams Direct Routing, connecting into worldwide PSTN networks. The good news is that sophisticated doesn't need to mean difficult.
1. What kind of telephony coverage do we need?
The answer here may seem obvious. But the reality is that many voice services for Teams give you limited public switched telephone network (PSTN) coverage. If your business is mostly local, then that’s not a problem and you can use the phone services provided directly by Microsoft. But if you need global calling capabilities or call center/CRM integration, then you will need a more sophisticated solution that uses Microsoft Teams Direct Routing, connecting into worldwide PSTN networks. The good news is that sophisticated doesn't need to mean difficult.
2. Is it complicated to set up?
If you really want to run a phone company managed by your IT organization, then you’re reading the wrong eBook. If, like the rest of us, you would rather focus on enabling your users to succeed, be productive, and communicate globally with ease, then read on.
There are a few ways to provide PSTN voice services to Teams. One approach is to use a calling bot, that requires users to learn new commands to initiate Team calls or join meetings. This option disrupts the regular Teams workflow and creates user apathy and confusion. There are also some onerous user training implications of this approach we will discuss in a bit, but the administration can be messy because it requires installing and configuring those calling bots on every desktop, with a separate app installation for smartphones.
The more convenient alternative is to use Microsoft Teams Direct Routing. This is quick and easy, and your direct routing provider should be able to set you up in no time at all. With a cloud vendor, you should expect no Teams downtime to bring voice services online or port telephone numbers, and users should be able to keep their existing phone numbers.
The bottom line is that when adding PSTN voice calling to Microsoft Teams, you can have your cake (enterprise-grade telephony functionality) and eat it too (low complexity of deployment).
2. Is it complicated to set up?
If you really want to run a phone company managed by your IT organization, then you’re reading the wrong eBook. If, like the rest of us, you would rather focus on enabling your users to succeed, be productive, and communicate globally with ease, then read on.
There are a few ways to provide PSTN voice services to Teams. One approach is to use a calling bot, that requires users to learn new commands to initiate Team calls or join meetings. This option disrupts the regular Teams workflow and creates user apathy and confusion. There are also some onerous user training implications of this approach we will discuss in a bit, but the administration can be messy because it requires installing and configuring those calling bots on every desktop, with a separate app installation for smartphones.
The more convenient alternative is to use Microsoft Teams Direct Routing. This is quick and easy, and your direct routing provider should be able to set you up in no time at all. With a cloud vendor, you should expect no Teams downtime to bring voice services online or port telephone numbers, and users should be able to keep their existing phone numbers.
The bottom line is that when adding PSTN voice calling to Microsoft Teams, you can have your cake (enterprise-grade telephony functionality) and eat it too (low complexity of deployment).
2. Is it complicated to set up?
If you really want to run a phone company managed by your IT organization, then you’re reading the wrong eBook. If, like the rest of us, you would rather focus on enabling your users to succeed, be productive, and communicate globally with ease, then read on.
There are a few ways to provide PSTN voice services to Teams. One approach is to use a calling bot, that requires users to learn new commands to initiate Team calls or join meetings. This option disrupts the regular Teams workflow and creates user apathy and confusion. There are also some onerous user training implications of this approach we will discuss in a bit, but the administration can be messy because it requires installing and configuring those calling bots on every desktop, with a separate app installation for smartphones.
The more convenient alternative is to use Microsoft Teams Direct Routing. This is quick and easy, and your direct routing provider should be able to set you up in no time at all. With a cloud vendor, you should expect no Teams downtime to bring voice services online or port telephone numbers, and users should be able to keep their existing phone numbers.
The bottom line is that when adding PSTN voice calling to Microsoft Teams, you can have your cake (enterprise-grade telephony functionality) and eat it too (low complexity of deployment).
2. Is it complicated to set up?
If you really want to run a phone company managed by your IT organization, then you’re reading the wrong eBook. If, like the rest of us, you would rather focus on enabling your users to succeed, be productive, and communicate globally with ease, then read on.
There are a few ways to provide PSTN voice services to Teams. One approach is to use a calling bot, that requires users to learn new commands to initiate Team calls or join meetings. This option disrupts the regular Teams workflow and creates user apathy and confusion. There are also some onerous user training implications of this approach we will discuss in a bit, but the administration can be messy because it requires installing and configuring those calling bots on every desktop, with a separate app installation for smartphones.
The more convenient alternative is to use Microsoft Teams Direct Routing. This is quick and easy, and your direct routing provider should be able to set you up in no time at all. With a cloud vendor, you should expect no Teams downtime to bring voice services online or port telephone numbers, and users should be able to keep their existing phone numbers.
The bottom line is that when adding PSTN voice calling to Microsoft Teams, you can have your cake (enterprise-grade telephony functionality) and eat it too (low complexity of deployment).
3. Will it require user training?
Once again, this seems like an obvious question. After all, we live in a world where people expect to pick up a device and just start using it, without requiring a manual. In the world of Direct Routing for Microsoft Teams, you have the same two major options with wildly different characteristics:
Option 1
First option is the bot-based option discussed earlier. While typically less expensive or even free, this approach is taxing for the IT administrator. It starts with a calling bot installation on the user’s desktop and an associated 3rd party app on their mobile phone. If you have hundreds or even thousands of users, this option will quickly stretch IT resources. Users also need to learn new commands to make calls, disrupting the Teams user experience on the desktop, and fragmenting the mobile experience. This approach requires additional user training for both devices placing additional strain on IT.
The result is confused users and excess calls to the IT support desk. Remember, bots require regular updates as new Teams features are added and can cause service disruption if not updated on time. So while this might be a reasonable approach for small deployments, it is extremely risky for larger implementations.
So when they say it’s free, they mean free like a free puppy. It comes with lots of hidden costs.
Option 2
Second option is the native direct routing approach that fully embeds telephony inside the Microsoft Teams app, desktop or mobile, lighting up the Microsoft Teams native dialer. It also enables features like ring groups, calling queues, call forwarding, and voicemail. Users need no additional training for this approach. The downside? The bottom line is that this approach is designed for mid-market to enterprise class organizations and is going to be more cost effective for mid to large scale implementations.
3. Will it require user training?
Once again, this seems like an obvious question. After all, we live in a world where people expect to pick up a device and just start using it, without requiring a manual. In the world of Direct Routing for Microsoft Teams, you have the same two major options with wildly different characteristics:
Option 1
First option is the bot-based option discussed earlier. While typically less expensive or even free, this approach is taxing for the IT administrator. It starts with a calling bot installation on the user’s desktop and an associated 3rd party app on their mobile phone. If you have hundreds or even thousands of users, this option will quickly stretch IT resources. Users also need to learn new commands to make calls, disrupting the Teams user experience on the desktop, and fragmenting the mobile experience. This approach requires additional user training for both devices placing additional strain on IT.
The result is confused users and excess calls to the IT support desk. Remember, bots require regular updates as new Teams features are added and can cause service disruption if not updated on time. So while this might be a reasonable approach for small deployments, it is extremely risky for larger implementations.
So when they say it’s free, they mean free like a free puppy. It comes with lots of hidden costs.
Option 2
Second option is the native direct routing approach that fully embeds telephony inside the Microsoft Teams app, desktop or mobile, lighting up the Microsoft Teams native dialer. It also enables features like ring groups, calling queues, call forwarding, and voicemail. Users need no additional training for this approach. The downside? The bottom line is that this approach is designed for mid-market to enterprise class organizations and is going to be more cost effective for mid to large scale implementations.
3. Will it require user training?
Once again, this seems like an obvious question. After all, we live in a world where people expect to pick up a device and just start using it, without requiring a manual. In the world of Direct Routing for Microsoft Teams, you have the same two major options with wildly different characteristics:
Option 1
First option is the bot-based option discussed earlier. While typically less expensive or even free, this approach is taxing for the IT administrator. It starts with a calling bot installation on the user’s desktop and an associated 3rd party app on their mobile phone. If you have hundreds or even thousands of users, this option will quickly stretch IT resources. Users also need to learn new commands to make calls, disrupting the Teams user experience on the desktop, and fragmenting the mobile experience. This approach requires additional user training for both devices placing additional strain on IT.
The result is confused users and excess calls to the IT support desk. Remember, bots require regular updates as new Teams features are added and can cause service disruption if not updated on time. So while this might be a reasonable approach for small deployments, it is extremely risky for larger implementations.
So when they say it’s free, they mean free like a free puppy. It comes with lots of hidden costs.
Option 2
Second option is the native direct routing approach that fully embeds telephony inside the Microsoft Teams app, desktop or mobile, lighting up the Microsoft Teams native dialer. It also enables features like ring groups, calling queues, call forwarding, and voicemail. Users need no additional training for this approach. The downside? The bottom line is that this approach is designed for mid-market to enterprise class organizations and is going to be more cost effective for mid to large scale implementations.
3. Will it require user training?
Once again, this seems like an obvious question. After all, we live in a world where people expect to pick up a device and just start using it, without requiring a manual. In the world of Direct Routing for Microsoft Teams, you have the same two major options with wildly different characteristics:
Option 1
First option is the bot-based option discussed earlier. While typically less expensive or even free, this approach is taxing for the IT administrator. It starts with a calling bot installation on the user’s desktop and an associated 3rd party app on their mobile phone. If you have hundreds or even thousands of users, this option will quickly stretch IT resources. Users also need to learn new commands to make calls, disrupting the Teams user experience on the desktop, and fragmenting the mobile experience. This approach requires additional user training for both devices placing additional strain on IT.
The result is confused users and excess calls to the IT support desk. Remember, bots require regular updates as new Teams features are added and can cause service disruption if not updated on time. So while this might be a reasonable approach for small deployments, it is extremely risky for larger implementations.
So when they say it’s free, they mean free like a free puppy. It comes with lots of hidden costs.
Option 2
Second option is the native direct routing approach that fully embeds telephony inside the Microsoft Teams app, desktop or mobile, lighting up the Microsoft Teams native dialer. It also enables features like ring groups, calling queues, call forwarding, and voicemail. Users need no additional training for this approach. The downside? The bottom line is that this approach is designed for mid-market to enterprise class organizations and is going to be more cost effective for mid to large scale implementations.
4. Can I use Teams with my contact center software?
If you don’t have a call center, this point is moot. But if you do have a contact center and are using Microsoft Teams as well, of course you would want to natively support ring groups and calling queues as well as the ability to have full contact center reporting and analytics while your agents and supervisors are calling using Microsoft Teams. Make sure you use a Microsoft certified contact center for Teams, which includes all of the functions your agents need to boost customer engagement and be productive with Teams.
4. Can I use Teams with my contact center software?
If you don’t have a call center, this point is moot. But if you do have a contact center and are using Microsoft Teams as well, of course you would want to natively support ring groups and calling queues as well as the ability to have full contact center reporting and analytics while your agents and supervisors are calling using Microsoft Teams. Make sure you use a Microsoft certified contact center for Teams, which includes all of the functions your agents need to boost customer engagement and be productive with Teams.
4. Can I use Teams with my contact center software?
If you don’t have a call center, this point is moot. But if you do have a contact center and are using Microsoft Teams as well, of course you would want to natively support ring groups and calling queues as well as the ability to have full contact center reporting and analytics while your agents and supervisors are calling using Microsoft Teams. Make sure you use a Microsoft certified contact center for Teams, which includes all of the functions your agents need to boost customer engagement and be productive with Teams.
4. Can I use Teams with my contact center software?
If you don’t have a call center, this point is moot. But if you do have a contact center and are using Microsoft Teams as well, of course you would want to natively support ring groups and calling queues as well as the ability to have full contact center reporting and analytics while your agents and supervisors are calling using Microsoft Teams. Make sure you use a Microsoft certified contact center for Teams, which includes all of the functions your agents need to boost customer engagement and be productive with Teams.
As with any technology decision, you need to consider the pros and cons of each approach, and how it will fit with your environment. Think about your needs first, and then determine which Direct Routing approach outlined above will be best for your environment.
As with any technology decision, you need to consider the pros and cons of each approach, and how it will fit with your environment. Think about your needs first, and then determine which Direct Routing approach outlined above will be best for your environment.
As with any technology decision, you need to consider the pros and cons of each approach, and how it will fit with your environment. Think about your needs first, and then determine which Direct Routing approach outlined above will be best for your environment.
As with any technology decision, you need to consider the pros and cons of each approach, and how it will fit with your environment. Think about your needs first, and then determine which Direct Routing approach outlined above will be best for your environment.
Chapter Two Review
Direct routing with Microsoft Teams is increasingly common. As with all IT projects, the better you understand your direct routing technology choices upfront, the less likely they will be to cause delays, raise unexpected obstacles, or even completely derail your project. The four considerations discussed in this chapter will help to accelerate PSTN voice calling for Microsoft Teams.
More Resources
Webinar: Top Microsoft Teams Trends in 2021
Chapter Two Review
Direct routing with Microsoft Teams is increasingly common. As with all IT projects, the better you understand your direct routing technology choices upfront, the less likely they will be to cause delays, raise unexpected obstacles, or even completely derail your project. The four considerations discussed in this chapter will help to accelerate PSTN voice calling for Microsoft Teams.
More Resources
Webinar: Top Microsoft Teams Trends in 2021
Chapter Two Review
Direct routing with Microsoft Teams is increasingly common. As with all IT projects, the better you understand your direct routing technology choices upfront, the less likely they will be to cause delays, raise unexpected obstacles, or even completely derail your project. The four considerations discussed in this chapter will help to accelerate PSTN voice calling for Microsoft Teams.
More Resources
Webinar: Top Microsoft Teams Trends in 2021
Chapter Two Review
Direct routing with Microsoft Teams is increasingly common. As with all IT projects, the better you understand your direct routing technology choices upfront, the less likely they will be to cause delays, raise unexpected obstacles, or even completely derail your project. The four considerations discussed in this chapter will help to accelerate PSTN voice calling for Microsoft Teams.
More Resources
Webinar: Top Microsoft Teams Trends in 2021
Chapter 3 Preview
You already know that Microsoft Calling Plans enable PSTN calls from Teams. But did you know that third-party cloud telephony solutions help unleash the full potential of Microsoft Teams? Find out more in next week's chapter.
Chapter 3 Preview
You already know that Microsoft Calling Plans enable PSTN calls from Teams. But did you know that third-party cloud telephony solutions help unleash the full potential of Microsoft Teams? Find out more in next week's chapter.
Chapter 3 Preview
You already know that Microsoft Calling Plans enable PSTN calls from Teams. But did you know that third-party cloud telephony solutions help unleash the full potential of Microsoft Teams? Find out more in next week's chapter.
Chapter 3 Preview
You already know that Microsoft Calling Plans enable PSTN calls from Teams. But did you know that third-party cloud telephony solutions help unleash the full potential of Microsoft Teams? Find out more in next week's chapter.
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