Microsoft Teams + Voice
Phone System, Calling Plan, E1, E3, E5, International Calling, Audio Conferencing, Direct Routing, SIP, SBC... (oh, my)
If you're considering the E5 License for Microsoft 365 (M365) or Office 365 (O365), or adding Microsoft Phone System to your E3 or E1 users, and then considering either a Microsoft Calling Plan or Direct Routing option, contact Cloud 9 Advisers before you go any further. There is a lot more to consider and if not thought out properly it could cost you. We'll help you navigate the deep, challenging, and often confusing waters when considering Microsoft Teams to replace your current voice communications platform. If you're upgrading from Skype for Business, on one hand it's a no-brainer, on the other there are some intricacies (and credits) to strongly consider first.
Keep in mind Microsoft may, and often does, change its options, various bundles, and packages frequently.
Reach out to Cloud 9 and we'll get you the latest.
Microsoft Teams license add-ons that you'll need to consider:
- Phone System license add-on ($8.00/user/month)
- Plus, Calling Plan ($12.00/user/month for 3,000 minutes/user/month)
- Or, Direct Routing (no additional MS costs, but costs from the carrier apply, often cheaper)
If Calling Plan then the following may also be needed
- International ($24.00/user/month)
- Audio Conferencing (if and as needed)
- Toll-free (if and as needed)
- Teams Rooms (if and as needed)
- Advanced Communications
Here are just a few Microsoft Teams voice solution partners we carry.
Contact Cloud 9 first. We'll help you navigate and evaluate all the options and vendors for your Microsoft Teams (+Voice) implementation!
If you're on Skype for Business (a.k.a. SFB, or S4B, or SfB), get ready. The writing is on the wall and Microsoft Teams is taking over whether you like it or not. Teams is already widely available in Microsoft's hugely popular Microsoft 365 and Office 365 suites of cloud-based software (Office 365 is changing too. Soon Microsoft 365 will be the only option). If fact, you likely already have Teams today. To be clear Teams is not simply a name change from Skype to Teams. At its core, Teams is business collaboration and messaging platform, but also incorporates voice, video, file sharing and much more. In some respects, there are many similarities to Skype, but Teams is technically an entirely new platform, software, protocols, and for the most part, a new code-base. Regarding the similarities with Skype, Teams does not yet have "full parity" with Skype for Business, but Microsoft is fully committed to Teams as its new platform for those organizations considering using Microsoft for such communications purposes.
As mentioned previously, for the cloud-purists, many carriers and even Hosted VoIP/UCaaS providers offer SIP Trunking and MS Teams Direct Routing integration. While they may not be "certified" for Direct Routing (thereby keeping their costs down by not having to pay the exorbitant "participation" and certification fees to the mothership), many will manage and maintain their own cloud-based, Microsoft approved SBC so you don't have to! They then pass on the "Teams-ready" dial-tone on to you.
Now, we need to figure out the phones! Contact Cloud 9 to learn more about Teams-Ready desk phones, conference phones and other devices (note: many Skype-ready devices are not necessarily Teams-ready. Crazy, right?).
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Learn more and get the full list of requirements and recommendations for Microsoft Teams + Phone System and all your options. All the biggest and best Microsoft CSPs are a part of our portfolio. We'll help you evaluate all of them to get the best one for you. Plus a complete listing of approved SBCs, Direct Routing Providers, SIP Trunk carriers, and Teams-Ready devices.