Microsoft Teams is one of the world’s leading unified communications tools. Since the Covid-19 outbreak, it is no surprise that the amount of users has increased significantly with over 75 million daily users worldwide.
The situation of working remotely that we all find ourselves in, means that tools that allow remote working such as Microsoft Teams are now more important than ever to keep businesses operational and teams productive.
Calling functionality enables users to make and receive internal and external calls through Microsoft Teams. This service is called Direct Routing and provides many businesses with the flexibility to communicate through one central system.
What is Teams?
Microsoft Teams is a persistent chat-based collaboration platform complete with document sharing, online meetings, and many more extremely useful features for business communications.
Microsoft Teams has many core components that make it stand out from other collaboration software:
- Teams and channels. Teams are made up of channels, which are conversation boards between teammates.
- Conversations within channels and teams. All team members can view and add to different conversations in the General channel and can use an @ function to invite other members to different conversations, not unlike Slack.
- A chat function. The basic chat function is commonly found within most collaboration apps and can take place between teams, groups, and individuals.
- Document storage in SharePoint. Every team who uses Microsoft Teams will have a site in SharePoint Online, which will contain a default document library folder. All files shared across all conversations will automatically save to this folder. Permissions and security options can also be customized for sensitive information.
- Online video calling and screen sharing. Enjoy seamless and fast video calls to employees within your business or clients outside your business. A good video call feature is great to have on a collaboration platform. One can also enjoy simple and fast desktop sharing for technical assistance and multi-user real-time collaboration.
- Online meetings. This feature can help enhance your communications, company-wide meetings, and even training with an online meetings function that can host up to 10,000 users. Online meetings can include anyone outside or inside a business. This feature also includes a scheduling aid, a note-taking app, file uploading, and in-meeting chat messaging.
- Audio conferencing. This is a feature you won’t find in many collaboration platforms. With audio conferencing, anyone can join an online meeting via phone. With a dial-in number that spans hundreds of cities, even users that are on the go can participate with no internet required. Note this requires additional licensing.
- Full telephony. That’s right! The days of seeking VoIP vendors and overspending on a phone system are finally over. Microsoft Teams can completely replace your business’ existing phone system. Note this requires additional licensing.
What is Direct Routing?
Direct Routing is phone system capability within Office 365 which enables you to connect Infinitel’s SIP trunks to Microsoft Teams. Here at ICA, our Direct Routing allows businesses to use Microsoft Teams to make and receive external calls without requiring Microsoft Calling Plan licenses or on-premise equipment.
What is required to enable direct routing?
The following components are required:
- Microsoft 365 license including Teams
- Microsoft Phone System add-on, or E5 licence
- An internet connection
ICA are an accredited Microsoft Partner and if required can provide additional Microsoft licences.
Why Should Your Business Use Microsoft Teams?
When it comes down to it, businesses should use Microsoft Teams because it is extremely user-friendly and can facilitate a work environment between remote users or within a large business. Projects, productions, and other business elements can benefit from Microsoft Teams.
For businesses already using Skype for Business, the Teams client will replace the Skype client, but all additional existing functionality will remain the same.
Key benefits of Direct Routing
- Interoperability with on-prem PBXsIP-PBXs
- Interoperability with analogue devices
- Seamless migration plan to the cloud
- Easier Deployment of Calling Plan
- Can Be used Where Calling Plans not available
- No CCE anymore!
Why should you choose Direct Routing over Microsoft Call Plans?
The Direct Routing offering is more cost effective and flexible. Plus you get the added benefits such as call quality, number management and porting. Our Direct Routing product offers a greater minutes bundle per user, per month, as well as enhanced features with our SIP Trunk Call Manager Platform.
Number porting with Microsoft can be very complex and time consuming. ICA are communication specialists and number porting and migrations are standard practice for us.
We understand that your business may also require a little more sophistication and intelligence and that’s why ICA also offers PBX functionality and CRM integration through Teams with our other vendor platforms such as Callswitch and Wildix.
If you’re unsure of your requirements, why not trial the functionality free for 30 days.
Speak to a member of the team today to discuss
