Teams External Calling

By integrating Teams with your existing phone system, you can streamline your communication processes, making it easier to handle Microsoft Teams external calling. This comprehensive guide will show you how to set up and make Teams external calls via your phone system, ensuring you get the most out of this powerful platform.

Why Integrate Teams with Your Phone System?

Integrating Teams with your phone system allows you to make and receive external calls directly through Microsoft Teams. This not only consolidates your communication platforms but also enhances your team’s productivity by allowing seamless switching between internal collaboration and external communication. Moreover, it provides a unified user experience and simplifies IT management.

 

Steps to Set Up Teams External Calling

1) Assess Your Current Phone System

Before integrating Teams with your phone system, assess your current setup. Determine if your phone system supports Direct Routing, Operator Connect, or integration with a Cloud UC provider like GoTo or Zoom. Each method offers unique benefits and requirements for connecting Teams to your existing telephony infrastructure.

2) Plan Your Integration

Work with your IT team or a trusted comms provider to identify key stakeholders, set objectives, and establish a timeline for the integration. Ensure your network infrastructure can handle the additional load from Teams external calling. This includes assessing your internet bandwidth, firewall settings, and quality of service (QoS) configurations to prioritise voice traffic and ensure call quality.

3) Configure Direct Routing, Operator Connect or a Cloud UC Provider

Direct Routing Configuration:

1. Set Up a Session Border Controller (SBC): An SBC acts as a bridge between Teams and your phone system, ensure you choose a certified SBC that supports Direct Routing.
2. Connect the SBC to your Microsoft Phone System: This involves creating a SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) trunk between the SBC and your Microsoft Phone System. Follow Microsoft’s guidelines for configuring the SIP trunk and ensure that the connection is secure and reliable.
3. Configure Voice Routing Policies: Define voice routing policies to ensure calls are directed appropriately. This includes setting up dial plans, PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network) usage records, and normalisation rules to standardise phone numbers across your organisation.

Operator Connect Configuration:

1. Select a Supported Operator: Choose an operator from the Microsoft list that supports Operator Connect. This allows you to integrate your phone system with Teams without needing an SBC. Operators like BT, Vodafone, and Gamma offer this service.
2. Provision Phone Numbers: Work with your chosen operator to provision the necessary phone numbers for your organisation. The operator will handle the backend setup and integration with your Microsoft Phone System.
3. Assign Numbers to Users: Use the Teams Admin Centre to assign phone numbers to users within your organisation. This involves creating calling plans, assigning calling policies, and ensuring users have the correct licenses.

Cloud UC Provider Configuration (e.g., GoTo Connect, Zoom):

1. Choose a Cloud UC Provider: Select a provider that integrates with Microsoft Teams. Both GoTo and Zoom offer solutions that allow Teams users to make external calls.
2. Set Up Integration: Follow the provider’s instructions for integrating their service with Microsoft Teams. This often involves configuring API connections and ensuring compatibility between the systems.
3. Provision and Assign Numbers: Work with the Cloud UC provider to provision the necessary phone numbers and assign them to your Teams users. Ensure that users have the appropriate licenses and permissions to use the service.

4) Test the Integration

Conduct thorough testing to ensure the integration works smoothly. Test both incoming and outgoing calls, and verify that call quality meets your standards. Perform end-to-end testing scenarios, including call transfers, conference calls, and voicemail functionality. Troubleshoot any issues and resolve them before rolling out the solution to your entire organisation.

5) Train Your Team

Provide training sessions for your employees on how to make external calls via Microsoft Teams. Ensure they understand the features and benefits, and offer ongoing support to address any questions or issues that arise. Create user guides, hold live training sessions, and offer resources like video tutorials and FAQs to help users adapt to the new system.

 

Benefits of Teams External Calling

Integrating Teams with your phone system for external calls offers numerous benefits, including:

Enhanced Productivity:
Consolidating communication tools enables employees to focus on their tasks without switching between platforms, reducing downtime and increasing efficiency.

Cost Savings:
When you reduce the need for multiple communication providers, you can leverage existing investments in telephony infrastructure which leads to significant savings on hardware, maintenance, and service costs.

Improved Call Quality:
With the right setup, Teams external calling can offer superior call quality, enhancing communication with clients, partners, and stakeholders. This is achieved through advanced QoS settings and Microsoft’s global network infrastructure.

Scalability:
Teams external calling can easily scale with your business, supporting new users and locations as needed. Whether you’re adding a few users or expanding to multiple offices, Microsoft Teams can accommodate your growth.

Simplified Management:
Centralised management of your communication tools makes it easier to administer and support your phone system. Using the Teams Admin Centre to monitor call quality, manage users, and configure settings.

Flexibility:
You can choose between Direct Routing and Operator Connect to find the best fit for your organisation’s needs. The flexibility allows you to tailor the solution to your specific requirements and budget.

Security:
Benefit from Microsoft’s robust security features, including encryption, secure SIP trunks, and compliance with industry standards. This ensures that your communications are protected from eavesdropping and other threats.

Unified Experience:
Provide a seamless user experience by integrating calling, messaging, and meetings within a single platform. This unification enhances collaboration and streamlines workflows.

Using Teams external calling via your phone system is a strategic move for businesses looking to streamline their communication processes. By following the steps outlined above, you can set up and optimise this integration, leading to enhanced productivity, cost savings, and improved call quality. Whether you opt for Direct Routing, Operator Connect or Cloud UC provider, integrating Teams with your phone system is a decision that will significantly benefit your organisation.

Teams External Calling from Marlin Communications

Marlin Communications can help set up Microsoft Teams external calling for your organisation via any of the three options including connecting via a UC provider like Zoom or GoTo.

Call 0800 032 8274 or click here to book a discovery call to assess your Microsoft Teams telephony requirements and future needs.

 

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