Microsoft Office 365 has many valuable elements, with one of the most widely utilised by businesses being the Microsoft Teams application. Microsoft Teams provides the functionality for employees to collaborate on projects, share files, arrange chats and attend meetings. One of the questions many organisations have, though, is how Teams can function as a phone system.

Is Teams Calling VoIP?

The short answer is yes. Teams enable users to make Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) calls. Users can use this functionality to make VoIP calls to any other Teams users, or they can send an external link to anyone, regardless of whether they have Teams or not. This functionality makes collaboration and communication quick and easy, as the calls can be scheduled in advance or made as an impromptu voice call. In addition to this, there are two other options available that allow the Teams users to receive and make calls to any mobiles or landline phones. Calls can be completed using the public switched telephone network (PSTN). An organisation can either add a phone system calling plan to their Teams subscription or utilise the 'Direct Connect' functionality, which allows a company to connect their existing PSTN to their Microsoft Teams accounts. The first option will provide a new phone number that you users will be able to access. The call functionality available within Teams should feel comfortably familiar to most users. There are all of the basic phone system features you would anticipate, such as voicemail and seeing call history. Users can initiate a call based on the name of the person they want to contact or by dialling in a number directly into the level integrated dialling pad that features within the Teams application.

Microsoft Office 365 has many valuable elements, with one of the most widely utilised by businesses being the Microsoft Teams application. Microsoft Teams provides the functionality for employees to collaborate on projects, share files, arrange chats and attend meetings. One of the questions many organisations have, though, is how Teams can function as a phone system.

Is Teams Calling VoIP?

The short answer is yes. Teams enable users to make Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) calls. Users can use this functionality to make VoIP calls to any other Teams users, or they can send an external link to anyone, regardless of whether they have Teams or not. This functionality makes collaboration and communication quick and easy, as the calls can be scheduled in advance or made as an impromptu voice call. In addition to this, there are two other options available that allow the Teams users to receive and make calls to any mobiles or landline phones. Calls can be completed using the public switched telephone network (PSTN). An organisation can either add a phone system calling plan to their Teams subscription or utilise the 'Direct Connect' functionality, which allows a company to connect their existing PSTN to their Microsoft Teams accounts. The first option will provide a new phone number that you users will be able to access. The call functionality available within Teams should feel comfortably familiar to most users. There are all of the basic phone system features you would anticipate, such as voicemail and seeing call history. Users can initiate a call based on the name of the person they want to contact or by dialling in a number directly into the level integrated dialling pad that features within the Teams application.

Can Microsoft Teams call landline?

It is possible to dial external numbers using the Teams application. Your company will need to decide which option it feels is the best fit - either direct routing an existing PSTN or purchasing a call plan which will provide a phone number and allow external calls. Factors like budget and existing contractual commitments to PSTN providers are ultimately likely to factor into the decision made on this front. Factors like the extent that your workforce needs to work entirely remotely will also likely dictate how much you choose to utilise the features available within Teams to dial external numbers. The meetings function also provides a dial-in option for landline users. When any Teams user decides to set up a meeting, Teams will provide them with a series of choices that feed into an auto-populated email invitation. The Teams environment will offer an audio-only option that will allow invitees who are not Teams subscribers or working from a location without internet access to dial in via a landline. In conclusion, Microsoft Teams can be an effective alternative to a traditional phone system. It can provide VoIP calling between users or an invitation to external participants without requiring them to download Team software. Further to this, call plan options are available and can route an existing PSTN directly through Teams. The use of Teams means that users can use the application to make external calls to landlines and mobiles, effectively removing the need for any other kind of phone provision.