Moving to Microsoft Teams – 10 Common Phone System Questions

Although many businesses and organizations have returned to their original in-person practices the frontier has still been expanded for the capability of individuals to undertake work outside of the confinements of the office. This is more prevalent than is commonly thought. It is beneficial for businesses and organizations to fully realize the opportunities which arise from enabling employees to work remotely which includes moving to Microsoft Teams.

A large part of this workplace flexibility can be attributed to so-called “technological advancements”, or compacting various workplace tools, which are strictly accessible within the office, to mobile devices. Likewise, integrating these tools and means of communication, such as video, meeting, and phone calling into a single application, accessible from any mobile device, enables individuals to work in this efficient and mobile manner. This is why you should be interested in choosing Microsoft Teams.

Improving functionality by unifying their means of communication leads businesses and organizations to maximize productivity and provide workplace flexibility. Thus, considering the key to workplace mobility and efficiency has been identified as the integration of various means of communication, the Microsoft Teams platform offers exactly that.

Considering things can get pretty technical from here on out, we’ve formulated a list of frequently asked questions in order to provide more clarity.

Can I make calls outside of Teams, or is it just for video conferencing?

Using direct routing to connect Microsoft Teams to the PSTN allows individuals to make one-on-one calls just as if they were using their traditional phone. Along with Teams regular functionality like chats, and video conferences, you can be assigned a phone number directly, or have an IVR or Auto-Attendant answer and route calls to you as an extension. All of the functionality of your existing phone system can be handled by Microsoft Teams.

Can my current phone numbers and phone system settings be migrated to Teams?

Yes, TMI will take care of any number porting and system setup including user setup, IVR, call queues, ring groups, and any other settings custom to your business operations when moving to Microsoft Teams.

Can I use my existing extension numbers, or is strictly by name dialing?

Not all Teams phone systems can offer this, but by using TMI’s Cloud based Direct routing your organization can retain their existing extension numbers and incorporate dial-by-name as well.

Can I integrate with other devices such as Fax, paging systems and Analog devices?

Through TMI’s cloud based direct routing for Microsoft Teams solution you can connect analog lines that you may want to retain for emergency, connect to your fax machine lines, incorporate Efax, connect to your buildings paging system / elevator phones and much more.

Will there be any downtime when moving to Microsoft Teams?

Downtime is virtually non-existent. A TMI project manager will work with your business to choose the best time for the migration to ensure your business never misses a call when moving to Microsoft Teams.

Do I need to purchase expensive hardware?

The phone system resides in the cloud with no physical servers on site. You have the choice to move users completely to their PC/Mac, mobile phones, or use a range of MS Teams desktop IP phones. Should you decide to purchase these optional office phones, which are compatible with MS Teams, there are a variety of different price options to choose from to suit your budget.

How is the phone system managed?

Let TMI set up and completely manage the phone system for you, or receive administrator training to manage day-to-day operations directly from your Microsoft 365 tenant.

Why choose Telecom Metric when moving to Microsoft Teams and not another VoIP provider?

There are a variety of differences which set us apart from the competition, but here are some of the most distinguishable examples. First of all, our infrastructure is entirely Canadian built and owned, meaning that your data never leaves Canada. This spells well for federal and provincial privacy law compliance. Second, our data centers for SIP connectivity and Direct Routing are evenly distributed throughout Canada, offering high quality connectivity, automatic failover, and backups. Third, we offer active monitoring and end-to-end encryption to protect against denial of service, eavesdropping, and toll-fraud intrusions. Lastly, our customer service is unparalleled. As a small company we will work directly with you and your IT team to tailor a personalized plan for you.

Who do I contact if I need assistance with my Microsoft Teams phone system?

Telecom Metric can be your single point of contact for any inquiry. Telecom Metric leverages its partnerships to provide support which acts as the one-stop-shop for all of your maintenance needs and questions. We work in direct association with the SIP, internet, and cloud providers along with the phone manufacturers to offer comprehensive and professional support. This is another reason why you should choose Telecom Metric.

How can you ensure this system won’t be outdated soon?

A primary problem which deemed legacy, or circuit switched, phone systems as outdated is that people failed to update their devices because it was considered “unnecessary” and time-consuming. It is the security issues which arise from this which prompts the search for a new solution to workplace communication. Unlike old legacy phone systems which require updates to be installed manually on each individual device, with Microsoft Teams, updates are automatically scheduled and rolled out simultaneously to every device within the system. This can be done externally by an administrator using the cloud.

All in all, unified communications as a solution, in the form of Microsoft Teams is key to workplace efficiency and mobility. Moving to Microsoft Teams and switching to a cloud hosted solution entails unifying the various forms of communication, and offers a plethora of new features. The infrastructure and security Telecom Metric offers should make it a top choice for businesses and organizations looking to modernize their workplace communication.

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