Microsoft Teams Telephony: Features & Use Cases

As remote, hybrid, and virtual work has increased, businesses have started to search for cost-effective communication solutions to help them mobilize their employees and connect with their customers. Microsoft Teams is a convenient collaboration tool that provides more than just chat, video calls, and audio conferencing. When properly integrated, it’s a powerful telephony solution for external and internal calls. 

The improvement in Teams’ functionality has caused organizations to replace legacy phone systems with Teams-based calling. Intermedia’s Teams Phone and SMS integration makes it easy to leverage these capabilities and turn Teams into a fully functional business phone system.

What is Microsoft Teams Telephony?

Microsoft Teams telephony is an add-on that enables users to make and receive phone calls to and from external phone numbers directly through the Teams app. This phone system offers Private Branch Exchange (PBX) functionalities that integrate with your existing Microsoft 365 cloud. The result is a comprehensive system where you can access voice communication, email, calendar management, instant messaging, and file sharing.

You can set up your Teams voice feature in one of two ways. You can a choose public switched telephone network or PSTN connectivity via Microsoft Calling Plans or Direct Routing with a third-party service provider. Microsoft Calling Plans can be costly and complicated, which is why many businesses opt for cloud-based Direct Routing. Intermedia delivers fully managed Direct Routing, giving you customizable access to complete Teams calling at a fair price without the complexity.

Core Microsoft Teams Phone Features

Microsoft Teams telephony is designed for collaboration and is full of features that help bring businesses together. These core capabilities include:

• PSTN calling: You can make and receive calls using your business number within the desktop, mobile, or browser Teams app.
• Auto attendants and call queues: You can route calls professionally using customizable greetings, menu options, and queue logic. Intermedia enables you to configure auto attendants and hunt groups in your admin portal so callers can easily reach specific team members or departments.
• Voicemail and transcription: If you receive a voicemail on your desk phone, it will be delivered straight to your Teams app. You can also set up optional email forwarding and transcription, allowing you to respond to messages in your own time.
• SMS and MMS: Intermedia’s platform enables SMS and MMS without third-party apps. This means you can receive native texting support from inside Teams.
• Business continuity and call failover: Cloud-based telephony ensures you stay connected even during outages or if Teams is unavailable, which helps reduce downtime and improve productivity.
• Analytics and call reporting: Teams telephony allows you to track performance with call metrics, history logs, and usage reports in the Teams Client Center. These features are essential for sales and support teams.
• Scalability and flexibility: Your organization’s needs change over time. A Microsoft Teams phone system can adapt to fit your business as it grows and evolves. 

Key Use Cases for Teams Telephony

Microsoft Teams offers rich opportunities for collaboration, but it’s easy to feel overwhelmed about how to use it. The following key use cases can help you decide how to utilize the functionality of Teams’ telephony to streamline your workflow and increase your organizational productivity.

H3: Hybrid and Remote Workforces

Hybrid and remote work are here to stay. With Teams telephony, your employees can take business calls from anywhere in the world using Teams on their desktop or mobile phones. Additionally, with Intermedia’s cloud capabilities, your call quality and security will be consistent, even when working offsite.

Customer Support Teams

Customer support teams can leverage call queues, call routing, call forwarding, and voicemail to manage high incoming call volumes. These capabilities ensure your team responds to customer inquiries promptly. Furthermore, you can integrate Teams telephony with your existing Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and help desk tools for streamlined support.

Sales and Field Reps

Microsoft Teams calling enables sales and field reps to make outbound calls using local numbers and existing lines. When you partner with Intermedia, you can also leverage our texting features to empower your reps to receive call-back texts and follow up via SMS without leaving the Teams environment.

Multi-Location Businesses

If your business is expanding and has multiple sites, Microsoft Teams can help consolidate communication across locations with a unified business communication system. One centralized phone system saves your company money because you don’t need separate phones or a siloed infrastructure.

Healthcare, Finance, and Regulated Industries

Intermedia’s secure and compliant telephony architecture ensures your business meets industry standards and requirements. Our state-of-the-art security features and intuitive contact center dashboard help you comply with global communication, storage, and retention policies, including:

• Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)
• Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA)
• General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)

FAQs About Teams Telephony

Can I port my existing numbers?

Yes, you can port your existing numbers using Microsoft Calling Plans. However, you can also utilize Intermedia’s Direct Routing. We handle all the porting at no extra cost.

Do I need extra hardware?

No, Teams and Intermedia work across your existing desktop, phone, and mobile devices and can integrate seamlessly with your communication infrastructure.

Is Teams telephony secure?

Yes, Intermedia delivers enterprise-grade security and compliance to keep your information and data secure.

What happens if Teams goes down?

If Teams goes down, failover and call continuity options ensure zero disruption so your team can stay productive.

H2: Empower Your Organization with Teams Telephony

Microsoft Teams telephony unlocks a powerful new layer of unified communication for today’s business ecosystem. Whether you’re enabling remote work, simplifying operations, or improving customer experience, a modern Teams phone system is essential.

Intermedia provides an all-in-one voice solution with texting, admin tools, number porting, and support to empower your company. With a 99.9999% uptime and 24/7 expert support, our Teams solutions transform how you communicate and collaborate. Our fully managed and cost-effective Direct Routing lets you avoid the limitations of Microsoft Calling Plans, saving you money.Explore how our Teams Phone and SMS solution can benefit your organization with a flexible, scalable, and secure business telephony to handle external calls—right inside Microsoft Teams. 

Melinda Curtis

Melinda Curtis is a Director of Product Marketing at Intermedia, where she focuses on helping businesses improve employee productivity and enhance their customer experiences using Intermedia's award-winning cloud communications solutions. Melinda brings over 20 years of experience in telecommunications, having worked in B2C and B2B marketing, product management, and vendor management roles. In her free time, she loves to travel with her family.