Businesses are constantly having to adapt and keep up with technological advances. We know that maintaining the normal channels of communication between staff and customers is absolutely essential for productivity and client relations. Especially in times of uncertainty. Teams is Microsoft's answer to Unified Communications. One application that combines instant messaging, video meetings and file storage, with application integration. Eliminate business downtime by providing your employees the ability to have all the capabilities of the office, wherever they happen to be working.

  • Effective meetings, anywhere and everywhere:  Teams enables you to integrate scheduling, note taking, desktop sharing, file uploading and chat messaging for online meetings.
  • Cut down on lost time: Organise work with Planner and publish work to calendars to keep everyone in the business on the same page.
  • Securely share files: See who edited what document and when, while being able to securely upload to a selected group of people or the whole business.

 

Business Voice - The Perfect Teams Add-On for SMEs

Business Voice is a cloud based phone system that is particularly effective for SMEs. Further enhancing Teams capabilities for voice, calling and meetings by bringing all the features that you would expect from a business-grade phone system. Business Voice integrates with the Teams app and comes with built-in audio conferencing and the ability to create call plans. Get new phone numbers or migrate your existing business numbers to make and receive PSTN calls to any number. 

  • Simplify communications by integrating calls with chats and meetings in Microsoft Teams. Your contacts and calendar are connected across Teams and Outlook. Bring collaboration to the next level by using Word, Excel, and PowerPoint within calls and meetings.
  • Stay connected with a single phone number across your computer, mobile device, and desk phone. Get a consistent experience across devices with the Microsoft Teams app and Teams devices. Make calls and join meetings with one-click.
  • Keep your business secure and running smoothly with an enterprise-grade phone system. Built-in redundancy and load balancing with a 99.9% up-time guarantee.

Moving to Microsoft Teams - FAQs

Q. Can I port my existing numbers? 

A. Yes – Geographic and Non-Geographic numbers can be ported from your existing provider to us. This is a regulated process that can take 7 to 25 working days to process, depending on the quantity of numbers and incumbent provider. 

Q.  How long does it take to deploy Microsoft Teams? 

A. It only takes a few minutes to complete the deployment of Microsoft Teams Direct Routing onto the SoConnect infrastructure. There are several steps you will need to complete on the Office 365 tenancy which could take up to an hour.

Q. Can I add more users as my business grows? 

A. Yes – Microsoft Teams is scalable with business needs. Additional licences can be purchased at any time. 

Q. How can I configure the service? 

A. Depending on the product you have implemented, the initial setup is required to be completed by you (the customer). This entails several PowerShell commands to be undertaken, SoConnect will provide a clear step by step guidance on how to deploy the trunk and polices. The user, queue and auto-attendant configurations are made through the Teams admin portal. 

Q. Can I make international calls? 

A. Yes – all international destinations can be reached. SoConnect provide controls to lock down international dialling to prevent misuse and fraud as standard. 

Q. Can I integrate with my existing telephony services?

A. Yes – the solution can be integrated with legacy technologies and platforms to provide a hybrid experience. Our technical teams can help further with this. 

Q. How does the service connect to my Office 365 tenancy? 

A. The service uses the “Direct Routing” capability that is provided by Microsoft. Calls are delivered from the PSTN by SoConnect using AudioCodes Microsoft Certified infrastructure. 

Q. What will happen to my calls if there is an Office 365 issue or outage? 

A. In the scenario of an outage on Office 365, SoConnect can offer diverts to allow calls to be routed to other destinations, independent from Microsoft platforms, offering resilience for your business calls. 

Q. Do SoConnect have to provide Office 365 licences? 

A. No – SoConnect can provide the service to an Office 365 tenancy that isn’t supplied directly by us (so could be a direct connection or through another supplier). As a Microsoft Silver Partner we can provide Office 365 at very competitive rates, speak to your account manager for further details. 

Q. Do all users in a tenancy need to use the SoConnect Microsoft Teams Direct Routing service? 

A. No – not all users in a tenancy need to use the service. Users without the relevant SoConnect & Microsoft licence will not be able to make/receive calls to the PSTN 

Q. Can I set an outbound number for clients? 

A. Yes – outbound Caller ID can currently be configured in two ways within Office 365: 

  • Each user can present own number outbound
  • Outbound calls can be anonymised

SoConnect provide an additional option – to present one over-riding telephony number for the whole tenancy. 

 Q. Does each user need a Direct Dial In (DDI)? 

A. Yes – each user needs a DDI. 

Q. Can the system be configured before the live date? 

A. Yes – SoConnect recommend configuring the service prior to the live date. We can also supply temporary numbers to allow customers to divert existing numbers to the new service whilst waiting for their existing numbers to port to the new system. This can be done in a seamless manner to ensure there are no disruptions during the transition. 

Q. What it the minimum contract term? 

A. SoConnect offer 12, 24 and 36 months contract options 

Q. Can I integrate with my existing telephony services? 

A. Yes – the solution can be integrated with legacy technologies and platforms to provide a hybrid experience. Our technical teams can help further with this. 

Q. What hardware can I use? 

A. SoConnect can supply a range of “Teams certified” models. These include desk phones and a range of audio and video conferencing units. 

Q. Can I get international numbering? 

A. Yes – numbering can be provided in 78 countries. 

Q. Do minutes get pooled across all users? 

A. Yes – minutes are shared across all users from each customer that consumes the service. They are not shared between customers. 

Q. Can I get call recording on the service? 

A Yes – Call recording can be provided as an optional extra for users who require it. 

Q. Does the service use Direct Routing? 

A. Yes – the service uses the Direct Routing capability 

If you would like to find out more about moving to Microsoft Teams or upgrading your existing Teams to Business Voice, please get in touch with us on the form below and a consultant will be in touch with you. Alternatively you can call our team on 0333 240 1824.