1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:01,560 You've probably seen the phone icon in Teams 2 00:00:01,560 --> 00:00:03,400 and wondered if you can actually make a call from there. 3 00:00:03,400 --> 00:00:04,680 The answer is yes. 4 00:00:04,680 --> 00:00:06,840 And it's much more powerful than you might expect. 5 00:00:06,840 --> 00:00:08,760 By the end of this episode, you'll understand 6 00:00:08,760 --> 00:00:11,880 what Teams Telephony is, how it replaces your old office phone 7 00:00:11,880 --> 00:00:14,360 system, and the three main ways to connect it 8 00:00:14,360 --> 00:00:16,200 to the outside world. 9 00:00:16,200 --> 00:00:18,440 Traditional phone systems are expensive, complex, 10 00:00:18,440 --> 00:00:19,400 and tied to a desk. 11 00:00:19,400 --> 00:00:20,880 Teams Telephony changes all of that. 12 00:00:20,880 --> 00:00:24,200 It turns your laptop, phone, or tablet into your work phone, 13 00:00:24,200 --> 00:00:26,000 and it follows you wherever you go. 14 00:00:26,000 --> 00:00:28,720 We'll break it down into four building blocks, what it is, 15 00:00:28,720 --> 00:00:32,200 how it connects, what it costs, and what it can do for you. 16 00:00:32,200 --> 00:00:34,120 What Teams Telephony actually is. 17 00:00:34,120 --> 00:00:35,680 So what is Teams Telephony really? 18 00:00:35,680 --> 00:00:36,920 The simplest way to put it? 19 00:00:36,920 --> 00:00:38,760 It's a cloud-based phone system built 20 00:00:38,760 --> 00:00:40,200 right into Microsoft Teams. 21 00:00:40,200 --> 00:00:42,160 No separate hardware box, no tangled wires, 22 00:00:42,160 --> 00:00:43,800 no blinking lights on a server rack. 23 00:00:43,800 --> 00:00:44,800 It's all software. 24 00:00:44,800 --> 00:00:47,480 And that means you can get started in minutes, not days. 25 00:00:47,480 --> 00:00:49,680 Think of your old phone system like a private switchboard 26 00:00:49,680 --> 00:00:52,280 inside your office building, where every desk had a wire 27 00:00:52,280 --> 00:00:53,280 running back to that box. 28 00:00:53,280 --> 00:00:54,760 If you wanted to move someone's desk, 29 00:00:54,760 --> 00:00:56,440 you had to physically rewire things. 30 00:00:56,440 --> 00:00:58,160 Teams Telephony is that same switchboard, 31 00:00:58,160 --> 00:01:00,920 but it lives in Microsoft's cloud and follows you everywhere. 32 00:01:00,920 --> 00:01:03,880 Your phone number is no longer tied to a physical location. 33 00:01:03,880 --> 00:01:05,600 It's tied to you. 34 00:01:05,600 --> 00:01:06,800 The key point is this. 35 00:01:06,800 --> 00:01:09,200 Teams Telephony turns your laptop, smartphone, 36 00:01:09,200 --> 00:01:10,760 or tablet into your work phone. 37 00:01:10,760 --> 00:01:12,360 Same number on every device. 38 00:01:12,360 --> 00:01:14,000 So when someone calls your office number, 39 00:01:14,000 --> 00:01:16,400 it rings on whichever device you're signed into. 40 00:01:16,400 --> 00:01:17,960 You don't need a physical desk phone anymore. 41 00:01:17,960 --> 00:01:19,000 Why does this matter? 42 00:01:19,000 --> 00:01:22,160 Because you're not stuck at your desk to take business calls. 43 00:01:22,160 --> 00:01:24,880 You can work from home, from a coffee shop, from a client's office, 44 00:01:24,880 --> 00:01:26,200 and your phone goes with you. 45 00:01:26,200 --> 00:01:28,760 No call fording to set up, no separate apps to juggle. 46 00:01:28,760 --> 00:01:30,280 It's all built into Teams. 47 00:01:30,280 --> 00:01:31,640 Let me give you a concrete example. 48 00:01:31,640 --> 00:01:34,800 Imagine you're working from home and someone calls your office number. 49 00:01:34,800 --> 00:01:37,160 It rings on your laptop, you answer with your headset, 50 00:01:37,160 --> 00:01:37,960 and that's it. 51 00:01:37,960 --> 00:01:39,320 No forwarding, no hassle. 52 00:01:39,320 --> 00:01:41,200 The caller has no idea you're not at your desk. 53 00:01:41,200 --> 00:01:42,280 And if you need to step away, 54 00:01:42,280 --> 00:01:44,040 you can transfer the call to your smartphone 55 00:01:44,040 --> 00:01:45,960 and keep talking while you walk to the kitchen. 56 00:01:45,960 --> 00:01:48,600 So whether you're at home in the office or on the go, 57 00:01:48,600 --> 00:01:50,320 your work phone is always with you. 58 00:01:50,320 --> 00:01:51,480 What does this mean for you? 59 00:01:51,480 --> 00:01:53,760 Your phone is now an app that's always with you, 60 00:01:53,760 --> 00:01:54,760 working the same way, 61 00:01:54,760 --> 00:01:57,640 whether you're at your desk in a meeting room or on the road. 62 00:01:57,640 --> 00:02:01,480 The same dial pad, contacts, and call history, all inside Teams. 63 00:02:01,480 --> 00:02:02,840 That's the beauty of it, right? 64 00:02:02,840 --> 00:02:05,080 How it replaces a traditional PBX? 65 00:02:05,080 --> 00:02:07,880 So how does Teams actually replace the phone system's businesses 66 00:02:07,880 --> 00:02:09,280 have used for decades? 67 00:02:09,280 --> 00:02:11,560 Let me walk you through the old way first. 68 00:02:11,560 --> 00:02:14,240 20 years ago, buying a business phone system 69 00:02:14,240 --> 00:02:16,840 meant getting a big black box called a PBX, 70 00:02:16,840 --> 00:02:19,400 private branch exchange, that sat in a closet 71 00:02:19,400 --> 00:02:21,520 and routed calls through copper wires. 72 00:02:21,520 --> 00:02:24,640 Every desk phone had to be physically wired back to that box. 73 00:02:24,640 --> 00:02:27,080 VoiceMail was a separate system with its own tapes 74 00:02:27,080 --> 00:02:29,560 or digital storage and adding a new employee 75 00:02:29,560 --> 00:02:32,160 meant calling the phone company, waiting for a technician 76 00:02:32,160 --> 00:02:34,000 and paying for installation. 77 00:02:34,000 --> 00:02:37,240 That whole setup was expensive to buy, costly to maintain, 78 00:02:37,240 --> 00:02:38,680 and pricey to upgrade. 79 00:02:38,680 --> 00:02:40,760 The old way required a phone line for every desk, 80 00:02:40,760 --> 00:02:43,160 a separate system for VoiceMail and a technician 81 00:02:43,160 --> 00:02:46,280 for even simple changes like moving a phone. 82 00:02:46,280 --> 00:02:49,000 When the hardware aged out every five to seven years, 83 00:02:49,000 --> 00:02:51,760 you had to replace the whole thing at significant cost. 84 00:02:51,760 --> 00:02:53,920 Teams Telephone does all of that in software. 85 00:02:53,920 --> 00:02:56,080 There's no box, no wires, and you don't need a technician 86 00:02:56,080 --> 00:02:57,040 for simple changes. 87 00:02:57,040 --> 00:03:00,160 Microsoft runs the switchboard in their cloud data centers 88 00:03:00,160 --> 00:03:01,680 so you just need an internet connection 89 00:03:01,680 --> 00:03:03,160 and a license for each user. 90 00:03:03,160 --> 00:03:03,920 That's it. 91 00:03:03,920 --> 00:03:06,840 Let me explain the cloud PBX concept in simple terms. 92 00:03:06,840 --> 00:03:09,120 Instead of buying and maintaining your own switchboard 93 00:03:09,120 --> 00:03:12,160 in the office, you're renting a spot on Microsoft switchboard. 94 00:03:12,160 --> 00:03:13,480 They handle the complicated stuff 95 00:03:13,480 --> 00:03:15,960 like rooting, redundancy, and security updates. 96 00:03:15,960 --> 00:03:18,360 You just tell them which users get which numbers 97 00:03:18,360 --> 00:03:20,120 and everything else happens automatically. 98 00:03:20,120 --> 00:03:22,200 For small businesses, this is huge. 99 00:03:22,200 --> 00:03:24,880 You get enterprise grade features without the enterprise-sized 100 00:03:24,880 --> 00:03:26,480 price tag or complexity. 101 00:03:26,480 --> 00:03:28,640 A five-person company can have the same phone system 102 00:03:28,640 --> 00:03:31,080 capabilities as a 5,000-person company, 103 00:03:31,080 --> 00:03:34,440 auto-attendance, call-cuse, VoiceMail with transcription, 104 00:03:34,440 --> 00:03:38,040 all that used to cost thousands in add-on hardware are just included. 105 00:03:38,040 --> 00:03:39,280 Here's a concrete example. 106 00:03:39,280 --> 00:03:41,960 Adding a new employee used to mean ordering a new phone line 107 00:03:41,960 --> 00:03:44,720 from your carrier, waiting days or weeks for installation, 108 00:03:44,720 --> 00:03:47,000 and having a technician configure the PBX. 109 00:03:47,000 --> 00:03:49,520 With Teams, you assign a phone license and a phone number 110 00:03:49,520 --> 00:03:50,640 in the admin center. 111 00:03:50,640 --> 00:03:52,520 It takes about five minutes and the new employee 112 00:03:52,520 --> 00:03:54,760 signs into Teams to find their phone working. 113 00:03:54,760 --> 00:03:57,120 What this means for you is that your phone system scales 114 00:03:57,120 --> 00:03:58,000 with your business. 115 00:03:58,000 --> 00:04:00,640 You can add users instantly and remove them just as fast 116 00:04:00,640 --> 00:04:02,640 with no hardware to buy or replace. 117 00:04:02,640 --> 00:04:04,440 If you grow from 10 people to 50, 118 00:04:04,440 --> 00:04:07,880 you don't need a bigger box in the closet, just more licenses. 119 00:04:07,880 --> 00:04:10,280 The three ways to connect to the phone network. 120 00:04:10,280 --> 00:04:12,600 Now here's the part that confuses most people. 121 00:04:12,600 --> 00:04:14,920 How does Teams actually connect to the outside world? 122 00:04:14,920 --> 00:04:15,880 There are three ways. 123 00:04:15,880 --> 00:04:16,720 Here's the problem. 124 00:04:16,720 --> 00:04:19,240 Teams handles internal calls between people in your company 125 00:04:19,240 --> 00:04:19,920 for free. 126 00:04:19,920 --> 00:04:21,760 If you're both on Teams, you can call each other 127 00:04:21,760 --> 00:04:22,880 without extra cost. 128 00:04:22,880 --> 00:04:24,520 But to call a regular phone number, 129 00:04:24,520 --> 00:04:27,000 like a customer's mobile or a supplier's landline, 130 00:04:27,000 --> 00:04:29,200 you need a connection to the public telephone network. 131 00:04:29,200 --> 00:04:32,160 That's the network every phone in the world is connected to. 132 00:04:32,160 --> 00:04:33,840 And Microsoft gives you three choices 133 00:04:33,840 --> 00:04:34,960 for how to get there. 134 00:04:34,960 --> 00:04:37,160 First option is Microsoft calling plans. 135 00:04:37,160 --> 00:04:38,840 This is the simplest approach. 136 00:04:38,840 --> 00:04:42,200 You buy phone numbers and calling minutes directly from Microsoft 137 00:04:42,200 --> 00:04:43,720 and they handle everything. 138 00:04:43,720 --> 00:04:45,640 You don't need to talk to your phone carrier at all. 139 00:04:45,640 --> 00:04:48,240 The cost runs about $8 to $15 per user per month, 140 00:04:48,240 --> 00:04:49,360 depending on the plan. 141 00:04:49,360 --> 00:04:51,040 But it's not available everywhere. 142 00:04:51,040 --> 00:04:53,240 Microsoft calling plans only work in certain countries. 143 00:04:53,240 --> 00:04:55,280 So if you have offices in places where Microsoft 144 00:04:55,280 --> 00:04:57,560 doesn't offer the service, you'll need another option. 145 00:04:57,560 --> 00:04:59,400 Second option is operator connect. 146 00:04:59,400 --> 00:05:01,360 This is where you keep your existing phone carrier, 147 00:05:01,360 --> 00:05:02,760 but they connect directly into Teams 148 00:05:02,760 --> 00:05:04,320 with no extra hardware needed. 149 00:05:04,320 --> 00:05:06,600 Your carrier manages the connection on their end. 150 00:05:06,600 --> 00:05:07,920 Think of it as your phone company 151 00:05:07,920 --> 00:05:10,560 plugging their service straight into Microsoft system. 152 00:05:10,560 --> 00:05:11,720 This is becoming more popular 153 00:05:11,720 --> 00:05:14,160 because it gives you the simplicity of a managed service 154 00:05:14,160 --> 00:05:15,920 while keeping your existing carrier. 155 00:05:15,920 --> 00:05:18,400 Many major phone companies now offer operator connect, 156 00:05:18,400 --> 00:05:20,040 so it's worth asking yours. 157 00:05:20,040 --> 00:05:22,560 Third option is direct routing. 158 00:05:22,560 --> 00:05:25,040 The most flexible approach, but also the most technical. 159 00:05:25,040 --> 00:05:26,960 You use your own equipment, a device called 160 00:05:26,960 --> 00:05:29,000 a session, border controller or SBC 161 00:05:29,000 --> 00:05:30,960 to connect your existing phone lines to Teams. 162 00:05:30,960 --> 00:05:32,680 You manage the connection yourself 163 00:05:32,680 --> 00:05:34,360 or your IT partner does it for you. 164 00:05:34,360 --> 00:05:35,560 This gives you the most control 165 00:05:35,560 --> 00:05:37,360 and it's often the cheapest option 166 00:05:37,360 --> 00:05:38,640 if you already have phone lines 167 00:05:38,640 --> 00:05:40,280 and just want to connect them to Teams. 168 00:05:40,280 --> 00:05:42,400 But it requires someone who knows what they're doing 169 00:05:42,400 --> 00:05:43,200 to set it up. 170 00:05:43,200 --> 00:05:44,240 Here's an analogy. 171 00:05:44,240 --> 00:05:46,960 Calling plans is like buying a prepaid phone from Microsoft. 172 00:05:46,960 --> 00:05:48,520 Simple and everything's included, 173 00:05:48,520 --> 00:05:50,360 but you're limited to what Microsoft offers. 174 00:05:50,360 --> 00:05:52,640 Operator connect is like keeping your current carrier 175 00:05:52,640 --> 00:05:54,400 but plugging them into Teams. 176 00:05:54,400 --> 00:05:56,120 Your carrier handles the connection 177 00:05:56,120 --> 00:05:57,800 and you just use the service. 178 00:05:57,800 --> 00:05:59,680 Direct routing is like building your own bridge 179 00:05:59,680 --> 00:06:01,760 between your existing phone lines and Teams. 180 00:06:01,760 --> 00:06:03,920 It takes more work, but you get exactly what you want. 181 00:06:03,920 --> 00:06:04,760 Why does this matter? 182 00:06:04,760 --> 00:06:06,520 Because you're not locked into one approach. 183 00:06:06,520 --> 00:06:08,120 You can choose based on your budget, 184 00:06:08,120 --> 00:06:10,360 your location and your existing contracts. 185 00:06:10,360 --> 00:06:11,600 A small business in the US 186 00:06:11,600 --> 00:06:14,320 might use Microsoft calling plans for simplicity. 187 00:06:14,320 --> 00:06:16,320 A global company with offices in multiple countries 188 00:06:16,320 --> 00:06:18,480 might use Operator Connect to keep local carriers 189 00:06:18,480 --> 00:06:20,840 in each region and a company that already has phone lines 190 00:06:20,840 --> 00:06:22,360 and a good relationship with their carrier 191 00:06:22,360 --> 00:06:24,280 might choose direct routing to save money. 192 00:06:24,280 --> 00:06:26,640 What this means for you is that you have options. 193 00:06:26,640 --> 00:06:28,680 Don't let the technical names scare you. 194 00:06:28,680 --> 00:06:30,640 Your IT partner or Microsoft reseller 195 00:06:30,640 --> 00:06:33,240 can help pick the right one based on your situation. 196 00:06:33,240 --> 00:06:34,480 You don't need to become an expert 197 00:06:34,480 --> 00:06:36,080 on session border controllers. 198 00:06:36,080 --> 00:06:38,720 You just need to know that the options exist. 199 00:06:38,720 --> 00:06:40,960 Licensing and costs simplified. 200 00:06:40,960 --> 00:06:42,880 So you know what it is and how it connects. 201 00:06:42,880 --> 00:06:44,280 Next question everyone asks, 202 00:06:44,280 --> 00:06:45,960 how much does it actually cost? 203 00:06:45,960 --> 00:06:46,920 Here's the good news. 204 00:06:46,920 --> 00:06:48,960 If you already have Microsoft 365, 205 00:06:48,960 --> 00:06:50,880 your part way there because teams is included 206 00:06:50,880 --> 00:06:53,200 in your subscription, but telephony is an add-on, 207 00:06:53,200 --> 00:06:55,400 and you need two pieces to make it work. 208 00:06:55,400 --> 00:06:57,120 First you need a team's phone license 209 00:06:57,120 --> 00:06:58,800 which unlocks the phone system features 210 00:06:58,800 --> 00:07:01,320 like making and receiving calls, setting up auto-attendance 211 00:07:01,320 --> 00:07:06,080 and using voicemail and that costs about $8 to $10 per user per month. 212 00:07:06,080 --> 00:07:08,440 Second you need a way to connect to the phone network, 213 00:07:08,440 --> 00:07:10,480 which is one of the three options we just talked about. 214 00:07:10,480 --> 00:07:12,520 So the total cost is the phone license 215 00:07:12,520 --> 00:07:14,400 plus the calling plan or connection. 216 00:07:14,400 --> 00:07:16,160 Let me break down the pricing a little more. 217 00:07:16,160 --> 00:07:19,200 Teams phone standard costs about $10 per user per month 218 00:07:19,200 --> 00:07:21,080 and gives you all the PBX features. 219 00:07:21,080 --> 00:07:22,800 Then you add a calling plan on top of that 220 00:07:22,800 --> 00:07:25,120 which runs $8 to $15 per user per month 221 00:07:25,120 --> 00:07:26,800 depending on how many minutes you need 222 00:07:26,800 --> 00:07:29,720 or you can use operator connect or direct routing 223 00:07:29,720 --> 00:07:31,240 which is often cheaper per minute 224 00:07:31,240 --> 00:07:32,960 but has different pricing structures. 225 00:07:32,960 --> 00:07:34,920 How does this compare to a traditional phone system? 226 00:07:34,920 --> 00:07:39,280 A typical on-premise PBX costs about $15 to $25 per user per month 227 00:07:39,280 --> 00:07:41,600 when you factor in hardware, maintenance contracts 228 00:07:41,600 --> 00:07:44,040 and phone lines and that's just the recurring cost 229 00:07:44,040 --> 00:07:46,080 because you also have to buy the hardware upfront 230 00:07:46,080 --> 00:07:48,000 which could be thousands of dollars. 231 00:07:48,000 --> 00:07:50,600 Teams phone is often 30 to 60% cheaper than that 232 00:07:50,600 --> 00:07:54,560 so if you're spending $20 per user per month on your old system 233 00:07:54,560 --> 00:07:58,960 you might end up spending 10 to $14 per user per month with Teams. 234 00:07:58,960 --> 00:08:01,000 But here's something you need to watch out for. 235 00:08:01,000 --> 00:08:03,160 The real world cost can be two to three times 236 00:08:03,160 --> 00:08:06,680 the headline license price once you add calling minutes and support. 237 00:08:06,680 --> 00:08:08,320 So don't just look at the $10 number 238 00:08:08,320 --> 00:08:10,240 and assume that's your total cost. 239 00:08:10,240 --> 00:08:11,800 You need to factor in the calling plan 240 00:08:11,800 --> 00:08:14,160 any international calling and the cost of support 241 00:08:14,160 --> 00:08:15,280 if you're working with a partner. 242 00:08:15,280 --> 00:08:17,520 So get a full quote before you make a decision. 243 00:08:17,520 --> 00:08:19,120 Let me give you a concrete example. 244 00:08:19,120 --> 00:08:23,840 For a 10 person company, Teams phone might cost $150 to $250 245 00:08:23,840 --> 00:08:27,240 per month total for phone licenses plus a calling plan 246 00:08:27,240 --> 00:08:29,680 while a traditional PBX for the same company 247 00:08:29,680 --> 00:08:32,920 could easily cost $300 to $500 per month. 248 00:08:32,920 --> 00:08:34,960 Plus you had to buy the hardware upfront 249 00:08:34,960 --> 00:08:36,560 so you're saving money from day one 250 00:08:36,560 --> 00:08:39,400 and you never have to replace expensive hardware again. 251 00:08:39,400 --> 00:08:41,080 What this means for you is that it's almost certainly 252 00:08:41,080 --> 00:08:42,320 cheaper than what you're paying now, 253 00:08:42,320 --> 00:08:43,720 but get a full quote and don't forget 254 00:08:43,720 --> 00:08:45,560 to factor in the cost of your internet connection 255 00:08:45,560 --> 00:08:47,800 because Teams phone needs good internet to work well. 256 00:08:47,800 --> 00:08:50,000 And if your internet is slow or unreliable, 257 00:08:50,000 --> 00:08:52,120 you might need to upgrade that too. 258 00:08:52,120 --> 00:08:53,680 Features that matter to you. 259 00:08:53,680 --> 00:08:56,480 OK, so it's cheaper and simpler, but what can it actually do? 260 00:08:56,480 --> 00:08:58,320 Let's talk about the features that matter. 261 00:08:58,320 --> 00:08:59,680 The basics are straightforward. 262 00:08:59,680 --> 00:09:01,680 You can make and receive calls, transfer calls, 263 00:09:01,680 --> 00:09:04,960 put calls on hold and see your call history all inside Teams. 264 00:09:04,960 --> 00:09:07,080 Nothing complicated there, but the features 265 00:09:07,080 --> 00:09:08,800 that really make a difference are the ones 266 00:09:08,800 --> 00:09:10,360 that used to cost you extra money. 267 00:09:11,120 --> 00:09:13,360 Voice mail with transcription is a good example. 268 00:09:13,360 --> 00:09:14,600 When someone leaves a message, 269 00:09:14,600 --> 00:09:16,640 you get a written transcript right in your Teams chat 270 00:09:16,640 --> 00:09:18,440 so you can read it instantly instead of dialing 271 00:09:18,440 --> 00:09:21,040 into a voice mail box and listening through prompts. 272 00:09:21,040 --> 00:09:22,600 And if you want to hear the actual recording, 273 00:09:22,600 --> 00:09:24,600 you can play it back with one click. 274 00:09:24,600 --> 00:09:26,680 But most of the time, the transcript is enough 275 00:09:26,680 --> 00:09:28,880 because you know who called and what they wanted 276 00:09:28,880 --> 00:09:31,080 without ever listening to a message. 277 00:09:31,080 --> 00:09:33,160 Auto attendance are another big one. 278 00:09:33,160 --> 00:09:34,760 Think of it as a virtual receptionist 279 00:09:34,760 --> 00:09:37,000 that greets callers and roots them to the right place, 280 00:09:37,000 --> 00:09:40,080 like press one for sales, press two for support. 281 00:09:40,080 --> 00:09:41,920 You don't need a human being to answer the phone 282 00:09:41,920 --> 00:09:44,080 because the system handles it automatically based 283 00:09:44,080 --> 00:09:46,760 on the time of day, the day of the week, even holidays. 284 00:09:46,760 --> 00:09:48,160 And if your office is closed, 285 00:09:48,160 --> 00:09:50,240 the auto attendant can play a different greeting 286 00:09:50,240 --> 00:09:52,280 and offer to take a message. 287 00:09:52,280 --> 00:09:54,400 All of this used to require expensive hardware 288 00:09:54,400 --> 00:09:57,360 or a third party service, but now it's just a setting in Teams. 289 00:09:57,360 --> 00:10:00,200 Call Q's work hand in hand with auto attendants. 290 00:10:00,200 --> 00:10:02,120 When someone presses one for sales, 291 00:10:02,120 --> 00:10:03,320 the call goes into a queue 292 00:10:03,320 --> 00:10:05,960 and rings the first available person in the sales team. 293 00:10:05,960 --> 00:10:07,720 And if everyone's busy, the caller 294 00:10:07,720 --> 00:10:09,960 he has music or a message while they wait 295 00:10:09,960 --> 00:10:12,120 while the system distributes calls evenly 296 00:10:12,120 --> 00:10:15,280 so nobody gets overwhelmed, perfect for support teams, 297 00:10:15,280 --> 00:10:18,720 reception desks or any group that handles incoming calls. 298 00:10:18,720 --> 00:10:21,440 Delegation is a feature that assistants love. 299 00:10:21,440 --> 00:10:23,360 An assistant can make and receive calls 300 00:10:23,360 --> 00:10:24,720 on behalf of a manager. 301 00:10:24,720 --> 00:10:27,360 And when they call out, it shows up as the manager's number. 302 00:10:27,360 --> 00:10:29,640 So if a client calls back, they reach the manager, 303 00:10:29,640 --> 00:10:30,640 not the assistant. 304 00:10:30,640 --> 00:10:33,240 And it's a simple thing, but it makes a huge difference 305 00:10:33,240 --> 00:10:35,240 in how professional your company sounds. 306 00:10:35,240 --> 00:10:36,560 Call Park is one of those features 307 00:10:36,560 --> 00:10:38,640 you don't know you need until you use it. 308 00:10:38,640 --> 00:10:41,360 You put a call on hold, the system gives you a code, 309 00:10:41,360 --> 00:10:43,840 you walk to another room, pick up a different phone, 310 00:10:43,840 --> 00:10:46,240 enter the code and the call connects. 311 00:10:46,240 --> 00:10:47,840 Great for moving between meeting rooms 312 00:10:47,840 --> 00:10:49,400 or handing off a call to a colleague 313 00:10:49,400 --> 00:10:51,160 in another part of the building. 314 00:10:51,160 --> 00:10:52,760 And then there's presence integration. 315 00:10:52,760 --> 00:10:55,320 You can see if someone is on a call before you call them 316 00:10:55,320 --> 00:10:58,640 because their status shows in a call right next to their name 317 00:10:58,640 --> 00:11:00,320 so you know not to interrupt. 318 00:11:00,320 --> 00:11:02,640 And it reduces the number of times you call someone 319 00:11:02,640 --> 00:11:04,280 only to get sent to voicemail 320 00:11:04,280 --> 00:11:07,000 because they're already talking to someone else. 321 00:11:07,000 --> 00:11:08,280 Why does all this matter? 322 00:11:08,280 --> 00:11:11,080 Because these features used to require expensive add-ons 323 00:11:11,080 --> 00:11:12,720 or completely separate systems. 324 00:11:12,720 --> 00:11:14,720 Auto-attendants were a separate product. 325 00:11:14,720 --> 00:11:16,920 voicemail transcription was a premium service. 326 00:11:16,920 --> 00:11:19,000 Call Q's required special hardware, 327 00:11:19,000 --> 00:11:20,960 but now they're all built into Teams phone 328 00:11:20,960 --> 00:11:23,040 and you don't pay extra for them. 329 00:11:23,040 --> 00:11:24,760 Let me give you a concrete example. 330 00:11:24,760 --> 00:11:26,360 A small law firm with three lawyers 331 00:11:26,360 --> 00:11:28,720 can set up an auto-attendant for their main number 332 00:11:28,720 --> 00:11:30,800 where callers press one to reach the first lawyer 333 00:11:30,800 --> 00:11:32,800 two for the second, three for the third. 334 00:11:32,800 --> 00:11:34,040 And if nobody answers the call, 335 00:11:34,040 --> 00:11:36,040 goes to voicemail and the lawyer gets a transcript 336 00:11:36,040 --> 00:11:37,440 in their Teams chat. 337 00:11:37,440 --> 00:11:38,920 And they can call back from their laptop 338 00:11:38,920 --> 00:11:40,680 or their phone with no receptionist needed, 339 00:11:40,680 --> 00:11:43,040 no extra hardware, no separate voicemail system. 340 00:11:43,040 --> 00:11:44,880 Everything works inside the app they already use 341 00:11:44,880 --> 00:11:46,240 for email and meetings. 342 00:11:46,240 --> 00:11:48,480 What this means for you is that you get a professional phone 343 00:11:48,480 --> 00:11:50,280 system without the professional price tag. 344 00:11:50,280 --> 00:11:52,560 Small businesses can sound like large enterprises 345 00:11:52,560 --> 00:11:55,360 and it all works inside the app you already use. 346 00:11:55,360 --> 00:11:57,160 Security and reliability. 347 00:11:57,160 --> 00:11:59,600 Now let's talk about something that worries people. 348 00:11:59,600 --> 00:12:01,320 Security and reliability. 349 00:12:01,320 --> 00:12:03,680 Moving your phone system to the cloud sounds risky. 350 00:12:03,680 --> 00:12:04,680 What if it goes down? 351 00:12:04,680 --> 00:12:06,320 What if someone eavesdrops on your calls? 352 00:12:06,320 --> 00:12:08,960 Those are fair questions and here's how Microsoft handles them. 353 00:12:08,960 --> 00:12:10,000 Start with encryption. 354 00:12:10,000 --> 00:12:12,840 Every call made through Teams is encrypted in transit. 355 00:12:12,840 --> 00:12:14,680 That means the audio is scrambled as it travels 356 00:12:14,680 --> 00:12:16,880 between you and the person you're talking to 357 00:12:16,880 --> 00:12:18,400 using the same security standards 358 00:12:18,400 --> 00:12:19,560 that online banking users. 359 00:12:19,560 --> 00:12:22,920 For one to one calls, you can even enable end-to-end encryption. 360 00:12:22,920 --> 00:12:24,920 The audio is encrypted on your device 361 00:12:24,920 --> 00:12:27,000 and decrypted only on the other person's device. 362 00:12:27,000 --> 00:12:28,920 So no one, not even Microsoft can listen in. 363 00:12:28,920 --> 00:12:30,400 Uptime is another big concern. 364 00:12:30,400 --> 00:12:34,240 Microsoft guarantees 99.99% uptime for Teams phone, 365 00:12:34,240 --> 00:12:36,960 which works out to less than five minutes of downtime per year. 366 00:12:36,960 --> 00:12:37,800 Five minutes. 367 00:12:37,800 --> 00:12:39,760 Most on-premise phone systems can't match that 368 00:12:39,760 --> 00:12:41,760 because they depend on a single box in your office. 369 00:12:41,760 --> 00:12:44,880 If that box fails, your phones are down until someone fixes it. 370 00:12:44,880 --> 00:12:48,560 With Teams, Microsoft runs multiple data centers around the world. 371 00:12:48,560 --> 00:12:51,160 If one goes down, another takes over automatically. 372 00:12:51,160 --> 00:12:53,280 Identity protection is built into Teams users 373 00:12:53,280 --> 00:12:55,880 your Microsoft 365 log-in to authenticate you. 374 00:12:55,880 --> 00:12:58,120 So if you have multi-factor authentication enabled 375 00:12:58,120 --> 00:13:01,680 and you should, your phone system is protected by the same security. 376 00:13:01,680 --> 00:13:04,200 Someone can't just pick up a desk phone and make calls as you. 377 00:13:04,200 --> 00:13:06,480 They need your credentials and your second factor. 378 00:13:06,480 --> 00:13:08,720 Think of it like a reception desk that checks your ID 379 00:13:08,720 --> 00:13:10,320 before letting you into the building. 380 00:13:10,320 --> 00:13:13,200 Compliance is another area where Teams phone shines. 381 00:13:13,200 --> 00:13:15,440 It supports industry standards like HIPAA for healthcare 382 00:13:15,440 --> 00:13:17,080 and GDPR for privacy. 383 00:13:17,080 --> 00:13:18,760 Recording and archiving are built in 384 00:13:18,760 --> 00:13:20,560 so you can meet regulatory requirements 385 00:13:20,560 --> 00:13:22,200 without buying separate software. 386 00:13:22,200 --> 00:13:23,920 If you're in a regulated industry, 387 00:13:23,920 --> 00:13:26,240 you can record calls, store them securely, 388 00:13:26,240 --> 00:13:28,040 and produce them for audits. 389 00:13:28,040 --> 00:13:28,840 Here's the thing. 390 00:13:28,840 --> 00:13:30,320 Your phone system is now as secure 391 00:13:30,320 --> 00:13:32,720 as the rest of your Microsoft 365 environment. 392 00:13:32,720 --> 00:13:35,040 You don't need a separate security setup for your phones. 393 00:13:35,040 --> 00:13:37,520 The same policies that protect your email and your files 394 00:13:37,520 --> 00:13:38,840 also protect your calls. 395 00:13:38,840 --> 00:13:40,280 Let me give you a concrete example. 396 00:13:40,280 --> 00:13:43,080 A healthcare clinic uses Teams phone for patient calls. 397 00:13:43,080 --> 00:13:44,280 All calls are encrypted. 398 00:13:44,280 --> 00:13:46,800 The clinic can record calls for compliance purposes. 399 00:13:46,800 --> 00:13:48,440 Voice mails are stored securely. 400 00:13:48,440 --> 00:13:49,960 And because Teams supports HIPAA, 401 00:13:49,960 --> 00:13:52,120 the clinic stays compliant with regulations. 402 00:13:52,120 --> 00:13:53,960 No separate security system needed. 403 00:13:53,960 --> 00:13:56,240 What this means for you is that you're not trading security 404 00:13:56,240 --> 00:13:57,320 for convenience. 405 00:13:57,320 --> 00:13:58,880 The cloud version is often more secure 406 00:13:58,880 --> 00:14:00,560 than an old on-premise system. 407 00:14:00,560 --> 00:14:02,640 Microsoft has security teams and infrastructure 408 00:14:02,640 --> 00:14:06,040 that most small businesses could never afford on their own. 409 00:14:06,040 --> 00:14:07,600 How all the pieces connect. 410 00:14:07,600 --> 00:14:09,400 Let's step back and see how all these pieces 411 00:14:09,400 --> 00:14:11,040 fit together into one system. 412 00:14:11,040 --> 00:14:13,520 Because Teams telephony isn't just one thing. 413 00:14:13,520 --> 00:14:16,640 It's a cloud PBX, a connection to the phone network, 414 00:14:16,640 --> 00:14:17,920 and a set of features. 415 00:14:17,920 --> 00:14:19,920 All wrapped in the Teams app you already use 416 00:14:19,920 --> 00:14:21,040 for chat and meetings. 417 00:14:21,040 --> 00:14:22,280 Here's the aha moment. 418 00:14:22,280 --> 00:14:23,280 Most people miss. 419 00:14:23,280 --> 00:14:25,480 Most of us think of a phone system as hardware. 420 00:14:25,480 --> 00:14:26,320 A box in a closet. 421 00:14:26,320 --> 00:14:27,280 Why is in the walls? 422 00:14:27,280 --> 00:14:28,960 A plastic handset on your desk. 423 00:14:28,960 --> 00:14:31,720 But Teams telephony is something different entirely. 424 00:14:31,720 --> 00:14:32,760 It's an identity. 425 00:14:32,760 --> 00:14:34,960 Your phone number is attached to you not to a desk. 426 00:14:34,960 --> 00:14:37,400 Wherever you sign into Teams, your phone follows. 427 00:14:37,400 --> 00:14:39,040 Sign in on your laptop in a coffee shop 428 00:14:39,040 --> 00:14:40,400 and your office number rings there. 429 00:14:40,400 --> 00:14:42,200 Sign in on your phone while you're traveling. 430 00:14:42,200 --> 00:14:43,040 And it rings there. 431 00:14:43,040 --> 00:14:44,400 The number doesn't move. 432 00:14:44,400 --> 00:14:45,280 You do. 433 00:14:45,280 --> 00:14:46,800 Now watch how the pieces interact. 434 00:14:46,800 --> 00:14:48,520 The customer calls your main number. 435 00:14:48,520 --> 00:14:50,600 The auto attendant picks up and plays a greeting. 436 00:14:50,600 --> 00:14:52,320 The caller presses one for support. 437 00:14:52,320 --> 00:14:53,880 That sends the call to a call queue. 438 00:14:53,880 --> 00:14:55,960 The queue rings the first available support agent 439 00:14:55,960 --> 00:14:56,880 on their laptop. 440 00:14:56,880 --> 00:14:58,240 If they answer, great. 441 00:14:58,240 --> 00:15:00,600 If everyone's busy, the caller hears music on hold. 442 00:15:00,600 --> 00:15:02,520 If nobody answers after a certain time, 443 00:15:02,520 --> 00:15:03,800 the call goes to voicemail. 444 00:15:03,800 --> 00:15:05,120 The system transcribes the message 445 00:15:05,120 --> 00:15:06,600 and sends it to your Teams chat. 446 00:15:06,600 --> 00:15:09,600 You read it, call back, and the whole cycle starts again. 447 00:15:09,600 --> 00:15:10,640 All automatic. 448 00:15:10,640 --> 00:15:12,000 No human intervention needed. 449 00:15:12,000 --> 00:15:12,880 Why does this matter? 450 00:15:12,880 --> 00:15:14,360 Because these pieces work together 451 00:15:14,360 --> 00:15:16,120 to create a seamless experience. 452 00:15:16,120 --> 00:15:17,960 You don't have to think about the technology. 453 00:15:17,960 --> 00:15:19,440 The auto attendant doesn't need someone 454 00:15:19,440 --> 00:15:20,880 to manually transfer calls. 455 00:15:20,880 --> 00:15:23,360 The call queue doesn't need someone to watch who's available. 456 00:15:23,360 --> 00:15:24,560 The voicemail doesn't need someone 457 00:15:24,560 --> 00:15:25,840 to check a separate inbox. 458 00:15:25,840 --> 00:15:26,840 It all just happens. 459 00:15:26,840 --> 00:15:28,400 Let me walk you through a full example 460 00:15:28,400 --> 00:15:29,800 so you can see how smooth it is. 461 00:15:29,800 --> 00:15:31,520 A customer calls your main number. 462 00:15:31,520 --> 00:15:33,960 The auto attendant asks them to press one for support. 463 00:15:33,960 --> 00:15:35,320 The call goes to the support queue. 464 00:15:35,320 --> 00:15:37,400 It rings the first available agent on their laptop. 465 00:15:37,400 --> 00:15:40,240 They answer, help the customer, and hang up. 466 00:15:40,240 --> 00:15:42,280 If that agent was already on another call, 467 00:15:42,280 --> 00:15:44,440 the system would ring the next available person. 468 00:15:44,440 --> 00:15:47,160 If everyone was busy, the caller would get voicemail. 469 00:15:47,160 --> 00:15:49,280 And later you'd see the transcript in Teams. 470 00:15:49,280 --> 00:15:51,320 No missed calls, no lost messages, 471 00:15:51,320 --> 00:15:53,080 no angry customers who couldn't get through. 472 00:15:53,080 --> 00:15:54,720 What this means for you is that the magic 473 00:15:54,720 --> 00:15:56,160 isn't any single feature. 474 00:15:56,160 --> 00:15:58,560 It's how they all connect to make your work life easier. 475 00:15:58,560 --> 00:16:00,040 The auto attendant, the call queue, 476 00:16:00,040 --> 00:16:02,760 the voicemail transcription, the presence indicators, 477 00:16:02,760 --> 00:16:04,040 they're designed to work together 478 00:16:04,040 --> 00:16:05,760 so you don't have to think about them. 479 00:16:05,760 --> 00:16:09,480 You just do your job and the phone system handles the rest. 480 00:16:09,480 --> 00:16:10,800 Actionable takeaways. 481 00:16:10,800 --> 00:16:12,080 So what should you do next? 482 00:16:12,080 --> 00:16:13,160 I get this question a lot. 483 00:16:13,160 --> 00:16:15,280 Here are three simple steps to get you moving. 484 00:16:15,280 --> 00:16:18,480 Step one, check if your current Microsoft 365 license 485 00:16:18,480 --> 00:16:20,040 already includes Teams phone. 486 00:16:20,040 --> 00:16:22,600 If you have an E5 license, you're good. 487 00:16:22,600 --> 00:16:24,360 The phone system is already included. 488 00:16:24,360 --> 00:16:26,640 If you have E3 or business premium, 489 00:16:26,640 --> 00:16:29,560 you'll need to add the Teams phone license separately. 490 00:16:29,560 --> 00:16:32,000 It's about $8 to $10 per user per month. 491 00:16:32,000 --> 00:16:34,520 You can check this in your Microsoft 365 Admin Center 492 00:16:34,520 --> 00:16:36,640 under billing and it takes about two minutes. 493 00:16:36,640 --> 00:16:37,880 Seriously, it's that quick. 494 00:16:37,880 --> 00:16:40,160 It's a simple check that saves you a lot of money. 495 00:16:40,160 --> 00:16:42,280 Step two, talk to your phone carrier 496 00:16:42,280 --> 00:16:44,720 or a Microsoft partner about the best way to connect. 497 00:16:44,720 --> 00:16:47,200 Tell them where you're located and how many users you have. 498 00:16:47,200 --> 00:16:49,760 They'll help you choose between Microsoft calling plans, 499 00:16:49,760 --> 00:16:52,120 operator connect, or direct routing. 500 00:16:52,120 --> 00:16:54,080 You don't need to become an expert on this. 501 00:16:54,080 --> 00:16:55,840 A good partner will ask the right questions 502 00:16:55,840 --> 00:16:57,280 and give you a recommendation. 503 00:16:57,280 --> 00:16:59,560 They'll ask about your current setup and future needs. 504 00:16:59,560 --> 00:17:01,080 That's what they're there for. 505 00:17:01,080 --> 00:17:02,760 Step three, start small. 506 00:17:02,760 --> 00:17:05,080 Don't try to move your entire company at once. 507 00:17:05,080 --> 00:17:07,320 Pick a handful of users to pilot your new setup. 508 00:17:07,320 --> 00:17:09,440 Set up an auto attendant for your main number. 509 00:17:09,440 --> 00:17:10,520 Test it for a week. 510 00:17:10,520 --> 00:17:12,560 You'll quickly see how much simpler it is. 511 00:17:12,560 --> 00:17:15,360 Your pilot users will tell you what works and what doesn't. 512 00:17:15,360 --> 00:17:17,240 Then you can roll out to the rest of the company 513 00:17:17,240 --> 00:17:18,080 with confidence. 514 00:17:18,080 --> 00:17:20,400 You'll build confidence with each successful rollout. 515 00:17:20,400 --> 00:17:21,520 That's the smart way to do it. 516 00:17:21,520 --> 00:17:22,400 That's the system. 517 00:17:22,400 --> 00:17:25,160 Three ways to connect one app to use them all. 518 00:17:25,160 --> 00:17:27,120 If this episode helped you see the big picture, 519 00:17:27,120 --> 00:17:29,560 share it with someone who's still stuck with an old desk phone 520 00:17:29,560 --> 00:17:31,600 and subscribe for more plain English breakdowns 521 00:17:31,600 --> 00:17:32,960 of Microsoft Tech. 522 00:17:32,960 --> 00:17:35,320 I'm Mirko Peters from M365FM, and I'll 523 00:17:35,320 --> 00:17:37,920 see you in the next episode.