Modern working is no longer confined to a single office. With remote and hybrid teams spread across multiple locations and time zones, businesses face growing challenges in maintaining seamless communication. Disjointed systems, inconsistent connectivity, and inefficient workflows can disrupt operations, reduce productivity, and frustrate employees.
Thankfully, technology has evolved to meet the challenge. Microsoft Teams telephony provides a unified communications solution that keeps teams and customers connected wherever their location. By integrating voice calls, video conferencing, instant messaging, and collaboration tools into one platform, businesses can simplify communication, enhance flexibility, and reduce costs.
In this article, we explore the key benefits of Microsoft Teams telephony and how it helps organisations overcome the complexities of modern business communication.
Streamlined Communication in One Platform
One of the most significant benefits of using Microsoft Teams telephony is the consolidation of multiple communication tools into a single platform. Traditionally, businesses often rely on separate systems for voice calls, video conferencing, instant messaging, calendars, and emails. This often results in a fragmented experience, where employees must switch between different applications to communicate effectively.
With Microsoft Teams, all communication is unified in one interface, allowing employees to seamlessly switch between chat, voice, and video calls without leaving the platform. This streamlined approach enhances collaboration through a central hub for all communication, making it easier to manage tasks, set meetings, and stay connected in real-time.
Furthermore, integration with other Microsoft 365 tools, such as Outlook, Calendar and SharePoint, enhances this unified experience, enabling employees to access shared documents, calendars, and tasks within the same platform. This integration eliminates the need for multiple third-party tools, saving both time and resources.
Cost Savings
Cost reduction is a major consideration for businesses when choosing communication solutions. Traditional telephony systems often involve high upfront costs for hardware, installation, and maintenance. On top of that, businesses may face additional expenses for long-distance calls, international communications, and call routing. These costs can quickly add up, particularly for growing businesses with remote teams.
Microsoft Teams supports Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), meaning calls are made over the internet rather than traditional phone lines. This eliminates the need for expensive long-distance charges, particularly for international calls. Businesses can also take advantage of Microsoft’s calling plans, which offer predictable pricing and lower rates for calls.
Teams telephony operates through a cloud-based model. This allows businesses to bypass the need for costly hardware and physical infrastructure. With Teams, organisations can replace their existing phone system with cloud-based telephony, significantly reducing capital expenditures. Costly phone handsets can also be replaced with far less expensive headsets or even staff mobile phones should a business wish.
For businesses with remote or hybrid teams, Microsoft Teams telephony further reduces costs by providing a single, consistent communication platform for employees, regardless of their location. This eliminates the need for multiple telephony systems or separate communication tools, making Teams more efficient from a management perspective.
Improved Collaboration and Productivity
Effective communication is at the heart of productivity and collaboration. With Microsoft Teams telephony, employees can seamlessly collaborate with colleagues, clients, and partners in real-time. The platform offers a range of features that enhance communication and teamwork, including:
- Instant Messaging: Employees can chat with colleagues instantly, share files, and create dedicated channels for specific projects or teams. This can be a fast and non-disruptive way to communicate
- One Click Calling: Teams provides high-quality voice and video calling capabilities at the click of a button. This makes it easy to schedule meetings, conduct interviews, or collaborate on projects, no matter where team members are located.
- Presence Indicators: The platform’s presence and status indicators allow employees to see if their colleagues are available for a call, making it easier to connect when needed. Equally, employees can see when colleagues aren’t available or shouldn’t be disturbed.
- Call Forwarding and Voicemail: Teams also supports call forwarding and voicemail features of modern phone systems, ensuring that employees never miss important calls, even if they are not actively in the office.
These features combine to improve communication, reduce the time spent switching between different tools, and allow employees to work more efficiently and effectively. Whether in the office, at home, or on the go, Microsoft Teams ensures that teams remain connected and collaborative.
Seamless Integration With Existing Systems
Many organisations have invested in telephony systems and may be hesitant to switch entirely. Microsoft Teams telephony offers flexibility, integrating existing VoIP and SIP and wider third-party communication solutions, allowing businesses to modernise at their own pace.
Microsoft Teams also integrates seamlessly with the broader the broader Microsoft 365 ecosystem, including tools like OneDrive, Power BI, and Microsoft Dynamics 365. This integration allows employees to access and share critical business data and documents while communicating, resulting in more informed decision-making and streamlined workflows.
Additionally, third-party apps like CRM systems and project management tools can be connected, ensuring Microsoft Teams fits seamlessly into existing workflows.
Scalability and Flexibility
As businesses grow, so do their communication needs. Traditional phone systems often struggle to scale alongside expanding organisations, requiring costly upgrades and new equipment. Microsoft Teams telephony, however, is built for scalability and flexibility, allowing businesses to easily add or remove users, features, and services as needed.
For instance, businesses can easily scale their Teams subscription to accommodate a growing workforce, whether they are expanding to new locations or adding remote employees. The cloud-based nature of Teams means that users can be added without the need for physical infrastructure, providing businesses with a high level of agility and flexibility.
Additionally, businesses can select from a range of Microsoft Teams calling plans to match their specific needs, from basic calling to more advanced features like direct routing, call queuing, and integration with contact centres. This flexibility ensures that organisations can customise their communication system to suit their unique requirements.
Enhanced Security and Compliance
Security is a top concern for businesses, especially when it comes to sensitive communication and data. Microsoft Teams telephony is built on the robust security framework of Microsoft 365, ensuring that all communications are secure, encrypted, and compliant with industry standards.
Teams benefits from Microsoft’s extensive security features, including:
- End-to-end encryption: All calls, messages, and files shared on Teams are encrypted, providing a high level of protection against unauthorized access.
- Multi-factor authentication (MFA): Teams supports MFA, adding an extra layer of security to prevent unauthorized access to your communications.
- Compliance: Microsoft Teams complies with major industry regulations such as GDPR, HIPAA, and SOC 2, ensuring that businesses can use the platform with confidence.
With these security and compliance measures in place, businesses can be assured that their communications are protected and meet regulatory requirements.
Support for Remote and Hybrid Workforces
The shift toward remote and hybrid work has become a defining feature of the modern business landscape. Microsoft Teams telephony is particularly well-suited for these work environments, providing employees with the tools they need to stay connected, regardless of their physical location.
With cloud-based telephony, employees can make and receive calls from anywhere with an internet connection, using their laptops, desktops, or mobile devices. This level of flexibility ensures that employees can remain productive and connected even when working remotely, reducing downtime and improving overall efficiency.
For businesses with hybrid workforces, Teams provides a consistent experience across different environments. Whether employees are working in the office, at home, or traveling, they can access the same features and functionality from the same platform.
Moving To Unified Communications
Microsoft Teams telephony offers a comprehensive solution that helps businesses navigate the complexities of modern work environments. By unifying communication, reducing costs, improving security, and supporting remote collaboration, Teams ensures businesses remain agile, connected, and productive.
As companies continue to experiment with remote and hybrid work models, having a reliable, scalable, and cost-effective communication system is essential.
Akita can support organisations in their move to Microsoft Teams telephony solution. In doing so we provide the tools needed to stay ahead – making business communication seamless, secure, and successful.
