Is Microsoft Teams still popular?
Always seemingly ahead of the curve, it is hard to deny that Microsoft Teams should take its rightful place in the tech hall of fame as one of the most practical and valuable solutions of the decade.
Now with more than 270 million monthly users, its popularity has grown exponentially. There’s little doubt that this was initially aided by the incredible number of businesses that integrated Teams during the pandemic to enable working remotely and securely, however take up continues to increase as many of us are now out and about and visiting the office again.
This is entirely understandable as the solution has new functionality added practically every week and allows small businesses to operate far more efficiently than their budget would traditionally allow. What we really love, however, is the flexibility. One of the only things early on that let the solution down, was Microsoft’s own calling plans which did not really suit business requirements. Perhaps understanding their own limitations when it came to billing and number management, as well as accepting that many companies wanted to stick with existing and experienced voice providers, Microsoft cleverly added the option for Direct Routing.
Can you use Microsoft Teams for phone calls?
Businesses that are already, or are considering, using Microsoft Teams for internal collaboration, can also use Microsoft Teams as their default phone system; adding Direct Routing to make local, national, and international calls at an affordable price. You are able to port over existing numbers, as well as retaining important functionality such as hunt groups, call diverts and queuing. Moving your voice to within this environment enables you to dispose of unwanted legacy phone services and hardware, reducing costs and ensuring your business is as agile and flexible as possible in the ever-changing business landscape.
Do I need to physically install anything to make Microsoft Teams phone calls?
V12 were early to the Direct Routing market in 2019 in response to customer demand and we built a cloud-based solution that seamlessly integrates with the Teams environment. We offer automated provisioning, per user pricing, unlimited free calls to UK landlines and mobiles and the ability to call 150+ international locations. There is no requirement for any on premise hardware, our service is delivered over tier one, carrier grade infrastructure and users are able to connect via a wide range of devices including PC, Laptop, Smartphone, tablet as well as a selection of Microsoft approved desk phones.
Is Direct Routing expensive?
Not only more affordable and flexible than the Microsoft calling plans, our Direct Routing service is commercially compelling and provides the last piece of the jigsaw to enable efficient, flexible and secure hybrid working. We have extensive experience of onboarding customers not only in the UK, but also in a number of countries across the world and our knowledge of number porting allows us to provide a smooth and effortless transition.
With no expensive CAPEX, cost-effective calls, first class customer service, no call centres and functionality that has been designed to suit the business community, we believe our product is the perfect hybrid working solution. To find out more about Direct Routing and what V12 can do for you, please get in contact.