MS Teams Logo on iphoneMicrosoft Teams integration into 3CX allows calls to be made and received using the 3CX phone system. Key benefits include offering a cost-effective alternative to MS365’s calling plans and providing admins with a full-featured PBX that’s much easier to use and configure than Teams.

Cost-Effective

Microsoft Teams phone system is an add on license feature per user. On top of this, to utilise the system as a standalone PBX, companies are required to use Microsoft’s own expensive calling plans or engage a 3rd party to ‘plug in’ a suitable SIP trunk via Microsoft’s Direct Routing facility. This can all become very expensive as they are based on a per-user, per-month model. By utilising 3CX integration, businesses can access all the cost-saving benefits of the 3CX licensing model and leverage cheaper SIP trunk carriers.

Easy to work with

While Teams has seen a huge uptake in recent years, the phone system element of the platform is lacking in feature set and simplicity. Configuration is labour intensive and complex. Administrators can benefit from a simple to manage PBX by joining 3CX with Teams. The initial configuration steps are fully documented, along with 3 explainer videos and various FAQ articles. Once set up, Teams users are presented with a simple dial-pad and the same pop-up style they are accustomed to when making other Teams calls. In-call features such as transfer and placing the call on hold are still available via the pop-out window.

Flexible Client Options

Because of the unified approach adopted by 3CX, Teams users are not tied to making and receiving calls on their desktop software, they can use many options, including:

Improved performance and reporting

3CX offers contact centre software features such as advanced call queues, call routing and wallboards. Besides the enterprise-grade contact centre features, by linking Teams with 3CX admins can access a wide variety of reports that are not available when using the Teams phone system as a stand-alone PBX. Reports can be created and scheduled as desired and emailed to any user or group of users. This provides team leaders with vital information to empower the decision-making process.

Conclusion

Microsoft Teams has many features that businesses find invaluable, however, the phone system is not equipped with all the features businesses need. By leveraging 3CX integration, end users can utilise the familiar Teams application without having to sacrifice necessary features and be forced to spend more on costly calling plans. 3CX offers a year's free license, so why not try it today.