Teams Integration and transfer to Voicemail

[mbelsky]

Hello,

We have a hosted 3CX system (I believe self-hosted by a vendor we use to manage it) that uses Teams integration. Our users only have voicemail configured on Teams and not on 3CX. Our Operators manage incoming calls and transfers mostly via 3CX web or physical phones before the external calls hit Teams. My question is about whether there is some way for them to transfer directly to a Teams voicemail. They have the option to transfer directly to Voicemail in 3CX web, but that results in an error that the users voicemail is not setup since it isn't setup in 3CX. Teams also has a transfer direct to voicemail option. Is there any way to either:

1) Map the 3CX Webclient transfer to VM option to go to the Teams transfer to VM option.

2) Setup something else (virtual extension?) that would route directly to the teams voicemail.

Thanks!

 

[Charles_3CX]

Regarding your question, it is recommended that the voicemail within teams be disabled when integration with teams is configured, as per this guide: https://www.3cx.com/docs/microsoft-teams-integration-faqs/#h.hqzgi0zeru4r.

 

[mbelsky]

Regarding your question, it is recommended that the voicemail within teams be disabled when integration with teams is configured, as per this guide: https://www.3cx.com/docs/microsoft-teams-integration-faqs/#h.hqzgi0zeru4r.

That does not work for our setup, as we use Teams exclusively for internal calls, chat and meetings. 3CX is used merely as a way to route incoming and outgoing calls with external numbers and some routing decisions/IVR.

Any other ways to get this option working with our current setup?

 

[Evolute IT]

That does not work for our setup, as we use Teams exclusively for internal calls, chat and meetings. 3CX is used merely as a way to route incoming and outgoing calls with external numbers and some routing decisions/IVR.

Any other ways to get this option working with our current setup?

You will need to either use a third-party integration or another PBX system that will support that.

 

[mbelsky]

Can anyone explain the basic mechanism used for Teams to route an unanswered call back to 3CX voicemail if we were to set it up that way?

 

[Evolute IT]

Can anyone explain the basic mechanism used for Teams to route an unanswered call back to 3CX voicemail if we were to set it up that way?

It never sends the call to Teams directly, it forks it. Look up SIP Forking. That's how 3CX works and that's why you can decline on Teams and still have you 3CX app and phone ring.

 

[mbelsky]

It never sends the call to Teams directly, it forks it. Look up SIP Forking. That's how 3CX works and that's why you can decline on Teams and still have you 3CX app and phone ring.

Thank you, I will do some reading. If I were to contact Microsoft Teams support and find a method to send a SIP call to Teams in a certain way that would send it directly to Teams voicemail, is it feasible that 3CX could support something like that when they fork the call? Then we would just need a 3cx config so 3cx knows what to do when we use the transfer to vm option.

Or is there a way to control the behavior either globally or per extension of what happens when a call is transferred to vm and there is no 3cx vm box? If there was, we could possibly route the call to whatever mechanism is given by Microsoft to pass the sip call direct to vm.

 

[mbelsky]

If we were to decide to have voicemail in 3cx instead of teams (doubtful it would be approved at this point), how would we get internal teams to teams calls to terminate into the 3cx voicemail. No way our users would tolerate two voicemail boxes.

 

[N_G]

@mbelsky Currently this is not possible. Although in future versions it will be possible to switch off SIP forking such that calls can go to Teams only and thus to Teams Voice Mail. I believe this is what you want?

 

[mbelsky]

@mbelsky Currently this is not possible. Although in future versions it will be possible to switch off SIP forking such that calls can go to Teams only and thus to Teams Voice Mail. I believe this is what you want?

What I am asking about would not require forking to be turned off, unless I'm mistaken. Whether on or off, if Teams exposed in their API (I assume there is one utilized) a way to pass a call directly to voicemail in Teams (which they allow internally), I was asking if 3CX would be able to utilize such an option. And if so, if they could allow us to make the transfer to vm option in 3cx utilize that functuonality if we configured 3CX to behave in that way. Otherwise, maybe some feature code to be dialed to enact such a direct transfer.

We are already able to have calls terminate to Teams voicemail even with the forking occuring. This is merely a request looking for a way to avoid the extra ringing before it terminates to the Teams VM, in cases where the transferring party chooses to do so.

PS: I appreciate your edit. I fully understand this is not the intended use of 3CX and also understand this is not on your roadmap at all.

 

[N_G]

@mbelsky i see.... no such an option would be not be something in our plans. however once there is no more sip forking you can forward calls to a teams user and use the voice mail on teams all you like.....

 

[mbelsky]

@mbelsky i see.... no such an option would be not be something in our plans. however once there is no more sip forking you can forward calls to a teams user and use the voice mail on teams all you like.....

Sorry, you replied before I made my edits above, so just readding this info.

We are already able to have calls terminate to Teams voicemail even with the forking occuring. This is merely a request looking for a way to avoid the extra ringing before it terminates to the Teams VM, in cases where the transferring party chooses to do so.

I understand it isnt likely to happen. Thanks.