Microsoft has started to execute on its plan for making Microsoft Teams the core communication client in Office 365, and it starts with the introduction of new calling capabilities in the team communications hub. The latest version of the team comunication app, which started to roll out yesterday to Office 365 users makes it possible to use the app as a phone system for your organization.
“To add calling in Teams for your users, the first thing you need is Phone System (formerly Cloud PBX), which is included with Office 365 E5 and available as an add-on to other Office 365 plans,” Microsoft explained yesterday. “From there, you can subscribe to a Calling Plan (formerly known as PSTN Calling) for any number of users in your organization.”
The new calling capabilities can be accessed via the new “Calls” button in the left sidebar. Microsoft says that Microsoft Teams supports all must-have communications featurs such as call history, hold/resume, speed dial, call forwarding, voice mail and more. ” This solution also allows your organization to shift away from expensive telephony hardware and simplifying by centralizing the management of your phone system,” the blog post notes.
Microsoft has published a quick start guide to help you get started with the new calling features. Do you think Microsoft Teams will soon be ready to replace Skype for Business in your organization? Let us know below.
