Business communication has changed a lot since COVID. Remote working has been normalised – and with it, the video call and instant messaging services to keep everyone connected.
Since then, Microsoft Teams has become the UK’s most popular platform for those services. But at the same time, the phone system is a fundamental part of any business, especially for customer contact.
The result? Countless UK businesses use Teams for video calls and instant messaging, and a phone system for everything else. Well, what if we told you we can combine the two? Introducing: Teams as a Phone System from Boxx!
What is Teams as a Phone System?
Teams as a Phone System combines the features of a phone system and Microsoft Teams, all on the Teams interface. So, that means video calls and instant messaging, alongside high-quality voice calls.
Sounds simple, but this offers so much time-saving and convenience. All your internal and external business communication is managed on one screen. And you can access it from anywhere on any device, just like Teams – whether you’re using the mobile, desktop or web app.
In one fell swoop, Teams as a Phone System covers customer contact, collaboration and hybrid work. Let’s look at it in more detail!
Teams as a Phone System – our top four features
There are so many great features of Teams as a Phone System. These are our top four that really stand out.
1. Unified communications over the cloud
At first glance, unified communications (UC) is just another piece of telecoms jargon. But what it describes is very useful. Essentially, UC is just all your business communications channels in one place. That means voice, video and instant messaging.
The benefit is that this is just very convenient. There’s no flicking between different screens for different methods of communication. And because it’s hosted on the cloud, you can log in and use it from anywhere. Whether it’s video meetings or handling customer calls, your team can do it all in the office, at home or on the go.
2. Softphone
More telecoms jargon – but again, this is very useful. A softphone delivers the functionality of a phone over software (in this case, the software is MS Teams). That means you can make, receive and transfer calls on your laptop or desktop.
This can be a big cost saver, because it allows you to cut back on physical desk phones. It can even save time, especially for people whose work revolves around their laptop or desktop. You can click to call instead of manually dialling numbers.
As for inbound calls, you don’t need to interrupt your work – the call just pops up on the screen, and you click to answer. These features shave a little time off every call. It may not sound a lot, but add it up over a long period and it’s a big efficiency boost!
3. Advanced phone system features
So, you’ve got video, voice and instant messaging over the cloud. But it’s also worth mentioning that Teams as a Phone System really lives up to its name. It’s got all the call handling features that you’d expect from a high-quality modern phone system.
You can transfer, hold and add others to a call, for instance. It’s just that thanks to the softphone functionality we’ve discussed, you do this with a couple of clicks. So, not only does it offer advanced phone system features, but it makes them incredibly easy to use.
The same is true when it comes to admin-level tasks. Routing calls and managing queues is exceptionally straightforward. And if you require contact centre tools like call recording and analytics, we can provide them.
4. Presence
This is such a small detail, but it helps so much. Everyone in your team will have a live “presence” setting that indicates their availability in real time. This is particularly useful in hybrid working environments.
Let’s say that somebody wants to talk to one of your colleagues, but they’re working elsewhere. It’s simple – you just find that contact and check their presence. If they’re unavailable, you can see immediately. If they’re available, you can transfer the call in a couple of clicks.
This allows you to manage calls quickly, easily and confidently, whatever your business and however spread your team is geographically.
How do I set up Teams as a Phone System?
There are many ways of doing this. Your first port of call: get in touch with Boxx! We’ll talk through your business, your needs and what phone system you’re using. From there, we’ll make our recommendation. As for installation, we make it seamless, from installation and configuration to training you in all the new features.
We are big fans of Teams as a Phone System here at Boxx Communications. You get the amazing collaboration features of Microsoft Teams, along with high-quality phone system features. Want to learn more about Teams as a Phone System? Get in touch today!
