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Do on-premises Skype for Business Server customers need to upgrade to Microsoft Teams?

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Now that Microsoft Skype for Business server has retired, many organizations undergoing on-premises setup are looking for ways of alternate cloud telephony services. The simple answer to the above question is Yes. On-premises Skype for Business Server customers must upgrade to Teams in 3 steps. The first step is to configure hybrid connectivity. Next, you need to set up the transitional coexisting mode. This is an optional step. However, depending upon your company requirements, you can make this step in phases. The next step is to shift users from Skype for Business on-premises setup to the Teams Only mode. This has now become a single step. The last step is to complete migration by disabling hybrid environments and perform the migration to the cloud. Migrating users of Skype for Business on-premises with Enterprise Voice To Teams Calling plans requires moving users’ calling accounts to the cloud as well. For users with PSTN connectivity, the migration will involve Direct routing deployment.

DID YOU FIND THIS INTERESTING? WHY NOT READ: “ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW FOR EFFECTIVE MICROSOFT TEAMS MIGRATION“? 

What are the benefits of Microsoft Teams?

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Microsoft Teams has provided many business benefits to organizations like IT companies, Educational institutes, Government sectors, Hospitals, and many more. Microsoft Teams provide collaboration to its users that results in the next level of interaction between the users of the same type.

MS Teams let users interact in a variety of ways such as video conferencing, audio conferencing, persistent chat, and many others. Microsoft Teams is native to Microsoft 365, so sharing is a lot easier than via OneDrive. Microsoft Teams are easily set up using an existing Cloud PBX system. Microsoft Teams are easily adoptable due to Teams Calling Plans and Teams Direct Routing options. Microsoft Teams also provide features like Guest login, app management, admin rights, and much more. It is cross-functional in nature.

From a security perspective, MS Teams have various benefits since the chats remain private. Microsoft deploys best security practices in Teams like end-to-end encryption and two-factor authentication. Microsoft Teams, thus, serves as a secure mode of business communication.

To know more about Microsoft Teams benefits, contact a MachCloud expert today. 

A guide to Deploy Microsoft Teams Direct Routing

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Microsoft Teams Direct Routing has gained immense popularity ever since the concept of modern business telephony is introduced. An on-premises telephony system infrastructure being directly linked to Microsoft Teams gives an edge to your business phone system. Microsoft has provided a full-fledge documentation on the step by step guide for Deploying Direct Routing for latest cloud business communication. However, it is very complicated to implement involving PowerShell scripts and connectivity protocol including security implementation. There are providers who easily can set up your business telephony with Microsoft Teams, without any hassle for you.

Microsoft Teams Direct Routing makes you do more with less

The Direct Routing feature expands the capabilities of Teams. There are two major phases to deploy Direct Routing in Microsoft Teams. These are: 

  • Planning & Prerequisites

  • Deploying Direct Routing

Planning the Business Telephony System

It is important to know the details of Teams Direct Routing before Deployment. Direct Routing allows the customers to interoperate with third party systems like on-premises PBX, Microsoft Phone system and Analogue devices. It further lets you leverage the existing infrastructure which you are using with other service providers. It facilitates users who do not have calling plans in their area. It is important to know the licensing requirements before you get started with direct routing.

RELATED: HOW Machcloud Teams FACILITATES BUSINESSES WITH TEAMS DIRECT ROUTING

Deploying Microsoft Teams Direct Routing with your local provider

The following steps are performed under this phase:

Step 1: Enable Direct Routing

In this step, the connection between Teams admin center and your local provider is created. No configuration at your side, all is fully automated provisioned by your local provider.

Step 2: Enable users for Direct Routing

For this step, you need to first create a user in Microsoft 365 and assign a license. You can create users via admin center. You can then assign the right Microsoft licenses to this user.

  • Configure Voice Routing Options

You can either configure Teams to route through a voice channel directly to the phone network or configure Teams to connect to existing PBX.

  • Phone number

A new or existing phone number can be assigned to a Teams user or an existing PBX extension number can be assigned to a Teams user. This process is automated by your telephony provider.

MachCloud helps companies in setting up their business telephony like no other

MachCloud is an all-in-one business telephony system provider that assists companies and organizations ranging from SMEs to enterprise level, in providing business phone systems. The services include Cloud PBX (Hosted PBX), SIP Trunking and Microsoft Teams Direct Routing. With its Teams-oriented unique solutions like Teams Calling Plans and Teams Extension, MachCloud stands out from other providers in the market. 

Get started with MachCloud to get details on Teams Direct Routing setup and enjoy state of the art business telephony service and cloud business communication.

Get improved Microsoft Teams Calls experience by clearing your cache first

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Microsoft Teams calls are heavily being used to carry out business and academics related communication all over the world. Like other systems, Microsoft Teams application also stored cache for better performance. However, having a sizable cache can greatly hamper performance instead of speeding things up. Thus, Clearing Cache is an important task which, by default, Microsoft Teams hasn’t introduced in its current interface. Today, we’ll walk you through the process of Clearing Cache in Microsoft Teams for better usability and user experience.

How to Clear Cache in Microsoft Teams?

Although, the feature is requested, till the time Teams include that in their application, we present a workaround for that. You can clear the cache and speed up Teams performance by following the below-mentioned steps in Windows 10.

  • Step 1: Quit Microsoft Teams

To clear the cache, you have to Quit Teams. You can’t perform the steps while being in a call while using Teams. To Quit Teams, Right Click on Teams Icon and click Quit.

  • Step 2: Navigate to the Directory

Now open a File Explorer and paste the following:

 %appdata%\Microsoft\Teams

This will take you to the exact Teams Cache location and you don’t have to navigate a lot of folders and places to reach there.

  • Step 3: Remove contents

Make sure you delete all the files residing in the Folder (where you have just navigated to). Make sure all the hidden files are deleted as well. (You can show hidden files under Folder settings)

  • Step 4: Restart Teams

Deleting the contents of the Folder won’t delete Teams from your system. Once you restart, you’ll have to provide Teams settings again but you will greatly experience an improvement in the Teams performance.

MachCloud – The robust platform with answers to all your communication problems

MachCloud is a leading cloud communication service provider in the market. The platform provides Microsoft Teams related solutions like MachCloud Solution for Microsoft Teams which enable organizations to setup calling in Teams Solutions and Teams Direct Routing. A whole range of Teams calling plans are there to facilitate any kind of business. The flexibility and scalability provided by MachCloud make it a favorite cloud-based Teams provider amongst businesses.

DID YOU FIND THIS INTERESTING? WHY NOT READ: “HOW MACHCLOUD SOLUTION FOR MICROSOFT TEAMS FACILITATES BUSINESSES WITH TEAMS DIRECT ROUTING“? 

The killer feature of Microsoft Teams for Business

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Microsoft Teams Meeting Feature

It’s a whole lot of Microsoft Teams features that have made it popular amongst businesses in the past couple of years. Especially, during the pandemic, there has been a drastic rise in the number of users opting for online collaborative tools to keep the flow of work intact.

Microsoft Teams Meeting Features prove fruitful in the Digital Workspace

If there’s one thing Microsoft has focused on Teams, its collaboration. Microsoft Teams collaboration tools are very effective tools for communication while working remotely. Microsoft Teams Meetings Features also provide a rich experience of holding online meetings. Teams are a hub for teamwork and have been carefully engineered with the needs of project teams in mind.

Related: Digital Office: The future workplace is already here

Teams can serve as a full-fledged business phone system

Teams provide business connectivity with a full-fledge and robust cloud-based PBX system, even with your current system. The setup has been streamlined and Microsoft Teams can be used exactly the way a normal business phone works. It is equipped with features like integrated dial pad, call forwarding and simultaneous ringing, call holding and retrieving, call history, call answering and initiating (by name and number, voicemail, and most importantly emergency calling. All of these Microsoft Teams features can be utilized via any Teams supported device like work laptop or tablet or even your personal smartphone.

How to setup telephony in Teams for your business?

To be able to utilize Microsoft Teams features, you need to have Office 365 up and running at your end. To make, receive and transfer calls, there are two options in Teams:

  • Phone System and Calling Plans:

In this approach, Microsoft provides phone numbers to the company users of Teams along with the PSTN service. This option however is not available in most European countries.

  • Use Direct Routing:

In Direct Routing, companies can use their existing PBX and PSTN connection including Calling Plans for Teams Telephony.

Related: How MachCloud Solution for Microsoft Teams facilitates businesses with Teams Direct Routing

MachCloud – The all-in-one business telephony provider

MachCloud provides as a Telecom Operator a complete and robust telephony platform for digital business communications. The modern-day communication portal provides businesses with all the modern tools needed for a collaborative environment within the company amongst employees and customers. Equipped with top-notch infrastructure, MachCloud has got solutions for businesses like MachCloud® and others such as MachCloud Solution for Microsoft Teams® to provide Teams related features including Calling in Teams, Direct Routing, etc.

Equip your business with MachCloud today for effective business communication and get on board with a state-of-the-art business communication platform.

7 Facts Microsoft doesn’t want you to know about Calling in Teams

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When you want to make calls to phone numbers from Teams, you need a Provider that connects Teams to the Telephony network. In various countries, Microsoft offers Calling Plans as an add-on to your user license. The alternative is using Microsoft Direct Routing to connect Teams to the Telephony network.

These 7 Facts tell you why you shouldn’t use Microsoft Calling Plans for calling in Teams

teams telephony comparison

MachCloud – the all-in-one communication platform for business

MachCloud is a born-in-the-cloud certified European Telephony Operator and Network provider with solutions like Calling in Teams, Cloud PBX, Direct Routing in Teams, and many others. The pricing and plans of MachCloud are easy on the company budget. MachCloud offers crystal clear voice and high availability of services to companies. 

Get on board with MachCloud to make use of top-notch infrastructure and take your company’s business communication to the next level.

How to set up Telephony in Microsoft Teams?

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To set up business telephony in Microsoft Teams, the first thing you need to determine is whether the Microsoft service is available in your country. Select your country from Country and Region availability for Audio Conferencing and Calling Plans and find out if your country is on the list.

Microsoft 365 license agreement is needed in setting up Telephony in Microsoft Teams

 You need to get hold of the correct agreements and licenses. A Microsoft 365 license agreement is needed which is up-to-date and compatible with telephony and cloud PBX (E1, E3, or E5). After that, you need to assign a phone system and Calling Plans licenses to users in the organization. Get new numbers or port existing numbers from current service providers to Office 365. Then you need to Setup the calling plan, Audio conferencing, Cloud call queue, and Call auto-attendant based on your organizational needs.

A lot of manual work, which can be automated and supported by a Teams specialized Providers like MachCloud with its self-service portal.

DID YOU FIND THIS INTERESTING? WHY NOT READ: “Planning for Skype to Teams Migration? Here’s the guide“? 

Have more questions? Speak to one of our Teams Direct Routing experts today to learn more about setting up Telephony in Microsoft Teams.

An insight to employee experience with Microsoft Teams and MachCloud

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Teams direct routing

Microsoft Teams Direct Routing has transformed how employees carry out their daily work communicating and has given a new meaning to collaborative workplace. Microsoft Teams is a single app that is a hub for teamwork in the modern business space. Teams have redefined productivity and collaboration.

There is a rule of thumb: The Better communication channels and collaboration opportunities you give to your employees, the better position they will be in to perform and increase their productivity. Employees not only interact with each other, but also interact with apps to measure work progress and get key insights towards their tasks.

Increased collaboration with Teams Direct Routing

Microsoft has provided a great way to seamlessly work between communication solution, like Teams, and productivity software like other Office 365 tools. In this way, the employees can seamlessly switch between apps they are working on and collaboration tools.

With Direct Routing, it is a new ball game. Employees can conduct calls to their colleagues situated at different geographical locations. In this way, they can leverage the benefits of a cloud-based communication platform in a cost-effective manner.

Teams Direct Routing and Teams online provide the employees to work from anywhere. In this way, they get the freedom of being away from office, yet being at work at the same time. Teams Direct Routing Calling Plans are all what you need for a modern-day collaborative workplace implementation. You can add PSTN through Microsoft Teams to your Existing Cloud Voice PBX. This provides interoperability between third-party providers (like your PBX) and Teams.

ALSO READ Microsoft Teams Direct Routing: Where to start?

Microsoft Teams Direct Routing with MachCloud

MachCloud Direct Routing for Teams augments Microsoft Teams Direct Routing with added feature set. With MachCloud, you do not need on-premise equipment for the cloud voice operations. This reduces costs and increases speed while you provide support to your customers and partners. Providing a secured environment, Microsoft Teams Direct Routing is all what you need to make best use of Teams online solution for business.

Get MachCloud and discover how increases employee collaboration can improve overall business productivity.

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Microsoft Teams Direct Routing: Where to start?

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With the corporate voice solutions with Microsoft Teams Direct Routing, Microsoft has empowered its customers with adaptable and scalable enterprise voice solutions. With this, companies can combine the teams direct routingcommunication solution of their preference and take the benefits of the solution they prefer with the services offered by Microsoft Teams. Here are a few things you need to know before you bring up Microsoft Teams Calling solutions to your company.

There are two types of Models to get started with Microsoft Direct Routing experience:

  • The enterprise Model
  • The Carrier Hosting Model

The Enterprise Model

Companies having existing on-premises hardware for their current phone systems must opt for the Enterprise model to set up Teams Calling solution.  The Session broadcast controller is connected to an Office 365 tenant. You’ll need an Office 365 enterprise subscription (through E1, E3 or E5), a Microsoft Audio Conferencing license (required to enable external participants to schedule Teams meetings) and a phone system license. Users with additional license for the Microsoft Teams Calling Plan are also supported by Teams Direct Routing solution.

The infrastructure requirements include: a qualified Session broadcast Controller, established connection with the SCB Microsoft Teams SIP proxy (you must have SIP signaling port, fully qualified domain name (FQDN), certificate for the SBC, public IP address for the SBC and public DNS entry for the SBC). In addition to this, a solid connection between SIP trunk or legacy PRI to the SBC.

The Carrier Hosting Model

The Carrier Hosting Model is most appropriate when there is no existing phone system in your organization. You have the authority to choose the Direct Routing SBC provider and a carrier’s SBC would be paired with Office 365 domain and then further tied to multiple Office 365 tenants via subdomains. Every customer is provided a unique SBC FQDN. Further, a wildcard certificate covering the carrier base domain is needed and organizations would have to setup configuration once per tenant.

For the licensing and infrastructure requirements, companies would need a third party carrier’s subscription and check out what are your billing options like pay-as-you-go, toll-free, flat rate, or an option bundled with other subscriptions. In addition to that, you would need Records for SBCs in your DNS zone.

ALSO READ Boost your Business Productivity with Teams Direct Routing Solutions

MachCloud – Teams Direct Routing Solutions

With MachCloud, you can get a true Enterprise Calling experience for Microsoft Teams Direct Routing. It offers pocket-friendly Teams Calling Plans which nurture collaboration at your end. MachCloud is equipped with state-of-the-art digital communication solutions where the service is always Available. Migrations are easy and low cost, pricing models are attractive for both Partners and Customers and options to set your own margins for profitable business.

Get started with MachCloud today for a productive direct routing for Teams calling experience and you’d be surprised on the lucrative benefits it provides to your business.

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