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How to link telephony to Microsoft Teams?

In FAQ
June 8, 2020
1 Min Read
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The procedure to link your telephony system with Microsoft Teams is fairly simple. First, you must figure out if the Microsoft Teams Direct Routing is available in your country. You can check out from the list of countries on Microsoft Teams details from Microsoft. Once your country is there, you must get the necessary licenses from Microsoft. For PSTN calling, the users need to have Microsoft 365 licenses like Business Basic, Standard, and Premium or Enterprise licenses like E1, E3, and E5 including Business Voice or Phone System add-on. After that, you are all set to port existing numbers or purchase new numbers from your current PSTN Network provider and hook these up directly to Teams users together with a calling plan. Alternatively, you can connect Teams to your existing cloud PBX, leaving all your current telephony infrastructure, numbers, and PSTN Network provider as it is.

DID YOU FIND THIS INTERESTING? WHY NOT READ: “How MachCloud Solution for Microsoft Teams facilitates businesses with Teams Direct Routing“? 

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

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How to configure Teams Direct Routing?

In FAQ
June 5, 2020
1 Min Read
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The configuration process for Direct Routing is pretty tedious. Your PSTN Service – or Network Provider needs to connect with the Phone System within your Microsoft Tenant. You then enable users with the option of Calling in Teams. This requires assigning users with a phone system license. Configure their phone number and enable voicemail and voice. After that Voice routing must be configured which includes a Voice routing policy, Voice routes number patterns, and an online PSTN gateway and Voice routing with one PSTN usage. Lastly, you have to Apply the Number Translation Rules Policy to translate inbound and outbound numbers. A lot of manual work, which can be fully automated by a Teams specialized PSTN Network Provider like MachCloud.

DID YOU FIND THIS INTERESTING? WHY NOT READ: “Securing your SBC Microsoft Teams Direct Routing effectively“? 

Have more questions? Speak to one of our Teams Direct Routing experts today to learn more about configuring Direct Routing with Teams.

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What is Teams Direct Routing?

In FAQ
June 5, 2020
1 Min Read
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In modern digital communication, Direct Routing is a process that routes Microsoft Teams to a traditional phone network i.e. PSTN. With Microsoft Teams Direct Routing, you get to connect Microsoft Teams with telephony Network Providers of your choice. This results in cheaper call rates for both local and international calls, better support, and more flexibility.

Direct Routing setup

A Direct Routing setup lets you configure your existing PSTN connectivity with Microsoft Teams client. The process requires connectivity to local PSTN Service – or Network Provider, O365 organization and related domains to carry out the desired cloud-based communication, organization-wide and globally.

DID YOU FIND THIS INTERESTING? WHY NOT READ: “Microsoft Teams Direct Routing: Where to start“? 

Have more questions? Speak to one of our Teams Direct Routing experts today to learn more. 

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How MachCloud facilitates businesses with Teams Direct Routing

In Business Communication, Cloud PBX, Digital Communications, Microsoft Teams, Unified Communications
June 3, 2020
3 Min Read
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According to statistics, Microsoft Teams, especially Teams Direct Routing, is being deployed in the business domain at a record-breaking pace. The heavy adoption of Teams also owes to the fact that Microsoft has announced End of Life for Skype for Business, which ultimately diverts the consumers to the Microsoft Phone system: Microsoft Teams.

MachCloud Solution for Microsoft Teams Solution fosters Teams Collaboration

Various Microsoft telephony services are efficient; provide faster Dialing, maintain call logs, and everything that a modern business needs out of a top-notch Telephony service. MachCloud offers solutions for Microsoft Teams powered communication service to its existing set of services: Direct Routing for Microsoft Teams Calling. This is offered in association with Office 365 Integration with which businesses are empowered since it eliminates the need for extra infrastructure and thus brings more bangs for the bucks for companies in these struggling economies.

Top 5 Benefits of Teams Direct Routing with MachCloud

Give a new meaning to collaboration

MachCloud Solution for Microsoft Teams brings cloud communication solutions like Cloud PBX, Microsoft Teams together for your business, and get on board with Teams Direct Routing for a smooth and best price Calling in Teams experience with MachCloud Solution for Microsoft Teams solution that gives a new meaning to business collaboration.

  1. Low-Cost Solution

MachCloud Solution for Microsoft Teams solution doesn’t require an additional Hosted Setup and can work with a business’s existing PBX. Every direct routing calling plan enables the consumers to fully automate network onboarding & tenant provisioning, thus utilizing Teams Voice Calling Plan that stays light on the company budget.

  1. Secured communication

The end-to-end call encryption feature of Teams assures every Microsoft phone system call via Teams to be secure and protected from eavesdropping and other threats.

  1. Excellent service delivery

MachCloud offers a fully automated provisioning portal and Microsoft phone system for Teams which offers inbound and outbound calls with excellent quality and crystal-clear voice. 

  1. The Hybrid approaches

With MachCloud Solution for Microsoft Teams, you can either opt for Microsoft Teams with an existing (cloud)PBX or Microsoft Teams with our Direct Routing service. You can choose to depend upon your business nature.

ALSO READ: Unleash the power of Microsoft Teams with an existing PBX Telephone System

MachCloud – the all-in-one unified communications solution for business

MachCloud, with its solution for Teams, offers a fully automated provisioning portal for Teams Direct Routing which offers chat, calls, video conferencing, and File sharing. In addition to this, other collaboration tools with excellent quality and crystal-clear voice eliminating the need for an additional Hosted Setup and can work with a business’s existing PBX are also offered. Equipped with features like geo-redundancy, 24-hour support, call analytics, and unlimited inbound calling, the Direct Routing for Microsoft Teams Calling solution opens doors for resellers and sales partners to offer Teams Voice service and Direct Routing service in a secure, simple and smooth manner.

Go for MachCloud and utilize the benefits of Microsoft Teams for your progressive business.

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Microsoft for healthcare features empowers healthcare providers via Teams

In Microsoft 365, Microsoft Teams
May 18, 2020
3 Min Read
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Microsoft for healthcare has gained popularity ever since the coronavirus pandemic has taken the rise. Microsoft Teams has benefitted business, academic industry, and other domains while organizations had to impose a work from home policy. On top of that, Microsoft Teams health has benefitted the healthcare industry with its novel solutions for collaborating amongst the healthcare providers.

New capabilities in Microsoft 365 empower healthcare professionals

As the number of confirmed cases increase in the coronavirus dashboard, experts from Microsoft sensed a few needs for better healthcare collaboration amongst the providers and thus has rolled in new capabilities to empower healthcare organizations amidst COVID-19 pandemic with Microsoft Teams health care solutions. Features like very urgent messaging, visit scheduling, contacting the on-shift clinician and other new features are part of Microsoft for healthcare and directly address core challenges that the healthcare providers are facing these days with messaging and health systems.

Empowering the frontline workers and the healthcare sector

To stay informed about the availability of beds and supplies that are running out like masks or ventilators, the experts at Microsoft has created a Healthcare Emergency Response Resource Tracking system. The Microsoft Teams health Emergency Resource Tracking Solution can now be used to manage emergency responses and frontline workers can collect the information via their devices especially with coronavirus dashboard. Then the healthcare leads can take quick decisions in real-time on where to divert the upcoming patients due to scare resources.

The messaging features allow care teams to securely coordinate patient care

Microsoft Teams health solutions include new messaging features including the following capabilities:

  • Secure communication: Teams is end-to-end encrypted and deploys the latest methods of security
  • Priority notifications: This alerts the recipient unless a response is received. The messages are sent every two minutes up to 20 minutes.
  • Message delegation: This allows receipt to delegate messages to another contact, while the original recipient is busy in surgery or unavailable.

Also read: Tips to keep communication services up during covid-19

Enhancements added to healthcare data interoperability

With the growing needs of data handling and digitizing patient data, one of the top priories is the interoperability of data. Microsoft this introduced emerging standards like FHIR in Microsoft for healthcare, to cater for this challenge. Microsoft Team’s health solutions include providing a hub to access digital health records of patients.

MachCloud – The all-in-one platform for collaboration according to modem day collab needs

MachCloud is a robust communication services provisioning platform that empowers businesses with all the tools needed for a modern-day collaboration experience. MachCloud offers MachCloud Solution for Microsoft Teams®, the Microsoft Teams oriented Calling solution with additional solutions like MachCloud, Calling in Teams, and Direct Routing via Microsoft Teams. With a variety of pricing and plans, MachCloud has got one for every type of business.

Head to MachCloud to experience modern-day collaboration with the latest tools and security.

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Session Border Controller (SBC) Security Threats for Microsoft Teams Direct Routing

In Direct Routing, Microsoft Teams, PSTN
April 20, 2020
2 Min Read
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Teams Direct Routing

Redundancy

A SBC forms a Single Point of Failure (SPOF). Unless a redundant SBC is deployed it will lead to reduced availability.

Multi-Tenancy

A SBC is designed to provide functions for a single tenant (company). Even if the SBC is virtualized, every SBC instance has its own customer data that needs to be managed with every modification.

Controlled Media Path

The connection via the SBC increases the transmission path and delay. If a SBC is hosted in a public cloud, there is no quality guarantee of media traffic.

Full Control and Management

A SBC is a separate network element that has its own management environment. Automation of real-time orders can therefore be a real challenge.

Security

There are security threats especially when a SBC is managed by a third party.

Delay in Handling Porting Orders

In the Netherlands, number porting is carried out real-time and on-demand within 15 minutes. If a number porting order is implemented for the retention of a telephone number, 3 domains must be managed separately. The number porting will have to be done manually in different domains, such as the SBC. This leads to increased downtime for a customer.

Coherent Telecom Settings

Country specific telecom settings, such as filtering, CLIP / CLIR, number normalization, over-usage management and forwards are influenced by the SBC, which may result in deviations in the telecom functions between Microsoft platform and legacy telecom domains.

Customer Self Service

Migration to Microsoft Teams requires frequent adjustments to settings, numbers and reports. Because the control of the SBC cannot be fully automated, it will be a real challenge to offer customers self-service.

Third Party Equipment

Because the SBC is a third-party network element, additional tests and maintenance will have to be scheduled for adjustments and upgrades.

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Microsoft Teams Security Facilitates Business Domain

In Business Communication
April 20, 2020
3 Min Read
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Microsoft Teams Security

Microsoft Teams security continues to remain on top of all others during this pandemic crisis. Video conferencing for official purpose is not new in the business domain. However, with the rise of COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a great increase in remote workers around the world, since businesses have opted for virtual offices to practice social distancing. The modern digital collaboration tools have, thus, become the focus of business and academic industry.

Amidst this pandemic and health crises in the world, there has been seen a record rise in daily traffic. One service reported a 535% increase in online traffic. However, with the irises in digital collaboration, privacy and cyber security remain one of the top issues companies have to face in these pandemic crises. Some services have, unfortunately, fallen prey to the increased intensity of cyber crimes and thus lost many clients’ trust. However, Microsoft Teams Security continues to win Microsoft Teams customers’ hearts.

Microsoft Teams security provides top-notch security features to its customers

In the wake of this pandemic, Microsoft Teams has emerged as popular tools where academic and business industry has greatly benefited from it. It has facilitated companies with top-notch collaboration tools like video conferencing, call conferencing, chats, calls and simple messaging. Microsoft Teams is the state-of-the-art digital communication platform that has satisfied customers with all the privacy and security concerns.

Two-factor authentication – 2FA makes Microsoft Teams security reliable

Microsoft offers end-to-end encryption in their own domain (not in telephony domain outside Direct Routing) as main feature of Microsoft Teams security to all of its video conferences and calls. In this way, the customers can easily communicate without any intrusion or eavesdropping within the call or video conference. Microsoft Teams provides a rich set of privacy rules that the platform adheres to. All the data shared within the conference is protected with latest encryption mechanism.

Microsoft further enhances Teams security by enabling two factor authentications that makes Teams reliable and secure from outside threats. In this way, all the business conversation and information sharing remain private between employees. Privacy and security are the focused factors in Teams.

Data is encrypted while at rest and in transit making data sharing secure and reliable. Teams even makes use of AI via chat boxes during meetings to combat any cyber bullying and other harassment behaviors.

ALSO READ: Unleash the power of Microsoft Teams with an existing PBX telephone system

MachCloud – The robust platform for Calling in Teams Solutions

MachCloud is an all-in-one digital communication platform that is equipped with all the modern collaboration tools of today. It offers Calling in Teams solution. Its product, MachCloud Solution for Microsoft Teams®, provides simple and reliable solutions for cloud communication for Microsoft Teams. MachCloud Solution for Microsoft Teams® is a fully automated service for end-to-end encrypted calling in Microsoft Teams through Direct Routing.

Head to MachCloud to unleash the power of Microsoft Teams with a modern approach.

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Planning for Skype to Teams migration? Here’s the guide

In Business Communication
April 9, 2020
3 Min Read
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Many companies are still waiting for the deadline defines for Skype to Teams migration to approach. While it may feel tempting to wait till the end and act promptly, while the announcement is about to be made that Microsoft Teams replaces Skype for Business, it is never a good idea from business strategic management perspective. If you still haven’t performed the Skype to Teams migration, here are 5 major tips to ease your process of Skype to Teams Migration:

  1. Go for Automated Up gradation

Organizations that are small and not equipped with hybrid or on-premises setup are favored by Microsoft. Microsoft offers those organizations automated up gradations for Office 365 tenant. This is particularly fruitful since SMEs don’t necessarily have a lot of IT experts on board.

  1. Focus on the Team

In order to perform Skype to Teams migration, the rollout Team at your end would have to be extended beyond just IT personnel and include stakeholders and executive sponsor that keep track of the training and rollout milestones.

  1. There are built-in upgrade options

The fact is: “Microsoft Teams comes with built-in upgrade options and interoperability”. This is for every business whether utilizing Skype for Business Server on-premises, Skype for Business Online, a hybrid configuration, or even companies having an enterprise voice plan.

  1. Choose an upgrade path

There are two modes for up gradation: Islands mode, Skype for Business with Teams Collab” mode and Teams only mode.

  • Islands mode: In this mode, you get the option of overlapping capabilities while you phase in the new features and eventually phase out Skype for Business features that your users and clients are so used to working with.
  • Skype for Business with Teams Collab mode: This is called the “meeting first approach” in which you are free to select the chosen capabilities.
  • Teams only mode: In this mode, all your calls are managed via Teams. In addition to this, your PSTN is configured well with Direct Routing.

  1. Discover your mode

Out of the many modes Microsoft Provides, there is an option to mix and match.

Either you can set a mode organization-wide or set it for specific users. This can be set in the Teams Admin Center. In this way, you can work with overlapping capabilities for a subset of users within the organization, while employing Teams only for the rest of the organization. So make the move before Microsoft Teams replaces Skype for business.

ALSO READ: Unleash the power of Microsoft Teams with an existing PBX Telephone System

MachCloud – the one-stop cloud communication platform for your business

MachCloud is an all-in-one digital communication platform that has the potential to take your business communication to the next level. With Microsoft Teams Direct Routing, MachCloud offers easy Calling via Teams with your existing PBX without the need of a SCB. With MachCloud, you can get pocket friendly calling plans that are suitable for every business. Solutions like MachCloud Solution for Microsoft Teams and MachCloud make MachCloud a favorite Cloud communications provider in the industry.

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Unleash the power of Microsoft Teams with an existing PBX telephone system

In Microsoft Teams
March 9, 2020
4 Min Read
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Microsoft Teams is the next generation of collaboration tools for the modern workplace. When migrating to Microsoft Teams you do not want to sacrifice important PBX features. Until MachCloud Solution for Microsoft Teams, integrated support in Microsoft Teams for an existing PBX was not available such as retaining your existing phone number and dial by extension.

Introducing MachCloud Solution for Microsoft Teams, a fully automated service for calling in Microsoft Teams, while maintaining your existing PBX. MachCloud Solution for Microsoft Teams works in minutes without PBX migration or phone number porting.

MachCloud Solution for Microsoft Teams benefits

You should consider all Microsoft Teams limitations before migrating. There is no coexistence between Microsoft Teams and third party PBX. The only option you have is to fully migrate and accepting all limitations, or simply continue to use two separated platforms. The biggest advantage of MachCloud Solution for Microsoft Teams is that you can maintain your existing PBX and don’t have to compromise on functionality. You can continue to use your existing number plan with dial by extension. MachCloud Solution for Microsoft Teams also integrated fixed and mobile devices, allowing the caller to dial out using the company main phone number directly from the Microsoft Teams smartphone app. Another great feature is that when a Microsoft Teams user is unavailable the call can be forwarded to any group, extension or to the receptionist.

How does it work?

Microsoft Teams user is linked to an existing PBX extension for example 201. The username, password, and extension (201) of the user is entered in the self-service web portal. MachCloud’s geo-redundant platform ensures that the fixed device at the workplace is replaced by the Microsoft Teams user smartphone.

Teams Voice PBX Integrations - MachCloud

It is not required to migrate all PBX users simultaneously to Microsoft Teams. Users who are not ready simply continue to use the PBX system as before. Important to know is that MachCloud Solution for Microsoft Teams does not make any changes to the PBX configuration, SIP trunk or external telephone numbers.

Call function comparison of Microsoft Teams and MachCloud Solution for Microsoft Teams?

Microsoft Teams built-in PBX functions are limited and by far the most important reason why companies do not consider migrating. A short comparison:

Features and options

Microsoft Teams

MachCloud Solution for Microsoft Teams

Advanced PBX functions such as multi-level hunt groups

Not available

Available

Easy sign-in sign-out for hunt groups  

Not available

Available

Use of a single telephone number block

Not available

Available

Back-up routing, in case Microsoft Teams users are unavailable

Not available

Available

Easy migration without number porting or replacing SIP trunks

Not available

Available

Keep existing call routing plan and extensions in place

Not available

Available

Flexible number presentation when making calls

Not available

Available

What licenses are required?

To start using MachCloud Solution for Microsoft Teams the following Microsoft licenses are required:

Direct Routing connection

 MachCloud Direct Routing Connector, you can choose any Microsoft license:

For instance: Microsoft Office 365 E1, Microsoft Business Basic, etc.

Microsoft Teams User

MachCloud User license for Microsoft Teams. You can choose out of these Microsoft licenses:

  • Office 365 E1  + Phone System
  • Office 365 E3  + Phone System
  • Office 365 E5  (Phone System included)
  • Microsoft 365 Business Basic + Business Voice (without calling plan)
  • Microsoft 365 Business Standard + Business Voice (without calling plan)
  • Microsoft 365 Business Premium + Business Voice (without calling plan)
  • Microsoft 365 Enterprise E3 + Business Voice (without calling plan)
  • Microsoft 365 Enterprise E5  (Business Voice included)

What does it cost?

  • MachCloud Solution for Microsoft Teams licensing cost is calculated per user per month. Contact your service provider or MachCloud for more information and pricing.
  • Direct Routing between Microsoft tenant and MachCloud requires one Microsoft user license (take any license you want) and one MachCloud Direct Routing Connector license.
  • The connection between Microsoft Teams User and MachCloud Telephony network requires one MachCloud User license for Microsoft Teams.
  • Microsoft requires each Teams user to have a Phone System addon (Office 365) license or Business Voice addon (Microsoft 365) license.
  • MachCloud partner will be responsible for charging the end-user (customer). A detailed report of existing accounts will be available in the self-service web portal.
  • The existing calling plan and PBX remain unchanged. MachCloud calling plan or cloud PBX is optional and not included.
  • Prices do not include sales tax (vat) where applicable.

What are the prerequisites?

  • Extension numbers can be 2, 3, 4 or 5 digits long, with the exception of 100-199.
  • The Microsoft Teams user can only make and receive calls. All other functions are provided by the existing PBX system.
  • After successfully registering and purchasing MachCloud Solution for Microsoft Teams licenses you will have access to the self-service web portal for configuring Microsoft Teams call settings.
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Secure calling with Microsoft Teams. Prevent security risks in telephone conversations

In Digital Communications
February 7, 2020
2 Min Read
S

Microsoft Direct Routing is a gateway that connect Microsoft Teams with the Telephony network.  Every Direct Routing connection is intended for a single company (single-tenant) and is connected to a Session Border Controller (SBC) via an encryption connection. Nowadays SBC are often offered as a virtual server in a public Cloud service or data center. This set-up carries a security risk.

When an SBC is connected to the telephone network, an unencrypted SIP trunk via the internet is often used. Voice packets are sent over the internet without encryption. In addition, the infrastructure and / or SBC is managed by third parties that can store conversation data. Certainly, if public Cloud Services are used, it is not possible to determine who can access the data and who can access calls.

Teams direct routing with MachCloud

The MachCloud VoIP platform has extended the encryption of speech via Direct Routing to the VoIP platform itself. This prevents speech packets from being sent over the internet without encryption. With this solution it is also not necessary to use an SBC.

In addition, an existing telephone exchange will often be used in addition to the telephone service from Microsoft Teams. The CloudPBX from MachCloud has the ability to control encryption up to the SIP phone. It is also possible to only transport voice over a private network instead of the Internet. Only with these measures is it possible to minimize risks of voice traffic security breach.

MachCloud is the specialist for business corporate communication systems where a (Cloud) PBX is integrated with Microsoft Teams. Do you need advice? Then contact us via www.machcloud.com.

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