
Why Your Business Should Move to Microsoft Teams Telephony
Jan 8
4 min read
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Why Your Business Should Move to Microsoft Teams Telephony
In the fast-paced, technology-driven world we live in, seamless communication has never been more important. Businesses need tools that enhance collaboration, streamline workflows, and simplify processes—without adding unnecessary complexity. Microsoft Teams Telephony checks all these boxes and more. By integrating telephony capabilities into the Microsoft Teams platform, it offers businesses a powerful, unified communication solution that’s easy to use, scalable, and cost-effective.
In this blog, we’ll explore why businesses should make the move to Teams Telephony, how it can enhance your operations, and why it’s a logical step for organisations already using Microsoft Teams.

The Evolution of Business Telephony
Traditional phone systems are becoming outdated. Legacy PBX systems are expensive to maintain, lack flexibility, and fail to meet the demands of a mobile, remote, and hybrid workforce. Meanwhile, standalone VoIP systems, though an improvement, still require separate platforms for other communication functions like video calls, messaging, and collaboration.
Enter Microsoft Teams Telephony: a modern, cloud-based telephony solution that eliminates the need for separate systems. Teams Telephony integrates calling capabilities directly into Microsoft Teams, creating a single platform for all your communication needs. With features like call forwarding, voicemail-to-email, and advanced call analytics, it’s a game-changer for businesses aiming to streamline their communications.
Key Benefits of Teams Telephony
1. A Unified Communication Platform
Microsoft Teams Telephony consolidates your business communication tools into one platform. Instead of juggling multiple apps for phone calls, video meetings, and instant messaging, your team can manage everything from within Microsoft Teams. This simplifies workflows, reduces confusion, and enhances productivity.
2. Cost Savings
Traditional phone systems can be costly, requiring physical hardware, ongoing maintenance, and upgrades. Teams Telephony eliminates the need for these expenses by operating entirely in the cloud. You pay only for what you use, and as your business grows, scaling up is as simple as adding new users.
3. Enhanced Mobility
In today’s hybrid work environment, the ability to work from anywhere is critical. Teams Telephony enables your employees to make and receive business calls from their laptops, smartphones, or tablets, ensuring they stay connected no matter where they are. With the same phone number accessible across devices, there’s no disruption to business continuity.
4. Enterprise-Grade Features
Microsoft Teams Telephony offers a suite of advanced calling features, including:
Call forwarding and delegation.
Auto-attendant and call queues.
Voicemail transcription and email integration.
Call recording and analytics.
Direct routing to connect with your preferred telephony provider. These features are designed to support businesses of all sizes, from small startups to large enterprises.
5. Built-In Security and Compliance
As a Microsoft product, Teams Telephony benefits from enterprise-grade security and compliance measures. Your calls are encrypted, and the platform adheres to global standards, ensuring your communication remains secure and compliant.
Familiarity Breeds Success
One of the most compelling reasons to adopt Teams Telephony is the familiarity factor. If your organisation already uses Microsoft Teams for meetings, chats, and collaboration, adding telephony is a natural progression.
A Dial Pad Is All That Changes
Your users are already familiar with the Teams interface—they use it daily to join video meetings, share files, and collaborate on projects. Teams Telephony doesn’t reinvent the wheel; it simply adds a dial pad to the interface they already know and trust. This means:
Minimal Training: Your employees won’t have to learn a new system, reducing the time and resources needed for training.
Higher Adoption Rates: Familiarity with the platform ensures employees are more likely to embrace the new telephony feature.
Seamless Integration: Calls, messages, and meetings all live in the same ecosystem, creating a consistent user experience.
The ease of adoption cannot be overstated. For businesses looking to upgrade their telephony solution without disrupting operations, Teams Telephony is the perfect choice.
Direct Routing: Flexibility and Customisation
Microsoft Teams Telephony offers two primary options for implementing its calling capabilities:
Microsoft Calling Plans: These are ideal for businesses looking for an all-in-one solution, as they include Microsoft’s telephony service bundled with Teams.
Direct Routing: This option allows businesses to connect Microsoft Teams with their existing telephony provider. Direct routing provides greater flexibility and is often more cost-effective for organisations with unique requirements or existing telecom agreements.
Direct routing enables businesses to:
Retain their current phone numbers and providers.
Customise the solution to meet specific needs.
Leverage advanced calling features while reducing costs.
Case Study: How Teams Telephony Transformed a Business
Consider a mid-sized law firm that adopted Teams Telephony to replace its aging PBX system. Before the switch, the firm struggled with high maintenance costs, limited remote capabilities, and fragmented communication tools. By transitioning to Teams Telephony, the firm achieved:
Cost Savings: Eliminated maintenance costs and reduced their monthly telecom bill.
Improved Collaboration: Unified communication tools enhanced collaboration between teams in different offices.
Enhanced Flexibility: Employees could make and receive business calls from any device, supporting their hybrid work model.
The transition was seamless, thanks to the familiarity of the Teams platform, and the firm reported higher employee satisfaction with the new system.
Getting Started with Teams Telephony
Transitioning to Teams Telephony is easier than you might think. Here’s how to get started:
Assess Your Needs: Evaluate your current phone system and identify pain points. Determine whether you’ll use Microsoft Calling Plans or Direct Routing.
Choose a Trusted Partner: Work with an experienced IT provider (like Initial IT Solutions) to ensure a smooth implementation.
Plan the Rollout: Develop a rollout plan that includes user training, testing, and phased deployment if necessary.
Monitor and Optimise: Once implemented, monitor usage and gather feedback to optimise the system for your business.
Conclusion
Microsoft Teams Telephony is more than just a phone system—it’s a transformative communication tool for modern businesses. By integrating telephony into the Microsoft Teams platform, you gain a unified solution that enhances collaboration, boosts productivity, and reduces costs. The familiarity of Teams ensures minimal disruption and easy adoption, making it an ideal choice for organisations already leveraging the platform.
Don’t let outdated communication systems hold your business back. Upgrade to Microsoft Teams Telephony today and experience seamless connectivity that drives success.
Ready to get started? Contact Initial IT Solutions to discover how we can help your business transition effortlessly to Teams Telephony.