Teams Phone is a Strategic, Enterprise-Grade Communications Platform
Authored by: Joe Hamblin, Chief Digital Officer – Altigen Technologies
Executive Overview
Microsoft Teams has redefined the modern digital workplace. Embedded within Microsoft 365 and used by more than 300 million monthly active users, Teams has rapidly become the world’s leading unified communications and collaboration platform, with a market share of nearly 45%. For these companies, Teams is the internal communications hub.
Yet, while Teams is firmly entrenched at the core of enterprise communications and collaboration, many companies have yet to fully unlock its potential as a complete enterprise unified communications platform.
Forward-thinking organizations that have embraced Teams Phone are realizing substantial benefits:
- Increased employee productivity through seamless communication inside and outside the organization
- Significant cost savings by consolidating disparate phone systems onto a single Microsoft-powered platform
- Streamlined IT operations with unified management and simplified deployment
- Enhanced security and compliance aligned with Microsoft 365’s robust enterprise-grade standards
- And now, integrated AI capabilities that further elevate the user experience and drive smarter interactions
Given the substantial benefits and cost savings delivered by Teams Phone begs the question, “Why doesn’t every Microsoft 365 customer deploy Teams Phone?
In this white paper we’ll discuss just that, as well as:
- What is the current Microsoft Teams landscape in North America?
- What challenges are preventing greater adoption of Teams Phone?
- Why Altigen Technologies is uniquely positioned to help companies unlock the full potential of Microsoft 365 with Microsoft Teams Phone.
Teams: The Microsoft 365 Unified Communications Application
In North America alone approximately 1.3 million companies use Teams for internal communications and collaboration as part of their Microsoft 365 suite. Today more than 70,000 of those organizations have replaced their PBX systems with Teams Phone (which connects Teams to the PSTN) as their enterprise communications platform. Industry analysts are forecasting that Teams adoption will grow by nearly 25% through 2030, with Teams Phone deployments growing even faster.
While the adoption is impressive, why haven’t more organizations leveraged their investment in Microsoft 365 by enabling Teams Phone as their enterprise communications platform?
Key Factors Limiting Teams Phone Deployments
To understand why a broader adoption of Teams Phone has yet to materialize, we conducted extensive research including consulting with industry analysts and engaging directly with dozens of enterprise customers.
We’ve identified five common themes:
Awareness
Most companies using Microsoft 365 and Teams have not been made aware that Teams Phone can replace the company PBX. With less than 5% of Microsoft partners having voice proficiency, most partners simply aren’t able to educate customers on the capabilities of Teams Phone.
- We offer a free, no obligation assessment service to identify the benefits of Teams Phone in your company.
Overburdened IT Staff
Most IT departments are overburdened with their current workload and have neither the time nor experience to migrate their PBX to Teams Phone. The migration can be a time-consuming project, particularly if the IT team has no prior experience migrating a PBX to Teams Phone.
- We provide an end-to-end PBX to Teams migration service – quickly and cost effectively.
Complex Microsoft Licensing
As we speak with organizations about Teams Phone, we often hear confusion about which Microsoft licenses are required. Many are unaware that by adding Teams Phone, Microsoft 365 is fully able to replace their existing phone systems. They are even more surprised to learn that Teams Phone is less expensive than virtually all 3rd party PBX platforms.
- We don’t sell Microsoft licenses, but we do advise on the appropriate licensing for Teams Phone.
Teams Functionality and Reliability
IT executives occasionally express concerns about functionality gaps, such as reporting and contact center. Some question whether Teams offers sufficient reliability. Microsoft has closed the core functionality gaps, while certified partners provide native Teams contact center solutions. Microsoft also now backs Teams Phone with a 99.999% uptime SLA, meeting the demands of even the most mission-critical environments.
- We also offer a Business Continuity solution to maintain your phone service in the event of an outage.
Current PBX Works just Fine
We usually hear this from larger organizations using a legacy PBX. What hasn’t been accounted for is the superior user experience enabled with a single Teams UI for internal and external communications. Nor has the cost savings by consolidating duplicate UC apps been considered.
- We uncover redundant systems and drive cost savings by consolidating your PBX onto Teams Phone.
Teams Phone is Enterprise Ready – and already in Microsoft 365
The reality is that with Microsoft 365 your organization already has the foundational components required for an enterprise communications system:
- Teams Phone is natively integrated into Microsoft 365 licensing plans.
- Cost effective SIP Trunking and carrier services are managed through Microsoft Certified Direct Routing and Operator Connect providers.
- Advanced call routing, voicemail, call queues, auto attendants, and survivability are all part of the core Teams Phone feature set.
- Microsoft certified handsets and headsets ensure compatibility with Teams Phone.
The Teams Phone User Experience
Many organizations that are licensed for Microsoft 365 still manage separate platforms for PBX, instant messaging, and video conferencing. By simply adding a Teams Phone license to virtually any Microsoft 365 plan, companies can eliminate these silos and deliver a truly unified communications experience.
As the only native Teams calling solution, Teams Phone provides a single, integrated user interface for all internal and external communications. This includes PSTN calling, mobile voice, and dial-in access for both voice and video conferencing. The result is a consistent, seamless user experience that enhances productivity and reduces operational overhead.
Bridging the Teams Phone Expertise Gap
Despite the growing adoption of Microsoft Teams, there remains a notable shortage of Teams Phone expertise in the market. With relatively few partners certified for Teams Phone and internal IT teams that may lack hands-on experience Teams voice deployments, many organizations are faced with the challenge of how to successfully migrate to Teams Phone.
As a result they often:
- Remain tied to legacy PBX systems, even while using Microsoft Teams for internal communications and collaboration;
- Deploy third-party VoIP solutions, often at a premium, for capabilities that already exist natively within Teams;
- Rely on IT providers who lack the specialized knowledge required for enterprise-grade communications and Teams Phone deployments.
These challenges highlight a critical need in the market: a trusted partner with deep expertise in Microsoft 365, Microsoft Teams, and enterprise communications—capable of delivering, deploying, and supporting a fully integrated Teams Phone solution.
Enter Altigen Technologies: Purpose-Built for Microsoft Teams Voice
Altigen has spent decades in voice communications. In fact, we’ve deployed PBX and UCaaS systems for more than 10,000 customers. As a Microsoft partner focused on modernizing business communications, we’ve made it our mission to:
- Simplify voice enablement for Microsoft Teams.
- Provide a comprehensive, cost-effective PBX to Teams migration service.
- Offer managed Direct Routing, Teams-certified SBCs, and integrated support.
- Provide Teams certified omni-channel contact center and call recording solutions.
- Deliver full onboarding, configuration, and support services tailored to each customer’s Microsoft 365 environment.
- Deliver predictable, transparent pricing aligned with Microsoft licensing.
Altigen is not just a technology provider—we are your partner for everything Teams Phone.
Laying the Groundwork for the Next Evolution: Customer Engagement
By helping organizations of all sizes to embrace Microsoft Teams as their voice platform we’re not just solving for enterprise communications, we’re enabling our customers for the next step in your unified communications journey – a fully integrated customer engagement solution.
Our Customer Engagement platform includes:
- AI Web Chat: Engage website visitors, answer questions 24/7, and guide users toward desired outcomes—automatically and at scale.
- CoreEngage: A complete AI-driven, omnichannel contact center, natively integrated with Microsoft Teams.
- Integrated AI Apps: AI Agent Assist, AI conversation summaries, AI Sentiment Analysis and AI Quality Assurance.
- Call Recording: Fully integrated with CoreEngage or deployed as a standalone solution.
- AI Analytics: Post engagement AI analytics and reporting to ensure you’re maximizing your customers’ experiences.
Don’t Take a Piecemeal Approach. Leverage What You Already Own.
The Microsoft Teams environment you already license is more powerful than you might think. With the right partner, it can replace your PBX, simplify communications, and set the stage for modern, AI-driven customer engagement.
Altigen is here to assist with your migration to Teams Phone, guiding your Teams journey from internal communications to a fully integrated omni-channel customer engagement platform.
Do Take Advantage of Our Free Teams Voice Assessment.
As true experts in enterprise communications in general, and Teams Phone in particular, we offer a free, no obligation assessment service to help you determine if Teams Phone is right for your organization.
To get started simply send us an email at sales@altigen.com and we’ll send you a brief survey to understand your current environment. We’ll then schedule a 30-to-60-minute call with you to review your requirements in detail. We’ll follow that up with a written report on the benefits and return on investment that Teams Phone can potentially deliver.
About the Author
Joe Hamblin is Chief Digital Officer at Altigen Technologies, where he leads the companyʼs next-generation AI product offerings. With over 30 years of experience in the technology industry, Joe previously served as Vice President of Enterprise Services at Sprint/TMobile. It was during this time that he began working in the Unified Communications space, going back to Microsoft Live Communications Server in the mid-2000s.
Partnering with Microsoft, Joe and his technical team were among the early adopters of Office Communications Server R1 & R2, as well as Lync, Skype for Business, and eventually Microsoft Teams. His unique blend of technical vision and enterprise execution gives him a forward-looking view into the future of workplace communication and collaboration.
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