As more companies embrace remote or hybrid work and cloud computing, employees increasingly use smartphones for their jobs. Phones have long played a crucial role in the communication aspect of work, but companies almost always relied on computers and tablets for video conferencing. Now, 80 million users around the world use Microsoft Teams Phone instead. Should you join them? Consider the following benefits for your workers.
1. Collaboration
Whether people work together in the same space, in the same town, or in various countries worldwide, collaboration is crucial. This is especially important for multi-disciplinary projects. Microsoft Teams Phone makes teamwork easy by providing a wide range of collaboration tools that your employees can use across devices.
2. Flexibility and Accessibility
Depending on the type of tasks employees perform, they might not always need to bring a laptop or tablet with them. However, you might still need to contact them for collaboration or advice. Knowing they can connect easily via phone increases flexibility and accessibility for your company. It also improves the ability to respond promptly to urgent matters.
3. Microsoft Teams Phone Hands-Off Features
Most busy managers have had to conduct a meeting while driving between locations. The last thing you want to do in these instances is to try to handle the phone. Microsoft Teams Phone now features compatibility with Apple CarPlay. This makes it easy for workers to use the built-in controls in their vehicles to join meetings during their commutes safely.
4. Call Record and Transcription
One hands-off feature that deserves separate recognition is the capability to record and transcribe one-on-one calls. Microsoft estimates that users worldwide will have this feature available on their phones by the end of 2021. It significantly reduces the need for paper and pen while also providing accountability for verbal agreements.
5. Productivity
Zoom and several other meetings platforms offer fantastic opportunities for people to collaborate effectively. However, constantly switching between apps and maintaining additional subscriptions adds up in time and money. Forbes estimates that this costs companies 32 days of wasted work hours each year. Consequently, sticking to apps within the Microsoft ecosystem you already use encourages efficiency and productivity.
6. Microsoft Cohesiveness
Over the past few months, Microsoft heavily marketed the transferability of the Cloud PC. Employees could leave the office, return home and pick up where they left off before. Microsoft Teams now offers a similar ability to move across devices with ease. Your workers only need to open the Microsoft Teams app on the next device and transfer the call there to continue.
7. Spam Protection
Over the past few years, spam calls have hit record highs. If you own a business where every phone call matters, you need to pick up the phone whenever it rings. Microsoft Teams Phone now includes a feature that helps you better identify spam, so you can ignore the call and continue working on value-adding activities. It also frees the lines for customers and partners to call in.
8. Microsoft Teams Phone Calling Plans
Did you know you could route your calls through Microsoft’s network? Its calling plans provide a simple way for companies to reach each other across the country and worldwide. It now serves 33 countries around the globe. Some of the most recent additions include Croatia, Estonia and Slovenia.
9. Walkie-Talkie Feature
Years ago, mobile phone companies tested the possibility of phones that functioned like walkie-talkies. Microsoft brought this feature back in the fall of 2021 for business use. Instead of placing phone calls, workers can simply push to talk. This allows colleagues to connect with each other immediately. While not compatible with all office designs, it stands to benefit a broad group of employees that value and can facilitate immediacy.
10. Cloud Call Management
You can also use Teams phones to manage call queues. Use it to set up greetings, determine phone trees, create parameters for routing calls, set up transfers and even choose hold music. Workers can also use call forward to route calls out of the office and mobile phones, which works well for hybrid and remote workers. Employees can even share lines or calls for better call management.
Microsoft Teams Phone requires an Office 365 subscription. This, in turn, requires that a company move to the cloud. The process might seem daunting, but working with experienced migration vendors can make all the difference. At Sagewood Technical Services, our professionals work hard to ensure you have an incident-free migration
With unmatched next-generation migration technology, Sagewood Technical Services is revolutionizing the way businesses retire legacy systems and transform their organization into the cloud. Our business constantly remains focused on client needs and creating product offerings that match them. We provide affordable services that are scalable, fast, and seamless.