Many of you will have been using Microsoft Teams and enjoying the benefits it brings to collaborating with colleagues and keeping you up to date on projects, particularly whilst working remotely.

You can now expand the capabilities of Microsoft Teams with Teams Telephony. This brings the features of a normal phone to Microsoft Teams, allowing you to make and receive telephone calls from your University telephone number, wherever you are working.

Teams Telephony within the University

  • Since introducing Teams Telephony in March 2020, there are now over 900 people successfully using it across the University

  • Many areas of the University have been enjoying the flexibility of Teams Telephony and it has allowed many departments to continue offering key services to staff and students throughout the Covid19 pandemic

  • The University Clearing process in August 2020 was conducted exclusively using Teams Telephony

How Microsoft Teams Telephony works

Teams Telephony replaces your existing legacy office desk phone as these are not compatible with Microsoft Teams and are being phased out.

Most people will use a certified Headset connected to a computer but Teams also works on a range of mobile phones and tablets. In addition, there are a number of devices such as Desktop Speaker Phones, Desk Phones, Conference Speakers and Room Systems that are designed to work with Microsoft Teams. See the range of Microsoft Teams devices available.

If you don't have a headset to use with Teams or would prefer to use an alternate device such as a Teams Desk Phone or Speaker Phone then please note that this will need to be funded by your department and you may wish to discuss your work setup with us, to determine the right peripheral for you.

Key features:

  • Teams Telephony adds a dial pad to the Teams app which you use to dial numbers
  • When people call you from a landline or mobile you will get a notification just like a normal Teams to Teams call. You'll see the number of the person calling unless they are saved in your contacts, in which case their name will be displayed
  • You get a range of settings and options that allow you to control your calls, including forwarding to colleagues and voicemail. You can adjust your voicemail message, voicemail language and out of office message. Voicemail also provides you with a summary and transcript of the recording (provided the message is clear).
  • More sophisticated phone system capabilities are also available such as 'call queues', where multiple people are able to answer calls placed to a specific number, 'auto attendants' that can provide callers with a menu system to route their call and 'group voicemail' for out-of-hours or missed calls
  • Just like a normal phone, Teams allows you to place a call on hold or transfer a call to another person, as well as offering a 'consult and transfer' option where you can ask a colleague if they are free to talk via instant message or you can call through to speak to them before transferring

Benefits of using Microsoft Teams Telephony

There are many benefits of switching to Teams Telephony including:

  • Being free from the restrictions of a traditional fixed desk and phone arrangement, you can be more flexible in the way you work. You can work from almost any location whilst remaining contactable
  • With adjustable notifications, you can easily tune in and tune out, so that Teams doesn’t disturb you when you are busy working on other things or not at work
  • Teams is 'presence aware' and will automatically set your status in certain cases, such as when you’re in a call. You can change your status yourself, which can help manage notifications and disturbances. For example, setting your status to 'Do not disturb' means you'll only get notifications for urgent messages and from your priority contacts
  • Telephony features in Microsoft Teams give you quick and easy control over your calls. Voicemail and call forwarding settings are just a click away and Teams can automatically adjust your voicemail settings when you set 'Automatic replies (out of office)' in Outlook
  • Microsoft Teams Telephony provides organisations with tools to help with business continuity, allowing operations to continue even through difficult times such as the current pandemic or snow days
  • You can either get your current number migrated to Teams Telephony or you can request a new number

Further guidance on Teams Telephony

View the Getting started with Teams Telephony guidance on the University of Bath – Learning Pathways to discover more.

University of Bath – Learning Pathways is our online, interactive learning platform where you can learn all about Microsoft 365 tools and features. It’s filled with easy to use ‘how-to’ guides, hints and tips to help you get the most from your Microsoft tools.

How to sign up for Teams Telephony

You can request Teams Telephony by filling out the form below.