I'm currently using 3CX for our phone system, but things have gotten complicated as more departments have been voicing their needs. Since we already have Microsoft 365, I'm considering making the switch to Microsoft Teams Voice. I initially hesitated because I heard that you cannot set individual caller IDs for extensions and that all calls come from a generic Microsoft number. Is that still the case?
We have some strict requirements: we need to manage incoming calls through a multi-level IVR, and groups of users often work on calls simultaneously, so I can't rely on usage-based billing like 3CX. Moreover, we require both 1-to-1 and group SMS capabilities—not for marketing, just for maintaining client relationships. Call quality has also been a concern with 3CX, where we've dealt with issues like beeping, dropped calls, and echoes, so I'm wondering if Teams Voice can provide a better experience. Can anyone share their thoughts on how Teams Voice might suit our setup?
5 Answers
While Teams has gained some great features, the SMS support is still limited to 1-on-1 texting without group capabilities. This might impact your client communication if you need to send messages to multiple recipients at once.
I've deployed Teams Voice in both small and large organizations. In smaller setups, it works fine, but the larger org faced issues like call drops and routing problems. Network and device management needs to be on point, otherwise, it can be a hassle. Just a heads-up!
I transitioned 300 users to Teams Voice with no hitches. Call quality has been excellent for us, and we use PureIP for exchange. We've ditched all handsets and just use Teams on PCs, which works great!
Keep in mind that SMS capabilities require some setup, as it depends on the provider. But with Teams, you can bring your own numbers and have unique ones for each user. Call quality is generally reliable; issues usually come from internet paths or bandwidth if you’re overloaded.
We switched to Teams Voice a couple of years ago and have had smooth sailing since. You can indeed set the outbound caller ID for individual users or group numbers. However, when it comes to texting, they only provide SMS, no MMS or group chats right now since they aim to avoid spam-like functionalities.
Thanks for clarifying on the caller ID! I’m starting to think the guy who told me it was wrong just wanted to push his service.
Thanks for the heads up! If they don’t offer MMS or group SMS, I wonder if that’ll be a dealbreaker for my team.