Support and SLAs

This module reviews Support and Service Level Agreement options 

Work through each of the topic areas before moving on to the next module.

Launch the Topics

by Jo Puckering

Networking

This module covers Network Essentials.

Work through each of the topic areas and take the test at the end, before moving on to the next module.

Launch the Topics

by Jo Puckering

Core Considerations

This module covers the bulk content of the Teams Voice course and is broken down into 10 Topic Headings to cover the required Core Considerations.

Work through each of the topic areas and take the test at the end, before moving on to the next module.

Launch the Topics

by Jo Puckering

Discovery

Discovery

The discovery process is opportunity to capture the requirements, to find out what the customer’s needs are and their current status.

Every conversation with the customer helps to better understand their needs as these are likely to change over time and particularly as they begin to use their new set-up. This should be reviewed regularly to ensure we are delivering the best solution,

  • Is the customers voice system on premise or hosted?
  • Where are their users?
  • What functionalities are they using?
  • What endpoints are they using?
  • What numbers are they using?
  • How is the network setup?

Core Technical Considerations

User Location & Service Availability
Calling Functionality
Number Types & Provisioning
Emergency Locations
Licencing (Cost & SKU’s)
Devices & Hardware Requirements
Call Recording
Contacts Centres

PSTN Connectivity

Calling Plans

Direct Routing

Operational (E.g., resource, time, experience)

Financial (E.g., relationships, spend, ROI)

Operator Connect

Hybrid

by Jo Puckering

Service Models

So how does calling work in Teams?

VOIP: Federated Calling

Out of the box Teams supports the ability for users to make voice over IP (VoIP) calls from Teams client to Teams client or Teams to Skype for Business (SfB)

Requirements: Office or Microsoft 365 Licence, Teams Enabled & Teams Client (Web, Desk, Mob)

Breakout to PSTN:

Requirements: Office or Microsoft 365 Licence, Teams Enabled & Teams Client (Web, Desk, Mob) + Microsoft Phone Systems to provide PBX capabilities eg Dial Pad, Forwarding

A mix of these options is termed ‘hybrid‘

Calling Plans

Where Microsoft acts as your PSTN carrier.

Calling Plans allow users to connect and call mobiles & landlines over the PSTN

Direct Routing

Where you or a third party is the PSTN carrier

OnPrem/Hosted PBX allows users to connect and call mobiles & landlines over the PSTN

Operator Connect

Where a third party is the PSTN carrier and manages the SBC as a Service

Hosted PBX allows users to connect and call mobiles & landlines over the PSTN

The Set up can Either be:

  • Greenfield: A Fresh Setup of Calling Solution

or

  • Migration: A migration from an existing calling solution

A Migration could be

  1. Migrate from On Prem
  2. Migrate from Hosted PBX
  3. Migrate from SfB | Lync

Pros and Cons of each approach

Calling Plans

  • Easy set-up and rollout
  • No infrastructure or TCO
  • Unified service
  • Less Control
  • May be missing required features
  • Limited to specific countries

Direct Routing &  Operator Connect

  • Leveraging existing PSTN system
  • More advanced features
  • More advanced integrations
  • More complex set-up and rollout
  • More skills and higher TCO
  • Multiple vendor relationships and licencing

  • Operator Connect removes complexity and TCO

by Jo Puckering

Why Use Teams Voice?

Teams Voice is an integral part of the Teams interface which brings together the collaboration options with Chat, File sharing, apps Meetings and Calling.

Seeing exponential growth during the pandemic across 2020 and 2021, with an increase from 13 million daily active users recorded in July 2019, to 250 million per day in Oct 2021 Microsoft declared FY2022 ‘The Year of Teams Phones’.

Adopting Teams Voice

  • Unifies collaboration
  • Consilidates systems into the one interface
  • Consolidates vendors under the same provision
  • Brings single billing
  • Ensures continuous innovations
  • Is a trusted solution
  • Provides Extensibility
  • Offers choices
    • Laptop, desktop, mobile, handset, headset

If we intend to support Teams Phone, we must understand key telephony terms to help understand terms that Microsoft use.

Take the Test

by Jo Puckering

Calling Fundimentals

Learning Objectives

  • Understand key business reasons to migrate to Teams Phone and the difference between Calling Plans, Direct Routing and Operator Connect
  • Understand considerations when choosing the service model including features and extensibility
  • Understand recommended networking settings for using Teams Phone
  • Understand support and SLA’s

Teams Voice is an integral part of the Teams interface which brings together the collaboration options with Chat, File sharing, apps Meetings and Calling.

Seeing exponential growth during the pandemic across 2020 and 2021, with an increase from 13 million daily active users recorded in July 2019, to 250 million per day in Oct 2021 Microsoft declared FY2022 ‘The Year of Teams Phones’.

Adopting Teams Voice

  • Unifies collaboration
  • Consilidates systems into the one interface
  • Consolidates vendors under the same provision
  • Brings single billing
  • Ensures continuous innovations
  • Is a trusted solution
  • Provides Extensibility
  • Offers choices
    • Laptop, desktop, mobile, handset, headset

If we intend to support Teams Phone, we must understand key telephony terms to help understand terms that Microsoft use.

Take the Test

by Jo Puckering