Telecoms

Microsoft Teams Phone and Teams Direct Routing explained

Summary Microsoft Teams Phone turns Microsoft Teams into a full business phone system. Teams Direct Routing is one of the ways that Teams can connect to the outside phone network. This article explains what each part does and how they work together with KTS. Who this is for Any organisation using or considering Microsoft Teams as a phone system, and users who want to understand how their Teams calling works. What Microsoft Teams Phone is Microsoft Teams Phone is the phone system functionality built into Microsoft Teams. It lets you make and receive external phone calls from within Teams, on your desktop, mobile, or a compatible handset. You get features such as voicemail, hold, transfer, call groups, and auto attendants, all inside Teams. What Teams Direct Routing is Teams Direct Routing is a way of connecting Microsoft Teams to a third party voice carrier instead of using a Microsoft calling plan. With Direct Routing, KTS provides the outbound and inbound calling service, while your phone system experience still lives inside Microsoft Teams. In plain terms: - Teams Phone is the phone system and user experience - Direct Routing is the way calls get to and from the public phone network through KTS The two work together. Users dial, answer, and manage calls in Teams, and KTS handles the calls behind the scenes. Who Teams Phone is suitable for Teams Phone suits organisations that: - Already use Microsoft Teams as a core collaboration tool - Want one app for chat, meetings, and phone calls - Have users who work flexibly from different locations or devices - Want to reduce reliance on physical desk phones It may be less suitable for very call-heavy contact centre environments without additional tools. What KTS provides KTS can deliver Teams Direct Routing so that your Teams Phone service connects to the outside world through us. We can also help with number porting, call flow design, and user enablement. Exact capabilities and entitlements depend on your Microsoft licensing, which should be confirmed with your account manager. What KTS may need from you - The domain and tenant name of your Microsoft 365 environment - The users or groups to be enabled for Teams Phone - Existing numbers to port or new numbers required - Preferred call flow at a high level, for example where calls should land and how they should route When to contact the service desk Contact the service desk if Teams calls are failing, if a specific user cannot make or receive calls, or if you want to request a change to call flows, users, or numbers.

How to set up voicemail and call forwarding

Summary Voicemail and call forwarding are two of the most useful features on any phone system. This article explains how to set both up on the common platforms KTS supports, and what to do if either feature is not behaving as expected. Who this is for Any phone user who needs to make sure calls are answered when they are away from their desk, in a meeting, or out of office. Setting up voicemail On a hosted VoIP handset: 1. Press the voicemail button or dial the voicemail access code for your system. 2. Enter your PIN when prompted. If it is your first time, you will be asked to set one. 3. Record your name and a short greeting. 4. Save the greeting and test by calling yourself from another phone and leaving a message. On Microsoft Teams Phone: 1. In Teams, go to Settings, then Calls. 2. Under Voicemail, select Configure voicemail. 3. Record or type a greeting, choose when to use it, and save. 4. Test by calling yourself from another number and leaving a short message. Setting up call forwarding On a hosted VoIP handset: 1. Use the forwarding menu on the handset or the user portal provided by KTS. 2. Choose whether to forward all calls, forward when busy, or forward when unanswered. 3. Enter the destination number, for example your mobile. 4. Save and test. On Microsoft Teams Phone: 1. In Teams, go to Settings, then Calls. 2. Under Call handling and forwarding, choose Forward my calls. 3. Select the destination, for example voicemail, a colleague, a call group, or a number. 4. Save and test from another phone. Good practice - Record a short, clear voicemail greeting that includes your name - Update your greeting when you are on extended leave - Avoid forwarding to a number where nobody can answer, as this creates a poor caller experience - Tell colleagues if you are forwarding calls to them, and agree this in advance What KTS may need from you - The user name or extension affected - Whether the issue is voicemail, forwarding, or both - The exact destination you are trying to forward to - Any error message shown on screen When to contact the service desk Contact the service desk if you cannot access voicemail, if messages are not being delivered, if forwarding will not save, or if forwarded calls are not being routed as expected.

Common call quality issues in VoIP and Teams calls

Summary Call quality problems are usually caused by a small number of common issues. This article helps you quickly work out whether the issue is with your device, your internet connection, or something KTS needs to investigate. Who this is for Anyone experiencing poor audio on calls, one way audio, call drops, echo, or robotic-sounding voices on VoIP or Microsoft Teams calls. Common symptoms and likely causes - Robotic or choppy audio usually points to a network or Wi-Fi issue - One way audio is often a headset or microphone issue, or a firewall issue - Echo is usually caused by a device picking up its own speaker, often a laptop without a headset - Calls dropping after a short time can be a network, device, or platform issue - Calls ringing but not connecting can be a routing issue First checks 1. Try the call again using a headset if you were using laptop speakers and microphone. 2. Move closer to a Wi-Fi access point, or connect to a wired network if possible. 3. Close other heavy applications, especially video, backup, or large uploads. 4. Restart the device if it has been on for several days. 5. Try a test call to a colleague to see if the issue is the other party or a general problem. 6. Check if other users in the office have the same experience at the same time. What KTS may need from you - The exact time of the affected call - The caller and called numbers if relevant - Whether the issue happens on wired, Wi-Fi, or both - The device and app used, for example handset, Teams desktop, Teams mobile - Whether the issue is on outbound, inbound, or both - How often it is happening When to contact the service desk Contact the service desk if call quality problems are affecting more than one user, if they are recurring on the same line or extension, or if one way audio, dropped calls, or echo cannot be resolved by switching devices or networks.