On the surface, the world of business communications is the exact same as any other aspect of industry - Enterprise-level organizations* are noisy and seem to get all of the attention, when they make any significant moves you usually hear about it in some way.
Titans of industry as they are however, enterprises are far from the sole focus of the massive developments we have seen in business communications in the past few years, even though it may sometimes feel like it. And rightly so, as in terms of actual people behind the screens, small and medium businesses far outnumber the big fishes when it comes to the composition of the business communications market.
In days gone by (not to make it sound like ancient history), to have even a slightly advanced communications stack meant exactly that – a stack. This equated to a pile of software and hardware, probably in the basement, with people who knew what they were doing to make it tick, who were hopefully allowed out of the basement every now and again.
And now, as the accessibility and popularity of UC software rapidly rise hand in hand we are entering an era where even the smallest of SMBs can almost have parity with the call functionality of a multinational.
From the packages they are offered to the features they can utilize, this equal(ish) playing field has brought forth a boom in how smaller businesses can operate and communicate efficiently, instead of just being a single business line with little to no call control, save from the absolute basics.
Of course, Enterprises exclusively have extra levels of security and some niche features that most SMBs would struggle to benefit from, but what functionality is Microsoft Teams Phone delivering that’s levelling the playing field? And ultimately how is this impacting ways of working for everyone across the globe?
After all of the changes that went on with Microsoft licensing structure last year, you wouldn’t be remiss for being a little confused as to where businesses actually stand when it comes to the Microsoft licensing stack and which subscriptions are linked to certain functionalities. But even though it is certainly more complicated than before, it is also almost certainly simpler than you think (you can even check out our handy Teams licensing flow chart if you’re looking for the basics).
For communications, a lot of the arena is structured around how organizations are able to make and receive calls. Thankfully, the features of Teams Phone are essentially the same for all Teams Phone licenses. This includes:
Once again, this goes for the smallest of small businesses and the largest of corporations alike. And with all of these features at their fingertips, organizations of all shapes and sizes are finding that they can run what is essentially an informal contact centre, directly through Microsoft Teams.
But it doesn’t stop there. With Operator Connect and Direct Routing being the choice for a hefty chunk of the 8-figure PSTN enabled Teams userbase, Providers are even now realising how they can differentiate themselves by adding their own features on top of those already in Teams Phone. With Direct Routing specifically, users are even able to unlock the power of calling in Teams whilst using their existing phone systems, whatever they may be.
But all of this call control doesn’t just exist in a vacuum. After all, one of the main reasons why UCaaS in general has become so popular is that it gathers all of the aspects of communication and collaboration into one place (and is also one of the main reasons as to why native Teams calling is ranked above all other options).
Now this wouldn’t be a commentary on modern business communications without a little bit of AI hype, so you’ll forgive us for mentioning the latest introduction of Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat. This new addition serves to highlight how Microsoft features can be used alongside communications, now leting SMBs add AI agents to their arsenal on a pay-as-you-go basis, making it far less cost-restrictive than previous CoPilot iterations. This, combined with standard CoPilot licenses, can add a lot of capability that a small business otherwise may never get to see.
But once it comes down to it, what does all of this actually do to equalize the communications playing field? It’s simple – Microsoft Teams is allowing businesses (especially SMBs) to work smarter, not harder. By bringing communications to the forefront and actively creating efficiencies, Teams is allowing smaller businesses to focus on what matters. Where Enterprises have any number of people to manage and run their infrastructure, and any amount of money to accomplish their communication goals, (practically) any Tom, Dick or Harry can now run a contact centre from their own laptop. By handing out this power to everyone, and by letting them effectively hold it in one place (in some cases quite literally in the literal palm of their hands) Microsoft, alongside some of the bigger UCaaS platforms, have made it known that the communications world is no longer restricted to just those with big pocketbooks.
There are countless use cases for Teams Phone in multiple verticals and geographies, but just in case it would be useful for you, let’s paint a quick picture.
Meet Lucy, Hannah and Nick. They all work for the Not Real Plumbing company who are based out of London with a total of 15 employees. In the organization;
When it came to their calling method, NRP elected to go for a Direct Routing option. They chose Direct Routing as they didn’t want to spend the time and money ‘rip and replacing’ their existing phone system that they’d gotten used to, they needed something simple to implement & maintain and crucially they wanted to avoid downtime at all costs. With Direct Routing they integrated what they already had into Teams, reducing app complexity and hit the floor running with minimal downtime.
Lucy is able to keep a keen eye on all of those who were out on calls or in the field natively in Teams where she can communicate and collaborate with them all in one place and whilst they’re on the go. Outside of this she has the call functionality to manage the whole team efficiently and the powerful features of Microsoft Teams such as CoPilot and call transcription to rely on outside of regular communications.
As a receptionist, Hannah is often the first point of contact for customers. With Teams she can mutli-task, manage calendars, message team members, schedule appointments, answer and transfer calls and ensure the smooth running of the company all without the hassle of having to constantly switch apps. Where appropriate she can perform consultative transfers to SMEs if technical questions need answering and manage the usual high call volumes that NRP face on a day-to-day basis.
Finally, Nick is able to rely on the 99.999% uptime SLA that Teams Phone promises and is safe in the knowledge that he is always connected and nothing is missed. He was already used to the Microsoft Teams interface from a previous job and he finds it clear and concise, giving him the exact features that he needs to get the job done. Ultimately, Nick can now communicate with the office, talk to clients, monitor his appointments, collaborate with teammates all in the same place.
Let’s get one thing clear, Microsoft aren’t evening out the playing field for business communications because they’re looking to have a monopoly over voice, nor are they looking to become the world’s biggest telco provider.
Without a doubt Microsoft Teams is the most popular UC platform in the world, but most of its calling options heavily rely on external providers across the globe to deliver on the voice aspect. Whether its Direct Routing or Operator Connect, the features and options that Microsoft provides are simply one side of the coin, and in essence they are encouraging providers, resellers and distributors to empower the other half. The impact of Teams is shown through the accessibility it brings to voice, its familiar UI, global viability and level of functionality that it piles on top of voice.
In essence, Teams is equalizing the playing field by giving businesses the tools that they need to communicate effectively, and they’re playing well with providers while they do it.
If you’re looking for a way to integrate into and use the power of Teams, get in touch with us today and we’ll show you how you can do it.
*To keep things simple, we'll stick to Microsoft's business sizing with anything with over 300 employees being considered an Enterprise.
Last updated: 20/01/25