Teams Phone for IT administrators: secure, reliable and easy to manage

On average, Dutch companies use 108 applications. This is evident from the 2024 Businesses at Work report by ICT provider Okta. It is therefore important for IT administrators to implement systems that are reliable, secure and easy to manage. Microsoft Teams Phone is such a solution. It integrates smoothly with Microsoft 365 and has powerful management options, so you can manage telephony and communication at scale. In this blog we will delve deeper into this.

More than 70% of Dutch companies already rely on Microsoft 365 when it comes to collaboration: email, meetings, file sharing. But their telephony is still completely separate. Some companies still do this on outdated hardware servers. Sometimes in the cloud via other suppliers. Other companies simply issue mobile SIMs without doing any extra management on them. That can be done better, smarter and safer. With Teams Phone for example.

Security in Teams Phone: Integrated protection for your business.

Security is important with any modern communication technology. It is great that Teams Phone has powerful security measures. All calls and data sent via Teams Phone are encrypted by default with very modern encryption technologies. Ensures that sensitive information remains protected, even during the transition to this system. Teams Phone also offers identity and access management via Microsoft’s integrated systems, such as Azure Active Directory. This allows you to set detailed access rights. And you choose which users have access to certain functions and data.

The integration with other Microsoft 365 security tools strengthens this protection. For example, with Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) and advanced threat analysis. This makes it easier for you as an IT administrator to set up a complete security policy and ensure that everyone adheres to the rules.

Reliability and uptime: powerful infrastructure from Microsoft.

Teams Phone is built on Microsoft’s strong infrastructure. This consists of data centers that are spread all over the world. This makes the system reliable and highly scalable, with a high degree of redundancy and failover capabilities. In the event of a failure in 1 data center, the service is automatically redirected to another data center. Ensures that the service is disrupted as little as possible.

Microsoft also offers detailed Service Level Agreements (SLAs) for Teams Phone. These guarantee uptime and performance. And you can use performance monitoring and reporting. In this way, you can track the status of your communication infrastructure in real time and identify potential problems in time.

Ease of management: centralization and automation.

Teams Phone has a powerful, central management dashboard. This makes it easy to manage users, devices, and settings. This dashboard provides an easy-to-use interface for performing routine tasks, such as managing call policies and assigning permissions and phone numbers to users. Automated and other minor updates ensure that the system is always up to date. You don’t have to do anything for it.

What makes Teams Phone special is its compatibility with existing Microsoft 365 management tools. If you already have experience with Microsoft 365, you don’t need to acquire new knowledge or follow special training. You can use the same management systems and processes that you already know. How nice.

Configuration and customization: flexibility and customization.

Teams Phone offers extensive configuration and customization capabilities. For example, you can set routing rules for incoming calls. And customize queues to improve the communication experience . Or customize caller ID and voicemail settings to align branding and customer experience with your business.

Another advantage of Teams Phone is the hybrid deployment options. This means that you can integrate your existing phone infrastructure with Teams Phone. This allows for a smooth transition if you have a traditional phone system. You can already benefit from the advantages of Teams Phone during the transition.

Monitoring and troubleshooting: real-time insight and problem solving.

A key advantage of Teams Phone is that you can monitor and diagnose extensively. You have access to real-time monitoring tools that allow you to track the performance of your phone system. And respond quickly to potential problems. With detailed log files and diagnostic tools, you can identify and resolve issues remotely. Without the system being down for long periods of time. Your colleagues can continue working.

Teams Phone also alerts you to technical or performance issues, so you can take action quickly before your colleagues notice.

Compliance and regulations: complying with rules and regulations.

Compliance is an increasingly important part of IT management, especially for companies that are subject to strict regulations. Teams Phone supports a variety of compliance needs, with built-in data retention and management tools. This makes it easier for companies to meet legal requirements for storing and managing call data.

Teams Phone also supports various industry regulations, such as HIPAA for healthcare and MiFID II for the financial sector, so you can be sure you’re in compliance.

Reporting and analytics: insight into usage and performance.

Teams Phone provides you with detailed reporting and analytics to help you monitor and improve your system usage. You can view call duration, number of calls, and usage of various features. As well as call quality and connection time. This allows you to improve your customer experience and address potential issues quickly.

You can also use the data for capacity planning and optimization, to anticipate future growth and ensure that the infrastructure is scalable enough.

Integration with other Microsoft services: a complete ecosystem.

Teams Phone is fully integrated with the broader Microsoft 365 ecosystem. This makes it easier to manage all communications within your organization. Users can move seamlessly between Teams, Exchange, OneDrive, and other Microsoft services. And you can centrally manage them from the same interfaces and tools you already use.

Integration with Azure Active Directory provides additional benefits in identity management and access control. And the combination with other productivity tools, such as Microsoft SharePoint and Outlook, provides a great user experience.

Mobile device management: flexible telephony on the go.

With the Teams Phone Mobile app, users can easily manage their business communications. Even when they’re not in the office. As an IT admin, you can leverage the same security and management tools already available to desktop and laptop users. And implement the same mobile security policies on any device .

Also nice: Teams Phone supports Bring Your Own Device. This allows users to use their personal devices for business communications, without impacting security or compliance.

Training and support: easy to learn and manage.

Microsoft offers a variety of training and support options for deploying and managing Teams Phone. From detailed documentation to Microsoft certifications for Teams administrators, there is plenty of support to ensure a smooth deployment and ongoing management.

For example, you can use self-help resources for support. And if you have a complicated problem, you can also submit escalations to Microsoft’s IT helpdesk.

Future-proofing and innovation: looking ahead to the future of communications.

Teams Phone is not just a solution for today, but also an investment in the future. Microsoft continues to regularly add new features and innovations, such as AI-supported virtual assistants and machine learning to improve call quality. This way, you don’t have to worry about technology becoming obsolete. And you can continue to benefit from the latest developments.

And Teams Phone is designed to integrate with emerging communication trends like 5G and IoT in the future . This makes it a future-proof solution if you want to continue to innovate with your business.

Conclusion: Teams Phone as a strategic choice for IT.

Teams Phone has many advantages. From strong security and reliability to ease of use and integration with existing Microsoft services. And you can manage communication infrastructures smoothly and at scale. This is due to the flexibility in configuration and the possibilities for extensive monitoring and troubleshooting.

Are you already using Microsoft 365? Then Teams Phone is a logical choice for a future-proof communication system. Because you can easily integrate it with the technologies and management tools you use now. It not only offers practical benefits in the short term, but is also a strategic investment for the future.

Want to know more about Teams Phone Mobile?

We know better than anyone what Teams Phone Mobile can do for your company. In the articles below you can find more in-depth information about this new tool.

• Teams Phone: This is how you make calls via Microsoft Teams .
• Calling via Teams: communicate better with Teams Phone Mobile .
• Cost analysis Teams Phone : this is what you get.
• Teams Phone for IT administrators : secure, reliable and easy to manage.