Blog posts about Fax and Voice

When you’re using Microsoft Teams Direct Routing as your primary calling solution, chances are that sometimes you also need to permanently forward calls to one of your numbers to another external phone number.

Forwarding by a Licensed Teams User

Setting up a forwarding of numbers can be achieved in multiple ways. The most obvious one to just create and license a Teams user and setup a permanent call forwarding for that user in the Teams Client.

The user needs a Business Basic + Teams Phone Standard License. You cannot use a Common Area Phone.

Since there is no voice app like an auto attendant or call queue involved in this scenario, all calls to the direct number of this particular user will be forwarded right away. This also means that the caller will hear the ring back tone, until the external participant (forwaring target) answers the call.

Advantages:

• Direct forwarding, call does not get picked up or intercepted by Teams
• Good for scenarios where the forwarding target often changes. This allows users to change the number without needing a Teams Administrator to make a change

Disadvantages:

• License costs
• Configuration can only be reviewed or changed by logging in to the user
• Can’t use Service or Toll-Free numbers

Forwarding by a Resource Account

It’s also possible to transfer calls to external PSTN numbers by using resource accounts assigned to auto attendants or call queues. Before you can assign a number to a resource account, you need to assign a free Teams Phone Standard — Virtual User License to the resource account.

Once the license is assigned, we need to assign a phone number to the resource account:

Set-CsPhoneNumberAssignment -Identity user@example.,com -PhoneNumber +1231231234 -PhoneNumberType DirectRouting

Next we also need to assign it a Voice Routing Policy:

Grant-CsOnlineVoiceRoutingPolicy -Identity user@email.com -PolicyName "FirstTrunk"

For my test, I setup a auto attendant without business hours so it will always perform the same action: forward the call to an external number. This works but the autoattendant picks up the call causing a pause in the phone call. This would not work if the forward was for a FAX number.

Since it’s also possible to forward calls from a call queue to an external number, we can leverage this to create a similar experience as to when the call is permanently forwarded by a Teams user.

A call queue has two options to control actions or forwardings. Overflow (max. number of simultaneous calls) or timeout.

If we set the timeout to zero (0 minutes, 0 seconds) the queue still answers the call, before it’s forwarded. Even if there is no greeting configured.

A good example to see that the queue picked up the call is that the counter starts on any phone. Here I’m using Skype to call the call queue and you can see that the call has been established for 5 seconds, even though the configured forwarding target has not answered the call yet. While the call rings the forwarding target, Teams will generate a ring back tone inside the already established call.

If we set the overflow threshold of the queue to zero on the other hand, TAC shows a warning message that the queue won’t play the greeting when the overflow threshold is set to 0.

Advantages:

• No License costs
• Can use Service or Toll-Free numbers
• FAX calls will work if using a call queue

Disadvantages:

• Only Teams admins can change the forwarding target

Summary

Even though it might not be an obvious solution, using a call queue to permanently forward calls is still a great way to have more control over all your DIDs right inside Teams itself without adding any license costs.

I have a client that currently uses a Valcom VIP-801A Paging Gateway which at initial glance does not have a direct integration with Teams PBX. I have explored the Walkie Talkie feature, but that does not integrate with the existing pager. You could do something fancy with an iPad and a bluetooth overhead pager but this paging unit feels like it is older than I am. It is an analog overhead pager unit and I still have nightmares when I set it up back in 2017. This leaves me with the following options:

1. Replace it with some sort of bluetooth paging unit that can integrate with a tablet. This would support Walkie Talkie integration within teams and we are done
2. Leave it alone and leave physical phones that is hooked up to the old integration that is now dedicated to paging.
3. Buy CCX phones that integrate within teams but in order to use the paging unit, you have to switch profiles from teams to “paging” profile. The paging profile is just a SIP profile.
4. Throw out the overhead pager. They are dumb 🙂

Option 3 is dumb. No one is going to take the time to log off the phone, reboot it, then perform a page then reboot the phone again. I am confused that this is even an option with these phones. The purpose of the paging unit is that it is quick and simple. Nothing is quick and simple with option 3.

Option 2 makes the most sense. There is little overhead with leaving the existing system in place and most users would use either their cell phone or computer for teams. Most users tend to not use the physical phones if that is an option. The downside of this is that there are phones on people’s desks that they cannot use to make phone calls. These phones would be dedicated to making overhead pages.

Option 1 is not likely. These overhead paging units are built into the ceiling and very difficult to get to. They also do not have physical power typically so a bluetooth paging unit would need to have electrical done in order to install it. I find that most companies that have an overhead paging unit tend to not have the investment capital to modernize their overhead paging unit especially when the existing one “works.” Works is a bit of a stretch since it doesn’t actually work with modern equipment. This is like saying why would I get rid of my tape player when it plays music just fine. I don’t need to steam music and play any song I can think of with a few clicks of the mouse or a quick voice command. Tape players just work!

My client is choosing option 4 since they are less in the office and more remote. They found that the paging unit stopped functioning well for their pandemic changed business requirements. If you have come across another option on how to integrate with teams, I would love to know. I do work with these dinosaurs about once a year or so, so while I have exposure to them, it is not as much as other telecommunication technologies.

Since the pandemic, I have seen a trend to move towards “the new age PBX systems” over the more traditional/legacy PBX. Traditional PBX systems function where you have a phone by your desk and you use it to make and receive phone calls. Team phone systems, also known as cloud-based or virtual phone systems, offer a number of benefits over traditional phone systems. These benefits include:

1. Increased mobility: With a team phone system, employees can access the system from anywhere, as long as they have an internet connection. This allows for increased flexibility and mobility, as employees can work from home, on the road, or at any remote location.
2. Improved collaboration: Team phone systems offer features such as group call conferencing, call forwarding, and call transfers, which enhance collaboration and communication between team members.
3. Lower costs: Compared to traditional phone systems, team phone systems are often more cost-effective, as they do not require expensive hardware or installation fees. Additionally, many team phone systems offer unlimited calling and low per-user monthly fees.
4. Scalability: Team phone systems can easily scale up or down to accommodate changes in your organization, such as adding new employees or expanding to new locations.
5. Enhanced features: Many team phone systems offer advanced features, such as call analytics, automated call routing, and integration with other business tools like CRM software.

In conclusion, a team phone system is like opening a Genie out of the lamp. The platform can offer numerous benefits over a traditional phone system, including increased mobility, improved collaboration, lower costs, scalability, enhanced features, increased efficiency, and improved customer service much better than the traditional or legacy PBX can provide.