Microsoft announced that its new Operator Connect service, to bring PSTN phone services to Microsoft Teams, has gone live around the world with multiple carriers. The launch is part of several new features for Teams aimed at better integrating voice calls and related features.
Operator Connect was first announced in March. The managed service allows businesses to bring their existing phone provider into Teams, helping save on infrastructure costs, setup and management time, while benefiting from shared technical support and service-level agreements, Microsoft said.
In addition, Microsoft is extending availability of calling plans on Teams. This allows customers to access voice services without on-premises equipment. Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovenia and Croatia are the latest countries to get the option, for a total 33 markets where the service is available.
Businesses can also integrate their contact centre platforms in Teams Phone. Microsoft is adding a new level of validation based on third-party testing to ensure reliable integration and platforms have been certified already. These include Nice InContact, Genesys, and Five9, with an additional 12 in the process of certifying.
To help integrate Teams Phone into the work flow, Microsoft announced several new features. These include seamless call transfers between different endpoints, such as a mobile and fixed phone; spam call identification; and support for Apple CarPlay and hands-free using Siri. By the end of the year, Teams Phone will also support call recording and transcription for one-to-one calls.
