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M365 Admin
Aug 29, 2024 5:33 PM
What is Teams Phone Mobile?
Everything you need to know about Teams Phone Mobile including how it compares to Teams Phone Standard, the limitations, and alternative options.
Microsoft Teams Phone Mobile is poised to take the market by storm this year. But what is it?
Microsoft Teams Phone Mobile is what we used to call Fixed Mobile Convergence. This was a product launched by Cisco in 2007, with Microsoft following shortly after with their version in Lync.
Fixed Mobile Convergence is where your business mobile number replaces your traditional fixed business line. This becomes the only phone number you need on any device no matter your connectivity. Whether it is via your mobile provider network when on the road, or to your softphone when you are on your laptop.
Teams Phone Standard is targeted to office-based or home users, whereas Teams Phone Mobile is targeted to frontline or mobile workers who spend a lot of time moving around to different locations.
Mobile-first users face dynamic changes to their working day based on their location at any given time. The most impacting impediment to their productivity is internet connectivity. Either by WiFi or cellular data coverage (4G/5G).
Modern communications over softphone / UC apps such as Microsoft Teams require a strong and relatively stable internet connection. Anything under 3-bars of 4G coverage, the degradation is enough to make calls suffer from poor audio quality.
With Teams Phone Standard, mobile workers are dependent on connectivity to make and receive calls. Poor data coverage means loss of productivity, lost sales and increased customer and worker dissatisfaction.
Conversly, there is also a persistent issue of cost with voice calling over mobile data networks. Many companies promote BYOD, but employees are often unwilling or hesitant at least to accept work calls over data networks. Why? because calls over mobile data consumes their personal contract allowance. Over usage is expensive and the employer may or may not reimburse.
With Teams Phone Mobile, you purchase mobile phone contracts with an approved Teams Phone Mobile Operator. They issue you with a dual purpose mobile number, which you can assign to your Teams user’s Teams account. Then by using an eSIM solution like Callroute Go, you can register your user’s mobile phone device to their network simultaneously.
eSIM solutions can provide additional compatibility with business landline numbers, Operator Connect providers, Direct Routing. You can also use your existing business line minutes.
At Callroute, we provide an eSIM solution called Callroute Go. Callroute Go is an extension of your existing Microsoft Teams Phone number that allows you to make calls from your mobile device using regular cellular network connectivity.
Microsoft Teams Phone Mobile is what we used to call Fixed Mobile Convergence. This was a product launched by Cisco in 2007, with Microsoft following shortly after with their version in Lync.
Fixed Mobile Convergence is where your business mobile number replaces your traditional fixed business line. This becomes the only phone number you need on any device no matter your connectivity. Whether it is via your mobile provider network when on the road, or to your softphone when you are on your laptop.
Microsoft Teams Phone Mobile vs Teams Phone Standard
Teams Phone Standard is targeted to office-based or home users, whereas Teams Phone Mobile is targeted to frontline or mobile workers who spend a lot of time moving around to different locations.
Mobile-first users face dynamic changes to their working day based on their location at any given time. The most impacting impediment to their productivity is internet connectivity. Either by WiFi or cellular data coverage (4G/5G).
Modern communications over softphone / UC apps such as Microsoft Teams require a strong and relatively stable internet connection. Anything under 3-bars of 4G coverage, the degradation is enough to make calls suffer from poor audio quality.
With Teams Phone Standard, mobile workers are dependent on connectivity to make and receive calls. Poor data coverage means loss of productivity, lost sales and increased customer and worker dissatisfaction.
Conversly, there is also a persistent issue of cost with voice calling over mobile data networks. Many companies promote BYOD, but employees are often unwilling or hesitant at least to accept work calls over data networks. Why? because calls over mobile data consumes their personal contract allowance. Over usage is expensive and the employer may or may not reimburse.
With Teams Phone Mobile, you purchase mobile phone contracts with an approved Teams Phone Mobile Operator. They issue you with a dual purpose mobile number, which you can assign to your Teams user’s Teams account. Then by using an eSIM solution like Callroute Go, you can register your user’s mobile phone device to their network simultaneously.
What Are The Limitations of Microsoft Teams Phone Mobile?
- Availability & coverage – the choice of providers is currently limited to 4. This is set to grow exponentially, however, it some may not able to take advantage of the service due to coverage or carrier selection.
- Handset compatibility - Teams Phone Mobile requires the mobile phone device to have either an esim or support for a secondary sim. Currently, only the latest iPhone 14 and high-end android devices have this capability.
- The return of company mobiles - adoption of Teams Phone Mobile could be threatened unless companies can provide a compatible handset. This goes against the many companies, including Microsoft, who have pioneered BYOD into the enterprise.
- Complex costs – additional overhead will be driven from: providing the mobile device in addition to BYOD; managing both devices to prevent data loss; handset breakages handling the configuration updates for leavers and joiners; and managing data and minute plans
- Digital Wellbeing - With Teams Phone Mobile where users are using BYOD, unless they set their presence to DND, calls will still arrive via GSM outside of working hours.
What Are The Alternatives To Teams Phone Mobile?
eSIM solutions can provide additional compatibility with business landline numbers, Operator Connect providers, Direct Routing. You can also use your existing business line minutes.
At Callroute, we provide an eSIM solution called Callroute Go. Callroute Go is an extension of your existing Microsoft Teams Phone number that allows you to make calls from your mobile device using regular cellular network connectivity.
- Keep your direct dial number
- Answer calls using Teams or your mobile device
- No mobile internet required
- Keep your personal & business identities separate
See how we compare to Teams Phone Mobile:
See Callroute Go works and discover how it can help your business by booking a demo.
See Callroute Go works and discover how it can help your business by booking a demo.
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