What nobody tells you about Microsoft Teams’ telephony

Yes, we agree: Teams is extremely convenient for chatting and meeting with your colleagues. It’s included with Microsoft 365 licences starting from €5.60 per user/month (when billed annually), which on paper is a very competitive and accessible price for businesses of any size.

But things get complicated when you want to do something as simple as call an external contact without leaving the app. While Microsoft does offer a telephony add-on for Teams, enabling it requires an additional €9.40 per user/month—and that’s just for basic call functionality.

Want to record your calls? That’ll cost extra.
Want to set a welcome message that only plays Monday to Friday? Same story.
Need to track how many calls you make and receive? You’ll have to connect a third-party app capable of pulling that data via API.

You can also work with a virtual PBX provider integrated into Teams, but managing two providers for the same service adds complexity—a complexity that only becomes visible when something breaks or when you try to calculate the true cost of your setup.

In this scenario, where Teams doesn’t include the telephony features businesses rely on, it’s not unusual to resort to using a personal mobile, desk phone, or work device to contact people outside the company. You lose call traceability, yes—but it’s the easiest, and often cost-free, option.

And while we can “get by” without having everything in a single app, it’s worth knowing that there are alternatives built to deliver exactly what your business needs: chat, video calls, internal and external telephony, analytics, call recording, and business numbering.

HOW TO BREAK FREE FROM TEAMS TELEPHONY

Rather than layering add-ons onto Microsoft’s service, Enreach Contact is a unified communications platform (UCaaS) that gives your business everything it needs to communicate efficiently—both internally and externally.

From a single workspace, you can:

• • Make calls, video calls and chat in real time.
  • Use a mobile-first app compatible with desktop, desk phones, and smartphones.
  • Call any number, national or international, from any device.
  • Automatically record calls to comply with regulations.
  • Access detailed call statistics.
  • Set up call flows based on business hours, availability, or custom rules.
  • Manage both personal and company contacts from one shared directory.
  • Enable a virtual assistant powered by AI that:
    • Answers calls when you’re unavailable.
    • Tells you why someone is calling.
    • Summarises what was said.
    • Leaves notes and transcribes your voicemail.

ENREACH CONTACT PRICING FOR BUSINESSES

More than 2.5 million users already rely on our platform—not just to manage their company’s communications, but to offer it to their own customers too.

LOOKING TO GO FURTHER?

We help businesses sell more and build stronger customer loyalty by expanding their portfolio with services that strengthen their value proposition and deepen their client relationships.

THE IMPACT OF A FRAGMENTED COMMUNICATIONS ECOSYSTEM

1. LOWER PRODUCTIVITY

Every disconnected tool is another app to open, another password to remember, another interface to learn…

You get the idea.

If the toggle tax is eating into your business performance, simplifying your tech stack is a strategic move.

2. FRAGMENTED DATA

Using the same collaboration app for your sales or support teams to call customers isn’t a bad idea.

But when calls, chats and emails are managed on different platforms, it’s almost impossible to get a full view of the customer journey. Which channels do they prefer? Where do you lose opportunities? What patterns can you detect?

To answer these questions, you’ll end up cross-referencing spreadsheets—or paying for extra tools.

3. INCREASED SECURITY RISKS

Every new tool adds a new access point—what’s known as an endpoint. That might be an app, a softphone or a third-party integration.

The more endpoints you manage, the more exposed you are to unauthorised access, misconfigurations or cyberattacks.

4. LONGER INCIDENT RESOLUTION TIMES

When something goes wrong and each vendor only supports “their part”, the blame game begins.

What could be a quick fix with one provider turns into a chain of emails and calls that delays resolution—and your service.

5. SCALING BECOMES HARDER

Growth shouldn’t mean renegotiating contracts, adjusting licences, reviewing integrations, and speaking with three providers at once.

Negotiating isn’t the problem. The problem is doing it repeatedly with different vendors every time you need to scale.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Have you ever stopped to ask yourself why you’re using Teams?

If the answer is simply “because it’s there” or “because everyone else uses it”, then maybe it’s time to question whether it truly meets your business needs.

Not just in terms of cost—but because your company’s communications are too important to leave to whatever comes pre-installed.

START MAKING STRATEGIC DECISIONS

Our team of experts is always available to listen and guide you. Call us on 900 670 750, message us on WhatsApp or fill in this form: