Microsoft Integrates Teams Phone with Dynamics 365 Contact Center
Microsoft Enhances Teams Phone and Introduces New Features
Microsoft has expanded the functionality of its Teams Phone, a cloud-based telephony system integrated with its customer service platform, Dynamics 365. This update aims to streamline communication methods for businesses and improve user experiences through various new features.
Integration with Dynamics 365 Contact Center
In a recent briefing at Enterprise Connect, Microsoft unveiled enhancements to its Teams unified communications as a service (UCaaS) platform. A significant update includes the Teams Phone for Dynamics 365 Contact Center, which has been available since last July. This system combines traditional calling features with the capabilities of a private branch exchange (PBX).
Beginning next month, Teams Phone users can manage calls seamlessly between Teams and the Dynamics 365 Contact Center. This integration means businesses with a Teams Phone license won’t require separate configurations for different phone systems, as explained by John Doyle, Microsoft’s senior director of product marketing for business applications.
Current Adoption Trends
Despite its numerous features, the growth of Teams Phone usage has slowed, according to Irwin Lazar, president of Metrigy. Recent surveys suggest that around 25% of enterprises currently using Teams are considering moving their calling functions to third-party providers, such as RingCentral. Lazar noted that while approximately 40% of organizations with cloud calling are using Teams, growth appears to have stabilized.
Features of Dynamics 365 Contact Center
Microsoft’s Dynamics 365 Contact Center is designed to support customer service representatives with various self-service applications. This platform includes tools that help measure customer sentiment, manage conversations, and provide live transcriptions across multiple communication channels such as voice, chat, SMS, email, and social media. The pricing for this service stands at $110 per user, per month and can be integrated with Dynamics 365 or other CRM systems.
Copilot Enhancements
A notable addition to the Teams Phone system is the public preview of the Copilot feature. This AI-powered assistant allows service agents to transfer calls efficiently. When an agent hands over a call, Copilot generates a summary of the previous conversation along with crucial details about the customer’s past interactions. This ensures that the customer does not have to repeat their issue, thus improving service quality.
Moreover, new Copilot features allow users to disable transcription during Teams meetings. While Copilot will still create notes and summaries, it will not keep transcripts. This functionality was particularly requested by financial service companies, as highlighted by Pete Daderko, Microsoft’s senior director for Teams product marketing.
Text Messaging in Teams
Microsoft is also set to introduce SMS functionality within Teams. Users can start a new chat by entering a phone number, enabling direct text message exchanges between users on the platform.
Collaboration Tools and Security Features
The addition of Microsoft Loop to Teams Channels enhances collaborative efforts within specific projects. Loop enables team members to create and manage documents, tables, bullet points, and more in a shared space tailored to project needs.
In the upcoming second quarter, Microsoft will introduce new security measures to Teams. The features will automatically detect sensitive information during screen sharing. For instance, if someone accidentally displays a document containing personally identifiable information, Teams will alert the user and the meeting organizer. Furthermore, if shared files have higher sensitivity labels than the meeting itself, Teams can automatically raise the security level of the meeting as per IT configurations.
