Connect Everywhere Connect, add and sync.

App switching, context switching, multitasking, it’s the silent productivity killer that saps employee efficiency.

But as we discuss in Say no to app switching, direct routing is the best way to save your Microsoft Teams users from app switching, but it often adds more deployment complexity than it saves. This is true only if you decide to do it yourself. To properly handle Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) voice calling in Teams, you have to hook directly into the dial pad, instead of using awkward apps that cause a “virtual swivel chair” effect, that brings productivity to a standstill.

Fortunately, 8x8 is an established leader in global voice communications, and we also know a few things about enabling voice services in Microsoft Teams. In fact, we’ve automated so much of the process that it can be completed in three straightforward steps as shown in this video. Don’t assume supercharging your Microsoft Teams environment requires a superhuman effort.

First, navigate to your 8x8 Voice for Microsoft Teams login, and click on “Enable Sync”. You will then be asked to authenticate your Office 365 login.

This simple step connects 8x8 to Microsoft Teams so they can start talking to each other.

Next, enter your PBX information to establish the connection between Microsoft Teams and 8x8. Customers frequently get stuck here because they assume that they have to preconfigure their Teams users to use voice services when in fact, 8x8 automates that process for you. You just enter the country, state or province, and the SIP domain and then click “Add PBX”. No need for any complex PowerShell scripting or complicated SBC configurations.

Finally, the system uses the unique email address of the Microsoft Teams users to link them to their identity on 8x8. All you have to do is add individual users, or select all users, or you can also import a list of users from a spreadsheet if you have a subset of users who need PSTN voice access.

Once you have chosen your users, just synchronize users on both systems and wait for the process to complete. When the matching indicators turn green, users can start making or receiving phone calls using just their Microsoft Teams app, on any desktop, tablet, or smartphone.

Microsoft Teams offers smarter ways to connect and work together. But even enabling telephony with Teams direct routing can be challenging. Learn how 8x8 Voice for Microsoft Teams helps IT pros speedily set up Teams users for PSTN voice calling without adding unnecessary complexity.

Helpful Resources

Research Report: Reducing Team Communications Silos to Rapidly Increase Usability, Adoption, and Lower Support Costs, Constellation Research

Research Report: Creating Digital DNA with Microsoft Teams

Webcast: Fast Track to Microsoft Teams Voice Calling Success

Video: 8x8 Voice for Microsoft Teams Administrator Configuration Overview

We ran several online surveys to find out how organizations like yours were using Microsoft Teams, and how they are (and are not) using it to serve broader telephony and connectivity needs. We’ll reveal some interesting results and help you understand how to reap the rewards of native Teams direct routing service.

Chapter 7: Surprising stats and illuminating graphs.