Microsoft Business Voice Optimizes Microsoft 365 for Remote Meeting Access

Hybrid workplace structures are predicted to be here to stay. Remote work makes conditions easier and safer for staff members, no matter what challenges they currently face. Elimination of commutes saves cash and improves the health of our environment. Less space is needed without a full-time in-office workforce. Cloud service allows sharing of software applications, another reason hybrid workplace structures may reduce costs for businesses.

But hybrid work arrangements must function efficiently, or no one benefits. A communication system providing ease of access for every staff member is of the essence. Microsoft has been working diligently, even before work went remote in 2020, to address this issue. Democratizing access to remote meetings is a priority of every business. The major advantage of Microsoft Business Voice is that it enhances remote meeting access.

Microsoft Business Voice unites calling capabilities with chat and meeting features for businesses with up to 300 employees, within a single app, Microsoft Teams. It is an optimized phone system offering ease of access, that enables users to utilize all the features of Microsoft 365.

An Overview of Microsoft Business Voice

A flexible and powerful telephone system that integrates with Microsoft Teams, Microsoft Business Voice with its incorporation of access to all the features of Microsoft 365 is especially appreciated by small to medium-sized organizations. Organizations that find in-house or traditional phone system providers costly and complex to manage. It can be a valuable tool for businesses of all sizes.

Call menus, versatile telephone number setup options, audio-conferencing that enables the hosting of meetings with anyone . . . Business Voice bundles multiple features for simplicity and convenience. No worries about which plan or features to select. The system is already set up.

Since Business Voice is incorporated into Microsoft Teams, any PC, Mac, or mobile device can, in effect, become a phone that can use your personal Business Voice phone number. All you need is a Teams app on your computer, tablet, or mobile phone. You’ll be able to make and receive calls, just as you could from a traditional office phone.

Primary Features of Microsoft Business Voice

A phone management system with the means to connect multiple users in varied locations, a priority in these times when remote or hybrid work environments are the rule, rather than the exception. A practice that isn’t expected to end.

Microsoft Business Voice offers these comprehensive features:

An enterprise-grade phone system that enables the ability to make secure and reliable cloud-based phone calls.
Flexible abilities for audio conferencing are now provided for all online meetings. A dial-in number is always available. Microsoft Business Voice provides the option to join a meeting at any time. It supports participation for those with internet connectivity issues.
A calling plan that allows you to enter new phone numbers or migrate numbers that are already saved. You can make or receive PSTN calls to or from any phone number.
Simplified communications – integrated with Microsoft 365 features. The system provides unified calling with chat and meeting options. It connects your contacts and calendar across Teams and Outlook. The use of Word, Excel and PowerPoint for calls and meetings is now possible under one app, Microsoft Teams.
A 99% uptime guarantee – Redundancy and load balancing ensure reliability.
Cloud powered AI offers varied capabilities, including voice transcription, inline chat translation and real-time captioning for meetings.
No server is required. Since Microsoft Business Voice is completely cloud-based, you won’t need switches, a gateway, or other cumbersome hardware. This makes the system less expensive, since there is no need to purchase, lease, and maintain components for an extensive IT infrastructure.

More Benefits of Microsoft Business

Launched in November 2018, Microsoft Business Voice’s telephony system has provided a solution especially useful for small businesses with up to 300 users.

Some features mentioned as favourites are:

The fact that Microsoft Business Voice uses a familiar admin console.
You can schedule and then join meetings with a single click from your calendar.
Your email and voice contacts are in-sync, for convenience.
The system’s built-in privacy, compliance and security are hosted and supported with 24/7 customer care services by Microsoft’s cloud.

Here’s what a reviewer for PC Magazine said in April 2021:

For companies with around 300 employees and a focus on Microsoft Teams, Microsoft 365 Business Voice is a no-brainer way to add robust SMB VoIP capability across both desktop and mobile devices. – Paul Ferrill, PC Magazine

Microsoft Business Voice Delivers Reliable Service for Hybrid Work Environments

When the pandemic began in 2020, companies whose phone systems were already in the cloud had an advantage. With Microsoft Teams, those on both computers and mobile phones, adapted quickly to remote working conditions.

Rather than struggling to connect due to technical issues, company leaders could focus on helping staff members learn the best techniques for working more efficiently from their homes. Businesses without cloud service soon rushed to switch, for ease of communication, and other benefits.

Microsoft Teams provides an effective communication hub, no matter how a company’s workforce is set up. The blending of a cloud-based phone system with Teams, and the useful customisable tabs feature, make Microsoft Teams a much appreciated app for helping businesses adapt to changing workplace setups. Microsoft Voice further optimizes productivity by further improving ease of communication between remote workers.

Whether working from home, office, or on the road, Microsoft Voice ensures access for every team member. It links users to all the features of Microsoft 365, by providing an efficient, secure connection for effective communication.

The Optimal Remote Conferencing Solution for the Hybrid Workplace

Hybrid work environments will likely still be with us long after the pandemic is history. Many businesses, but particularly small businesses without the means to support costly and complex phone systems will find the perfect solution to remote conferencing problems in Microsoft Business Voice.

If your business isn’t a multinational corporation, you definitely appreciate technology that’s easy, simple and works well for small business. That’s not always the case, with new products on the market. But Business Voice provides it.

At OnServe, we keep your technology under control, while acknowledging you are in the driver’s seat. Contact us to learn more about how Microsoft Business Voice can provide comprehensive and remote meeting and Microsoft 365 feature access.