In this document, we will cover how to activate Text Messages on your existing phone numbers inside of Microsoft Teams.
Why do I need a Teams Phone Standard license?
To activate texting on your existing Microsoft Teams phone numbers, you'll need a Teams Phone Standard license. This license facilitates a direct connection with the phone carrier. Microsoft itself is not a carrier; instead, they partner with Bandwidth.com. By activating Clerk Chat, you gain direct access to Microsoft's partnered carrier, Bandwidth.com via Operator Connect. A Teams Phone Standard license does not alter any features in your Microsoft Teams; it provides full Teams Phone System capabilities such as cloud voicemail, call parking, call forwarding, auto attendants, call queues, call transfer, and caller ID. Additionally, by using this license, you can eliminate the Teams Calling Plan license and reduce costs. Activating Clerk Chat also allows you to access carrier services directly, benefiting from wholesale pricing.
Read more about Microsoft Teams Licenses
Why do I need to remove the Microsoft Teams Domestic Calling Plan license?
Microsoft Teams Domestic and International Calling Plan licenses override the Microsoft Teams configuration and do not display the Operator Connect feature provided by Microsoft. To guarantee the licenses function correctly, it's essential to remove these licenses from the users and ensure that the Microsoft Teams Phone Standard license is activated. Failing to remove these licenses will prevent you from reassigning the phone number to the user.
Why do I need to reassign my phone number back for calling?
When activating SMS for phone numbers, Microsoft temporarily disconnects the numbers and initiates a re-sync through Operator Connect back to the Microsoft Tenant. This configuration update may take a few minutes as the phone numbers are refreshed within the tenant. To continue making calls, ensure that the number is reassigned to the user after the update.
Read more about Assigning Phone Numbers in Microsoft Teams.