Macquarie Telecom is to start allowing its customers to integrate their desk phone numbers into their Microsoft Teams accounts.
The telecommunications provider has launched a cloud-based service, which uses a SIP trunk system, that allows users to make and receive direct calls via Teams on their mobile, laptop or other device, using their same office or desk number.
MacTel claimed the new service follows demand from its customers that its work-from-home policies would continue after restrictions were lifted and that staff did not always have business mobile phones to use for work.
The telco claimed the SIP trunking service “could reduce line rental costs for organisations” by reducing the number of PABXs on site.
“Earlier this year we introduced a new desk phone, but needs have changed and we need to virtually bring that desk phone into customers’ home offices,” said David Flanagan, chief product officer at Macquarie Telecom.
“The mindset that apps like Teams are used for video meetings and group conference calls, while mobiles and desk phones are used for day-to-day calls, is changing. The combination of widely available reliable broadband and a normalised work-from-home is driving direct calling using collaboration software.”
Since the outbreak of the coronavirus, scores of office staff have moved to home-working to maintain strict social distancing policies, sparking the rise of Teams, alongside other collaboration tools like Zoom, Slack and Cisco’s WebEx.
According to Microsoft, demand for Teams has surged to 44 million daily active users, with an additional 12 million in March.
Its rival Slack subsequently began integrating Teams’ calling features into its own popular collaboration app, further enhancing available connections between the rival platforms.
