Enhance calling experiences with new Microsoft Teams features

January 27th, 2021
Enhance calling experiences with new Microsoft Teams features

Microsoft Teams is a platform where your team can virtually meet, share information, and collaborate with ease. Its Calls app, in particular, has been enhanced with features that make communicating with one another more convenient than ever before.

Streamlined view

Instead of having different web pages or dialog boxes for the most used phone components — such as the dial pad, contacts list, call history, voicemail, and speed dial — they are all made accessible on just one location. On large enough screens, multiple components can be seen at the same time, enabling you to do what you want to do with as few clicks as possible.

Apple CarPlay support

People who use CarPlay to turn their vehicle radios, head units, and steering wheels with phone controls into iOS device controllers can now also use it to operate Calls. Drivers can use those devices or ask Siri to make and receive calls while remaining safe.

Call recording storage in SharePoint and OneDrive

Sometimes, your hands aren’t free to take down notes or you don’t have anything to write with. This makes the ability to record calls great for tracking discussions. Calls users had to pay for another Microsoft service called Stream to save, transcribe, and go back to call recordings.

However, thanks to Calls now being tightly integrated with SharePoint and OneDrive, you can use either of these as your default storage location for recordings instead. The integrations make it much easier for you to share recordings with external guests, grant quicker access to transcripts, and enjoy much bigger storage capacity.

Spam call blocker

The Calls app now has the ability to discern which calls are spam and which ones are not. Because of this feature, you can trust that it’s all right to answer calls from unfamiliar numbers.

Digital attestation

As Calls can block spam calls, it can also digitally attest the calls you make so that these aren’t rejected by those who don’t have your number in their contacts lists yet.

Data cap and low-data mode

By the first quarter of 2021, users can set caps on the amount of data they’re willing to use for video calls. You can implement different settings for different network availability scenarios. To illustrate, you can use low-data mode so that you can still participate in a call even if the Wi-Fi you’re using is weak. And if you’re using cellular data (which is expensive), you can put a cap on how much data you consume so that you won’t suffer bill shock later on.

Device-to-device call transfers

More than making it easy to place and take calls from different devices, Calls now allows users to transfer calls between their devices (e.g., between their laptop and smartphone). Sometimes, you just have to switch devices, like when you need to transfer to a quieter room or when the device you’re currently using is very low on power. With this device-to-device call transfer feature, you can adjust without having to cut and reconnect the call.

Call transfer ring-back

The capability to transfer calls is crucial for helping callers connect with the correct people. Sometimes, however, the ones they’re trying to reach are unavailable. When this happens, the call disconnects and frustrates callers. To improve caller experience, Calls will ring back the person facilitating the transfer when the call transfer fails. The facilitator can thereafter get back on the call and make another attempt at transferring the call to another recipient.

Automatic reverse number look-up

With this feature, you’ll see the name of the person who’s calling you while they’re calling you. You’ll also see their name in your voicemail and activity feed.

Call merge

There are times when a person rings you up when you’re on a call, and you want that person to join the call you’re already on. Or there are occasions when you’re already on a phone conversation with someone, and you figure that you need another person to join in your conversation. Thanks to call merge, you can now turn multiple calls into a single group call — no more need to break your current call to initiate a new one.

Believe it or not, this is not a comprehensive list. The Calls app has more incredible features available to users, and it will undoubtedly offer more helpful functionality in the future. Take advantage of the benefits that Calls and other Microsoft 365 apps can provide to your business. Schedule a consultation with our IT experts at HERO Managed Services to learn how.


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