Teams Audio Conferencing

Microsoft Teams Audio Conferencing: Overview

Microsoft Teams Audio Conferencing is a feature that allows users to join Teams meetings via a traditional phone call (PSTN – Public Switched Telephone Network) rather than using the Microsoft Teams app or a web browser. This capability is essential for participants who may not have access to reliable internet, a computer, or the Teams application.

With Audio Conferencing, each Teams meeting can include a dial-in number and a conference ID, enabling users to dial in from any phone. Additionally, meeting organizers and participants can dial out from a Teams meeting to bring someone into the meeting who is on a regular phone line.

Key Features and Concepts of Microsoft Teams Audio Conferencing

1. Dial-In Access

• Local and Toll-Free Numbers: Users can dial into Teams meetings using local or toll-free numbers provided by Microsoft. The dial-in numbers are specific to the meeting’s geographic region, and multiple numbers (local and international) can be available in the meeting invitation.
• Conference ID: A unique conference ID is generated for each meeting, which the participant enters after dialing the number to join the correct meeting.
• Joining by Phone: Participants who dial in by phone can join a Teams meeting without using the Teams app. This is particularly useful when participants have limited internet access or are traveling.

2. Dial-Out Access

• Meeting Dial-Out: Teams allows meeting organizers or participants to dial out from the meeting to add a participant by calling their phone number directly. This feature is useful when a participant is unable to join the meeting but can take a phone call.
• PSTN Integration: The meeting organizer can place a call to participants on a PSTN line from within the Teams meeting, connecting them directly to the audio portion of the meeting.

3. Audio Conferencing License

• License Requirement: To host a Teams meeting with dial-in capabilities, the organizer needs a Microsoft Teams Audio Conferencing license. This license provides access to dial-in numbers and conference bridge settings.
• Global Availability: Microsoft offers dial-in numbers for a wide range of countries. Depending on the license and configuration, toll or toll-free numbers can be available for different regions.

4. Conference Bridge

• Auto-Attendant and Prompts: When someone dials into a meeting, the conference bridge answers the call with a custom greeting and prompts them to enter the meeting’s conference ID. Optionally, you can require the organizer to enter a PIN to start the meeting.
• Customizable: Administrators can configure the behavior of the conference bridge, such as setting custom greetings, defining meeting start rules, and managing PIN settings.
• International Dial-In Numbers: A conference bridge can be set up with multiple phone numbers for different countries, allowing participants to dial in using a local or toll-free number.

5. Meeting Security

• Organizer PIN: For some meetings, you may require the organizer to authenticate by entering a PIN before the meeting can start. This prevents unauthorized individuals from starting the meeting when they dial in.
• Muting Participants: The meeting organizer has the ability to mute participants who have dialed in via phone, which is useful for maintaining order during large meetings.
• Lobby: Participants who dial in can be placed in a virtual lobby where they wait for the organizer to admit them to the meeting.

6. Meeting Controls for Dial-In Users

• Participant Commands: Participants who join via phone have access to touch-tone commands (DTMF). For example:
  • Mute/Unmute: Press *6 to mute or unmute.
  • Help Menu: Press *4 to hear a list of available commands.
  • Raise Hand: Dial *5 to raise or lower your hand in the meeting.

7. Custom Greetings and Hold Music

• Administrators can upload custom audio files for greetings or hold music, providing a branded or professional experience for participants waiting to join the meeting or when on hold.

8. Attendance and Reporting

• Participant List: Organizers can view a list of participants who joined the meeting via phone, including their phone numbers.
• Reports: Admins can generate reports to see the usage of audio conferencing, including the number of participants who dialed in, their locations, and the duration of the calls.

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Step-by-Step: How to Create and Manage an Audio Conference Bridge

Creating and managing an audio conference bridge in Microsoft Teams allows you to control how dial-in participants join meetings and configure the dial-in numbers and conference settings.

Step 1: Ensure the Appropriate Licensing

Before setting up audio conferencing, ensure that the Audio Conferencing License is assigned to the meeting organizer(s). This is required for any meeting that will offer dial-in capabilities.

• Go to the Microsoft 365 Admin Center.
• Assign the Audio Conferencing add-on license to the users who need to host meetings with dial-in capabilities.

Step 2: Access the Microsoft Teams Admin Center

1. Log in to the Microsoft Teams Admin Center with your admin credentials.
2. In the left-hand menu, navigate to Voice > Conference bridges.

Step 3: Set Up the Conference Bridge

1. Add Phone Numbers:
   • In the Conference bridges section, you will see a list of available phone numbers. These are the numbers participants can use to dial into meetings.
   • If you need to add more numbers (local or toll-free), click Add to select the numbers you want to assign to the conference bridge.
   • You can select specific numbers for different regions based on where your participants will be joining from.
2. Set Up Conference Bridge Settings:
   • Toll/Toll-Free Numbers: Choose whether you want to use toll numbers, toll-free numbers, or a combination of both. Toll-free numbers may incur additional costs.
   • Languages: Set the default language for the conference bridge. You can configure it to offer instructions in multiple languages, allowing participants to select their preferred language.
   • PIN Settings: Specify whether the meeting organizer must enter a PIN to start the meeting. The PIN helps ensure that only authorized users can start the meeting.
3. Customize Conference Bridge Options:
   • Entry and Exit Announcements: Enable or disable announcements when participants join or leave the meeting. This can be helpful for tracking participants in large meetings.
   • Meeting Start Without PIN: Choose whether the meeting can start without the organizer entering a PIN. If enabled, dial-in participants can join and wait in the lobby until the organizer arrives.

Step 4: Customize Greetings and Hold Music (Optional)

1. Custom Greetings:
   • If you want to provide a custom greeting to callers, you can upload an audio file (e.g., “Welcome to XYZ Corporation. Please enter your conference ID to join the meeting.”).
   • This is done under the Conference bridges section by selecting the bridge and uploading the audio file.
2. Hold Music:
   • Similarly, you can upload custom hold music to play while participants wait for the meeting to begin. This helps create a professional and branded meeting experience.

Step 5: Test the Conference Bridge

1. After setting up the conference bridge, test it by scheduling a Teams meeting with dial-in information.
2. Use a phone to dial the number assigned to the bridge, enter the conference ID, and check that the greeting, hold music, and PIN settings work as expected.

Step 6: Manage the Conference Bridge

1. Monitoring Usage:
   • Go to Analytics & Reports in the Teams Admin Center to track usage of the audio conferencing feature, including the number of participants who joined by phone and the duration of their participation.
2. Updating Bridge Settings:
   • If you need to change phone numbers, update greetings, or modify PIN requirements, you can return to the Conference bridges section at any time to make adjustments.

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Working and Usage Examples of Audio Conferencing

1. Remote Meetings with Limited Internet Access

• A remote employee with unreliable internet access dials into a weekly team meeting using the conference bridge’s toll-free number. The employee enters the provided conference ID and joins the audio portion of the meeting via phone.

2. Large Company-Wide Town Hall

• A company hosts a town hall meeting for employees across multiple regions. The meeting invite includes several local dial-in numbers for different countries. Employees without access to the Teams app join by dialing the local number, ensuring everyone can participate, regardless of their internet connectivity.

3. Bringing in External Participants via Dial-Out

• During a sales meeting, the organizer realizes a key client is unable to join via Teams. Using the dial-out feature, the organizer calls the client’s phone number directly from within the meeting, bringing them into the discussion via audio conferencing.

4. International Conference Call

• A global consulting firm holds a conference call with clients from different regions. Each client uses the local dial-in number provided for their country. The conference bridge recognizes their location and greets them in their preferred language.

5. Custom-Branded Client Meetings

• A law firm sets up custom greetings for its client meetings, ensuring that when clients dial in, they hear a branded message (e.g., “Welcome to XYZ Law Firm. Please enter the conference ID to join your meeting.”) before joining the call.

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Microsoft Teams Audio Conferencing enables seamless collaboration by allowing users to join meetings using traditional phone lines when access to the internet or the Teams app is unavailable. The feature is ideal for remote or mobile workers, large organizations with global operations, and situations where internet connectivity is unreliable.

By setting up a conference bridge with dial-in numbers, customizable greetings, and hold music, organizations can provide a professional and branded experience for their callers. Audio conferencing offers flexibility and accessibility, ensuring that all participants can easily join meetings from any location using just a phone.

Managing the conference bridge is straightforward through the Microsoft Teams Admin Center, allowing administrators to control dial-in settings, PIN requirements, and usage reporting.