Microsoft has announced the launch of a new phone system for business customers, Microsoft 365 Business Voice, which is now available in Canada and the UK. This phone system combines calling, chats, meetings, calendar and e-mail functions. The solution also deploys Microsoft artificial intelligence (AI) technology to automatically transcribe voicemail, translate chat messages, and add captions to meetings in real time.
According to the announcement, Microsoft 365 Business Voice is a cloud-based system that has been designed as a complete cooperation package for enterprises with up to 300 users. The phone system integrates with Office 365 and uses Microsoft Teams in order to function across computers, desk phones and smartphones, allowing customers to make calls from anywhere.
“Today’s businesses need communication and collaboration tools that are easy to use and designed to work together,” Microsoft stated in a blog post. “That’s why we built Microsoft 365 Business Voice, a cloud-based phone system for businesses with up to 300 users that enables you to call any phone number.”
Additionally, Business Voice also features the ability to add a dial-in number to meetings, seamless collaboration in Office programs such as Outlook, Word, Excel and PowerPoint during calls and meetings, and also turn chats into meetings with one click. Moreover, the customers can start, schedule and join meetings directly from Outlook.
Microsoft said that a “getting started wizard” will help users to set up new phone numbers, and those who already use Office 365 can manage Business Voice from the same administrative console as their other O365 services. Centered around Microsoft Teams, which is used by more than 13 million people every day, Business Voice is available in 53 languages across 181 markets. Companies such as Emirates, FedEx, Lexmark, The Adecco Group, KONE, and McCann Worldgroup are already using this service.
Microsoft 365 Business Voice can be purchased directly from Microsoft, or through their IT partner Cobweb in the UK. The following third-party providers are enabling Business Voice for resellers – Vuzion, Tech Data UK and Canada, Ingram Micro and Giacom.
