RBI Cloud Connect's Microsoft Teams Phone Connector closes those gaps. It plugs your Hosted PBX straight into Teams so calling, voicemail and messaging sit together in one place, and it comes with your current plan at no extra cost.
The Hidden Cost of Two Separate Platforms
If business calls come in on one system while teamwork happens in another, staff lose a surprising chunk of their day hopping from tool to tool. A customer phones through the phone system, yet the follow-up gets organized in Teams. Messages slip by because they arrived in the other app. A salesperson flips between a softphone and Teams just to wrap up one client conversation. Each of these seems minor by itself, but together they slow responses and make the client experience uneven.
Then there is the expense. Businesses wanting to call outside numbers from Teams are frequently steered to a Microsoft Calling Plan, paid for on top of the phone system they already have. That leaves them with two voice services that overlap, and neither one gives the truly unified experience the business needs.
Remote and hybrid work widens the gap further. When staff can't reach the PBX away from the office, many end up making business calls from their personal mobile numbers. Callers get an inconsistent experience, business conversations become hard to track, and personal and work life start to blur.
What You Get with the Teams Phone Connector
Because the Microsoft Teams Phone Connector works through Direct Routing, you don't need a Microsoft Calling Plan. RBI Cloud Connect takes care of call routing, number management and phone features at the carrier level and delivers them right inside Teams.
Licensing is easier than people expect. Teams Phone is already part of Microsoft 365 E5, so E5 users need nothing more. E3, Business and comparable plans just need the standalone Teams Phone Standard add-on and nothing else. The Phone Connector is included in your RBI Cloud Connect plan, with no activation fee and no hardware to buy.
Once it's connected, your team can:
- Check voicemail, call history and SMS without leaving Teams
- Place and take outside calls on the business number from a desktop, phone or tablet
- Show clients the same outbound caller ID wherever an employee happens to be working
- Work together during a live call, bringing in a colleague or jumping to a video meeting without changing platforms, which helps service and sales teams
- Have every communication recorded through RBI Cloud Connect for reliable records and visibility for managers
Learn more about what PBX integration with Microsoft Teams delivers.
One Setting Away from One Platform
These problems aren't tied to any particular industry or team size. They are what naturally happens when two strong platforms built to work together are left running apart. Time wasted switching screens, money spent on duplicate licences and professionalism lost to remote workarounds all pile up quietly, and the cause is seldom traced back to the communication setup behind them.
RBI Cloud Connect customers can close that gap without a new vendor, a migration project or a new budget line. All it takes is switching on a feature that already comes with the plan. Ask our team to turn it on.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a Microsoft Calling Plan to make outside calls in Teams?
No. The Teams Phone Connector uses Direct Routing, so a Microsoft Calling Plan isn't required.
Which Microsoft licence do I need?
Microsoft 365 E5 already includes Teams Phone. E3, Business and similar plans only need the standalone Teams Phone Standard add-on.
Does the Phone Connector cost extra?
No. It is already part of your RBI Cloud Connect plan, with no activation fees or hardware purchases.
