This article provides a high-level overview of the capabilities of the NHSmail Teams Phone System and the connection options that are available for organisations.
Important Note: NHSmail Teams Phone System is a standalone service and is separate from Teams Phone System for Outbound Calls.
This introductory guide will cover:
- What is the NHSmail Teams Phone System?
- Supported PSTN connection options
- Teams Phone System Power App
- Licencing and Onboarding
- Benefits
To access all Phone System related guidance materials and support content, including the NHSmail Teams Phone System Terms of Reference which details all organisational responsibilities when using the service please click here.
What is the NHSmail Teams Phone System?
The NHSmail Teams Phone System is a central tenant telephony capability, supporting external calling to Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) numbers directly from a user’s Teams client using their nhs.net address.
Organisations will be able to manage the NHSmail Teams Phone System via a custom-built Power App. The Power App provides similar functionality to the Microsoft Teams Admin Centre.
Please click to play the introduction video below.
Supported External Calling Options
There are currently two supported external calling (PSTN) connection options offered as part of the NHSmail Teams Phone System capability. It is the organisations’ responsibility to assess which strategy is best suited to their requirements.
Microsoft Calling Plans
Calling Plan is Microsoft’s all-in-the-cloud voice solution for NHSmail Teams users. It connects Microsoft Phone System to the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) enabling calls to landlines and mobile phones around the world.
For more information on onboarding to NHSmail Phone System with Calling Plans, click here.
Direct Routing
Direct Routing is a way to provide connection to and from Microsoft Phone Systems to the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN). It allows you to make and deliver calls externally by connecting a third-party telephone system using a supported and customer-provided gateway (Session Border Controller) to enable voice calling features.
For more information on onboarding to NHSmail Phone System with Direct Routing, click here.
Important Note: It is the responsibility of participating organisations to work with their network service providers to ensure configuration can support Phone System traffic.
Important Note: Emergency calling is not supported and should not be used on the NHSmail Teams Phone System platform. Organisations should have dedicated line(s) for emergency calling purposes.
NHSmail Teams Phone System Power App
The NHSmail Teams Phone System Power App is custom-built, providing the functionality for an organisation to manage Phone System features for their organisation through an intuitive user interface. The Power App enables Primary and Local Phone System Admins to complete all necessary administrative tasks such as the creation, editing and deletion of Phone System policies, as well as providing functionality to order numbers, manage users and review reporting data.
Licencing and Onboarding
Licences are required to successfully use NHSmail Teams Phone System. For a full list of the licencing required for both Calling Plans and Direct Routing, please see this article.
Organisations will need to submit an Onboarding Request via Helpdesk Self Service to join the service. Onboarding slots will be provided on a first-come first-served basis. For further details on the onboarding process as well as important prerequisite and onboarding considerations for both Calling Plans and Direct Routing, please refer to the below Onboarding Guides:
Benefits
NHSmail Teams Phone System offers the following benefits to NHSmail organisations:
- Consolidation of enterprise voice capability to a single client for call handling
- Direct integration with the NHSmail central tenant
- Supported PSTN connection options to provide flexibility for organisations in choosing an option that suits their requirements
- A custom-built Power App replicating much of the functionality available within the Microsoft Teams Admin Centre
NHSmail Teams Phone System Launch & Deep Dive Webinar
| Last Reviewed Date | 20/04/2023 |
