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MS Teams General Admin - Skype and Teams Comparison and FAQ

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FEATURE 

SKYPE FOR BUSINESS 

TEAMS 

NOTES 

CALL ROUTING 

  

  

  

Contact Center Solution 

Overlay and integrated client 

Only overlay 

1 

Extension Dialing in Auto Attendant 

No 

Yes 

2 

Hunt Groups (Response Groups / Call Queues) 

Yes 

Yes, Teams Devices Only 

3 

INBOUND CALL FEATURES 

  

  

  

Call Recording 

Yes 

3rd Party

5

Call Park / Pickup 

Yes 

Yes, Teams Devices Only

  

Unassigned numbers / Forwarding 

Yes 

Not Native, Offered via Connect

  

OUTBOUND CALL FEATURES 

  

  

  

Caller ID Masking 

Yes 

Custom Masking Options

Masking via Resource Accounts  (Coming Soon)

6

User to User Extension dialing 

No 

Yes 

 

GENERAL FEATURES 

  

  

  

Separate Chat Windows

Yes 

Yes / Pop-out Chat

 

API Integration 

Yes 

Graph API 

4

VDI Media Redirection 

Yes 

Citrix HDX Only (Latest Versions)

7

Favorites / Speed Dial on Desk Phones 

Yes 

Yes, Teams Devices Only

 

Custom MoH 

Yes 

No 

8

DEVICES 

  

  

  

Desk Phones 

Yes 

Yes 

9, 10, 11,12

BToE 

Yes 

No, Replaced by BTOB

 

Overhead Paging 

Yes, via DID Calling or Multicast 

Yes, via DID Calling 

13

Multicast Paging through the phones 

Yes 

No 

14

Notes: 

  1. Contact Centers:  There are currently no integrated Contact Centers such as Clarity for SfB.  Overlay Contact Centers such as CT Cloud Contact Center and Five9 work with no issue, they just require you use their client in conjunction with the Teams client or a Teams phone. 

  2. Extensions can be configured in Teams, however, must be configured separately to be accessible via auto attendant. 

  3. Microsoft does not support Skype physical phones for answering Teams Call Queue calls, Only Teams Devices, Full PC client, full Mac client, iOS mobile client, and Android mobile client running on mobile phone with current OS is supported.

    • Current Teams Call Queue distribution methods are:

      • Broadcast 

      • Round Robin 

      • Serial (alphabetically – recommended to create A group, B group, C group, etc.  and add users to these groups to configure preferred call routing order) 

  4. Microsoft’s latest communication is that they plan on releasing the API for Teams in the future….  We should see native Teams solutions shortly after.  There are no known supportable Attendant Consoles currently.   

  5. On demand and automatic recording available for Direct Routing numbers only via CallTower's Customization process.  

  6. Caller ID Masking is currently only available using Microsoft Service numbers and not Direct Routing numbers. We currently don't support this configuration. A customer is free to pursue it on their own or contract us via SOW. Once this feature is available with Direct Routing we will fully support it. We have some custom options available as well.  

  7. Media Redirection is available for Virtual Desktop / thin client integration, This requires a special stand-alone installer for MS Teams however it can be accomplished requires Citrix HDX Latest Versions.  

  8. Currently there is no way to customize Music on Hold, it is controlled by Microsoft and only the default is available. 

  9. Headsets on a PC are recommended for Teams. 

  10. Supported Teams devices:  

    1. Yealink Native Teams devices: CP960, T56A, T58A, MP58, MP54

    2. Poly (formerly Polycom) Native Teams devices: CCX600, CCX500 CCX400, Trio C60

    3. Other Yealink (T4xS) and Polycom (VVX) devices can be used with basic functionality 

  11. Current issues with Handsets include:

    1. Inability to create three-way call from a Teams phone with E1 or E3 license. (Add Audio Conferencing)

    2. Call Queues are not supported for Skype Devices.

    3. Currently, there is no BTOE functionality for Teams or Skype Devices connecting to Teams, BTOE has been replaced with BTOB which is supported on the latest Teams Devices.

  12. All Teams phones require login.  Although they can be used for common area phones, CallTower recommends Cisco or CT Cloud Voice phones for common area phones in critical locations for emergency services (factory floor, etc.)

  13. Overhead paging is supported via integration with CT Cloud Voice 

  14. Teams phones do not support multicast paging.  Integration with IP speakers and CT Cloud Voice can be used for paging.