BUSINESS PHONE SYSTEMS
Microsoft Teams Phone for new installs. Carrier-backed support for the system you already have.
One platform we deploy. Existing systems supported when the carrier still provides backline.
For new phone-system installs we deploy Microsoft Teams Phone exclusively. For businesses already running another platform, we will support what you have when the original carrier or vendor still provides backline support, so when something breaks beneath our layer we have someone to call.
- Microsoft Teams Phone for new deployments
- Existing systems supported with carrier backline
- Most cutovers run 4 to 8 weeks end to end
The phone system is the part of the office most people only think about when it stops working. For new deployments we standardize on Microsoft Teams Phone because the integration with the rest of the Microsoft 365 environment is genuinely better than the alternatives, and because supporting one platform deeply is how we keep service consistent across more than a hundred Charlotte clients. For existing systems we are more careful: we will only take on a platform that still has its original carrier or vendor providing backline support. When something breaks beneath our layer of administration, we need a real path to fix it.
Why Teams Phone for new installs.
Microsoft Teams Phone runs on the same Microsoft 365 tenant your team already uses for email, chat, and document collaboration. Calls go through the same identity, the same security policies, the same audit log, and the same management console as everything else. There is no separate phone-system island sitting next to the rest of your environment with its own login and its own admin team.
For most small and mid-sized Charlotte businesses, the integration argument is the practical one. Voicemail in the same inbox as email, transcription on by default, screen sharing live in a call without switching tools, and number routing managed in the same admin center as your conditional access policies. Plus the per-user pricing is competitive with traditional voice over internet protocol platforms once you compare the all-in number, not just the line item.
For new phone-system installs we will not deploy a different platform. Standardizing is how we keep service consistent across more than a hundred client environments. Other platforms exist; they are not what we install.
Two paths, one engagement type per path.
Where your business sits today determines which path applies. We are direct about what we install and what we support so prospects route themselves correctly in the first conversation.
Microsoft Teams Phone deployment.
If you are designing a new phone system or replacing an aging legacy platform, we deploy Teams Phone. End-to-end implementation under one engagement letter.
What is in the engagement:- Discovery and call-flow design against your current routing
- Calling plan or direct-routing decision based on the math
- Number porting from the existing carrier in staged windows
- Auto-attendant, hunt groups, and queue configuration
- Handsets and conference-room hardware sourced and deployed
- End-user training and a documented runbook for your admin
Support for what you have, with one condition.
If you are joining us as a managed services client and already run a phone system, we will support it as long as the original carrier or vendor still provides backline support. When something breaks beneath our layer of administration, we need a real path to fix it.
What that means in practice:- Day-to-day administration: user adds, call-flow tweaks, voicemail, hunt groups
- End-user support tickets routed through the same helpdesk as the rest of your IT
- Carrier coordination when a problem reaches the platform itself
- Required: an active carrier or vendor support contract on the platform
- Not supported: orphaned platforms with no backline (legacy private branch exchange systems, vendors that have shut down, on-premises systems past end of life)
- If the existing system is unsupported, we will scope a Teams Phone migration as a separate project
What goes into a Teams Phone implementation.
Six pieces of work scoped together as one project. Most cutovers run four to eight weeks from kickoff to the day the old system is decommissioned.
Discovery and call-flow design
We map every phone number, hunt group, auto-attendant, and call-routing rule on the current system. Most environments have grown organically and nobody has the full picture documented. The discovery output becomes the design for the new system, with anything obviously broken called out for cleanup during the cutover.
Calling plan or direct routing decision
Microsoft Calling Plans are simpler operationally; direct routing through a third-party session initiation protocol carrier is often cheaper at scale. We model both against your actual minute usage and recommend the path that wins the math, with the recommendation in writing so leadership can review the choice.
Number porting
Numbers ported from the existing carrier in staged windows so call routing stays intact through the cutover. Main lines and high-traffic numbers ported in a planned after-hours window with a documented rollback path. Direct dial numbers can move in batches over a planned schedule that does not require everyone to be off the phones at once.
Auto-attendant, hunt groups, and queue configuration
Greetings recorded, business-hours and after-hours routing set, hunt groups configured against the org chart, and queue overflow rules documented. We will not just replicate the old system if the old system was a mess. The cutover is the right time to clean up the routing that everyone has been working around for years.
Handsets and conference-room hardware
Most users are on the desktop or mobile Teams app and do not need a handset, but some roles still want one. We source Teams-certified handsets from our distributor accounts, deploy them, and configure them. Conference rooms get certified Teams Rooms hardware so meetings work the same in a conference room as on a laptop.
End-user training and admin runbook
Live training sessions for end users on how to use the desktop and mobile Teams apps for calling, plus a written runbook for your internal admin covering the day-to-day tasks (user adds, hunt-group changes, greeting updates). The runbook is yours regardless of who runs the system afterward.
How phone system pricing works.
Three pieces priced separately. The implementation is a fixed-fee project; the platform is per user per month; supported existing systems run on a small monthly retainer plus carrier costs.
For new installs. Discovery, design, number porting, call-flow configuration, handset and conference-room setup, training, and a documented admin runbook. Quoted as a single project number with hardware itemized separately. Most implementations run four to eight weeks end to end.
Microsoft 365 license plus the Teams Phone add-on if your existing license tier does not include it, sourced through Pax8 at Microsoft MSRP. We do not mark up Microsoft licensing. Calling plan minutes priced per user against your actual usage profile, or direct-routing carrier costs if that path won the math during design.
For Path B engagements. Day-to-day administration of a phone system already in place, with the requirement that the carrier or vendor still provides backline support on the platform. Priced as a small monthly retainer per user; carrier costs continue to be billed by the carrier directly.
Active managed services clients get reduced hours on the Teams Phone implementation because the Microsoft 365 tenant context and identity work is already in place. Standalone projects are quoted in writing before any work begins.
Why this is the right approach.
Standardizing on one platform we know cold for new installs, plus an honest stance on what we will and will not take on for existing systems.
Same management plane as the rest of Microsoft 365
For Teams Phone deployments, the phone system runs on the same tenant as email, chat, identity, and security. One admin center, one identity, one set of audit logs. The phone system stops being a separate island that someone has to remember to manage.
One platform we know cold
Standardizing on Teams Phone for new installs means our team has deep operational experience across the platform. Edge cases, carrier handoff details, configuration patterns that work and ones that look fine in the admin center but cause problems in production. That depth is what consistent service looks like.
Carrier backline is non-negotiable on supported systems
For existing systems we take over, the carrier or vendor must still provide backline support. The reason is concrete: when something breaks at a layer below our administration, we need a real engineer at the platform vendor or carrier to call. Without that, we are guessing on a problem someone else built. We will not put a client through that experience.
Documented for the next person
Every implementation includes a written runbook covering the day-to-day administrative tasks (user adds, hunt-group changes, greeting updates, queue overflow rules). The runbook is yours regardless of who runs the system afterward. If you ever take phone-system management in house or move it to another vendor, the documentation goes with you.
Frequently asked questions.
Can we keep our existing phone numbers?
Yes. Number porting is part of every implementation; we move numbers from the existing carrier in staged windows so call routing stays intact through the cutover. Main numbers and high-traffic lines move in a planned after-hours window with a documented rollback path. Direct dial numbers move in batches.
What if our existing phone system is unsupported by the original carrier?
We will not take it on as-is. The honest reason: when something breaks at the platform layer beneath our administration, we need a real engineer at the vendor or carrier to call, and an unsupported platform does not give us that. The path forward is a Teams Phone migration scoped as a separate project. We can run the existing platform in a limited “keep it alive until cutover” mode while the migration is being planned.
Does Teams Phone work for remote employees?
Yes. The desktop and mobile Teams apps make and receive calls anywhere there is internet. Remote employees get the same business phone number, same voicemail, same call routing, and same caller identification as employees in the office. There is no separate “softphone” license to buy; the Teams app handles it.
What happens during an internet outage?
Teams Phone needs internet to make and receive calls. During an outage, calls fail over to the mobile Teams app on cellular data, which keeps individuals reachable. Main lines and auto-attendants can be configured with carrier-side failover to a designated mobile number or alternate site if uptime on the main number is critical. We design the failover during implementation against the business continuity requirements you actually have.
How does emergency 911 work with Teams Phone?
Microsoft handles dynamic location updates so emergency dispatchers receive the correct address when a Teams Phone user dials emergency services. For mobile or work-from-home users, location is captured from the network they are connected to. Implementation includes the location data setup and a verification call before cutover to confirm the routing works for every primary location.
Can we record calls?
Yes, with appropriate setup. Microsoft Teams supports compliance call recording natively, with retention and access controls managed in the Microsoft 365 compliance center. North Carolina is a one-party-consent state for call recording, but the policy framework around recording employees and customers should be documented separately. We can configure call recording when the policy framework is in place.
How long does an implementation take?
Most Teams Phone implementations run four to eight weeks from kickoff to the day the old system is decommissioned. Discovery and design takes the first one to two weeks; calling plan or direct routing decision and procurement runs in parallel; number porting requires lead time from the carriers (typically two to four weeks); the actual cutover is a planned weekend or after-hours window. Larger or multi-site implementations scale up from there.
What about toll-free numbers and fax?
Toll-free numbers port the same way regular numbers do; we handle them as part of the implementation. Fax is more situational. Most clients moving to Teams Phone replace traditional fax with email-to-fax or efax services. For environments that genuinely still need a physical fax line (some healthcare and legal use cases), we keep a dedicated analog adapter or maintain a single legacy line for fax-only.
Let’s talk about your phone system.
Tell us whether you are designing something new or running something you want supported. We will scope the right shape of engagement and tell you upfront whether your existing platform still has the carrier-side support we need to take it on. The first conversation is free.
Or call us:
(704) 333-0404
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