7 THINGS TO ASK FOR IN A MICROSOFT TEAMS PHONE

With over 20 million daily active users across 500,000 organizations, Microsoft Teams is the fastest growing communication and collaboration platform in the world. Many IP PBX customers we speak to are looking into replacing their aging phone systems and phones, or migrating existing phones from Skype for Business to native Microsoft Teams experience. With so many options available, we wanted to lay out the important features that IT decision makers should look for in a Microsoft Teams phone.

1. CRISP, CLEAR AUDIO

Have you ever wondered why some calls sound better than others? The phone you use makes a difference. For decades, the majority of telephones and cellphones had a frequency range of 300 to 3400 Hz. In the office, many phones support wideband audio, typically topping out at 7 kHz. Poly CCX 500 and Poly CCX 600 have an industry-best range of 100Hz to 20kHz—that’s nearly three times the frequency range on the top end compared to other phones, one the key reasons why most customers appreciate Poly’s signature audio experience.

2. SUPPORTS BOTH SKYPE FOR BUSINESS AND MICROSOFT TEAMS

If you’re running your phone services on Skype for Business today, you may soon start migrating to Microsoft Teams. Still, you need new phones as your business grows. If you need to purchase new phones ahead of your move to Microsoft Teams, it’s important to plan ahead and select phones that can run both profiles without having to do a software firmware update.

The Poly CCX 500 and CCX 600 can run both Skype for Business and Teams on the same firmware release (just not at the same time). Poly CCX 400 currently runs only Microsoft Teams, but there is an upcoming software release that will allow it to run both Skype for Business and Microsoft Teams.

3. INTEGRATED BLUETOOTH

Most users prefer a Bluetooth headset that they can connect to more than one device throughout the day. Having integrated Bluetooth in the phone itself is a feature of both CCX 500 and CCX 600 phones. These two phones also have two USB ports (type A and type C), an RJ9 headset port, and an EHS (electronic hook switch) port, so there are many ways to connect headsets of all types—though I’m sure you’ll love making your headset a Poly headset.

4. FAST ANDROID 9 PERFORMANCE

Poly designed the CCX series phones with fast performance and future features in mind — starting with Android 9 capable chip sets. These promise a longer lifespan than previous model phones from other vendors that started with Android 5. It’s hard to predict exactly, but it’s likely that desirable new features coming down the line will not be supported on devices operating with Android 5 or 7.

5. ADVANCED NOISE BLOCKING FEATURES

In open offices or remote working scenarios, outside noise can be a big problem. An important part of the Poly signature audio experience is noise blocking. Our Poly Acoustic Fence feature removes distracting background conversations and noise— chatter that your callers will hear on other vendor phones that don’t support this feature. Using a headset like the Poly Blackwire 7225 with active noise canceling (ANC) connected to your CCX phone takes removing noise to another level (on your end and the far end).

6. INTEGRATED WIFI

Imagine you are moving into a trendy new office converted from an old warehouse with high-end designer touches—but it’s not wired for Ethernet (doh!). The CCX 600 will be the easy choice with built-in WiFi. Spend just a little more on the phone and save a lot on LAN cabling costs. Even fully wired offices will have some locations that are hard to cable. Or, an executive might want their desk in a different location—not near the LAN jack. We’ve got you covered.

7. HEADSET OPTIONS FOR YOUR PHONE

In the case that you have decided that nearly everyone in the office will need a phone (a topic we’ll explore in a future blog post), you should keep in mind that your Millennial and Gen Z employees will likely prefer a headset over and handset. Not only is a headset a more familiar way of using a phone for younger generations, but headsets offer a better experience to all your employees, regardless of their age. One significant benefit is that you have two hands free to type while you are on your call. The new Poly CCX phones give you choices. You can select CCX 500 and CCX 600 phones with or without a handset—an industry first!

The question is, what phone-headset combo is right for you?

WANT TO LEARN MORE?

Need a headset for the phone you’re currently using? Check out our compatibility guide to find the right corded or wireless headset to pair with your phone—regardless of vendor.

For more information on Poly CCX Phones, Microsoft Teams Edition, email us at marketing@visitelecom.asia