Managing phone numbers in an organization involves assigning, tracking, and reassigning them to users, services, or conferencing bridges. It includes direct inward dialing (DID) and toll-free numbers, which are available from your service provider or Microsoft Teams, and is an important aspect of the MS-700 Managing Microsoft Teams exam.
Assigning Numbers
As an organization, you should only receive phone numbers in Teams Admin Centre or using PowerShell if they’re for your direct users, auto attendants, call queues, conference bridges, or operator connect.
To assign in Teams Admin Centre, navigate to Voice > Direct Routing. From the ‘Available Numbers’ section, assign the number to the user. If PowerShell is your preferred method, use the `Set-CsPhoneNumberAssignment` cmdlet.
Set-CsPhoneNumberAssignment -Identity "
Type TeamsAutoAttendant -PhoneNumberApplicationId "
In this example, <PhoneNumber> is the number you’re assigning, and <autoattendantID> is the ID of the auto attendant to which you’re assigning the number.
Managing Numbers
Managing numbers involves tracking and reassigning. You can see the list of phone numbers in Teams admin center (Teams admin center > Voice > Phone Numbers). Here, you can see whether the number is assigned to a user or service.
Use PowerShell to find information about a specific number using the `Get-CsPhoneNumberAssignment` cmdlet.
Get-CsPhoneNumberAssignment -Identity "
<PhoneNumber> in this example represents the number whose information you’d like to retrieve.
The `Remove-CsPhoneNumberAssignment` cmdlet will allow you to remove an assignment:
Remove-CsPhoneNumberAssignment -TelephoneNumber "
In this case, <PhoneNumber> is the number you’d like to unassign.
Managing Conferencing Bridges
Microsoft Teams allows you to set up conference bridges with dedicated phone numbers. This allows users to dial into the conference bridge from any device, promoting easy collaboration, regardless of an attendees’ location.
To manage these numbers, navigate to the Teams admin center, then to ‘Meetings’ > ‘Conference Bridges’. Here, you’ll see a list of all your dial-in numbers, along with the languages supported by each. A phone number can’t be assigned to a user if it’s assigned to a conference bridge.
Phone number management is an important aspect of the MS-700 exam, highlighting the importance of setup and control over how phone numbers are used. A well-configured system can ensure seamless communication in several languages and differing global locations. Using this knowledge will assist in preparing for the MS-700 Managing Microsoft Teams examination.
Practice Test
True or False: You can add, change or remove phone numbers for a user from the Microsoft Teams admin center.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: From Microsoft Teams admin center, you can add, change, or remove phone numbers for a user.
The Microsoft Teams admin center allows you to:
- A) Add phone numbers for a user
- B) Remove phone numbers for a user
- C) Change phone numbers for a user
- D) All of the above
Answer: D) All of the above
Explanation: Microsoft Teams admin center allows you to manage phone numbers for users, including adding, removing and changing numbers.
True or False: You can provision phone numbers for conferencing bridges.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: You can indeed provision phone numbers for conferencing bridges in your organization, allowing for better connection and communication.
In which scenarios can you manage phone numbers for services in Microsoft Teams?
- A) If you have administrative rights
- B) If the service supports it
- C) If you want to
- D) If the user allows it
Answer: A) If you have administrative rights and B) If the service supports it
Explanation: Not every service in Microsoft Teams allows for phone number management, and one must have administrative rights to do so.
You can’t provision and manage phone numbers for conferencing bridges directly from the Microsoft Teams admin center: True/False?
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: You can provision and manage phone numbers for conferencing bridges directly from the Microsoft Teams admin center.
True or False: You can’t assign or remove direct phone numbers for a service.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: Direct phone numbers for a service can be assigned or removed, ensuring the service is reachable as required.
Which of these services can be managed through the Teams admin center?
- A) Users
- B) Phone numbers
- C) Conferencing bridges
- D) All of the above
Answer: D) All of the above
Explanation: The Teams admin center allows you to manage users, phone numbers, and conferencing bridges within your organization.
How can you provide users with phone numbers from the Teams admin center?
- A) Manually
- B) Auto-assign
- C) Both of these
Answer: C) Both of these
Explanation: You can provide users with phone numbers from the Teams admin center both manually and automatically.
True or False: A user can provision phone numbers for themselves in Teams.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: Only administrators have the rights to provision phone numbers for users in Teams.
For providing users with phone system features in Teams, which license must be assigned?
- A) Teams free license
- B) Teams Phone System license
- C) Teams Basic license
- D) Teams Premium license
Answer: B) Teams Phone System license
Explanation: The Teams Phone System license must be assigned to provide phone system features in Teams.
True or False: You can change a direct phone number for a user but you can’t remove it.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: You can add, change or remove direct phone numbers for a user.
Phone numbers managed in Teams can be used for:
- A) Voice calls
- B) Video calls
- C) Conferencing bridges
- D) All of the above
Answer: D) All of the above
Explanation: Phone numbers managed from Teams admin center can be used for voice calls, video calls and conferencing bridges.
True or False: You can assign a direct phone number for a Teams user even if the Teams Phone System license isn’t assigned.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: The user must be assigned the Teams Phone System license before you can assign a direct phone number.
True or False: Only the Teams admin has the ability to manage phone numbers for conferencing bridges.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: Only administrators with the appropriate rights have the capacity to manage phone numbers for conferencing bridges.
Teams phone numbers must be from:
- A) The same country as the user
- B) Any country
Answer: B) Any country
Explanation: Teams provides phone numbers from a pool that can be from any country, regardless of the user’s location.
Interview Questions
What is a Direct Routing in the context of managing organizational phone numbers for users in Microsoft Teams?
Direct Routing is a feature that allows you to connect your own telephony carrier directly with Teams, thus bypassing the need for offering calling plans provided by Microsoft.
How can you assign a phone number to a user in Microsoft Teams?
You can assign a phone number to a user in Microsoft Teams by going to the Microsoft Teams admin center, choosing ‘Voice’ then ‘Phone numbers’, selecting the number you want to assign and clicking ‘Assign’.
What is a conferencing bridge in Microsoft Teams?
A conferencing bridge in Microsoft Teams refers to the dial-in phone numbers that participants can use to join Teams meetings, regardless of their location.
Can you change the settings for a conferencing bridge in Microsoft Teams?
Yes, Microsoft allows administrators to change the settings for a conferencing bridge, including modifying the default settings or adding additional dial-in numbers.
How can you obtain new phone numbers for your organization in Microsoft Teams?
To obtain new phone numbers, an organization must request them from Microsoft unless they are using Direct Routing.
What is a Service number in Microsoft Teams?
Service numbers in Microsoft Teams are numbers that can receive, send, and be assigned to services like Auto Attendants and Call Queues, or can be used as a conferencing bridge.
Where can administrators manage phone numbers in Microsoft Teams?
Phone numbers can be managed in the Teams admin center, under the ‘Voice’ section.
What does Phone System Direct Routing allow?
Phone System Direct Routing enables Teams users to make, receive, and transfer calls in Teams using the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN).
What is a Communications Credits feature in Microsoft Teams?
Communications Credits is a pay-per-minute consumption offering that enables you to pay for what you use in terms of minutes or SMS.
Can administrators port existing phone numbers to Teams?
Yes, administrators can port or transfer existing phone numbers from your current service provider to Teams.
How can administrators manage phone system settings in Microsoft Teams?
Administrators can manage phone system settings in Microsoft Teams through the Teams admin center, under the ‘Voice’ section.
What is Operator Connect in Microsoft Teams?
Operator Connect is a way to connect Teams to the existing telephone network using operator-provided lines, making it possible for Teams users to make, receive, and transfer calls.
Can a single phone number be assigned to multiple users in Microsoft Teams?
No. In Microsoft Teams, a single phone number can only be assigned to a single user or service.
How are emergency locations managed in Microsoft Teams?
Emergency locations are managed through the Microsoft Teams admin center, under the ‘Voice’ > ‘Emergency addresses’ and ‘Emergency locations’ sections.
How is Direct Routing enabled in Microsoft Teams?
Direct Routing is enabled by pairing a supported Session Border Controller (SBC) with the Teams service.