We Made You A Teams Phone Migration Plan

Moving from an on-premises PBX, or even a competing cloud provider, to Teams Phone is often the last part of the Microsoft Teams journey.

When thinking about why Teams Phone isn’t more popular, we draw conclusions that even when someone does need it, and it makes financial sense to migrate, it’s complex to prepare and commit.

In this post, we detail the 10 major milestones you must not skip when building your Teams Phone migration plan.

1. Audit your existing environment

Since you installed your current PBX or turned on your cloud telephony service, there’s a good chance that multiple administrators have worked on it/owned it. 

If you’re one of those organizations, it can be eye opening of how much drift has happened within the system. 

There may be:

• Old extensions
• Trunks
• Hunt groups
• Custom routing tables

that are no longer being used. Without a full audit of the system, it is tough to know what needs to be moved and what needs to be pruned.

Utilizing automated tools, like Univonix, to do a discovery and gap analysis of the existing platform can speed the migration along by giving you an idea of what can be done quickly and what doesn’t need to be brought forward.

“Univonix is working out to be a great tool. Trying to do a large migration without it would be much more challenging.” – Director of IT Infrastructure, State/Local Government.

2. Communicate changes early

The key to getting buy-in from executives and users alike is letting them know why you’re migrating to Teams Phone and what the benefits are to them.

If your C-suite team understands the cost savings associated with going all-in on Microsoft Teams and users appreciate the enhanced functionality, there’s a higher chance they’ll co-operate when it comes to procurement, pilot programs, and offboarding old technology.

Especially in the case of users, who may not care about the figures and cost savings, it’s important to detail the integration possibilities at a high level. 

If there are to be changes to the way they work, send an all-staff email with key milestones for introductions of pilot programs, training, and migration dates.

A crucial element here is to make it clear that they must change as legacy technology is being discontinued.

Pro Tip: Create a stakeholder matrix to decide who to keep informed occasionally and who needs more attention than others. From here, plan your email communication plan for months out, week out, and days out.

3. Work out your licensing

The Teams licensing is complex at the best of times. If you’ve already got E5 then you’ve likely got everything you need for basic Teams Phone enablement.

If you’re not an E5 subscriber, you likely need E3 + Teams Phone + a PSTN connectivity method.

Teams Phone Pricing (as of 2025):

Teams Phone is included with Microsoft 365 E5 and Office 365 E5 (annual billing).

If you’re not an E5 subscriber, pricing varies:

• Teams Phone Standard: $10 per user/month
• Frontline Workers: $5 per user/month
• With Calling Plan (US/UK/Canada): $17 per user/month
• With Calling Plan (outside US/UK/Canada): $22 per user/month
• With Domestic & International Calling: $34 per user/month
• Teams Rooms Pro: $40 per room/month

Teams Phone Billing Changes

Starting April 1, 2025, monthly billing plans for annual term subscriptions will incur a 5% price increase compared to upfront annual billing.

As you can see, Teams Phone pricing changes on a regular basis. It’s also dependent on whether you qualify as a non-profit or government organization. There are also region-specific variations that apply.

To demonstrate the fluctuation, we’ve included a heavily-prompted and cross-referenced Copilot-created image to depict the pricing. How long this will remain accurate is anyone’s guess.

Always as your Teams contact and/or triple check the current pricing when adding Teams Phone licenses.

Recommend Reading: How To Extend The ROI Of Your Microsoft Teams Investment

4. Select your connectivity 

When you’ve planned which licenses you need, it’s time to think about PSTN connectivity.

Here, you have four options to choose from:

Operator Connect

• Allows organizations to connect their existing telephony provider directly to Microsoft Teams.
• Simplifies setup with no on-premises equipment required.
• Managed through the Teams Admin Center for streamlined provisioning and management.
• Offers carrier-grade reliability and support from certified telecom operators.

Direct Routing

• Enables integration of Teams with a customer’s own Session Border Controller (SBC).
• Offers maximum flexibility to use any telephony provider.
• Ideal for complex or hybrid environments with custom routing needs.
• Requires more technical setup and ongoing management compared to Operator Connect.

Microsoft Calling Plan

• A Microsoft-managed telephony service that provides phone numbers and calling minutes.
• Simplest option for organizations without existing telephony infrastructure.
• Fully cloud-based and managed within Microsoft 365.
• Available in select countries and regions.

Teams Phone Mobile

• Extends Teams Phone capabilities to mobile networks via SIM-enabled devices.
• Allows users to use a single number for both mobile and Teams calls.
• Seamlessly switches between mobile and Teams networks based on availability.
• Ideal for frontline workers and mobile-first users.

Each business will have its own unique requirements. Here, it’s best to consult a Teams consultant and/or MVP that specializes in Teams Phone if you’re not fully accustomed to the nuances of each Teams PSTN connectivity option.

5. Make a decision on devices

While one of the most obvious benefits to using Teams Phone (or any cloud PBX, to be honest) is the removal of reliance on hardware, there is a high chance you need to retain or buy hardware:

Think about existing devices:

• Analog devices (need connecting to the SIP gateway with analog adapters)
• Paging systems (needs manual workaround most of the time)
• Conference phones (need reconfiguration)
• Desk phones (are these Microsoft-certified?)

You may need new devices: 

• Desk phones for frontline or reception staff: Some roles benefit from the tactile experience and quick access of a physical handset. Look for Microsoft Teams-certified phones to ensure compatibility and support.
• Conference room equipment: For high-quality audio in meeting rooms, consider Teams-certified speakerphones or conference bars that integrate with Teams Rooms setups.
• Headsets and speakerphones: For hybrid and remote workers, investing in Teams-certified headsets or speakerphones can significantly improve call quality and reduce background noise.
• Mobile devices: If your workforce is frequently on the move, ensure they have access to smartphones or tablets that support the Teams app with reliable connectivity.
• Specialty devices: Think about handsets for warehouses, rugged devices for field workers, or wall-mounted phones for common areas.

When planning your device strategy, consider:

• User personas: Map out who needs what based on their role and work environment.
• Device management: Choose devices that can be centrally managed through Microsoft Teams Admin Center or Intune.
• Future-proofing: Opt for hardware that supports firmware updates and long-term Teams compatibility.

6. Don’t forget meeting rooms and communal areas

Microsoft has a dedicated component named Microsoft Teams Rooms. Here, you can set up your conference rooms with enhanced functionality available outside of Teams Phone.

Conference rooms

Microsoft Teams Rooms (MTR) devices come in two flavours—Windows and Android—and both give users the same “walk in, tap once, you’re in” experience.

A certified bundle typically includes a compute module, touch console, intelligent camera, and beam-forming microphones. Add-ons like content cameras for analog whiteboards or ceiling mics for boardrooms can be layered on as required.

• One-touch & proximity join: join scheduled or ad-hoc meetings, or “push” a meeting from a laptop to the room.
• Inclusive layouts: Front Row, Large Gallery, Together Mode, dual-screen support and spatial audio keep hybrid meetings equitable.
• Cross-platform: direct guest join lets you enter Zoom or Webex calls without new hardware.

Communal and transitional areas

Break rooms, reception phones, loading-bay intercoms and even lift or door phones still need dial-tone—and often a very different hardware approach. These may require analog adapters or connecting to the SIP gateway.

Analogue and specialist endpoints

Legacy fax machines, warehouse horns, and analogue lift phones connect via an ATA (e.g., AudioCodes MP-112) registered through the Microsoft SIP Gateway. 

Note: Only “voice traffic” is deemed as supported by Microsoft via its SIP gateway.

Paging and DECT systems

Certified DECT handsets from vendors like Spectralink and Ascom now register natively through the SIP Gateway—ideal for nurses’ stations or shop-floor supervisors.

Wide-area paging amps can sit behind the same ATA, giving Teams users a simple “call the paging group” workflow.

7. Plan for E911

Emergency calling compliance is not just a best practice—it’s a legal requirement in many jurisdictions. 

Planning for Enhanced 911 (E911) capabilities is crucial before rolling out Teams Phone, as it ensures your organization can meet regulatory requirements while keeping employees safe.

Legal Requirements

In the United States, regulations like Kari’s Law and RAY BAUM’s Act mandate specific emergency calling capabilities for multi-line telephone systems. 

These laws require:

• Direct dialing to 911 without needing access codes or prefixes
• Automatic notification of on-premises personnel when emergency calls are made
• Provision of accurate location information to emergency services

When configuring E911, make sure you:

• Enter names and business addresses for every Teams user in the Teams Admin Center.
• Enable dynamic (location-specific) emergency calling in premises with multiple floors, buildings, etc.
• Configure Emergency Call Routing Policy and Emergency Calling Policy to ensure all users get routed to the right geographical location in an emergency.

8. Conduct a network readiness assessment

The more exciting part of a Teams Phone implementation is no doubt the hardware and seeing your new interfaces on everyone’s machine.

But, before you get carried away, there’s probably the most vital part to check off before you hit the green button.

Consider the following bandwidth requirements before your Teams Phone migration:

• Audio calls: 30kbps for peer-to-peer, 58-76kbps recommended
• Video calls: 150kbps minimum, 1.5Mbps for HD quality
• Teams phones: 100kbps up/down per device recommended
• Concurrent users: Multiply requirements by the number of simultaneous users

You can also use the Teams Network Connectivity Testing Tools to check things like media quality and performance metrics pre-implementation.

9. Start with a Teams Phone pilot

Don’t just start migrating users. Instead, create your smaller scale pilot plan.

Note: This isn’t a proof of concept. It’s larger scale and tests more variables and real user concerns.

Most successful pilots involve 25-50 users over 8-12 weeks. This provides enough time to test various scenarios while maintaining manageable complexity. The pilot should include diverse user types representing different roles, locations, and calling patterns.

Here are the major steps for your Teams pilot program…

Establish measurable objectives before starting:

• Call quality metrics (packet loss <2%, jitter <30ms, latency <200ms)
• User satisfaction scores and feedback
• Feature adoption rates for key capabilities
• Support ticket volume and resolution times

Choose pilot users strategically:

• Champions and early adopters: Include technology-enthusiastic users who can help evangelize the solution
• Representative user types: Cover different departments, roles, and calling patterns
• Geographic distribution: Test various network conditions and locations
• Mixed device preferences: Include users who prefer desk phones, headsets, and mobile devices

Configure pilot users with full Teams Phone capabilities:

• Assign appropriate licenses (Teams Phone Standard, calling plans, or connectivity options)
• Configure emergency locations and policies
• Set up call queues and auto attendants if needed
• Deploy certified devices and headsets

Create a dedicated pilot environment or carefully segment pilot users within production:

• Implement monitoring and analytics from day one
• Configure separate policies for pilot users to enable rapid changes
• Set up dedicated support channels for pilot feedback

This final step is arguably the most important component to both the pilot program and the entire Teams Phone migration. Learning what works and what gets queried the most means you can set up self-service help and training materials as well as ironing out any quirks before your full switchover.

Want a tailored Teams Phone migration plan?

Learn about our Teams Phone pilot program here.

10. Port your numbers and commence your Teams Phone migration

If you’re moving your existing numbers to Teams Phone, you’ll need to commence the porting process.

Here are the key porting steps for Teams Phone…

Check porting eligibility

Confirm with your provider and Microsoft if your current numbers can be ported. Some geographic locations or number types (e.g., toll-free, non-geographic) may have specific rules or exceptions.

Create a porting request

Work with your current carrier and your new Teams Phone provider to initiate the porting process. This usually involves submitting a Letter of Authorization (LOA) and detailed account information. If you’re using Calling Plan, you can do this via the Teams Admin Center.

Set a target porting date

Coordinate the exact cutover date with all stakeholders, preferably during off-peak hours or weekends to reduce business impact.

Prepare your Teams environment

Before porting, ensure all users have appropriate licenses assigned, emergency calling is configured, and devices are ready to go live on Teams Phone.

Test after porting

Once ported, verify inbound and outbound calling functionality on all affected numbers and ensure features like IVRs, hunt groups, and call queues work as expected.

Conclusion: These 10 steps will get you from A to B in your Teams Phone migration

If you don’t have the internal resources to properly prepare, it’s often a blocker.

That’s where the good folks at Cloud Revolution come in. We don’t like to call ourselves the Teams experts, but we do like to call ourselves the Teams people.

We’re people like Adam Ball, co-founder of the community event, Comms vNext, and Chad McGreanor, who has over 20 years of experience in Microsoft-focused senior roles spanning practice management, consulting, and managed services.

When you opt for Cloud Revolution, you benefit from:

• Microsoft Partner of the Year 2023, Finalist 2022 & 2024
• Proven track record of delivering measurable business outcomes
• Trusted by leading organizations across industries
• Human-centered, relationship-driven approach

Ready to start planning your Teams Phone migration?

Book a call with our Teams Phone people here.