Vodafone Business has launched Microsoft Teams Phone Mobile, aiming to provide a secure UC solution for mobile connectivity.
“Our collaboration with Vodafone Business expands the capabilities of Microsoft Teams to create a unified communication experience for businesses globally,”
Mark Nixon, Director, Modern Work, Microsoft UK, said.
Available for business customers and indirect channel partners, Microsoft Teams Phone Mobile provides companies with a mobile number they can use to make and receive calls using Microsoft Teams and a mobile device.
Vodafone and Microsoft’s Phone Mobile
The partnership between Vodafone Business and Microsoft Teams aims to address two key challenges: BYOD and hybrid work.
Vodafone Business states that 57% of employees consider a smartphone essential, and nearly 90% of businesses have a workforce requiring flexible working arrangements, with 56% of employees indicating this flexibility is a dealbreaker.
Yet, cybersecurity remains a concern for communications occurring outside protected networks, such as an office or an employee’s personal device under a BYOD policy.
Indeed, Vodafone Business asserts that 21% of enterprise breaches in the past 12 months resulted from an employee’s home or remote work environment being targeted.
“As businesses continue to embrace hybrid working, the need for unified communication tools has never been greater,”
Katy Liddell, Head of Business Solutions and Customer Operations, Vodafone Business UK, said.
With the new Microsoft Teams Phone Mobile, employees can use one SIM-enabled number through their mobile phone or via Microsoft Teams without needing to switch between applications. This allows employees to stay connected, respond faster, and work efficiently from anywhere.
This is all underpinned by Vodafone’s mobile network, which boasts a strong 5G presence as well as security. Other security and compliance measures include enterprise-grade protection, policy controls, and integration with compliance solutions.
Vodafone Further Embedding Teams
Vodafone Business has been working to embed a number of functions from Teams into its offering for business users.
The Microsoft Teams Phone Mobile is part of the company’s existing portfolio of Microsoft Teams solutions, which already includes Operator Connect and Direct Routing.
Vodafone Business Operator Connect integrates phone calls into Microsoft Teams and keeps employees connected from anywhere.
Vodafone Business Direct Routing for Microsoft Teams enables businesses to integrate their telephony systems with Microsoft Teams, allowing users to make and receive calls to landlines and mobiles directly from the Teams platform.
