Can I send SMS using Microsoft Teams?
Updated: 10 hours ago
Many people have been working remotely and relying on Microsoft Teams for communication more than ever, due to the shift in work culture and the convenience of remote work.
Microsoft Teams SMS is a feature that allows users to send & receive SMS/MMS using Microsoft Teams numbers. This feature has become increasingly important as companies strive to provide a single seamless communication platform to all their digital users and external stakeholders.
In this blog, we will explore how MS Teams texting works and why it is useful for your business…
Table of contents
What is Microsoft Teams?
Before getting into details of MS Teams texting, let us first know what MS Teams is, though most of us are aware of it already!
Microsoft Teams is a unified communication tool developed especially for a business communication platform. It has been a one-stop solution for all types of communication, such as texting, calling, video conferencing, etc.
Presently, it is replacing other communication platforms such as Skype and Microsoft Classroom. It is interesting to note that the MS Teams' daily active users have increased from 13 million in 2019 to 145 million in 2021. This increase is about 10.15 times or 1015% in two years.
Thus, we can see how Microsoft Teams has been increasingly gaining popularity in recent years as a business communication platform.
How is SMS different from MS Teams chat?
SMS:
SMS or Short Messaging Service works on an entirely different communication channel, i.e., using cellular towers.
SMS is sent and received in control channels through cellular towers. Here, SMSC or SMS Centre is a controlling center used to temporarily store, receive, and send messages.
So, SMS requires only a mobile carrier signal and GSM to communicate without using any applications.
Thus, we could find how the same messaging services work on entirely different communication channels and cannot be directly integrated!
MS Teams chat:
MS Teams chat, like any other instant messaging service, sends text messages over internet protocols. Despite several advantages, Microsoft Teams is more like a walled garden since it requires both the sender and receiver to have the Teams application on their phones or PCs!
Additionally, it requires an internet connection to send and receive messages.
Stay connected with your team and customers efficiently and enhance your overall business operations with ease.
Is it possible to send SMS using MS Teams?
We all know that Microsoft Teams was designed specifically for internal team communication. Therefore, we use MS Teams to chat with teammates, collaborate and share documents, join voice calls, have video meetings, and whatnot.
However, as there was a demand for customers to communicate with businesses through SMS, the organizations thought about using MS Teams for business texting as well. The reason for this is that anyone on the staff can easily collaborate with customer queries through the Microsoft Teams software itself.
Now comes the big question. Is it possible to send SMS through MS Teams?
The short answer is YES. You can send texts to your customers right from the Teams interface.
Even though Microsoft Teams doesn't have a built-in texting solution, third-party tools like Falkon SMS allow your staff to communicate with your customers via SMS, even if the recipients do not have the Teams app installed.
Also read: How to use Microsoft Teams Channels for business texting
Benefits of text-enabling your MS Teams number
Though MS teams are preferred for business communications, it is yet to gain popularity as a personal communication platform. So, you cannot expect everyone to have MS Teams on their phone or PC!
Integrating SMS into Microsoft Teams offers numerous benefits for your communication and workflow.
01. Streamlined Communication
By incorporating SMS, you streamline your communication channels within Microsoft Teams. This consolidation ensures that important messages reach your team efficiently, fostering quicker decision-making and response times.
02. Improved Workflow
The integration enhances workflow efficiency by providing a seamless platform for both chat and SMS. This unified environment reduces the need to switch between different applications, promoting a more organized and productive work process.
03. Team Collaboration
Integrating SMS into Microsoft Teams facilitates better team collaboration. Team members can communicate in real-time, share updates, and coordinate tasks effortlessly, leading to improved project management and overall team performance.
04. Reduced Software Clutter
Integrating SMS directly into Microsoft Teams eliminates the need for additional communication tools, reducing software clutter. This consolidation not only simplifies the user experience but also minimizes the learning curve for team members.
05. High Accessibility and Open Rates
SMS integration ensures high accessibility, as text messages are commonly checked promptly. This leads to increased open rates for important messages, ensuring that critical information is more likely to be seen and acted upon in a timely manner.
The benefits of text-enabling MS Teams are numerous, and the ones mentioned above are just to name a few.
Also read: Why should you text enable MS Teams number
Supercharge your existing MS Teams application and it's not expensive!
So, how do you enable SMS in Microsoft Teams?
Microsoft does not provide any additional or built-in features to enable SMS in the MS Teams application. So, SMS cannot be directly integrated with Microsoft Teams.
However, this feature can be added by initially porting the Teams number through a direct routing technique. This process enables the MS Teams number to make and receive external phone calls.
Falkon VoIP provides this service and inherent additional benefits such as cost-effective plans, access to all countries, and seamless service compared to Microsoft Calling plans with access to only 16 countries.
And then, the number is text-enabled to send and receive SMS. This feature addition has a dual advantage. Customers can now use MS Teams numbers for both Voice-calling the external numbers and SMS texting the numbers using this feature.