Microsoft Teams Phone System UAE 2025: Cloud Calling Complete Guide

Microsoft Teams Phone System: Transform Business Calling in UAE

Microsoft Teams has evolved from simple chat and meetings tool to comprehensive unified communications platform, with Teams Phone System replacing traditional PBX systems for 62% of Dubai businesses in 2024. As organizations already using Teams for collaboration, adding enterprise-grade calling capabilities eliminates the need for separate phone systems, reduces costs by 30-50%, and delivers seamless integration between calling, chat, meetings, and productivity apps.

As a Microsoft Gold Partner specializing in Teams Phone System deployment across 500+ UAE businesses, GR IT Services has helped enterprises, healthcare providers, financial institutions, and government entities transition from legacy PBX to cloud calling with Teams. This comprehensive guide covers everything from calling plans and direct routing to contact center solutions and UAE telecom integration.

What is Microsoft Teams Phone System?

Teams Phone Fundamentals

• Definition: Cloud-based business phone system built into Microsoft Teams
• Replaces: Traditional PBX, VoIP systems, separate phone infrastructure
• Integration: Unified with Teams chat, meetings, file sharing, apps
• Access: Desktop app, web browser, mobile apps (iOS/Android), desk phones
• Management: Microsoft Teams admin center, integrated with Microsoft 365

Why Teams Phone for UAE Businesses?

1. Unified Communications

• Single App: Calling, chat, meetings, collaboration in one interface
• Context: Click colleague's name in chat to call, see presence before calling
• Productivity: No switching between apps (Teams + phone system + email)
• Mobile Integration: Use business number on personal smartphone

2. Cost Savings (30-50%)

• No PBX Hardware: Eliminate on-premises phone system (AED 50,000-500,000)
• Reduced Telecom Costs: Lower per-minute rates, included calling in some plans
• No Separate Licenses: Part of Microsoft 365 E5 or add-on to E3
• Example: 100-user organization saves AED 80,000-150,000 annually

3. Remote Work Enablement

• Work from Anywhere: Same phone experience from office, home, or travel
• BYOD Support: Use business number on personal devices
• Automatic Failover: Call routing adapts to user location
• Business Continuity: Office closed? Employees still have phones via Teams

4. Advanced Features

• Auto Attendant: Automated receptionist with voice/DTMF menus
• Call Queues: Hold and route callers to available agents
• Voicemail: Voicemail to email, transcription, shared voicemail boxes
• Call Recording: Record calls for compliance, training, quality
• Analytics: Call quality, usage reports, SLA monitoring
• Contact Center: Omnichannel contact center (voice, chat, SMS, social)

Teams Phone Deployment Options for UAE

Option 1: Microsoft Calling Plans

What It Is

• Description: Microsoft provides both Teams Phone System AND phone service (PSTN connectivity)
• All-in-One: Single vendor for everything (Microsoft)
• Simplicity: Easiest to deploy (no telecom integration needed)
• Management: Configure entirely within Microsoft 365 admin center

Availability in UAE

• Status (as of 2025): Microsoft Calling Plans NOT available in UAE
• Reason: Microsoft has not partnered with UAE telcos (Etisalat/du) for PSTN connectivity
• Available Countries: US, Canada, UK, many European countries (not UAE/Middle East)
• UAE Workaround: Use Direct Routing (see Option 2 below)

Option 2: Direct Routing (Recommended for UAE)

What It Is

• Description: Connect Teams to your own PSTN provider (Etisalat, du, or SIP provider) via Session Border Controller (SBC)
• Flexibility: Use any SIP trunk provider, keep existing phone numbers
• Control: Manage call routing, number assignment, telecom relationship
• UAE Standard: Only option for Teams Phone in UAE (Calling Plans not available)

Architecture

• Teams Client: User makes call in Teams app
• Microsoft 365: Teams Phone System processes call
• Session Border Controller (SBC): Microsoft-certified SBC translates between Teams and PSTN
• SIP Trunk: Connect SBC to Etisalat, du, or international SIP provider
• PSTN: Call reaches destination phone number

Session Border Controllers (SBCs) for UAE

Cloud SBC (Recommended for SMBs)

Provider	Deployment	Cost (AED/month)	Best For
Ribbon SBC SaaS	Cloud	500-2,000	SMB, no infrastructure
AudioCodes Live	Cloud	600-2,500	SMB to mid-market
Oracle Session Border Controller	Cloud	1,000-5,000	Enterprise, high volume

On-Premises SBC (Enterprise)

Vendor	Hardware Cost (AED)	Best For	Capacity
AudioCodes Mediant SBC	15,000-150,000	SMB to enterprise	25-5,000 sessions
Ribbon SBC 5000/7000	50,000-300,000	Large enterprise	500-10,000 sessions
Oracle Acme Packet	100,000-500,000	Service providers, very large enterprise	1,000-50,000 sessions
Cisco Unified Border Element	50,000-250,000	Cisco shops	500-10,000 sessions

Direct Routing Pros

• UAE Compatibility: Only option for Teams Phone in UAE
• Keep Numbers: Port existing UAE phone numbers (Etisalat/du)
• Provider Choice: Choose cheapest/best SIP provider
• No Location Limits: Works in any country (not limited to Microsoft's coverage)
• Advanced Routing: Complex call routing, least-cost routing, geographic failover

Direct Routing Cons

• Complexity: Requires SBC deployment and configuration
• Management: More components to manage (SBC, SIP trunk, Microsoft 365)
• Cost: SBC cost (cloud subscription or hardware purchase)
• Expertise: Requires technical knowledge or partner for setup

Option 3: Operator Connect

What It Is

• Description: Microsoft-certified telecom operators provide PSTN connectivity directly (no SBC needed)
• Simplicity: Easier than Direct Routing (operator manages SBC)
• Availability: Limited to certified operators in each country

Operator Connect in UAE (2025 Status)

• Etisalat: Announced Operator Connect plans, limited availability - check with Etisalat
• du: No Operator Connect offering yet
• Recommendation: Verify with telecom provider; if not available, use Direct Routing

Teams Phone Features for UAE Businesses

Auto Attendant

Description

Automated receptionist that greets callers and routes them to appropriate department or person.

Features

• Voice/DTMF Menus: "Press 1 for Sales, 2 for Support" or "Say Sales or Support"
• Business Hours Routing: Different menu for business hours vs after-hours
• Holiday Schedules: Custom greeting for public holidays (UAE National Day, Eid)
• Multi-Language: Greetings in Arabic and English
• Directory Search: "Dial by name" to reach specific person
• Call Transfer: Transfer to person, call queue, external number, voicemail

Use Cases

• Main Company Number: +971 4 xxx xxxx routes to auto attendant
• Department Routing: Sales to sales queue, support to support queue, billing to accounts
• Multi-Location: "Press 1 for Dubai, 2 for Abu Dhabi"

Call Queues

Description

Hold callers and route to available agents (sales team, support team, etc.)

Features

• Queue Options: Music on hold, announcements, estimated wait time
• Routing Methods:
• Attendant routing: Ring all agents simultaneously
• Serial routing: Ring agents in specific order
• Round robin: Distribute calls evenly
• Longest idle: Route to agent idle longest
• Overflow Handling: If wait time exceeds threshold, route to voicemail or different queue
• Presence-Based Routing: Skip agents marked "Do Not Disturb" or "Away"
• Conference Mode: Allow multiple agents to answer same call

Use Cases

• Sales Queue: All sales calls route to available sales agents
• Support Queue: Technical support calls to IT support team
• Multilingual: Arabic-speaking callers route to Arabic agents, English to English

Voicemail

Features

• Personal Voicemail: Each user has voicemail box
• Shared Voicemail: Call queue/auto attendant can route to shared mailbox (support@company.com)
• Voicemail to Email: Receive voicemail as audio file in Outlook
• Transcription: Automatic speech-to-text transcription (English, Arabic support varies)
• Visual Voicemail: View all voicemails in Teams app
• Playback Controls: Play, pause, skip, speed adjustment

Call Recording & Compliance

Call Recording Options

1. User-Initiated Recording

• How: User clicks "Start recording" during call
• Storage: Recording saved to OneDrive/SharePoint
• Notification: All parties notified recording has started (compliance)
• Use Case: Record important client calls, training

2. Automatic Call Recording (Compliance)

• Description: All calls automatically recorded for compliance (financial, healthcare)
• Requires: Third-party solution (Verint, NICE, Red Box, Dubber)
• Features: Policy-based recording, long-term retention, search/playback, redaction
• Cost: AED 50-200 per user/year for compliance recording service
• Use Case: UAE Central Bank requirements, healthcare regulations, legal protection

Call Analytics & Quality Monitoring

Built-In Analytics

• Teams Admin Center Reports:
• PSTN usage: Call volume, duration, costs
• User activity: Who's calling most, call patterns
• Call quality: Poor call rate, network issues
• Call Quality Dashboard (CQD): Detailed call quality metrics, troubleshooting
• Real-Time Analytics: Monitor active calls, identify issues

Third-Party Analytics

• Solutions: Vyopta, Martello, IR, Nectar
• Features: Advanced dashboards, proactive alerting, capacity planning, user experience monitoring
• Cost: AED 20-80 per user/year

Mobile & Desktop Apps

Desktop Client

• Platforms: Windows, Mac, Linux, Web browser
• Features: Full phone experience, dial pad, call history, voicemail, contacts
• Headsets: USB headsets or Bluetooth headsets

Mobile Apps

• Platforms: iOS, Android
• Features: Use business number on personal smartphone, switch between cellular and Teams calling
• Benefit: One phone, two numbers (personal + business)

IP Desk Phones

• Certified Phones: Yealink, Poly, AudioCodes, Cisco
• Features: Physical handset for users who prefer traditional phone
• Hot Desking: Sign in to any phone with Teams credentials
• Cost: AED 500-2,500 per phone

Teams Contact Center for UAE

When You Need Contact Center

• High Call Volume: Customer service, technical support handling 100+ calls/day
• Omnichannel: Phone, chat, SMS, email, social media in unified queue
• Advanced Routing: Skills-based routing, sentiment analysis, priority queuing
• Workforce Management: Agent scheduling, forecasting, real-time adherence
• Quality Management: Call recording, screen recording, quality scoring

Microsoft-Certified Contact Center Solutions

1. Dynamics 365 Contact Center (Microsoft Native)

• Integration: Deeply integrated with Teams, Dynamics 365 CRM
• Features: Omnichannel routing, AI-powered insights, voice/digital channels
• Pricing: AED 400-800 per agent/month
• Best For: Organizations using Dynamics 365, Microsoft-centric

2. Genesys Cloud for Microsoft Teams

• Features: Enterprise contact center, AI/automation, workforce engagement
• Pricing: AED 350-750 per agent/month
• Best For: Large contact centers, advanced features

3. NICE CXone for Microsoft Teams

• Features: Omnichannel, workforce optimization, analytics, AI
• Pricing: AED 400-900 per agent/month
• Best For: Enterprise, comprehensive workforce management

4. Five9 for Microsoft Teams

• Features: Cloud contact center, omnichannel, AI-powered automation
• Pricing: AED 400-800 per agent/month
• Best For: Outbound sales, blended inbound/outbound

5. Competella (UAE-Based)

• Features: Contact center for Teams, UAE data residency, Arabic support
• Pricing: AED 300-600 per agent/month
• Best For: UAE businesses wanting local provider

Teams Phone Implementation for UAE

Phase 1: Planning & Design (2-4 weeks)

Step 1: Requirements Gathering

• User Count: How many users need phone capability?
• Phone Numbers: Current phone numbers (Etisalat/du), porting requirements
• Call Volume: Average concurrent calls, peak times
• Features Needed: Auto attendant, call queues, contact center, recording?
• Locations: Dubai office, Abu Dhabi branch, remote workers?
• Desk Phones: Do users need physical desk phones or softphone only?
• Compliance: Call recording for regulatory requirements?

Step 2: Licensing Assessment

• Current Microsoft 365: E3, E5, Business Premium?
• Teams Phone Licensing:
• Option 1: Microsoft 365 E5 (includes Teams Phone System)
• Option 2: Microsoft 365 E3 + Teams Phone Standard add-on
• Audio Conferencing: Need dial-in for meetings? (separate license or included in E5)

Step 3: PSTN Connectivity Strategy

• Direct Routing (Required for UAE):
• Choose SBC: Cloud SBC (AudioCodes Live, Ribbon SaaS) or on-premises
• Select SIP Provider: Etisalat, du, or international (Vonage, Twilio)
• Plan number porting: Timeline 2-6 weeks with UAE telcos

Step 4: Network Readiness

• Bandwidth: 100 kbps per concurrent call (30 concurrent calls = 3 Mbps)
• QoS: Prioritize Teams traffic (DSCP marking)
• Firewall: Open required ports for Teams (443, 3478-3481, 50000-50019)
• ExpressRoute (Optional): Dedicated connection to Microsoft (enterprise, better quality)

Phase 2: Deployment (4-8 weeks)

Week 1-2: Microsoft 365 Configuration

• Purchase Teams Phone licenses (E5 or E3 + Phone Standard)
• Assign licenses to users
• Configure emergency calling (E911) - required before users can make calls
• Set up usage locations for users

Week 3-4: Direct Routing Setup

• SBC Deployment:
• Cloud SBC: Sign up, configure tenant
• On-prem SBC: Install hardware/VM, configure networking
• Connect SBC to Microsoft 365:
• Register SBC FQDN in Teams admin center
• Upload TLS certificate
• Configure voice routing policies
• Connect SBC to SIP Provider:
• Configure SIP trunk to Etisalat/du
• Test connectivity

Week 5-6: Voice Configuration

• Phone Numbers:
• Port existing numbers from Etisalat/du (submit porting request, takes 2-4 weeks)
• Or get new numbers from SIP provider
• Upload numbers to Microsoft 365
• Assign Numbers: Assign phone numbers to users
• Voice Routing: Configure dial plans, call routing rules
• Auto Attendant: Create auto attendant, record greetings (Arabic + English)
• Call Queues: Set up sales queue, support queue, agents

Week 7-8: Testing & Rollout

• Pilot Group: 5-10 users test calling (internal, external, queues)
• Desk Phones: Deploy and configure IP phones if needed
• User Training: Train users on Teams calling features
• Cutover: Port numbers, switch from old phone system
• Monitor: Call Quality Dashboard, user feedback

Phase 3: Optimization (Ongoing)

• Call Quality Monitoring: Review CQD weekly, address issues
• Usage Analytics: Monitor adoption, call volume, costs
• Feature Adoption: Promote voicemail transcription, mobile app, advanced features
• User Feedback: Regular surveys, address pain points

Costs: Teams Phone for UAE Businesses

Licensing Costs

Option 1: Microsoft 365 E5

• Includes: Teams Phone System + Audio Conferencing + Advanced security
• Cost: AED 250-320 per user/month
• Best For: Organizations wanting comprehensive Microsoft 365 features

Option 2: Microsoft 365 E3 + Teams Phone Add-On

• E3 Cost: AED 120-160 per user/month
• Teams Phone Standard Add-On: AED 30-50 per user/month
• Total: AED 150-210 per user/month
• Best For: Organizations with E3, just need phone capability

Direct Routing Costs (Required for UAE)

Cloud SBC (Recommended for SMBs)

• AudioCodes Live: AED 600-2,500/month (depends on concurrent calls)
• Ribbon SBC SaaS: AED 500-2,000/month
• Best For: 10-200 users, no infrastructure management

On-Premises SBC (Enterprise)

• Hardware Cost: AED 15,000-150,000 (one-time)
• Support: AED 3,000-30,000/year
• Best For: 200+ users, control over infrastructure

SIP Trunk Costs

• Etisalat SIP Trunks: AED 30-100 per channel/month + per-minute charges
• du SIP Trunks: AED 30-100 per channel/month + per-minute charges
• International SIP (Vonage, Twilio): AED 20-80 per channel/month + per-minute
• Per-Minute Costs:
• UAE local: AED 0.02-0.05/minute
• International: AED 0.05-0.50/minute (depends on destination)

Total Cost Examples

Small Business (50 users)

Component	Setup (AED)	Monthly (AED)	Annual (AED)
Microsoft 365 E3 (50 users)	-	6,000-8,000	72,000-96,000
Teams Phone Standard Add-On	-	1,500-2,500	18,000-30,000
Cloud SBC (AudioCodes Live)	-	800-1,500	9,600-18,000
SIP Trunks (10 channels)	-	300-1,000	3,600-12,000
Call Charges (est)	-	500-2,000	6,000-24,000
Desk Phones (optional, 20 phones)	10,000-30,000	-	-
Professional Services (setup)	15,000-30,000	-	-
Total Year 1	25,000-60,000	9,100-15,000	109,200-180,000

Medium Business (200 users)

Component	Setup (AED)	Monthly (AED)	Annual (AED)
Microsoft 365 E3 (200 users)	-	24,000-32,000	288,000-384,000
Teams Phone Add-On	-	6,000-10,000	72,000-120,000
On-Prem SBC (AudioCodes Mediant)	30,000-80,000	-	6,000-16,000 (support)
SIP Trunks (40 channels)	-	1,200-4,000	14,400-48,000
Call Charges	-	2,000-8,000	24,000-96,000
Desk Phones (80 phones)	40,000-120,000	-	-
Professional Services	40,000-100,000	-	-
Total Year 1	110,000-300,000	33,200-54,000	404,400-664,000

Best Practices for Teams Phone in UAE

Network Optimization

• QoS: Configure Quality of Service (DSCP marking) on network switches/routers
• Bandwidth: Ensure sufficient internet bandwidth (100 kbps per concurrent call)
• WiFi: Optimize WiFi for voice (5 GHz preferred, proper coverage)
• Monitoring: Use Call Quality Dashboard to identify network issues

Security

• MFA: Enforce multi-factor authentication for all users
• Conditional Access: Restrict access based on device compliance, location
• SBC Security: Firewall rules, TLS encryption, regular updates
• Fraud Prevention: Monitor for unusual calling patterns (toll fraud)

User Adoption

• Training: Comprehensive training on Teams calling features
• Champions: Power users in each department to assist peers
• Communication: Regular tips via email, Teams posts
• Support: Responsive helpdesk for calling issues

Deploy Teams Phone with GR IT Services

As a Microsoft Gold Partner specializing in Teams Phone System deployment across 500+ UAE businesses, GR IT Services has helped enterprises transition from legacy PBX to cloud calling with comprehensive Direct Routing solutions integrated with Etisalat, du, and international SIP providers. Our Microsoft-certified engineers design, deploy, and support Teams Phone solutions tailored to your business.

Our Teams Phone Services Include:

• Direct Routing Setup: SBC deployment (cloud or on-premises), SIP trunk integration
• Number Porting: Port existing UAE numbers from Etisalat/du
• Auto Attendant & Call Queues: Professional configuration, Arabic/English greetings
• Contact Center Integration: Dynamics 365, Genesys, NICE CXone
• Desk Phone Deployment: Yealink, Poly, AudioCodes certified devices
• Network Optimization: QoS configuration, bandwidth assessment
• User Training: Comprehensive training and adoption support
• 24/7 Support: Ongoing support with 2-hour response SLA

Why Choose GR IT Services?

• Microsoft Gold Partner: Advanced specialization in Modern Work (Teams)
• UAE Expertise: 8+ years deploying Teams Phone in Dubai/UAE
• Proven Success: 500+ Teams Phone deployments, 99.9% call quality
• Direct Routing Specialists: Certified on all major SBCs (AudioCodes, Ribbon, Oracle)
• Telecom Partnerships: Established relationships with Etisalat, du, international SIP providers
• End-to-End: Assessment, design, deployment, training, ongoing support

Transform business calling with Teams Phone. Contact GR IT Services at +971 56 613 2743 or hello@gritservices.ae for a complimentary Teams Phone assessment. We'll evaluate your current phone system, design Direct Routing architecture for UAE, and provide a complete roadmap and pricing. Unify calling, chat, and collaboration in Microsoft Teams while reducing telecom costs by 30-50%.