Effective business communication and collaboration tools are not just helpful - they're essential. Microsoft Teams has emerged as a frontrunner in this arena, with over 320 million active users worldwide. Whether you're running a small business or heading a large corporation, understanding how Microsoft Teams can be tailored to your specific needs is crucial.
In this article, we explore more about the Microsoft Teams license, including different licensing options, features, and how to choose the right license for your business.
Microsoft Teams offers a variety of licenses, each designed to cater to different business needs. Understanding Microsoft Teams license types and their specific features will empower you to select the most suitable Microsoft Teams license for your business, ensuring that your team's communication and collaboration needs are met efficiently and cost-effectively. At a high level, most businesses with Microsoft Teams will use some combination of the following licenses:
License Type |
Key Features |
Ideal for |
Phone Standard |
Cloud calls, voicemail, and 3,000 minutes per month for users in both the United States and Canada |
Robust business phone system needs |
Phone Resource Account |
Assign numbers to resources, call receiving |
Resource-specific phone management |
Room Standard |
Meeting management, whiteboard, calendar integration |
Digital-enhanced physical meeting spaces |
Shared Device |
Access on shared devices, hot desking |
Shared workspaces or common areas |
Room Pro |
Advanced analytics, managed room capacity |
Advanced meeting room needs |
Exploratory |
Basic Teams access, trial features |
Initial exploration of Teams |
Advanced Communications |
Large live events, custom branding |
Large-scale events, advanced needs |
Obviously, whatever Microsoft Teams licenses any organization will use depends upon their IT budget, total number of users, and desired business outcomes. Let's dive deeper into the details of each Microsoft Teams license.
Microsoft Teams Premium is an enhanced version of the standard Microsoft Teams offering, designed to provide businesses with advanced features that go beyond the basics of communication and collaboration. Teams Premium integrates sophisticated meeting, calling, security capabilities, and analytics tools. This premium version is tailored to meet the needs of organizations that require a higher level of functionality and control in their communication systems with features such as:
The Microsoft Teams Phone Standard License is a specialized offering within the Microsoft Teams ecosystem, focused on integrating traditional telephony features into the digital workspace. This license enables users to make, receive, and transfer calls to and from landlines and mobile phones directly within the Teams environment. It's designed for businesses that want to unify their communication systems, combining the flexibility of digital collaboration with the reliability of traditional phone services. A Microsoft Teams Phone Standard license can replace an organization's existing onsite phone system hardware with a 100% cloud-based business telephone solution that enables any employee to make and take calls from their Teams-enabled device. This makes Teams Phone extremely valuable because it delivers:
The Microsoft Teams Phone with Calling Plan bundle is a comprehensive package that combines the Microsoft Teams Phone Standard License with a dedicated calling plan. This bundle is designed to provide a complete, integrated solution for businesses seeking both a robust, traditional telephony system and the collaborative features of Microsoft Teams. With this bundle, organizations can get:
The Microsoft Teams Phone with Calling Plan bundle is an ideal choice for businesses looking for a unified communication solution that combines the collaborative power of Microsoft Teams with the reliability and familiarity of traditional phone systems.
Essential for businesses that use automated systems like auto attendants and call queues, the Microsoft Phone Resource Account License is designed to facilitate automated customer communications. A resource account is essentially a non-user entity in Microsoft Teams that can be assigned a phone number and used to handle incoming calls through these automated systems. This license is crucial for businesses that want to streamline their call management and provide a more organized, efficient, and professional response to incoming calls by delivering:
The Microsoft Teams Room Standard License is a specialized offering designed to enhance the meeting room experience by integrating it seamlessly with the Microsoft Teams platform. This license is tailored for businesses that utilize physical meeting spaces and wish to upgrade them with advanced digital collaboration tools. It transforms traditional meeting rooms into smart, connected spaces where participants can collaborate effectively, both in-person and remotely.
Teams Room Standard can modernize a business meeting workspace by delivering:
The Microsoft Teams Room Pro License is an advanced version of the standard Microsoft Teams Room license. It is designed for organizations that require more sophisticated features and capabilities in their meeting room environments. This license is particularly suited for larger enterprises or businesses with complex meeting room setups, offering enhanced functionalities that go beyond the basic meeting room requirements.
This table highlights the key differences between the Microsoft Teams Room Standard License and the Microsoft Teams Room Pro License, emphasizing the enhanced capabilities and advanced features of the Pro version:
Feature |
Microsoft Teams Room Standard License |
Microsoft Teams Room Pro License |
Meeting Capabilities |
Basic meeting features are suitable for standard meeting rooms. |
Advanced meeting features for a more sophisticated meeting experience. |
Meeting Size Support |
Designed for small to medium-sized meeting spaces. |
Tailored for larger meeting spaces, supporting a greater number of participants. |
Room Management and Analytics |
Standard management tools and basic analytics for room usage. |
Enhanced management tools and detailed analytics for optimizing meeting resources. |
Customization and Integration |
Limited customization and integration capabilities. |
Increased scope for customization and integration with other systems and tools. |
Security Features |
Standard security features for meeting protection. |
Superior security features, including advanced encryption and secure connectivity. |
Support and Updates |
Regular support and updates. |
Priority support and access to the latest updates and features. |
Ideal Use Case |
Suitable for businesses with standard meeting room needs. |
Optimal for large enterprises or businesses with complex meeting room setups. |
A Microsoft Teams Shared Device License is a specific type of licensing option offered by Microsoft, designed for scenarios where multiple users need to access Microsoft Teams from a shared device. This licensing option is more economical for businesses where individual licenses for each employee would be impractical or too expensive. It reduces the overall cost of software licensing by maximizing the utility of fewer devices.
Shared Device licenses for Teams are particularly useful in environments like retail stores, healthcare facilities, factories, or any other setting where employees don't have individual workstations or dedicated devices needing:
The Microsoft Teams Exploratory License is a unique offering from Microsoft designed to allow users within an organization to explore the full capabilities of Microsoft Teams. It enables users in an organization to sign up for a trial of Microsoft Teams on their own, without needing administrative setup. This self-service aspect encourages user-driven exploration and adoption. Once the trial period is over or if the organization decides to fully adopt Microsoft Teams, it is straightforward to transition from the Exploratory License to a paid license. This transition ensures a seamless continuity of service.
This license is particularly useful for businesses that are considering adopting Microsoft Teams but want to evaluate its features and suitability for their organization before making a full commitment.
The Microsoft Teams Advanced Communications License is an add-on for Microsoft Teams that provides additional capabilities and enhancements, particularly for larger organizations or those requiring advanced communication features. Generally speaking, the Advanced Communication license is designed to extend the core functionalities of Microsoft Teams for large enterprise customers with well-staffed IT departments, especially those needing scalable meeting and event organization, compliance, and policy management.
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Each license type comes with its unique set of features and pricing. Below is a table that outlines the features and cost comparison of various Microsoft Teams licenses. Please note that the actual costs can vary based on the region, any ongoing promotions, or changes in pricing by Microsoft. The table is structured to provide a general comparison:
License Type |
Key Features |
Cost (Estimate) |
Microsoft Teams Premium |
Advanced security, meeting, and calling capabilities; Enhanced analytics tools |
$$$ |
Microsoft Teams Phone Standard License |
Integrated calling features; Call management within Teams |
$$ |
Microsoft Teams Phone with Calling Plan bundle |
Combined Teams Phone Standard License with a calling plan; Simplified management and billing |
$$$ |
Microsoft Teams Room Standard License |
Features for meeting rooms like one-touch join, content sharing, and in-room controls |
$$ |
Microsoft Phone Resource Account License |
For automated systems like auto attendants, call queues |
$ |
Microsoft Teams Shared Device License |
Multiple users access Teams on a single device; Ideal for shift workers/shared devices |
$ |
Microsoft Teams Room Pro License |
Advanced capabilities for complex meeting room needs; Room capacity notifications, AI-driven insights |
$$$$ |
Microsoft Teams Exploratory License |
Allows users to explore Teams features; Ideal for evaluating Teams |
Free/Trial |
Microsoft Teams Advanced Communications License |
Large meeting capabilities; Custom policy packages; Enhanced compliance features |
$$$ |
Microsoft Teams Calling Plans |
Range of calling plans for different organizational needs; Domestic and international options |
$$-$$$ |
Communication Credits |
Pay-as-you-go for additional services; Flexible payment for extra features |
Variable |
Audio Conferencing |
Join meetings via phone; Expand meeting accessibility |
$$ |
Choosing the right Microsoft Teams license for your business can be daunting. Therefore, it’s important to consider the following:
Are you selecting Teams licenses that meet your business requirements? At a high level, you should always align licensing with these needs:
Microsoft Teams can transform the way your business communicates and collaborates. Choosing the right license is a critical step in leveraging this powerful tool. If you want to optimize your Microsoft Teams deployment and save money on Microsoft 365 licenses, the experts at Amaxra are here to help. Contact Amaxra today to explore how we can tailor a solution that fits your business perfectly.
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