Admin access to your tenant
Someone with Teams administration rights joins the setup call. 3CTel does not hold standing admin credentials.
Collaboration
Business calling inside Teams, on the numbers you already own.
Staff who live in Teams all day want the phone there too. This integration connects 3CTel call routing and Canadian numbers to your Teams tenant so calls ring in the Teams client, while the main menu, queues and business-hours rules stay on 3CTel.
- Calls ring in Teams on desktop and mobile
- Routing, queues and hours stay on 3CTel
- Scoped and tested before activation
Example
Active call HD
IN
Inbound caller
+1 (604) 555-0177 · 01:12
Mute
Keypad
Hold
Transfer
End
Your team
- RCReceptionAvailable
- S1Sales 1On a call
3CTel connects business calling to Microsoft Teams through a direct-routing style connection between the 3CTel platform and your Teams tenant. Inbound calls to your 3CTel numbers ring in the Teams client, and outbound calls from Teams show your business number. Routing, queues and hours remain on 3CTel. A specialist scopes what your tenant and licensing need, and availability is confirmed before activation.
Last updated:
Integration type
- Integration type
- API integration (configured by 3CTel for your account)
- Availability
- On request — scoped during planning
- What is exchanged
- Inbound call → 3CTel routing → rings the assigned user in the Teams client
- Outbound call from Teams → 3CTel → presents the business number to the called party
- Voicemail → email notification with transcript to the user's mailbox
- Call records → 3CTel analytics and, where enabled, recording
How it is set up
Scope the tenant
A specialist reviews users, licences and numbers with your Teams administrator.
Configure routing on 3CTel
Menus, queues and hours are built and tested on a temporary number.
Connect and map users
The direct-routing style connection is established and users are assigned numbers and extensions.
Test and port
Calls are verified from Teams on desktop and mobile before existing numbers are ported.
How the Teams integration is delivered
This is not a plug-in from a store. It is a connection between two phone systems: the 3CTel platform, which owns the numbers and routing, and your Teams tenant, which owns the users and the client they talk on.
Calls arrive at 3CTel first, where the main menu, ring groups, queues and business-hours rules run. A call destined for a Teams user is handed across the connection and rings in their Teams client on desktop, browser or mobile. Outbound calls from Teams travel the other way and show the business number.
Because the connection depends on your tenant configuration and the calling licences your users hold, it is scoped by a specialist rather than switched on by default, and availability is confirmed before anything is activated or billed.
Business Phone
Reliable calling with routing your team will actually use.
Learn more: Business PhoneBusiness Phone Numbers
Local, toll-free and campaign numbers that all land in one system.
Learn more: Business Phone NumbersRemote work
Business calls on personal devices, without handing out anyone's cell number.
Learn more: Remote workWhat moves between 3CTel and Teams
| Direction | What is exchanged | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 3CTel → Teams | Inbound calls, caller ID, the queue or menu option the caller chose | The Teams user sees who is calling and which line they used |
| Teams → 3CTel | Outbound calls, the user's assigned business number | Personal cell numbers are never shown to the customer |
| 3CTel → Teams | Voicemail notifications by email, with transcript where enabled | Delivered to the user's mailbox, not stored in Teams |
| Both | Call records for analytics and recording | Kept on 3CTel; recording announcements are configured with you |
What you need, and what this is not
Calling licences for users who take calls
Which licence each user needs depends on your Microsoft agreement. The specialist confirms what your tenant already has.
A stable internet connection per site
Teams calls are internet calls. The bandwidth guidance for the 3CTel apps applies here too.
Not a licensing decision made for you
3CTel does not replace your Teams Phone licensing decisions and does not resell Microsoft licences. A specialist confirms what your tenant needs; the licensing stays between you and Microsoft.
Setting it up
Scope the tenant
A specialist reviews your tenant, the users who need calling and the numbers they should present.
Build the routing on 3CTel
Menus, queues and hours are configured and tested on a temporary number, as for any deployment.
Connect and assign
The connection is established with your admin present. Users are mapped to numbers and extensions.
Test, then port
Calls are tested from Teams on desktop and mobile. Then your existing numbers are ported on a confirmed date.
Where it fits
- Offices standardised on Teams that want one client for chat, meetings and calls without giving up Canadian numbers or a proper main menu.
- Hybrid teams where staff move between office, home and a phone; the business number stays constant.
- Organizations whose front desk or contact centre stays on 3CTel queues while back-office staff answer in Teams.
Remote & Hybrid Teams
One extension that works at the desk, at home and on the road.
Learn more: Remote & Hybrid TeamsMulti-location business
Every branch on one system, with its own number, hours and greeting.
Learn more: Multi-location businessContact Centre
Queues, routing and supervision for teams that live on the phone.
Learn more: Contact CentreCommon questions about Teams calling
Do we still need the 3CTel app if calls ring in Teams?
Not for users who take every call in Teams. Users who are not licensed for Teams calling, or who prefer a desk phone, keep using the 3CTel apps or handsets. The two coexist on one system, so a receptionist on a desk phone can transfer a call to a colleague in Teams by extension.
Where do voicemail, recording and reporting live?
On the phone platform, not in Teams. Voicemail is delivered to the user's mailbox with a transcript where enabled, recording follows the announcement configured with you, and call analytics report on every call whether it was answered in Teams or on a handset. Teams does not store recordings from this connection.
What happens if Teams is down or a user is offline?
The call is still answered by 3CTel. Ring groups and queues can include a fallback to a desk phone, the mobile app or voicemail, so a Teams outage or a closed laptop does not send callers to silence. The fallback path is agreed during planning and tested before switch-over.
Privacy
Call data stays within the two systems, 3CTel and your Microsoft tenant. Nothing is sent to a third party to make the connection work. Retention of call records, recordings and voicemail is configured with you during setup and can be changed later.
Related pages.
Business Phone
Reliable calling with routing your team will actually use.
Learn more: Business PhoneBusiness Phone Numbers
Local, toll-free and campaign numbers that all land in one system.
Learn more: Business Phone NumbersCall Analytics
See what your phone traffic is actually doing — and staff for it.
Learn more: Call AnalyticsRemote work
Business calls on personal devices, without handing out anyone's cell number.
Learn more: Remote workEnterprise
Contact centre and back office on one platform, migrated in stages.
Learn more: EnterpriseFrequently asked questions.
Yes. The user mapping is per person. A receptionist, a warehouse or a clinic front desk can stay on handsets while office staff answer in Teams, all on the same numbers and routing.
No. Licensing stays between you and Microsoft or your reseller. The specialist tells you what the connection requires so you can confirm what your tenant already includes.
Yes. Numbers are ported to 3CTel and presented from Teams. The port is scheduled after testing, and your current line keeps working until the switch date.
It is scoped per account. A specialist confirms whether your tenant and licences support the connection before it is activated, and nothing is billed until then.
Tell us how many people should answer in Teams.
A specialist reviews your tenant, confirms what the connection needs and quotes it. Nothing is billed before activation.