Cordless Handsets for Teams Phone

Posted by ryaninseattle1@reddit | sysadmin | View on Reddit | 27 comments

So we have a client with a Teams Phone system using either the Teams client or Yealink hardware phones.

MP54 E2 is the default phone.

They have some people who need to be able to roam around their areas and those people don't have cell phones.

I can see non-Teams IP phones that should work with Teams but I can also see some desk phones have built-in Bluetooth and you can buy a Bluetooth handset to replace the wired one.

The Teams Phone has no infra onsite everything talks direct back to Microsoft so any new hardware has to support that.

For those of you doing this sort of thing what approach are you taking please?

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bit0n@reddit

We just use a Bluetooth headset on a pc. If they don’t have a pc then Yealink DECT phones work but they used to need the sip client to be set up.

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There are use cases like this. We're a Teams call shop and I've a manufacturing plant where personal cell phones are not allowed on the floor. During 1st shift HR handles the emergency call-in line and relays messages to employees.

During 2nd shift HR isn't available, so the emergency line goes unmonitored. We'd like to give the super on duty a device with the call queue to handle those calls. He's not static and roams the floor. A rugged teams cordless handset with a clip would be amazing.

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Tall-Geologist-1452@reddit

We have manufacturing plants that run 24/6, as well as a Teams shop. The company provides the manufacturing supervisors with company phones and OtterBox cases. These devices are managed by MDM with the Teams app installed. You could lock down an iPhone with no data plan, allowing only the Teams app to function exclusively over Wi-Fi. Think single app kiosk.This would accomplish your goal without reinventing the wheel, as they say.

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Frothyleet@reddit

Why not just give him a cell and forward to it?

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jmbpiano@reddit

If their manufacturing facility is anything like ours, cell phone service in the building is non-existent.

(For us, it's because we're basically in a big metal box with chicken-wire lined insulation that acts like a Faraday cage, filled with EMI being put out by a bunch of electrically noisy machinery.)

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pdp10@reddit

Why not? WiFi hands-free voice hardware has a lot of potential to be useful.

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the_doughboy@reddit

An iPhone SE MDM locked without a data plan.

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Gary_harrold@reddit

This is the obvious solution. An SE 3rd gen with an Otter Case. It would all depend on the MDM they have in place. I also used Splashtop to help manage the mobile endpoints.

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AnonymooseRedditor@reddit

I'd also consider an Android with kiosk mode so you can lock down what it's allowed to do

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SevaraB@reddit

Depends if you’re getting enough iPhones to qualify for Business Manager, which is what I’d use as the deciding factor personally.

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ryaninseattle1@reddit (OP)

Yea we're also looking at that option like a cheap handset/tablet with wireless.

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12Superman26@reddit

There is the Yealink AX83h. We are currently testing it and its really not Bad. Its basically a WiFi DECT Phone. The teams SIP functionality is pretty limited tho

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ryaninseattle1@reddit (OP)

Receiving calls from external numbers is all. Don't care about any smart Teams stuff it just needs to work as a phone but with Teams.

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AnonymooseRedditor@reddit

Another option here is Poly Rove? It's a wireless DECT phone as well and would connect to Teams via the SIP Gateway. Poly Rove DECT IP Phone for Microsoft Teams SIP Gateway Deployment Guide

SIP Gateway deployment instructions here - https://aka.ms/SIP-gateway-enablement-migration-playbook Now as u/12Superman26 mentions the SIP functionality has some limitations so be aware of that.

You could also look at a cheap mobile device setup with kiosk mode?

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12Superman26@reddit

The AX83h is wifi tho. We had the choice between building a New dect Infrastructure for 20k or a few more access points so we went this Route

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CAMomsThrowAway@reddit

Yep we've provisioned DECT phones too. I will say these handsets sometimes have a hard time losing provisioning to base.

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Whyd0Iboth3r@reddit

DECT is the way to go. Just have to find one that will work with the teams phone service.

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CasualEveryday@reddit

Yealink WH62. It's a DECT headset that connects to the Yealink phone and to a computer via USB at the same time. Awesome range, good sound quality, great battery life, decently comfortable. I can go anywhere in the building with my hands free and I can do it if I'm on a phone call or any kind of teleconference on my computer.

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MrYiff@reddit

How far do they need to roam? If it's within BT range then there is the (probably fancier than you need), MP58 which has a wireless handset built in:

https://www.yealink.com/en/product-detail/microsoft-teams-phone-mp58whe2

But this is probably more expensive than just adding a BT module and headset to an existing phone.

If they need to roam further then as others have suggested, a locked down company mobile with Teams might be the most cost effective solution.

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Secret_Account07@reddit

Huh, I didn’t know this existed

I work on the Windows server side so not really involved in voice but this is a cool device. Little more pricey but for someone on phones all day it’s not bad.

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MrYiff@reddit

Yeah, it's pretty common now since pretty much all Teams Phones are just running Android underneath so adding on things like bluetooth headsets or even wifi can often be as easy as plugging in a USB dongle (or buying one with it built in).

You even see Teams desk phones in Intune these days (although management is done via the Teams portal).

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ryaninseattle1@reddit (OP)

So yea bit overkill on $$$ as it's a rough environment too so it'll probably get broken.

I quite like the Yealink option if they don't want to go mobile.

The AX range look like they officially work with Teams even if they aren't Teams Certified.

https://support.yealink.com/document-detail/296cd62e474c4333a5fa842881b33b1f

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GigaMonkeh@reddit

Doesnt exist, use a mobile with teams app installed and added to the AA queue.

We have too searched for a solution but no joy