Teams Roadmap Update

• New voice features for Teams are not available in Skype for Business Online, showing that service’s “legacy” status.
• New administrative features and APIs could make it easier to delegate and automate Teams administration.
• New service integrations and Teams-certified devices emphasize the promotion of Teams as a collaboration hub.

Recent updates and new features for Teams improve functionality for organizations that make extensive use of private branch exchange (PBX) telephone system features and help administer and automate provisioning of teams within the service. Some new voice features are Teams-only, which, along with recent limits on available plans, show that Skype for Business Online is a legacy service that Microsoft is unlikely to update for its remaining lifespan. The ecosystem surrounding Teams continues to expand, providing third-party add-on features and new Teams-certified devices that can replace desktop phones.

Voice Features

Recently added voice features are for organizations using Teams with the Phone System and Calling Plan (or a third-party voice calling provider) to provide PBX functionality. They will mostly interest large organizations that have more complicated call management and routing requirements. These new features are not being made available for Skype for Business Online, demonstrating that service is no longer being actively improved.