Teams Auto Attendant - Quick Tip - Attendant Voice Gender Selection

 Auto Attendant - Language and Gender - Quick Tip

Setting up Teams Auto Attendant and Call Queues are incredibly easy, between guidance and videos provided through Microsoft Learn, and the step-through setup in the Teams Admin Center. Todays post wasn't intended to bore you with the process, but to share a little known tip. I have the luxury and benefit of working through challenges with, and for customers I support, and wanted to share.

During the setup process, language selection is offered in the first tab. This selection is pretty straight forward in the Admin Center.

One thing which is not (yet) available in the Admin Center, is the attendant voice gender selection. Both male and female voices are available setting through powershell.

Maybe you would like to have all your attendant voices standardized, or maybe you chose to alternate male and female voices to demonstrate your organizations inclusive approach.

Each Auto Attendant can be set to male or female (and by language) individually.

Once you install the MicrosoftTeams Module and connect to the Teams service, you can run the Powershell command - GetCsAutoAttendant

In this case you can see this attendant is set to Female. To change this to Male - 

$autoAttendant=Get-CsAutoAttendant -Identity [yourAA id]
$autoAttendant.VoiceID = "Male"
Set-CsAutoAttendant -Instance $autoAttendant

Or if you wish to modify all attendant instances - just remove the specific identity flag from the $autoAttendant variable

$autoAttendant=Get-CsAutoAttendant
$autoAttendant.VoiceID = "Male"
Set-CsAutoAttendant -Instance $autoAttendant

For more information on Auto Attendant setup read more - Set up an auto attendant for Microsoft Teams - Microsoft Teams | Microsoft Learn

Thanks

Teams Phone and Analog Paralysis

Recently, Microsoft has made several enhancements to Teams SIP Gateway to enable additional endpoints and services. These efforts are in direct response to customer feedback regarding solutions required for enterprise UCaaS migrations.

Now supported: Analog adaptors, a growing range of DECT devices, overhead paging through Algo (preview). For more information read the lower section of the Microsoft Ignite Post HERE. 

In my previous post on December 22, I covered a DECT implementation option, so today I wanted to talk more about Analog. Not the implementation which a peer of mine has covered in depth HERE, but more about analog planning.

Background

During migration, many of the enterprises I support fall into 2 categories:

Organizations begin their UCaaS, or cloud voice journey, and end up stalling as they address analog scenarios (solutions and cost implications)

Or

In the early stages of planning, not enough time is available for analog analysis, replacing like-for-like is cost prohibitive, and the entire project fails to lift off (or slows)

While analog needs may not fully disappear for some time, I want to encourage organizations to allow for proper strategy regarding analog, take intentional steps to reduce analog dependency whenever possible, and use Teams SIP gateway to help minimize cost when analog is required.

Analog Planning Cost Study

I understand this chart can be fluid and may not address all use-cases. The purpose wasn’t to demonstrate a cost model, more to show the impacts of perpetuating investments in analog. While you may not believe there is budget available for replacement of analog devices, you may also be investing in solution cost which have limited future value or spending on legacy support versus enhanced capabilities.

Outside standard analog phones

A primary use-case for current analog use, the common area phone. Lobby and hallway phones are often analog today, but hopefully you never enter an office and sit down next to this:

You may question the organization you are visiting, just a little. What’s the adage? You never get a second chance to make a first impression. Recently Teams OEM partners have released low-cost native Teams Phones – like the Audio Codes C435HD, or the CCX350 from Poly, and coming soon Yealink MP52. Continue to watch the SIP Gateway compatible device list, you may be able to re-purpose legacy SIP Phones integrated to Teams through SIP Gateway for common area needs.

Fax over IP has been tricky for years and many organizations have moved to cloud-based fax services. Hopefully your organizations are less dependent on email and collaborate more efficiently in Microsoft Teams, so why not make sure fax needs are met in the solution used for daily communications. The Microsoft partner ecosystem have developed solutions to support faxing from within the Teams client itself – Options from eCommFax,  Etherfax and Zapier have Teams integrated fax solutions. For organizations using SBC’s in conjunction with Teams Voice, Audio Codes offers this solution

Overhead paging is still a thing and is often still analog. Take a look at this solution from Algo during planning. Also consider the criticality of paging, announcements, and emergency solution within your UCaaS strategy. InformaCast from Singlewire has a number of Teams integrated options to address securing and safety. Lastly, do we really need to “page”? or would a group chat, a voice enabled Teams channel, or even Teams WalkieTalkie (now available on Teams Mobile and Teams certified phones - with desktop client support coming soon) – a quick way to send an audio message to a defined group.

Closing Recommendations

Don’t go down the path on your own, consider working with consultant firm for analysis – you may be reluctant to spend money on the planning, they will help you save time/effort and reduce technical debt with analog and legacy dependencies.

Spend time to understand – who uses, what tasks are they trying to accomplish, why analog – or is there a more flexible solution.

Use SIP Gateway and analog integration to Teams where needed.

When you do invest, look for muti-use/multi-purpose solutions – which can meet the analog use cases today, and be something new/better in the future.

Every dollar spent perpetuating analog solutions is a dollar not used for enabling transformative technology in the future.

Thanks to my peers who shared information and suggestions on solution options.

Ongoing conversation welcome.