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Microsoft Teams Blog
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Updated Microsoft Teams Phone SLAs reflect commitment to quality and continuity

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BinduPillai
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Dec 02, 2021

Regular readers of this blog know there’s always something new in Microsoft Teams. From innovative user experiences designed for workplace flexibility and collaboration, to behind-the-scenes improvements in dependability, resiliency, and call and meeting quality. We take a true 360 degree look for opportunities to make Teams the best possible communications and collaboration application for end users, IT admins, and our partner ecosystem.


This holistic approach extends to our modern calling solution, Microsoft Teams Phone. In addition to creating anywhere, any device calling experiences, Microsoft Teams Phone delivers on the promise of reliable PSTN service through proactive network monitoring, automated system optimization, and fault-tolerant redundancy, supported by Microsoft infrastructure. Each of these elements play an important role in developing service level agreements (SLAs) that reflect our commitment to the continuity of your operations.


Yesterday, we updated the SLAs for Microsoft Teams Calling Plans, Phone System, and PSTN Audio Conferencing to 99.99% uptime. But more than just a number, this SLA update reflects our commitment to deliver calling experiences that work how and when you need them. While it’s natural to do a simple comparison of SLAs throughout the industry, there’s richer story about the new SLAs for Teams Phone that goes beyond the “nines”.


How does Microsoft measure uptime?

It’s important to understand the guarantees offered by communications solutions providers, as many are so narrowly defined that they end up losing value. Our updated SLA covers Microsoft Calling Plans, Phone System (including Direct Routing and Voice Apps) and PSTN Audio Conferencing – guaranteeing end users will be able to initiate a PSTN call, dial into conference audio via the PSTN, or process calls with Call Queues or Auto Attendant 99.99% of the time.


When any of these metrics fall below 99.99% in a given month, Microsoft calculates the total downtime and payout service credit based on length of incident (in minutes) multiplied by the number of users potentially impacted by the incident.


This SLA does not cover outages caused by a failure of third-party software, equipment, or services not controlled by Microsoft, or Microsoft software not being run by Microsoft as part of the service (e.g. third-party PBX solutions integrated into Teams.)


Be sure to read the fine print

It’s easy for solution providers to tout impressive SLAs, but pay attention to how they back these guarantees. Some don’t offer service credits, while others cap their credits at as little as 10%. Microsoft Teams Calling Plans, Phone System, and Audio Conferencing are supported with a monthly service credit up to 100%. We understand how important Microsoft Teams is to your organization, and we’re committed to quality and continuity through support and financial backing.


The new 99.99% uptime guarantee automatically applies to current Teams Phone customers. If you want to deploy a modern voice and video calling solution for your organization, learn more about Microsoft Teams Phone features, plans, and pricing.

Updated Aug 09, 2022
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