At Enterprise Connect in March 2022, Microsoft announced it was ready to support native DECT integration with its SIP gateway. It was also confirmed that Spectralink, Poly, Ascom, Gigaset, and Yealink were all working on their respective DECT solutions.
This is great news for businesses currently using DECT handsets via an SBC or keeping their legacy PBX running in parallel with Teams Phone. You can now add DECT handsets to your Teams deployment as you would an ordinary desk phone.
Before you jump into buying new DECT handsets, it’s important to understand their unique use cases.
Use Cases for DECT in Microsoft Teams
There’s long been a discussion over whether mobile apps can replace DECT phones. The resounding answer has almost always been “no” as BYOD policies have encouraged people to use their personal mobile for both business and pleasure.
In certain scenarios, the possibility of dropping/losing/flooding your personal device is very real. Let’s dig into some of these use cases and see how much you can relate.
Uses cases for DECT phones in Microsoft Teams
In general, the use case for DECT (in Teams or any voice deployment) is mobility. If you’re not situated at a permanent desk, your phone shouldn’t be either. Here are four of the most common scenarios, where DECT phones are a must.
1. Warehouses
Whether you’re zipping about on forklifts or reaching for items on high shelves, you don’t have the opportunity to return to a desk or counter before the phone stops ringing. This makes moving around with your phone the best (and only) option for servicing phone customers while fulfilling orders or replenishing stock.
While conducting these activities, the possibility of a phone falling from your belt or pocket are high. This is where a rugged device, like the Spectralink 75 series, comes into its own.
Designed with a factory or warehouse environment in mind, the 75 series comes with features like:
- Auto key lock
- Speaker on auto-answer
- Vibration mode
- Display flash
- Alerts for low battery and low coverage
It’s rigid design also makes it droppable and dustproof, making it the ideal option for working conditions more portable than a desk.
2. Healthcare
It’s fair to say that working in hospitals, care homes, and clinics come with lots of processes and regulations that the average office worker doesn’t experience. The equipment used throughout these settings must reflect that too.
From automatic alarms to being disinfectant-resistant, there are a lot of niche requirements.
The Spectralink 77 series is designed for healthcare scenarios with features like:
- Integration with healthcare systems like nurse call and equipment monitoring systems
- Tear-off pull-cord string for emergency notifications
- Automatic alarms for “man down” triggers
- Waterproof for wet room assistance
- Easy clean keypad membrane
3. Retail
You’re on the shop floor in a busy department store. The phone rings. Do you leave your customer to rush back and answer the phone, or do you explain that you need to answer the call and stay with your customer?
In these scenarios, the key requirement is the ability to answer overflow calls or be contactable by other members of staff. When you’re the only person on the floor who can authorize a refund, each call you miss could mean a frustrated customer waiting at a cash desk. The consequence accumulates and starts lines that don’t need to start forming if you answer the call and quickly head over to authorize a refund.
The Poly Rove devices offer basic calling functions, roaming between bases, and can be wall-mounted for comfort and changing shifts.
This particular scenario is like that of leisure workers. Imagine a supervisor is covering a tennis court half a mile away from where their trainee staff are alone for the day. In these most important stages of their training, they need to be able to escalate queries and check-in members with ease. Again, the potential outcomes go further than one upset customer.
Reputation and renewals are built on great customer service as much as they are built on service. Being contactable while away from your normal working environment is crucial.
4. Security
Despite how some movies depict security guards, supervising events and buildings is one of the most mobile jobs there is.
Whether it’s completing routine rounds or responding to theft alerts, security teams need constant communication with each other. That might be through walkie talkie apps or devices (see: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/walkie-talkie) for internal communications, but it’s also for external communications.
Consulting with local police and emergency services needs an always-available handset with a range as far as the scope of the building or event.
Handsets like those from Spectralink and Poly enable long-lasting battery and best-in-class voice quality, so there’s no compromise when you need voice communications on the move.
Where can I get DECT handsets for Microsoft Teams?
As of September 2022, there are options from both Spectralink and Poly, with Spectralink being first to market in July. Ascom, Yealink, and Gigaset are expected to release solutions by the end of 2022.
Each is expected to have both niche use cases as well as entry-level options for the basic mobility worker whose need is simply to take voice calls.
