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Some questions to Microsoft Teams Room hardware and Office 365 tenant setup

Iron Contributor

I understand that Microsoft Teams Room (MTR) is best implemented with dedicated hardware running the specific Windows 10 IoT image and supported periphery, i.e. Logitech Rally (let's call the whole of it "MTR system").

I have some questions for which I have seen an answer to in the documentation I found. I'd appreciate any feedback from you. Thanks in advance.

 

  • I believe that an MTR system only makes sense with the Office 365 Meeting Room (MR) licenses to be added to the Office 365 tenant. Correct?
  • The MTR system is just that. Its' running a special version of a Teams client, limited to calling and video conferencing. It cannot be used for any other function, either Teams features or completely different applications like on any other Windows 10 PC. Correct? 
  • The MR license setup is similar to a resource (room). For example, it will have AutoAccept functionality like any Office 365 room resource and act like a resource. Correct? Is it also scheduled like a resource? I've seen examples where the meeting room was added as normal attendee to meetings and not as a room (hence my question for AutoAccept functionality).
  • If the Office 365 tenant only uses Business Essentials (BE) licenses for it's users, I can add the MR license to it, just for the meeting room. Any other BE user would not need to upgrade to E1 or E3, as long as they do not need PSTN (telephony). Correct? 
  • Yet, the MR license would allow the MTR system to connect to the public telephony network via Direct Connect. Correct?
  • External attendees would connect to the video conference either via Teams app, or via Web connection. This works with standard Teams video conferences between PC's. Does it also work together with an MTR system?
  • Once I setup an MTR system, can it be used to connect to other meeting types, like Zoom for example?
  • Can I run an MTR system with a standard Office 365 BE license, instead an MR license? I know that I would loose functionality, like meeting AutoAccept and such. Are there other consequences?

 

 

Thanks for your help

 

Dan

 

5 Replies

@DanHuber 

That's a lots of questions. I answer which ones I can

- You need to assign a license to each MTR device (ie, room). MTR license is quite good value for that, since it includes also all other parts of Office 365 needed to do the job.

- It is a special version of Teams aimed for specific scenario.

- It is like a resource, as far as I know. Haven't configured this myself.

- as far as I know user's license is totally different. MTR license doesn't affect users (unless they need telephony as you said).

- According to https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/room-systems/skype-room-systems-v2 you can use Direct Connect with MTR since the license includes Phone System.

- MTR meeting is just like any other Teams meeting. Externals can join in via web. 

- Zoom / Cisco interop is coming https://tomtalks.blog/2019/11/microsoft-teams-rooms-will-soon-be-able-to-join-zoom-and-webex-meeting...

- Check https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/room-systems/skype-room-systems-v2 :

If you are currently using E1, E3, E4, E5 SKUs with Skype for Business Plan 2 with Audio Conferencing or with Office 365 Phone System and a Calling Plan, these will continue to work. However, you should consider moving to a simpler licensing model in the table above after current licenses expire.

 

 

best response confirmed by Vesa Nopanen (MVP)
Solution

@DanHuber I think @Vesa Nopanen  answered much of this, but let me take a stab at making sure we covered everything.

 


@DanHuber wrote:
  • I believe that an MTR system only makes sense with the Office 365 Meeting Room (MR) licenses to be added to the Office 365 tenant. Correct? - Typically this is the most cost effective way to license a room, but you could also license it using E licenses. For example in education where E1 is often free this is a viable option.
  • The MTR system is just that. Its' running a special version of a Teams client, limited to calling and video conferencing. It cannot be used for any other function, either Teams features or completely different applications like on any other Windows 10 PC. Correct? Correct, don't mess with the device, consider it as an appliance.
  • The MR license setup is similar to a resource (room). For example, it will have AutoAccept functionality like any Office 365 room resource and act like a resource. Correct? Is it also scheduled like a resource? I've seen examples where the meeting room was added as normal attendee to meetings and not as a room (hence my question for AutoAccept functionality). Correct, you configure the Exchange mailbox to automatically accept meetings within the rules you set using Set-CalendarProcessing, by also designating it as a mailbox of type room, and adding to room lists it is easily bookable in Outlook or Teams.
  • If the Office 365 tenant only uses Business Essentials (BE) licenses for it's users, I can add the MR license to it, just for the meeting room. Any other BE user would not need to upgrade to E1 or E3, as long as they do not need PSTN (telephony). Correct? No, at Ignite a couple of weeks ago Microsoft introduced Microsoft 365 Business Voice, to allow small businesses access without Enterprise licensing, see https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/business-voice
  • Yet, the MR license would allow the MTR system to connect to the public telephony network via Direct Connect. Correct? An MTR can connect via Direct Routing or by assigning it a Microsoft Dial Plan
  • External attendees would connect to the video conference either via Teams app, or via Web connection. This works with standard Teams video conferences between PC's. Does it also work together with an MTR system? The MTR is simply an attendee of a meeting, so everything that owrks in a meeting works with an MTR joining. For example if the organiser of the meeting has a licenses that includes audio conferencing people can dial in from a PSTN phone, the MTR jsut joins the meetings and doesn't need the audio conferencing licenses itself.
  • Once I setup an MTR system, can it be used to connect to other meeting types, like Zoom for example? Not today, but it was announced at Ignite that in the 1H2020 they would be adding the ability to join Zoom or WebEx meetings form the MTR.
  • Can I run an MTR system with a standard Office 365 BE license, instead an MR license? I know that I would loose functionality, like meeting AutoAccept and such. Are there other consequences? It needs Exchange and Teams comonents enabled, but that is all. I've not tried but I don;t see why there would be an issue with a BE license. It then couldn;t have it's own phone number. The AutoAccept is an exchange feature, I'm pretty sure you can still apply it to any mailboxes.

 

 

Thanks for your help

 

Dan

 


 

Hello @Steven Collier (and @Vesa Nopanen ),

Thanks both of you for the extended answers. 

 

I think I'll offer Logitech Tap with Logitech Rally to the customer. That would be a supported MTR configuration. Your arguments have convinced me to do this in favor of using a simple BE license.

 

Yet I still would like to comment on a few points @Steven Collier made:

  • I found a nice explanation on MTR setup on Office 365 on youtube. Actually, one creates a standard room and then assigns the MR license to it. So an MTR is acting exactly like a room resource, including AutoAccept and such. 
  • I need to look into Microsoft 365 Business Voice, also for another project. Thanks a lot for the pointer. Although, it could be that it won't be available in my country (Switzerland) for some time. Only recently, Direct Connect became available. Microsoft Dial Plan is still not offered here. I am playing with the thought of using the MTR license to connect to one of the two providers offering their own SBC to connect to. Though Swisscom will probably not be interested in SME customers for that service. The other starts only to be interesting when I move over all telephony to them. 
  • "Set-CalendarProcessing <...> -AutomateProcessing AutoAcceppt" won't work for BE licensed users. The cmdlet will tell me that this is only for resources. Invitation AutoAccept for users is apparently only possible by setting an option in Outlook and it has to be running all the time. Not really useful for a meeting room. Perhaps Microsoft Flow could do it, but I have not really investigated into that direction (yet).

 

Dan

 

 

 

@DanHuber 

 

  • The only real difference to a standard resource that you would create in exchange is that you configure it to allow logon, i.e. have a password then assign licenses to it.
  • Just to flag the term used in US documentation is direct routing. A model of having this hosted by a third party is a good one but I wonder how small they will want to go. Even though their carrier grade SBC support multiple virtual clients it will in effect be more expensive per port for smaller clients. I expect this is why Microsoft are offering it alongside their calling plans. I know it took a long time for this feature to be cost viable for Microsoft to offer.
  • Sorry I don't have any BE tenants to test, maybe there's a license limitation but it's news to me. 

Thanks @Steven Collier

  • Frankly, I did not even consider trying to assign a license to a resource. I tried what you suggested and yes, the AutoAccept feature stays. I am currently testing this a bit more. Thanks for the pointer!
  • You are of course correct. It's Direct Routing, not Direct Connect. Swisscom is using "Direct Connect" in a similar context and I just mixed it up. My bad :)

Great support here! I really appreciate the fast and competent answers. 

 

Dan

 

 

 

 

1 best response

Accepted Solutions
best response confirmed by Vesa Nopanen (MVP)
Solution

@DanHuber I think @Vesa Nopanen  answered much of this, but let me take a stab at making sure we covered everything.

 


@DanHuber wrote:
  • I believe that an MTR system only makes sense with the Office 365 Meeting Room (MR) licenses to be added to the Office 365 tenant. Correct? - Typically this is the most cost effective way to license a room, but you could also license it using E licenses. For example in education where E1 is often free this is a viable option.
  • The MTR system is just that. Its' running a special version of a Teams client, limited to calling and video conferencing. It cannot be used for any other function, either Teams features or completely different applications like on any other Windows 10 PC. Correct? Correct, don't mess with the device, consider it as an appliance.
  • The MR license setup is similar to a resource (room). For example, it will have AutoAccept functionality like any Office 365 room resource and act like a resource. Correct? Is it also scheduled like a resource? I've seen examples where the meeting room was added as normal attendee to meetings and not as a room (hence my question for AutoAccept functionality). Correct, you configure the Exchange mailbox to automatically accept meetings within the rules you set using Set-CalendarProcessing, by also designating it as a mailbox of type room, and adding to room lists it is easily bookable in Outlook or Teams.
  • If the Office 365 tenant only uses Business Essentials (BE) licenses for it's users, I can add the MR license to it, just for the meeting room. Any other BE user would not need to upgrade to E1 or E3, as long as they do not need PSTN (telephony). Correct? No, at Ignite a couple of weeks ago Microsoft introduced Microsoft 365 Business Voice, to allow small businesses access without Enterprise licensing, see https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/business-voice
  • Yet, the MR license would allow the MTR system to connect to the public telephony network via Direct Connect. Correct? An MTR can connect via Direct Routing or by assigning it a Microsoft Dial Plan
  • External attendees would connect to the video conference either via Teams app, or via Web connection. This works with standard Teams video conferences between PC's. Does it also work together with an MTR system? The MTR is simply an attendee of a meeting, so everything that owrks in a meeting works with an MTR joining. For example if the organiser of the meeting has a licenses that includes audio conferencing people can dial in from a PSTN phone, the MTR jsut joins the meetings and doesn't need the audio conferencing licenses itself.
  • Once I setup an MTR system, can it be used to connect to other meeting types, like Zoom for example? Not today, but it was announced at Ignite that in the 1H2020 they would be adding the ability to join Zoom or WebEx meetings form the MTR.
  • Can I run an MTR system with a standard Office 365 BE license, instead an MR license? I know that I would loose functionality, like meeting AutoAccept and such. Are there other consequences? It needs Exchange and Teams comonents enabled, but that is all. I've not tried but I don;t see why there would be an issue with a BE license. It then couldn;t have it's own phone number. The AutoAccept is an exchange feature, I'm pretty sure you can still apply it to any mailboxes.

 

 

Thanks for your help

 

Dan

 


 

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