Voice Paging in Microsoft Teams
Algo IP Speakers can be used for voice paging and public address for general announcements, broadcasting audible alerts during crises for emergency notification, delivering effective loud ringing in noisy environments, and even providing background music when not actively engaged in other functions.
How to Bring Voice Paging to Microsoft Teams
Organizations can deploy Algo IP Endpoints directly into Teams’ environments for their voice paging solutions. As natively compatible devices, Algo’s suite of IP endpoints can be used to deliver clear communication via a Teams phone system across the span of an entire building or enterprise. Users can use Algo devices to extend their voice paging needs to both large indoor and outdoor locations in a Teams environment.
There are two main methods of deploying voice paging in a Teams environment.
- IP Enabling Legacy Paging Infrastructure. Deploy Algo IP Paging Adapters to enable Teams communication through legacy infrastructure. Learn More.
- Deploying Teams-Compatible IP Speakers. Deploy a suite of Algo IP Endpoints that are natively compatible with Teams for a full IP-based communication system. Learn More.
Regardless of the route, Algo endpoints are seamlessly compatible with the Microsoft Teams ecosystem via the SIP Gateway and offer important features to help organizations manage costs. Importantly, all Algo voice paging IP endpoints support multicast, allowing users to manage Teams licenses effectively. In most applications, only a small number of Algo IP Endpoints will require SIP registration to Microsoft Teams, sometimes as few as a single device. Leveraging multicast, Algo IP endpoints can scale the solution to any number and combination of endpoints, without requiring each endpoint to be registered to the Microsoft Teams SIP Gateway.
IP-Enable Legacy Paging Systems with Teams
How to retain legacy
Maintaining full functionality of a legacy system while migrating to a Teams environment is made simple with the deployment of one or several Algo IP Paging Adapters. Algo IP Paging Adapters are SIP compliant and can bridge Teams to most legacy voice paging systems. There are several benefits to using Algo paging adapters to bridge Teams with legacy infrastructure. As Algo devices are fully Teams-compliant, integrating into a Microsoft Teams environment comes natively when deploying an Algo paging adapter. Algo also provides several supervision tools to monitor the health and performance of paging adapters, further simplifying device management.
What is required to retain legacy infrastructure?
Retaining the functionality of an existing overhead paging system and bringing it to an IP environment comes down to compatibility and integration requirements. The type and number of amplifiers used in the environment may dictate which paging adapter is required. Typically, Algo IP Paging Adapters are deployed in a 1:1 ratio, with one Algo paging adapter per amplifier. If more than one amplifier is used, multiple paging adapters can be deployed. In most applications, Algo’s standard paging adapter is required for simple voice paging solutions. Where amplifiers include zoning technology to enable paging to select areas within a building or space, Algo’s zone paging adapter can be used to retain these channels.
How this works in Teams
Incorporating a legacy paging system into a Teams environment requires only Algo paging adapters to be registered into the Teams Admin Center. Analog amplifiers and analog speakers do not need to be registered for compatibility with Teams. The seamless bridge into the Teams environment happens entirely via connection to the Algo paging adapter.
Deploying Teams-Compatible IP Speakers
Deploying Algo IP Speakers in a Microsoft Teams environment allows organizations to easily future-proof their voice paging system. Algo IP Speakers natively integrate into the Microsoft Teams SIP Gateway, enabling users to connect directly via the Teams Admin Center. A full IP-based voice paging system allows organizations to make the most of Algo IP Speakers, utilizing them to the fullest potential for IP paging. Algo IP Speakers can be fully displayed in the Teams Admin Center, enabling users to oversee the devices and easily broadcast an announcement.
Algo IP Speakers have a rich feature set, including wideband audio, ambient noise detection, and two-way talk, allowing users to fully embrace voice paging in their Teams environment. Algo IP Speakers can be deployed in environments of any scale, bringing additional features, such as multicast.
Algo IP Speakers are network devices that are easily configured via the intuitive web interface. As IP-based devices, Algo speakers can be supervised, allowing organizations to monitor for functionality and online status. Users may also manage Algo speakers and alter settings to apply the desired volume range suitable for specific environments and locate speakers by initiating a tone.
In addition, Algo speakers do not need any additional server or hard-end software to function. As self-amplified endpoints, Algo speakers require no external amplifier to effectively deliver clear, crisp audio for voice paging in Microsoft Teams. As Algo IP Speakers are directly compatible with Teams, no other hardware or software is required to use the devices, including an SBC.
Multiple Speaker Types for Voice Paging
Algo IP Speakers for Teams voice paging offer a comprehensive range of solutions suitable for indoor and outdoor applications, catering to various loud and noise-changing environments. Algo provides SIP paging speakers that empower users to create a versatile voice paging environment tailored to specific needs. In addition to employing wideband audio technology, each speaker type possesses its distinct attributes to enhance voice paging within Teams.
Horn speakers ensure that a Teams voice page is heard clearly even amidst background noise or in outdoor settings. Ceiling speakers are specially engineered to deliver crystal-clear audio, eliminating any hum or static interference during a Teams page.
Moreover, certain Algo IP Speakers also have additional features, such as LED lights, that will flash in conjunction with the playing of a Teams voice page to further alert audiences that there is a communication in process.
Simplified Device Registration in Teams
As Algo IP Endpoints are multicast-capable, users can register as many or as few Algo devices within Microsoft Teams Admin Center as required per the organization’s environment. Users can leverage multicast to configure an Algo device with a Teams registration to broadcast to any number or mix of network devices. With this feature, Algo devices can scale any size building, campus, or enterprise to ensure Teams communication is maintained and delivered throughout.
Registering an Algo device within Microsoft Teams is simple and is available directly in the Teams Admin Center. While this would typically be associated as a Shared Device License, it may instead be registered as a full user license. Direct Inward Dialing (DID) must be associated with the license. For more details, check the Microsoft Teams Configuration Guide.
Advantages of Using Algo IP Endpoints for Voice Paging within MS Teams
Seamless Integration and Compatibility
As Teams-compatible devices, Algo IP Endpoints provide an opportunity for organizations to truly enrich their system both in cloud- and premise-based platforms. Together, Algo and Teams create a very powerful system that delivers rich voice paging solutions to large audiences.
Deliver Wideband Audio for Voice Paging in Teams
Microsoft Teams operates with wideband audio functionality to deliver clear audio through any compatible speaker. As Algo IP Endpoints also support wideband audio, speech intelligibility is easily retained across the system and delivered through Algo IP Speakers. For legacy environments, analog speakers in a legacy overhead voice paging system are made able to deliver speech-intelligible voice pages within a Teams environment using Algo IP Paging Adapters.
Multicast Voice Paging in Microsoft Teams
Multicasting in a Teams environment, when combined with any number or type of Algo IP Endpoint, offers a straightforward solution to cost-effectively broadcast and communicate to all corners of a building or environment. Algo IP Endpoints, from speakers to paging adapters, can be configured as a multicast sender within Teams, ensuring a voice page can effectively reach widespread through an office, school, hospital, factory, or other type of large or small facility.
Users migrating to a Teams system can leverage Algo’s multicast feature for their core IP paging needs for both legacy and IP-based ecosystems. Users can easily send a Teams voice page to one or many paging adapters or other IP devices based on zones within the environment. A Teams environment can accommodate up to 50 zones, allowing for easy expansion and adaptation to different areas or sections within an organization.
Schedule Pre-recorded Announcements and Notifications in Teams
The Algo 8301 IP Paging Adapter is equipped with advanced calendaring functionality, enabling organizations to easily schedule their Teams communication for any day, month, and even year. Whether deployed in a legacy or full IP environments, the Algo 8301 is often utilized for the calendaring functionality in order to organize and preload voice paging announcements. The calendaring feature provides enhanced flexibility, allowing organizations to customize their Teams communication system. With 1GB of space provided, users can upload prerecorded messages and announcements as a WAV file.
Embedded Microphone
With an embedded microphone in each Algo IP Speaker, users can make full use of Algo speakers in a Teams environment. The embedded mic serves two functions: ambient noise detection and two-way talk.
With ambient noise detection available, the mic within Algo’s speakers can detect background noise and self-adjusts the audio output to ensure a Teams voice page can be delivered at the ideal sound volume based on the background noise of the environment.
In a setting where two-way communication needs to be adopted, the audience near the IP speaker can be engaged in two-way talk via Teams. Two-way talk ensures that critical information can be shared to admin personnel and clear communication can be established for announcements and emergencies.
Smart Relay & Accessories
Relay inputs and outputs are common features on Algo IP Endpoints. With Algo’s smart relay solution, buttons and accessories can be powered, activated, and supervised through a relay connection to expand the connectivity and capabilities of Algo IP Endpoints within a Microsoft Teams voice paging system.
