Microsoft is rolling out SMS texting for Teams Phone with Calling Plan

After many years of asking for it, Microsoft Teams users will finally be able to send SMS texts on Teams phones with a new Calling Plan that’s rolling out soon. This plan is set to include this option as well.

Announced this week, the Redmond-based tech giant has released a support page for the new feature, where it explains the process of setting up SMS texting for Teams Phone in great detail.

For example, for no,w the capability will only be available to the United States, Puerto Rico, and Canada, and users from these regions can send SMS messages only to numbers that are able to receive SMSs in the same regions. Sending or receiving SMS texts on Teams Phone outside of US, PR, or Canada aren’t supported.

What else is required to sign up? Organizations and users need to register to use the 10DLC network, which will validate legitimate SMS messaging. Microsoft will then help the organization register with the Campaign Registry before the Teams Calling Plan numbers can be enabled for SMS.

Then companies will have to submit their brand, gain approval, and finally be able to use SMS. It might seem like a long road, for it’s all done in the name of security.

When all is done, companies will be able to opt for several Teams Calling Plans, as you can see below:

There will be a maximum number of SMSs per minute, campaign, day, and brand.

There will also be an SMS usage fee, as follows.

It’s worth noting that the capability should start rolling out to users as soon as this week. In December, we encountered it in the Microsoft 365 Roadmap, and the Redmond-based tech giant said it intended to release it in February.

What are your thoughts about it?