- Dial-In Meeting Access: Allows participants to join Teams meetings via local or toll phone numbers.
- Conference Bridge Numbers: Provides dedicated bridge numbers for organizers to host audio-enabled meetings.
- PSTN Connectivity: Enables public switched telephone network integration for reliable voice access.
- Global Coverage: Offers dial-in numbers across multiple countries and regions.
- Integrated with Teams: Seamlessly embedded within Microsoft Teams meeting scheduling and invites.
- Operator Connect & Direct Routing: Supports advanced telephony configurations for enterprise voice setups.
- Security & Compliance: Backed by Microsoft 365 security, identity, and compliance controls.
- Admin Controls: IT administrators can assign licenses, manage bridge numbers, and configure policies.
- Hybrid Work Support: Ensures meeting access for users with low bandwidth or no internet access.
Microsoft Audio Conferencing for Virtual Meetings
Dial-in audio conferencing integrated with Microsoft Teams meetings
Updated March 3, 2026
Microsoft Audio Conferencing for Virtual Meetings Overview
Microsoft Audio Conferencing for Virtual Meetings enables participants to join Microsoft Teams meetings by dialing in from a phone. Included within select Microsoft 365 and Office 365 plans, it provides local and toll numbers, conference bridge capabilities, and PSTN connectivity.
Designed for enterprise-grade reliability, it supports hybrid workforces, external attendees, and users with limited internet access.
Key Features
Pricing
| Plan | Price | Key Features |
|---|---|---|
| Microsoft 365 F3 | $8.00 user/month (Paid Yearly, Annual commitment) | Teams chat, call & video conferencing; Web/mobile Office apps; 2 GB cloud storage per user |
| Microsoft 365 E3 | $36.00 user/month (Paid Yearly, Annual commitment) | Teams meetings with dial-in audio; 1–5+ TB OneDrive storage; Enterprise security & compliance |
| Microsoft 365 E5 | $57.00 user/month (Paid Yearly, Annual commitment) | Everything in E3; Advanced security & compliance; Teams Phone & analytics (Power BI Pro) |
Price details: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/enterprise/microsoft-365-plans-and-pricing
Pros
Competitor |
Pros |
|---|---|
| Zoom Phone | Microsoft Audio Conferencing integrates natively with Microsoft 365 and Teams, eliminating the need for third-party add-ons. Organizations already using Teams benefit from centralized billing, admin controls, and security policies. For enterprises standardized on Microsoft, it’s often more cost-efficient and easier to manage than deploying a separate Zoom telephony stack. |
| Google Meet Dial-in | Teams provides deeper enterprise telephony options, including Direct Routing and Operator Connect. Audio Conferencing supports structured admin management, compliance features, and identity controls through Entra ID. This makes it more suitable for regulated industries or large enterprises needing granular policy enforcement. |
| Cisco Webex Calling | Compared to Webex’s often complex licensing, Microsoft bundles audio conferencing within broader Microsoft 365 plans. Businesses benefit from unified collaboration tools, file sharing, and productivity apps in one subscription, simplifying procurement and reducing vendor sprawl. |
| RingCentral Video | Microsoft’s solution is tightly embedded into meeting invites and Outlook scheduling workflows. Users can automatically include dial-in numbers without extra configuration, making adoption easier for organizations already using Exchange and Outlook. |
| GoTo Meeting | Teams Audio Conferencing scales well for global enterprises with centralized compliance and identity management. Its integration with Microsoft security, endpoint management, and enterprise storage gives IT teams stronger governance compared to standalone conferencing providers. |
Cons
Competitor |
Cons |
|---|---|
| Zoom Phone | Zoom often delivers a more streamlined and telephony-focused experience. Microsoft’s licensing structure can feel complex, especially when combining Teams Phone, Audio Conferencing, and enterprise plans. Smaller organizations may find Zoom’s pricing and setup more straightforward. |
| Google Meet Dial-in | Google Meet offers a simpler, browser-first meeting experience. Microsoft’s ecosystem may feel heavier for teams that only need lightweight dial-in functionality without broader enterprise tools or administrative overhead. |
| Cisco Webex Calling | Webex has a long-standing reputation in enterprise telephony and advanced call center scenarios. Organizations with complex PBX migrations may find Cisco’s telephony heritage and hardware ecosystem more mature than Microsoft’s software-centric approach. |
| RingCentral Video | RingCentral provides dedicated voice-first features and clearer tiered telephony pricing. Microsoft’s bundling within Microsoft 365 plans can make it harder to isolate the exact cost of audio conferencing alone. |
| GoTo Meeting | GoTo Meeting emphasizes simplicity and quick deployment. Microsoft’s admin configuration for conference bridges, licensing, and routing may require more IT involvement, particularly in larger or hybrid telephony environments. |
Reviews
- PCMag Review (Rating: 4/5): The review highlights a “premium audio, messaging, and video conferencing experience” tailored for workplaces, and points to genuinely useful Copilot AI features that enhance day-to-day collaboration.
- Software Advice Review (Rating: 4.5/5): The video conferencing quality is described as excellent and reliable, even with large groups on a single call. The calendar integration also gets praise for making scheduling and joining meetings much easier.
- infotech.com Review: One finance professional calls Microsoft Teams “simply the best of its kind,” pointing to its sheer range of features and how easy it is to set up meetings with external clients or quickly call colleagues internally. Screen sharing feels intuitive and the interface takes little time to learn. The main gripe centers on the calendar, which feels clunky and messy when trying to view a week or multiple calendars at once.
