How to configure a caller ID strategy

Did you know that you can change the caller ID of your users using Microsoft Teams telephony? In this article, I’ll explain what a caller ID strategy is and how to configure it!

What is caller ID?

Caller ID is a feature that displays the name and phone number of the person making a call on Microsoft Teams. This lets you know who’s contacting you and filter out unwanted calls. In this article, I’ll explain how to configure Caller ID in Microsoft Teams Admin Center, step by step.

Prerequisites

First of all, before you can configure a caller ID strategy for a user, here’s what you need to have :

1. 1st user configured and activated for Microsoft Teams telephony
2. A 2nd user or resource account with a phone number you want displayed when your 1st user makes a call.
3. Appropriate licenses assigned to the two previous accounts.

For example, if your users use Microsoft dial-in plans, the two accounts required will both need a Phone Standard license, as well as a dial-in plan license. On the other hand, if your users are connected via direct routing, they will both need a Phone Standard license only.

Step 1: Access the Microsoft Teams Admin Center

To configure caller ID, you first need to access Microsoft Teams Admin Center, which is the web portal where you can manage your organization’s settings on Microsoft Teams. To access it, you need to have a global administrator or Teams admin role. Here’s how to do it:

• Open your web browser and go to https://admin.teams.microsoft.com
• Log in with your administrator account
• You will be taken to the Microsoft Teams Admin Center dashboard.

Step 2: Create or modify a caller ID strategy

A Caller ID policy is a set of rules that determines how the caller’s name and number are displayed on Microsoft Teams. You can create a customized policy for your organization, or modify an existing one. Here’s how:

• In the left-hand menu, click on Voice
• Click on Caller identification strategies
• You’ll see a list of existing strategies. You can create a new one by clicking on the + Add button, or modify an existing one by clicking on its name.
• Give your strategy a name and a description
• Select the options you wish to enable or disable, for example :
  • Do not display caller’s number: prevents the caller’s number from being displayed if it is registered in the public directory
  • Show caller’s number: displays the caller’s number if it is not hidden.
  • Show caller’s organization name: displays the name of the caller’s organization if registered with the Teams service.
• Click on Save to validate your strategy

Step 3: Assign a caller ID strategy to users

Once you’ve created or modified a Caller ID policy, you need to assign it to the users in your organization who use Microsoft Teams telephony. You can do this individually or en masse. Here’s how to assign a Caller ID strategy:

• In the left-hand menu, click on Users
• You’ll see a list of users in your organization. You can select one or more of them by ticking the corresponding boxes.
• Click on Modify settings
• In the window that opens, click on Strategies
• In the Caller identification strategy section, choose the strategy you wish to assign to the selected users
• Click on Apply to confirm your choice

Video example :