Microsoft Teams Phone System Education Pricing

You work in IT for a medium to large size school or university that’s in the market for a new phone system, and Microsoft Teams Phone System is one of the options you’re considering — but you’re wondering how much it costs and whether the pricing is different for educational institutions.

In this video, I break down exactly what Teams Phone System costs for schools and universities, and how to get the best pricing available through Operator Connect.

Want my recommendations on the best Operator Connect vendors to quote for your school or university? Ask me today.

You work in IT for a large school or university that’s in the market for a new phone system, and Microsoft Teams Phone System is one of the options you’re considering — but you’re wondering how much it costs and whether pricing is different for educational institutions than it is for regular businesses. In this video, I break down exactly what Teams Phone System costs for schools and universities, and how to make sure your institution gets the best pricing available. Want my recommendations on the best Operator Connect vendors to quote for your school or university? Ask me today.

My Recommendation

If you’re a medium to large size school or university — 50 users or more, maybe hundreds or thousands — and you’d like a quote on Teams Phone System through Operator Connect, reach out to me directly. Send me an email or give me a call at 714.593.0011. I’ll tell you which Operator Connect vendors my customers have had the best experiences with, introduce you to the right salespeople, and get your institution significantly better pricing than if you reach out to these vendors on your own. It won’t cost your school anything — the service providers pay my broker fee. Join the thousands of others who have used me to help make a better decision in a fraction of the time. Also don’t forget to subscribe to the YouTube channel and go check out AeroComInc.com — you can read and write reviews on service providers, watch videos, and filter by features like Teams Phone.

Why This Video Focuses on Medium to Large Size Schools

Before getting into pricing — this video is specifically for medium to large size schools and universities because that’s my area of expertise. I work with organizations that have 50 or more users, up to hundreds or thousands. If you’re a smaller institution, some of this may still be useful, but I can’t guarantee it applies to your situation.

What Is Operator Connect and Why Does It Matter?

A big part of this video focuses on Operator Connect. If you’re not familiar with it, go check out my other videos on the topic. But the short version is this — if you’re a medium to large size school or university, you want to be purchasing Teams Phone System through an Operator Connect vendor, not directly from Microsoft. There are over 100 Operator Connect vendors out there, and they are not all equal. I’ll tell you which ones are the best fit for schools and universities based on my customers’ experiences.

Two Pricing Components You Always Need to Know

When it comes to Microsoft Teams Phone System pricing, there are always two components. First is licensing — specifically the Teams Phone Standard add-on that gives you phone system functionality inside Teams. Second is your calling plan — the service that actually connects your calls. Whenever you hear about Teams Phone pricing, make sure you’re accounting for both. Sometimes vendors quote one without the other, and the total cost looks very different once you add them together.

Pricing If Your School Has an A1 or A3 Microsoft 365 License

If your school or university currently has an A1 or A3 Microsoft 365 license, here’s how the pricing breaks down.

If you went directly to Microsoft, they offer a Teams Phone Standard with calling plan bundle at $14 per month per user for educational institutions. But that’s not the way to go for a medium to large size school. Instead, purchase through an Operator Connect vendor. Here’s what that looks like:

The Teams Phone Standard licensing add-on comes in at $4 per month per user for schools and universities — a significant discount compared to what most businesses pay, which is $10 or more for the same license. On top of that, your calling plan through a quality Operator Connect vendor will run around $2 to $4 per month per user, especially at the scale of a medium to large size institution.

Your total cost comes out to roughly $6 to $8 per month per user for Teams Phone System — and that’s a price point that beats nearly every other cloud phone system on the market for educational institutions.

Pricing If Your School Has an A5 or A7 Microsoft 365 License

If your school or university has an A5 or A7 Microsoft 365 license, the math looks even better. Teams Phone Standard is already included in those licenses — you don’t pay for the add-on at all. The only cost your institution needs to cover is the calling plan.

Going directly to Microsoft for the calling plan runs $12 per month per user — way too much for a medium to large size school. Through an Operator Connect vendor, that calling plan drops to $2 to $4 per month per user. That’s your total cost for Teams Phone System. If your school has A5 or A7 licensing, that’s an exceptional price point for a full enterprise phone system.

Where to Buy Your Licensing

If your school needs to purchase the Teams Phone Standard add-on — meaning you have an A1 or A3 license — you can buy it directly from Microsoft or through a CSP. Some Operator Connect vendors are also CSPs, so you can bundle both the licensing and the calling plan under one vendor. That’s worth asking about when you’re getting quotes.

Other Costs to Be Aware Of

There are a few additional items worth factoring in depending on your school’s needs — SMS and MMS texting, which is not included natively in Teams Phone, call recording, and if your institution has a fundraising department or any call center functionality, that’s a separate conversation entirely. Reach out to me and we can go through all of it.

Want My Recommendation on the Best Operator Connect Vendors?

There are over 100 Operator Connect vendors out there and your chances of finding the right one on your own are low. I’ve been a broker for all the major Operator Connect vendors since the service launched — about six years — and I’ve been selling Teams Phone System since 2018. I know which vendors are the best fit for schools and universities, which ones to avoid, and how to make sure your institution gets the lowest pricing available. Send me an email or give me a call at 714.593.0011. I don’t charge your school anything — the vendors pay my broker fee. Don’t forget to subscribe to the YouTube channel, check out AeroComInc.com, and leave me a comment below. Thanks for watching — I’ll catch you on the next one.