San Jose, California — January 6, 2025 — PanTerra Networks today announced the launch of Streams.AI for Microsoft Teams, a native application that delivers enterprise-grade unified communications directly inside Microsoft Teams without the cost, complexity, or single-point-of-failure risk of Microsoft Teams Phone.
Unlike Teams Phone-based solutions that fail during Microsoft outages, Streams.AI automatically maintains business continuity by routing communications to PanTerra's Streams applications and devices when Teams becomes unavailable—keeping employees connected and customers reachable regardless of Microsoft's service status.
The Problem: Microsoft Teams Outages Create Business Risk
Microsoft Teams has experienced over 112 outages since August 2023—averaging one significant disruption every 4-5 days. For businesses relying on Microsoft Teams Phone, these outages mean complete communication failure: no calls, no customer contact, no business continuity.
Additionally, Microsoft charges $8-12 per user per month for Teams Phone licensing—adding $9,600 to $14,400 annually for just 100 users on top of existing Microsoft 365 subscriptions.
The Solution: Work Inside Teams Without the Vulnerability
Streams.AI for Microsoft Teams removes both the cost burden and the reliability risk by operating as an independent unified communications layer inside the Teams interface.
What users experience:
- Enterprise calling, business SMS/MMS, and secure fax directly within Microsoft Teams
- Native Teams application accessible from the Teams app rail—no separate logins or applications
- Seamless operation across Teams desktop and mobile environments
- Zero learning curve—everything works within the familiar Teams interface
What happens during a Teams outage:
- Automatic failover to Streams mobile apps, desktop apps, and IP desk phones in under 60 seconds
- Inbound calls route to users' designated failover devices
- Business operations continue uninterrupted
- Automatic switchback when Teams service restores
The result: Teams remains the interface where employees work, but it's no longer the single point of failure for business communications.
Complete Enterprise Communications Inside Teams
Streams.AI delivers the full capabilities of PanTerra's award-winning Streams.AI platform within Microsoft Teams:
Core Communications:
- Enterprise-grade voice calling on PanTerra's independent carrier-grade network
- Business SMS/MMS from company phone numbers
- HIPAA-compliant digital fax with queue visibility and organized archives
- Visual voicemail with transcription, folders, filtering, and bulk actions
- Unified contacts with presence indicators across company directory, Teams, and imported lists
Advanced Capabilities:
- Luna.AI intelligent receptionist with natural language call routing
- Professional softphone controls: transfer, conference, call park, call recording (where permitted)
- Speed dial, call history, routing preferences, and multi-device management
- Real-time messaging and fax status updates
Built for IT Teams: All features are accessible directly within Teams tabs and menus, requiring no additional applications during normal operations.
Award-Winning Admin Portal vs. Microsoft's Scattered Settings
While Microsoft spreads Teams Phone administration across five different portals (Teams Admin Center, M365 Admin Center, Azure Portal, PowerShell, and legacy consoles), PanTerra's Streams Admin Portal—winner of the INTERNET TELEPHONY Excellence Award for Best Admin Portal—provides unified management in one intuitive interface.
Key administrative advantages:
Automated Provisioning: Streams.AI integrates with Microsoft Entra ID (Azure Active Directory) for single sign-on and automatic user provisioning. Add or remove users from M365 groups, and their communication profiles configure or disable automatically—no manual administration required.
Visual Call Flow Designer: Build sophisticated call routing, auto-attendants, and IVR menus using drag-and-drop visual tools—no PowerShell scripting or regex patterns required. Configure business hours, holidays, overflow routing, and Luna AI receptionist behavior in minutes.
Comprehensive Device Management: Monitor all endpoints in real-time. Remotely diagnose issues, push firmware updates, and configure devices without site visits. Deploy new locations with zero-touch provisioning and configuration templates.
Enterprise Controls: Manage routing policies, voicemail rules, call recording permissions, number assignments, device preferences, and fax lines from one unified portal—without Direct Routing complexity or specialized telephony expertise.
Luna AI: Natural Language Call Routing That Stays Online
Streams.AI includes Luna AI, PanTerra's intelligent virtual receptionist that understands natural language and routes calls based on context and intent.
Traditional auto-attendants (including Microsoft's): "Press 1 for sales, press 2 for support, press 3 for billing..."
Luna AI: Caller speaks naturally: "I need help with my invoice from last month" Luna understands: Billing inquiry, existing customer, account-specific issue Luna routes intelligently: Directly to billing specialist with context
Critical advantage during outages: Unlike Microsoft's menu-based auto-attendants that fail when Teams goes down, Luna AI continues routing calls intelligently during disruptions—maintaining consistent customer experience regardless of Teams availability.
Enterprise Security, Compliance, and Reliability
Streams.AI operates on PanTerra's secure, carrier-grade cloud infrastructure:
- 99.99% uptime SLA with multiple redundant data centers
- SOC 2 Type II certified with comprehensive security controls
- HIPAA compliant with Business Associate Agreements available
- 25 years of enterprise UCaaS experience powering mission-critical communications
- Carrier-grade voice quality with intelligent routing and dedicated bandwidth management
Eliminate Microsoft Teams Phone Licensing Costs
Organizations using Streams.AI for Microsoft Teams require zero Microsoft Teams Phone licenses, eliminating:
- $8-12 per user per month Microsoft telephony charges
- Direct Routing setup and maintenance complexity
- Dependency on Microsoft's calling infrastructure and uptime
- Specialized telephony expertise for administration
For a 100-user organization, this represents $9,600 to $14,400 in annual savings compared to Microsoft Teams Phone licensing—and just one avoided Teams outage can pay for the entire solution.
Rapid Deployment and Availability
Streams.AI for Microsoft Teams is available immediately to PanTerra customers on Streams.AI Business Plus and Professional Plus plans at no additional integration cost.
Typical deployment timeline:
- Days 1-2: Discovery and architecture planning
- Days 3-5: Entra ID integration and Teams configuration
- Days 6-10: Number porting and call flow setup
- Day 11: Full production deployment with business continuity active
- Most organizations are fully operational within 11 business days, with pilot deployments possible in as little as 3 days.
Executive Commentary
"Microsoft Teams is where people work—but it shouldn't be where communications reliability ends," said Arthur Chang, President & CEO of PanTerra Networks. "Streams.AI for Microsoft Teams keeps users working inside the Teams interface they know while ensuring communications stay available even when Microsoft services go down. Organizations get enterprise-grade calling, intelligent AI routing, and award-winning management tools—without Microsoft licensing overhead, without Direct Routing complexity, and without the vulnerability of a single point of failure."
Chang continued: "We've spent 25 years building carrier-grade unified communications infrastructure. Streams.AI for Microsoft Teams brings that proven reliability into the Teams environment, giving IT directors the tools they actually need and giving businesses the continuity protection they can't afford to be without."
About PanTerra
PanTerra Networks is a leading provider of secure, AI-powered unified communications and customer engagement solutions for mid-market and enterprise organizations. Founded in 2001, PanTerra has over two decades of innovation in UCaaS and AI-driven communication technologies, delivering high-performance, reliable, and scalable solutions that help teams communicate faster, collaborate smarter, and engage customers more effectively.
PanTerra's Streams.AI platform has earned industry recognition including the INTERNET TELEPHONY Excellence Award for Best Admin Portal, and powers mission-critical communications for healthcare networks, financial services firms, distributed enterprises, and thousands of organizations nationwide.
Learn more at: www.panterranetworks.com
Contact information:
For more information, please visit www.panterranetworks.com or call us at +1 800.805.0558 or email us at info@panterranetworks.com.
Schedule a Demo: www.panterranetworks.com/teams-app