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MS-721: What Should You Do First to Ensure Callers Can Reach an Auto Attendant in Microsoft Teams?

Learn the first step to configure an auto attendant in Microsoft Teams Phone deployment. Understand why creating a resource account in the Teams Admin Center is crucial for routing calls effectively.

Question

You have a Microsoft Teams Phone deployment.

You plan to configure an auto attendant to route incoming calls based on user input.

You need to ensure that callers can reach the auto attendant by using a direct phone number.

What should you do first?

Select only one answer.

A. Create a call queue.
B. Create a dial plan.
C. From the Microsoft 365 admin center, configure a resource mailbox.
D. From the Microsoft Teams admin center, configure a resource account.

Answer

To ensure callers can reach an auto attendant by using a direct phone number in a Microsoft Teams Phone deployment, the correct first step is:

D. From the Microsoft Teams admin center, configure a resource account.

Explanation

In Teams, a resource account is required for each auto attendant or call queue. Resource accounts may also be assigned phone numbers. You can create a resource account in the Microsoft Teams admin center. Microsoft 365 resource mailboxes are not the same as Teams resource accounts. Teams resource accounts can be used with call queues and auto attendants to accept phone calls from external phone numbers. Microsoft 365 resource mailboxes are tied to a Microsoft Exchange Online mailbox and enable the booking of shared resources, such as rooms, projectors, and so on.

A resource account is a special type of account in Microsoft Teams used to represent system resources like auto attendants and call queues. It serves as the foundational element that links a phone number to the auto attendant, enabling external callers to access it.

Steps to Configure a Resource Account

Create the Resource Account:

  1. Navigate to the Microsoft Teams Admin Center.
  2. Go to Org-wide settings > Resource accounts.
  3. Click Add to create a new resource account.
  4. Provide a display name, username, and select “Auto Attendant” as the type of resource account.

Assign a License:

  • Assign a Microsoft Teams Phone Resource Account license (free with Teams Phone subscriptions) via the Microsoft 365 Admin Center. This ensures the resource account can function correctly with voice features.

Assign a Phone Number:

  • In the Teams Admin Center, assign a service phone number to the resource account under Voice > Resource accounts. This step allows external callers to directly dial into the auto attendant.

Link the Resource Account to the Auto Attendant:

  • Once created and licensed, associate this resource account with your auto attendant configuration in the Teams Admin Center under Voice > Auto attendants.

Why This Step is Essential

  • Without a resource account, it is impossible to assign a phone number or enable call routing for an auto attendant.
  • The resource account acts as the entry point for incoming calls and integrates seamlessly with other Teams Phone features like call queues or voicemail.

Why Other Options Are Incorrect

A. Create a call queue: Call queues are used to manage incoming calls for groups of users but do not enable direct dialing for auto attendants.

B. Create a dial plan: Dial plans are used for normalizing and routing internal numbers, not for setting up direct access to an auto attendant.

C. Configure a resource mailbox: While resource mailboxes exist in Exchange Online, they are unrelated to configuring auto attendants in Teams.

By starting with creating and configuring a resource account, you set up all necessary components for your auto attendant to function effectively with direct dialing capabilities.

Microsoft 365 Certified Collaboration Communications Systems Engineer Associate MS-721 certification exam assessment practice question and answer (Q&A) dump including multiple choice questions (MCQ) and objective type questions, with detail explanation and reference available free, helpful to pass the Microsoft Collaboration Communications Systems Engineer MS-721 exam and earn Microsoft 365 Certified Collaboration Communications Systems Engineer Associate certification.