Microsoft is enforcing a policy that requires a Teams Phone Standard (formerly Phone System) license for users who receive bot-initiated transfers or “add participant” requests. This closes a loophole that some third-party solutions, including certain contact centers, have been using to avoid licensing costs.
In this article you will learn what is changing, why it matters, and the exact steps you need to take. We will break it down so you can keep your Microsoft Teams calling flowing without any surprises.
Microsoft has announced a significant change that begins on September 30th, 2025. It focuses on how licenses are handled for automated call scenarios. These are situations where a service account, often called a resource account, is involved in a call from the public switched telephone network.
The new rule is straightforward but has considerable effects. Any user involved in a call that touches the PSTN via an automated system must have a Microsoft Teams Phone license. While this was always the official guidance, it was not strictly enforced, but that is about to change.
This impacts systems that use auto attendants or call queues to route calls intelligently. Many contact center solutions, including Luware Nimbus, rely on this technology for their core operation. This is not a minor update; it is a fundamental shift in compliance for anyone using Teams calling.
If you rely on Luware Nimbus (or another Teams-integrated tool) for your contact center, this licensing change is critical. Nimbus uses Teams infrastructure to route calls and provide supervisors with their essential tools. Because of this, the new enforcement directly affects its core functions.
Let's look at exactly what functionalities are impacted.
One of the biggest impacts is on call transfers. After the deadline, any attempt to transfer a call from the switched telephone network to a user without a Teams Phone license will fail. The call will simply drop or be sent to a dead end, creating a poor customer experience.
This includes transfers from an agent in the Attendant Console. It also covers automated transfers handled by a Nimbus workflow, such as calls routed by auto attendants. If your workflow routes calls to internal experts for help, those experts now need a phone license.
Consider your current processes. Do you ever transfer calls to back-office staff, subject matter experts, or a shared device? If they do not have the right Teams license, this vital part of your service will break.
Another key area is call supervision. Supervisors use Nimbus to monitor agent calls for quality control and training purposes. They might listen in silently, whisper advice to the agent, or barge in to assist with a difficult customer.
For these features to work, the supervisor must also have a Teams Phone license. Without it, they will lose the ability to monitor or intervene in any active call. This severely limits your capacity to manage quality or train your team effectively.
This is because the supervision feature technically joins the supervisor to the ongoing PSTN call. Under the new rules, every user on that call requires the correct license. It is a small detail that has a massive operational impact on contact center management.
Knowing about the problem is one thing, but fixing it is another. You need a clear plan to follow so that your service is not interrupted. This is not something you can put off until the last minute before the September 30th, 2025 deadline.
We have broken it down into four simple steps. Following this plan will help you get ready for the deadline. It puts you in control of the situation, ensuring a smooth transition.
First, you need to find out who has what. Log into your Teams admin center and check the active user licenses. You must identify every single user who might be part of a PSTN call transfer or supervision scenario.
Do not just check your main contact center agents. Think about department heads, internal specialists, supervisors, and any frontline worker. Anyone who might receive a transferred call or monitor a call needs a Teams Phone license.
Make a detailed list of all these users. Compare it against the list of users who currently have a Teams Phone Standard license assigned. The gap between these two lists is your problem area that needs to be addressed.
Once you know who will and will not be licensed, you must review your workflows. Go into your Luware Nimbus configuration and check your call routing rules within the auto attendants. Where do your workflows send calls?
You may need to change these rules to ensure compliance. Make sure that all automated transfers only point to users who you know will have a license. You might need to redirect some calls or create new groups of licensed experts.
This is a good opportunity to clean up old or inefficient routing logic. A careful review now can prevent failed calls later and improve your overall efficiency. It helps you align your call flows with the new licensing reality and check your emergency calling configurations.
Changes in technology and process always affect your team. You need to tell them what is happening and why. Explain the licensing change to your supervisors so they understand why it is necessary to maintain their oversight capabilities.
If you have had to change call workflows, agents will need to know. They must understand the new paths for escalating or transferring calls. Clear communication prevents confusion and frustration on the front line.
It is about making sure everyone is prepared for the switch. Good preparation helps everything go smoothly on the day the enforcement starts. No one likes surprises when they are talking to a customer.
This is not a one-time fix. You need to build licensing into your regular IT governance and user account management processes. When a new employee joins the company, you need to ask if they will be part of any call flows that interact with the PSTN.
Set up a quarterly check of your licenses and workflows in the Teams admin center. This helps you catch any unlicensed users who have been added to call queues by mistake. It protects your business from future disruptions.
Staying on top of your licensing means your Microsoft Teams phone system will just keep working. It turns a potential crisis into a simple administrative task. This ongoing care ensures your annual subscription auto-renews without service interruptions.
The upcoming enforcement by Microsoft is a serious change you cannot afford to overlook. It directly impacts how tools like Luware Nimbus function within the Microsoft Teams ecosystem. Taking action now is the only way to protect your customer service operations.
By auditing your users, updating your workflows, and preparing your team, you can meet this challenge head-on. Proper Microsoft Teams PSTN licensing is no longer just a technical detail. It is now a core part of keeping your phone lines open and your customers happy.