Enterprise calling, run by the people who own the network.
Most businesses buy the phones from one vendor, the internet from another and the support from a third. Aureon UCaaS is all of it from one provider, delivered inside Microsoft Teams.
Your communications platform. Simplified.
A complete look at how Aureon UC brings voice, video, chat, and collaboration into one scalable platform, running inside Microsoft Teams.
What is UCaaS?
Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) is a cloud phone system that brings calling, video meetings, messaging and collaboration into one platform. The last three words matter: the provider hosts the system, maintains it and rolls out new features, instead of selling you equipment and leaving you to run it. Your business manages users and call flow, not servers.
- One platform, one per-user bill
- Calling, video and chat in one app
- The same on desktop, mobile and desk phone
- Auto attendants, hunt groups, call queues
- Add or remove users in minutes
- Outdated phone hardware you maintain
- A separate conferencing subscription
- A standalone chat and messaging tool
- Desk-phone-only voicemail and routing
- Per-site systems that don't connect
Of customers prefer a text message to a phone call.
Of businesses use unified communications, or plan to within a year.
Average telecom saving after moving phones to the cloud.
Keep Microsoft Teams. Add the phone system it is missing.
Aureon adds enterprise calling inside the Teams app your team already uses, with no second app and no retraining. Here is what changes.
| Capability | Teams plus Aureon UCAureon calling inside your existing Teams tenant | Microsoft Teams aloneTeams Phone plus a Microsoft calling plan |
|---|---|---|
| PSTN calling | Included, with no hidden per-feature fees | Needs a separate Microsoft calling plan or Direct Routing |
| Call handling | Auto attendants, hunt groups, queues, full call control | Basic PBX features only |
| Reporting & analytics | Granular, customizable, real-time call reporting | Limited, and difficult to extract |
| Day-to-day admin | Intuitive portal, no PowerShell required | Teams admin center, often with PowerShell |
| Support | West Des Moines and Kansas City, 24/7 NOC-backed | Generic Microsoft support queue |
| Contact center | Native contact center option from the same provider | Requires a third-party CCaaS platform |
See Aureon calling running inside Teams, using your own call flows.
Features of UCaaS
Four capabilities that come standard, delivered through the Microsoft Teams interface your team already knows.
Voice & Chat
Seamless calling, unified messaging, and flexible call management. Smart alerts and an intuitive interface keep every conversation in one place.
Virtual Meetings
Host meetings from any device with integrated video, voice, and chat, keeping remote and hybrid teams connected, productive, and engaged anywhere.
Better Together
Project groups, shared documents, persistent chats, and live co-editing in a focused workspace, so collaboration does not scatter across five tools.
Features That Grow
Scalable tools that expand with your business, supporting advanced voice, messaging, and ongoing updates without a hardware refresh.
See how Aureon compares to other UCaaS providers
Support, deployment, features and pricing, side by side. Filter to one provider at any time.
| Feature | Aureon UC | 8x8 | RingCentral | Zoom Phone | Webex |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Teams & UX | |||||
| Teams Integration | Native dialer inside Teams with full call control | Native Teams integration now available | Pop-out app, not embedded | Basic integration via Zoom add-in | Standalone platform; Teams integration possible but not seamless |
| Mobile & Desktop UX | Unified, consistent | Fragmented | Polished | Consistent experience | Clean, modern UI across devices; strong video-first experience |
| AI & Automation | Right-sized by design. AI capabilities are available through targeted integrations, so clients get the automation that fits their workflow without paying for features they will not use. | Built-in AI tools | Strong AI suite, multiple awards | Basic AI features | Webex AI Assistant, transcription, noise removal |
| Operations & Support | |||||
| Call Reporting & Analytics | Granular, customizable, real-time reporting | Basic to moderate | Advanced, AI-enhanced | Moderate reporting tools | Strong analytics; AI insights in premium tiers |
| Ease of Admin | Intuitive portal, no PowerShell needed | Moderate complexity | Complex for SMBs | Simple admin interface | Enterprise-grade; requires Cisco Control Hub expertise |
| Support Model | White-glove and 24/7, from West Des Moines and Kansas City | Mixed reviews | Tiered support | Tiered support | Global Cisco support; not localized unless via partner |
| Deployment Speed | Fast, guided onboarding | Slower for global setups | Can be lengthy | Fast deployment | Complex depending on licensing and integrations |
| Support Locality | West Des Moines, IA and Overland Park, KS | Canada, UK, Philippines, Romania. No local presence | 2.5/5 on TrustPilot; billing-issue complaints | Web tickets, chat, phone via partners and resellers | CA, NC, TX support; no dedicated Iowa presence |
| Security & Compliance | SOC 2, HIPAA, GDPR, STIR/SHAKEN, ISO 27001 | ISO 27001/27017, HIPAA, GDPR, NIST 800-53 | SOC 2, HIPAA, GDPR, CCPA, FedRAMP (select) | HIPAA, GDPR, CCPA, FERPA, FINRA, SOC 2 | ISO 27001, HIPAA, GDPR, FedRAMP |
| Commercial & Fit | |||||
| PSTN & Calling Plans | Included, no hidden fees | Region-dependent | Add-ons for global | Included in plans | Cisco Calling Plans or certified PSTN providers |
| CCaaS Integration | Native contact center option | Native | Native (RingCX) | Limited CCaaS options | Sold separately; often cost-prohibitive |
| Nickel & Dime Risk | Low. Support and changes included | Moderate. Advanced analytics and CCaaS in higher tiers | High. Recording, analytics, SMS, integrations gated | Low. Most core features included | High. Recording, devices, analytics need higher licenses |
| Average Price per Seat | $19 to $24 per user | $24 base, $44 full suite | $20 base, $35 full analytics | $8 metered, $15 to $20 unlimited US/Canada | $17 base, $25 multi-device plus recording |
| Sellers in Iowa | Aureon (direct) | Telarus, TBI, Sandler, Intelisys | Telarus, TBI, Sandler, Intelisys | ICN | Telarus, TBI, Sandler, Intelisys, CPI |
| Ideal Customer Size | SMB to Enterprise | SMB to Global | Mid-Market to Enterprise | SMB to Mid-Market | Mid-Market to Enterprise |
Frequently Asked Questions
UCaaS delivers measurable ROI across three areas. First, cost savings: businesses migrating from legacy PBX systems save 30–50% on telecom costs and up to 80% on maintenance and hardware upgrades. Second, productivity: integrated messaging, video, and voice in a single interface reduces app-switching and helps teams work more efficiently. Third, agility: UCaaS scales as headcount grows or changes, without hardware upgrades or long deployment timelines.
Unified Communications (UC) refers to the integration of communication tools such as voice, video, messaging, email, and presence into a single platform. UCaaS (Unified Communications as a Service) is the cloud-delivered version of UC. The key difference is infrastructure: traditional UC often requires on-premises hardware and software, while UCaaS is subscription-based, hosted in the cloud, and managed by the provider. UCaaS is ideal for remote and hybrid teams, organizations wanting to reduce IT overhead, and businesses that need to scale quickly.
Aureon's UCaaS is embedded inside Microsoft Teams, so calling, messaging, and video meetings all happen in the Teams app your employees already use. There is no second application to install and no separate softphone to learn. Aureon connects business phone service to your existing Teams tenant, ports your current numbers, and adds enterprise call handling such as auto attendants, hunt groups, and call queues. Employees keep the Teams interface they know; the phone system behind it becomes a full business platform.
Microsoft Teams Phone provides basic calling capability, but PSTN service requires a separate Microsoft calling plan or a Direct Routing build-out, PBX features are limited, call reporting is difficult to extract, administration often requires the Teams admin center plus PowerShell, and contact center functionality requires a third-party platform. Pairing Teams with a UCaaS provider such as Aureon adds enterprise call handling, granular real-time call reporting, an administration portal that does not require PowerShell, a native contact center option, and local 24/7 support, all while keeping Teams as the interface your team already uses.
Microsoft offers three ways to add PSTN calling to Teams. Microsoft Calling Plans buy minutes directly from Microsoft: simplest to switch on, but country coverage is limited and the per-seat cost is usually the highest. Operator Connect uses a Microsoft-certified carrier that provisions service through the Teams admin center, with no session border controller for you to run. Direct Routing connects a session border controller to Teams, which gives the most control over routing, numbering and least-cost paths, and takes the most setup. Businesses already on Microsoft 365 commonly choose a carrier-provided option over Microsoft Calling Plans, because it separates the phone service from the software licence and usually costs less per seat. Aureon provisions calling in your existing tenant and manages the connection, number porting and support.
Yes. Microsoft requires a Teams Phone license for any user who makes or receives outside calls in Teams, whichever way the calling is delivered. It is included in Microsoft 365 E5 and available as an add-on for E1 and E3. That license covers the Teams calling capability itself; the phone service, numbers, call routing and support come from your calling provider. Aureon reviews your existing Microsoft 365 licensing during planning, so the per-user cost is clear before you commit.
Yes. Aureon ports your existing phone numbers as part of the migration, so your main line, direct dial numbers, and published contact numbers stay the same. Porting is managed as part of the deployment along with provisioning, Microsoft Teams integration, and user onboarding. Most UCaaS deployments are completed in 2 to 6 weeks depending on organization size and complexity.
Yes. Modern UCaaS platforms are built for integration. Aureon's UCaaS is embedded within Microsoft Teams, meaning voice calls, messaging, and video meetings work within the Teams interface your employees already use. It connects with Microsoft 365 tools including Outlook, SharePoint, and OneDrive, and can integrate with CRM platforms, help desk systems, and other business applications through standard APIs.
UCaaS is typically priced on a per-user, per-month subscription model, which means costs scale with your team size and you avoid large upfront hardware investments. Pricing varies by provider and feature tier. Aureon's UCaaS runs $19 to $24 per user per month and includes calling, collaboration, and reporting features, Microsoft Teams voice integration, and NOC-backed support that other providers may charge as add-ons.
Yes, and for cloud calling it matters more than it sounds. Your calls ride on your internet connection, so when the circuit and the phone system come from two different companies, a call quality problem becomes two support tickets and a disagreement about whose fault it is. Aureon owns and operates its own fiber network, more than 60,000 miles of it, alongside the voice platform. Both sides of that connection belong to one provider with one support number.
Yes. UCaaS platforms use TLS (Transport Layer Security) for signaling and SRTP for voice and video encryption. Access is controlled through multi-factor authentication and role-based permissions. Aureon's UCaaS is backed by a geo-diverse, redundant voice network with 24/7 NOC monitoring. For regulated industries including healthcare and finance, audit logging and access controls can support compliance requirements such as HIPAA and SOX.
UCaaS (Unified Communications as a Service) is designed for internal team communication such as employee-to-employee calling, meetings, and messaging. CCaaS (Contact Center as a Service) is designed for customer-facing communication such as inbound call routing, IVR, agent queuing, and customer experience management. Many organizations use both: UCaaS for internal teams and CCaaS for customer service operations.
Most UCaaS deployments can be completed in 2–6 weeks depending on organization size and complexity. Aureon manages provisioning, porting of existing phone numbers, integration with Microsoft Teams, and user onboarding. Unlike legacy PBX installations that can take months, cloud-based UCaaS requires no physical hardware installation and can be configured remotely.
Carriers are retiring copper POTS lines, and the analog circuits many buildings still rely on for fire alarm panels, elevator phones, fax and gate intercoms have to move somewhere else. These are separate from a Teams or UCaaS rollout: they typically move to a cellular or IP-based replacement device that keeps the existing panel or handset working without replacing the equipment behind it. It is worth inventorying every analog line in the building before any phone system migration, because they are easy to overlook and are a common reason a cutover slips. Ask us to review your analog lines alongside your UCaaS plan.
Discover a better way to communicate.
Pick a time that works. We will walk your actual call flows, show Aureon UC running inside Microsoft Teams, and give you a straight answer on cost and timeline.
- ✓A live walkthrough using your call flows, not a canned demo
- ✓Per-user pricing with no hidden per-feature add-ons
- ✓A realistic migration timeline, including number porting
- ✓No hardware, no obligation