This article provides the frequently asked questions related to Microsoft Teams Rooms licensing changes.
Q: What is the Microsoft Teams Rooms licensing change?
The Teams Rooms licensing update from Microsoft requires all Teams Rooms devices, including Surface Hub devices, to be assigned to Teams Rooms licensing (pro or basic) prior to 1 July 2023. The announcement also affects devices enrolled in the Pro Management Portal. Both Microsoft Teams Rooms Standard and Premium licenses have been available since 2019 and 2020 respectively and have evolved to the current Teams Rooms Pro and Basic licenses.
Q: Who's impacted by this change?
If you're or your customers are currently using Teams Rooms Standard, Teams Rooms Premium and Teams Rooms features under Microsoft E3 and E5 licenses, on 01 July 2023, you will be blocked from signing into Teams Rooms devices, as well as Surface Hubs.
Q: What replacement licenses are available through TAM (Telstra Apps Marketplace)?
Teams Rooms Pro is available via the Telstra Apps Marketplace as the only license available to Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) partners like Telstra to resell to its customers currently. Teams Rooms Basic is not available via CSPs and can only be obtained with a device purchase. All CSP's globally are awaiting guidance from Microsoft on the availability date for Teams Rooms Basic SKU, so we can publish into Telstra Apps Marketplace.
Q: When does the Teams Rooms licensing update take effect?
The Teams Rooms licensing update takes effect on 1 July 2023. We encourage those who are using Teams Rooms Standard, Premium or Teams Rooms features under Microsoft E3/E5 to take steps to purchase and assign the replacement Teams Rooms Pro license as early as possible to mitigate any issues with Teams meeting experiences.
Q: What happens if I don’t comply with these licensing changes by 1 July 2023?
Starting July 1, 2023, any Teams Rooms device using Teams Rooms Standard/Premium or features under E3/E5 user licenses will be blocked from logging into their account until a Teams Rooms Pro license is applied. This could result in disruption to your Teams Rooms experience, including the ability to join meetings or make calls, depending on the device type.
Q: How do I know if my organization is currently using a user license to enable Teams Rooms devices?
You can check if you are currently using a user license for your Teams Rooms device by using the Teams Admin Center or the Microsoft 365 Admin Center. Alternatively, you can use a script provided by Microsoft to check your licenses in bulk. To learn more about the script please visit the Microsoft article here.
Q: How does this license change apply to my Surface Hubs?
The Hub will still function as normal without the Teams meetings functionality. The new licensing requirement does not affect users signing into Surface Hub to access Microsoft 365 accounts or personal files.
Q: My Teams Rooms are enabled for PSTN (Telstra Calling/ Operator Connect), do I need to update my licencing?
Yes, you will need to update your licensing to Teams Rooms Pro for these features to function from 1st July 2023.
Q: Will this licensing update affect Teams Panels or other Microsoft Teams devices?
No, this licensing update only affects Teams Rooms devices.
Q: Is there a cost difference between standard/premium and new Teams Rooms Pro licenses?
Yes, monthly prices for these licenses are:
- Teams Rooms Standard $27.19 (end of sale)
- Teams Rooms Premium $90.68 (end of sale)
- Teams Rooms Pro $57.97 (available)
Q: What are the advantages of purchasing a Teams Rooms Pro license?
Teams Rooms Pro offers better intelligent audio and video, better security and compliance and better device management capabilities over the Standard and Basic licenses. It’s also cheaper than the Teams Rooms Premium license.
For a detailed comparison visit the Microsoft article here.
Q: Where can I find more information about this licensing change?
You can find out more information about the Teams Rooms licensing change via the Microsoft blog article here.