Ultimate Guide to Preparing for MS-721

The MS-721: Collaboration Communications Systems Engineer certification exam is designed to validate your ability to plan, design, configure, and manage Microsoft Teams Phone, meetings, and devices. This exam is aimed at professionals responsible for architecting collaboration solutions across large enterprises using Microsoft Teams and related technologies.

You’re expected to have a good grasp of Microsoft 365 workloads and be proficient in areas like Teams administration, networking, identity, and security.

Responsibilities of a Collaboration Communications Systems Engineer

As a Collaboration Communications Systems Engineer, you’re responsible for planning and implementing Microsoft Teams-based calling and meeting solutions. Your tasks include designing Teams Phone systems with PSTN connectivity, configuring meetings and webinars, managing Teams Rooms and devices, and ensuring overall communication performance.

This role also involves working with other teams focused on security, networking, compliance, and identity to ensure an integrated and reliable collaboration experience across the organization.

Planning Teams Meetings and Webinars

Meetings are the cornerstone of collaboration in Microsoft Teams. As an engineer, you need to plan meeting types, policies, and experiences that meet your organization’s goals.

Start by defining the types of meetings required—standard internal meetings, webinars for external participants, or large town halls. Set appropriate meeting policies to govern what users can do during meetings, such as screen sharing, recording, or using reactions.

Control access to meetings through lobby settings and configure whether external users (like guests or federated users) are allowed. For compliance, enable or restrict meeting recording and transcription based on organizational needs.

Webinars allow attendee registration, reporting, and controlled participation, while town halls are more structured for one-to-many communication. Each scenario requires distinct planning, including capacity, presenters, and technical setup.

Planning for PSTN Audio Conferencing

Audio conferencing enables users to join Teams meetings by dialing in with a telephone.

To support this, you must assign the correct Microsoft licensing, usually Audio Conferencing licenses. You’ll need to configure dial-in numbers based on user locations and decide whether toll-free numbers are required. These dial-in numbers can be shared or dedicated, depending on availability and business needs.

Set up conferencing bridges and customize meeting invites to include local dial-in options for end users. This ensures accessibility for users in low-bandwidth areas or those without access to Teams clients.

Designing Teams Phone and PSTN Connectivity

Microsoft Teams Phone allows organizations to replace traditional PBX systems with a cloud-based telephony solution. As an engineer, you must choose the most suitable PSTN connectivity option for your organization.

There are several methods of connecting Teams to the public telephone network. Microsoft Calling Plans provide PSTN connectivity directly from Microsoft and are ideal for simpler environments. Operator Connect allows integration with partner telecom carriers via a streamlined setup in the Teams Admin Center. Direct Routing gives the most control, allowing organizations to connect their own Session Border Controllers (SBCs). There’s also Teams Phone Mobile, which integrates cellular and Teams calling into a unified solution.

Your design must account for different user types and needs—some users may require full phone capabilities, while others may only need voicemail or internal calling. You’ll also plan features like auto attendants, call queues, and resource accounts.

Emergency calling support is critical, especially in regulated regions. This involves setting up emergency locations and routing logic so that calls to emergency services are correctly directed and compliant with local laws.

Designing Teams, Devices, and Room Solutions

Teams-certified devices help users communicate clearly and reliably. Device planning depends on use case and environment.

Personal devices include certified headsets, webcams, and desk phones. For shared areas such as lobbies or open workspaces, common area phones or hot-desking phones are often used.

For meeting spaces, Microsoft Teams Rooms (MTR) provides a consistent and high-quality meeting experience. Teams Rooms on Windows support more complex features and peripherals, while Teams Rooms on Android are simpler and more cost-effective for smaller rooms.

Your design should take into account room size, acoustics, camera and microphone placement, and user interaction points. In hybrid environments, Direct Guest Join lets Teams Rooms devices connect to external platforms like Zoom or Webex, which is useful in multi-platform organizations.

Cloud Video Interop (CVI) can also be used to enable SIP-based devices to join Teams meetings.

Network Preparation and Optimization

A reliable and well-optimized network is the backbone of any successful Microsoft Teams deployment. Ensuring that the network is properly designed and configured directly affects the quality of real-time communications, including voice and video. Poorly optimized networks can lead to latency, jitter, and packet loss—factors that severely degrade call quality and meeting experiences. Therefore, effective network preparation is not just about setting up hardware or bandwidth—it is about ensuring end-to-end readiness for high-quality collaboration across various modalities.

Understanding Real-Time Media Requirements

Microsoft Teams is a real-time communication platform. This means it requires consistent and low-latency delivery of packets for services like voice calls, video conferencing, and screen sharing. Unlike traditional file transfers, which can tolerate delays, real-time media is sensitive to fluctuations in bandwidth and delivery time.

The three main performance metrics you must consider are:

• Latency: The delay between sending and receiving data. Teams requires round-trip latency below 150 ms.
  
• Jitter: The variation in packet arrival times. Jitter should be under 30 ms for a smooth experience.
  
• Packet loss: The percentage of packets that fail to reach their destination. For Teams, packet loss should be under 1% during any 15-second interval.

Teams relies heavily on the User Datagram Protocol (UDP) for media transport, especially for audio and video, since it offers lower latency than TCP. It is important that firewalls and security appliances support this and do not unnecessarily throttle or block UDP traffic.

Running a Network Readiness Assessment

Before rolling out Teams to your organization—or before enabling Teams Phone or Rooms—you should run a full network assessment. Microsoft provides the Network Assessment Tool, which simulates Teams media traffic and evaluates if your environment meets the necessary network requirements.

The assessment includes:

• Connectivity to Microsoft 365 endpoints
  
• Latency, jitter, and packet loss measurements
  
• Firewall and proxy configuration verification
  
• Available bandwidth for upload and download per user

This tool should be run from multiple locations within your network to get a realistic view of performance across departments, remote offices, and mobile users.

Microsoft also offers the Network Planner for Teams, which allows you to enter variables such as the number of users, expected media usage (e.g., meetings, phone calls), and WAN topology. It then calculates the required bandwidth and highlights potential weak points in the network.

Network Topology Considerations

Microsoft Teams is delivered through the Microsoft cloud, with regional data centers and edge locations designed to optimize user connectivity. Understanding how your users reach those services is critical.

Optimizations include:

• Direct internet egress: Avoid routing Teams traffic through central proxies or VPN tunnels when possible. Local breakout points reduce latency and improve reliability.
  
• Split tunneling: If your organization uses a VPN, configure it to bypass the VPN for Teams traffic. This is known as split tunneling or VPN exclusions.
  
• Anycast routing: Microsoft uses Anycast to connect users to the nearest Office 365 front door. Your DNS configuration and firewall rules should support this.

If your traffic is routed through long paths—such as through a central datacenter in another country—users will experience significant delays. Consider deploying local internet access and minimizing hop counts between your users and the Microsoft cloud.

Quality of Service (QoS) Implementation

Implementing Quality of Service (QoS) is one of the most effective ways to ensure that Teams traffic is prioritized over less sensitive data like file downloads or email. QoS allows routers and switches to give higher priority to real-time traffic.

In Microsoft Teams, QoS is achieved through:

• DSCP (Differentiated Services Code Point) marking: Teams clients mark outgoing packets with appropriate DSCP values. For example, audio traffic typically uses DSCP 46 (Expedited Forwarding), video uses 34, and screen sharing uses 18.
  
• Port-based prioritization: Teams uses a defined set of UDP and TCP ports for media. You can prioritize this traffic across the WAN and LAN using these ports.
  
• Policy-based QoS: For organizations using Windows Group Policy or Intune, policies can be pushed to clients to enforce QoS settings at the OS level.

Network devices (switches, routers, and firewalls) must be QoS-aware and configured to honor DSCP markings. End-to-end QoS is only effective if every hop along the path respects the priority tags.

Firewall and Proxy Configurations

Firewalls and security appliances can introduce delay or block necessary ports if not configured properly. Teams requires open access to a defined set of IP addresses and ports. Microsoft provides an updated list of Office 365 endpoints, which must be allowed through all security devices.

The main considerations include:

• UDP port ranges (3478–3481) for STUN and media traffic
  
• TCP 443 for signaling, file transfers, and fallback media transport
  
• FQDNs for Teams services, including *.teams.microsoft.com and *.skype.com

Use of proxy servers should be minimized or bypassed entirely for Teams. If proxies are required, they must support HTTP/2 and WebSockets, or Teams functionality may be impaired.

Additionally, make sure any DPI (Deep Packet Inspection) or SSL interception settings on the firewall do not interfere with Teams traffic.

Enterprise Content Delivery Network (eCDN) for Large Meetings

For organizations hosting large live events or town halls, Microsoft recommends using an Enterprise Content Delivery Network (eCDN) to reduce bandwidth strain on the corporate network. eCDNs cache and distribute video streams internally, avoiding redundant external downloads by multiple users in the same location.

Teams integrates with several eCDN partners and also supports Microsoft’s first-party solution for Town Halls. Deploying an eCDN is particularly beneficial in scenarios with large numbers of users watching the same stream in real time, such as all-hands meetings or training sessions.

Monitoring and Performance Optimization

After deployment, ongoing network monitoring is essential. Microsoft provides tools such as:

• Call Quality Dashboard (CQD): Aggregates call and meeting quality data across your tenant.
  
• Call Analytics: Provides per-user and per-session diagnostics.
  
• Real-Time Telemetry: Admins can view live call statistics during active meetings.

Use these tools to identify trends such as frequent jitter, packet loss hotspots, or users experiencing poor performance from certain locations.

Performance data should be reviewed regularly and used to drive decisions about infrastructure upgrades, policy changes, or user training. For example, a site with frequent audio issues may require a bandwidth upgrade, a switch replacement, or a revised QoS policy.

Recommendations for Wi-Fi Networks

Many Teams users connect through Wi-Fi. For a good real-time experience over wireless:

• Use enterprise-grade access points that support 802.11ac or 802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6)
  
• Avoid overloading APs—maintain a 1:25 AP-to-user ratio in dense areas.
  
• Enable band steering to use 5 GHz where possible.
  
• Configure fast roaming and seamless handoff to prevent packet loss during movement.t
  
• Isolate guest and corporate networks to prevent interference and congestion.

Even with a high-speed WAN connection, poor Wi-Fi performance at the edge can severely degrade Teams’ performance.

Preparing the network is not a one-time event. It is a continuous process of testing, tuning, and improving. With the growing dependence on hybrid work, remote meetings, and Teams Phone for voice communication, the network becomes a central pillar of operational excellence.

Engineers preparing for the MS-721 exam must demonstrate a deep understanding of all these networking principles. It’s not just about knowing the tools—it’s about understanding how real-time communication behaves, how to anticipate issues before they arise, and how to respond effectively when users report degraded experiences.

A well-prepared network enables a seamless and professional collaboration experience—exactly what the MS-721 exam seeks to validate.

Designing Security and Compliance into Teams Communications

Security and compliance must be embedded into every aspect of the Teams collaboration strategy.

Use Microsoft Purview tools for Data Loss Prevention (DLP), retention policies, and content classification. For regulated industries, implement compliance recording for calls and meetings using certified recording solutions.

Teams policies should be centrally managed using policy packages that bundle together messaging, meeting, and calling settings for specific user roles.

Conditional Access should be configured in Microsoft Entra (Azure AD) to protect Teams access from untrusted devices or risky sign-ins.

When integrating with third-party contact centers, ensure the solution is certified for Microsoft Teams to avoid service disruption and support limitations.

The MS-721 study guide focused on the foundational skills required to plan and design Microsoft Teams communication systems. These include:

• Understanding Teams meetings and event types
  
• Planning and enabling PSTN audio conferencing
  
• Designing Teams Phone systems with the right PSTN connectivity model
  
• Selecting and deploying Teams-certified devices and Rooms
  
• Preparing and optimizing the network for real-time media
  
• Integrating security, compliance, and recording strategies into Teams

Mastering this domain prepares you for both the MS-721 exam and real-world deployment of enterprise-grade Teams communication solutions.

Introduction to Teams Meetings Management

Microsoft Teams Meetings are at the core of collaboration in the Microsoft 365 ecosystem. A Collaboration Communications Systems Engineer is responsible not just for planning, but also for configuring, managing, and supporting the meeting experience across different user types and devices.

You’ll need to ensure that users have the appropriate meeting policies, that security and compliance settings are enforced, and that meetings can be effectively scheduled, joined, and supported—especially as organizations adopt hybrid work strategies.

Configuring Meeting Policies

Meeting policies control the features available during Microsoft Teams meetings. You apply these policies based on user roles and business requirements.

You configure policies to allow or block features like:

• Screen sharing and annotation
  
• Cloud recording and transcription
  
• Meeting chat and reactions
  
• Who can bypass the lobby?
  
• Whether anonymous users can join

Use PowerShell or the Teams admin center to create and assign these policies. For example, executives may have different permissions than external vendors. Policies are assigned per-user, and you can use policy packages to apply predefined sets to groups like education or frontline workers.

Ensure policy changes are tested in a controlled environment before wide deployment.

Managing Large-Scale Meetings and Webinars

Microsoft Teams supports different meeting types for various audience sizes and engagement levels:

• Standard meetings support up to 1,000 participants.
  
• Webinars support structured events with registration, presenter roles, and engagement controls.
  
• Town Halls (previously Live Events) are best for one-to-many communications with up to 20,000 attendees (and more with special arrangements).

Webinars and Town Halls require additional setup, including registration forms, communications workflows, and production roles. Admins can enable or disable these meeting types and configure limits through Teams settings and policies.

You’ll configure features like:

• Enabling registration and setting max attendee limits
  
• Specifying presenters and producers
  
• Managing participant audio/video controls
  
• Enabling Q&A, recording, or attendee reporting

Town Halls are designed for structured presentations with minimal interaction, whereas webinars offer more flexible engagement features. Both require preparation and coordination with organizers and presenters.

Configuring Audio Conferencing

Audio conferencing enables users to dial into meetings using a phone number. This is essential for accessibility and flexibility in many organizations.

Key configuration tasks include:

• Assigning Audio Conferencing licenses to users
  
• Configuring dial-in numbers and conferencing bridges
  
• Customizing meeting invites with audio detail.s
  
• Managing PIN settings for meeting organizers

You’ll also manage settings like automatically enabling dial-out to participants, or setting toll vs. toll-free numbers. In some regions, regulations may affect the availability of dial-in features or require specific configurations.

Managing Meeting Options and Settings

Meeting organizers can control meeting behavior before or during the session via meeting options. Admins can preconfigure default settings to enforce consistency and compliance.

Common options include:

• Who can bypass the lobby
  
• Who can present
  
• Whether attendees can unmute themselves
  
• Allowing meeting chat or reactions
  
• Enabling recording or transcription

These settings can be configured at the tenant level, per policy, or meeting. Use PowerShell for bulk configurations or automation scripts. Regularly audit settings to ensure alignment with evolving compliance requirements.

Supporting Meeting Experiences on Teams Devices

Meetings can be joined from various certified Teams devices, including:

• Personal devices (laptops, mobile phones, headsets)
  
• Shared devices (common area phones)
  
• Microsoft Teams Rooms systems (Windows or Android)

Each device type has different configuration and management needs. Teams Rooms devices, for example, require scheduled maintenance, firmware updates, and centralized management via the Teams Rooms Pro Management portal.

Admin responsibilities include:

• Ensuring devices are enrolled and licensed
  
• Assigning resource accounts to shared devices
  
• Monitoring health and uptime of meeting room systems
  
• Enabling Direct Guest Join for external meeting platforms

In hybrid work environments, ensure that remote workers have access to reliable devices and that meeting spaces are equipped to support inclusive experiences for both remote and in-office participants.

Troubleshooting Meetings and Call Quality

As an engineer, you must proactively monitor and resolve issues related to Teams meetings.

Use the Call Analytics and Call Quality Dashboard (CQD) tools in the Microsoft Teams admin center to:

• Identify poor meeting experiences
  
• Troubleshoot device, network, or policy issues
  
• Track trends by location, user, or device type
  
• Drill into specific meetings or user sessions.

Ensure that network-related issues such as jitter, packet loss, or latency are addressed quickly. Create support documentation and escalation processes for common issues like failed recordings, poor video quality, or device disconnections.

You can also use PowerShell or Graph API to query meeting logs or automate health checks.

Monitoring and Reporting

Reporting is key to understanding how meetings are used and how effective they are.

Use built-in reports in the Microsoft Teams admin center and Microsoft 365 admin center to track:

• Number of meetings and participants
  
• Meeting duration and type (standard, webinar, town hall)
  
• Recording usage and storage
  
• Audio conferencing minutes and costs
  
• Meeting quality and reliability metrics

Export data to Power BI for deeper analysis, or integrate with third-party tools for customized reporting. Use insights to adjust policies, improve support, and forecast license or hardware needs.

In this series, you’ve learned how to configure and manage Teams meetings, webinars, and town halls. These are essential skills for ensuring your organization’s collaboration tools are accessible, secure, and high-performing.

You’ve covered:

• Configuring meeting policies for different user types
  
• Managing large-scale events with webinars and town halls
  
• Enabling and customizing audio conferencing
  
• Managing Teams, Rooms, and device participation
  
• Using analytics tools to monitor and improve call quality
  
• Building reports for usage and reliability

These competencies ensure that users have a smooth meeting experience and that IT teams can support and scale Teams communications effectively.

Introduction to Teams Phone

Teams Phone enables users to make and receive external phone calls directly within Microsoft Teams. It transforms Teams into a full-fledged enterprise voice solution and integrates with the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN).

A Collaboration Communications Systems Engineer must configure, secure, and support Teams Phone capabilities based on organizational needs, ensuring users have access to dial plans, voice routing, and reliable telephony services.

Understanding Teams Phone Licensing

To enable Teams Phone for users, appropriate Microsoft 365 licensing must be assigned. Options include:

• Microsoft 365 E5 (includes Teams Phone by default)
  
• Microsoft 365 E3 or E1 with an add-on for Teams Phone Standard
  
• Audio Conferencing and Domestic/International Calling Plans as needed

Users can also use Direct Routing or Operator Connect instead of Microsoft Calling Plans. Ensure users have the right combination of licenses based on their telephony needs.

Configuring Calling Plans

Microsoft Calling Plans allow Microsoft to act as the PSTN provider. Admins can assign:

• Domestic calling plans (within the country/region)
  
• International calling plans (includes domestic + international)
  
• Pay-as-you-go options for more flexible billing

You must assign phone numbers from the Teams admin center or port existing numbers from previous providers. Manage number inventory, emergency calling information, and usage limits.

Direct Routing Overview

Direct Routing allows organizations to connect their own Session Border Controller (SBC) to Microsoft Teams. This offers flexibility for:

• Using existing PSTN providers
  
• Connecting analog devices or on-premises PBXs
  
• Supporting global calling requirements not met by Microsoft Calling Plans

Key steps in setting up Direct Routing include:

• Configuring a certified SBC
  
• Establishing a SIP trunk to the SBC
  
• Setting up voice routing policies and PSTN usage records
  
• Assigning voice routing to users via PowerShell

Ensure SBCs are certified by Microsoft and tested thoroughly before production use.

Operator Connect

Operator Connect is a simplified way to use third-party PSTN carriers who partner with Microsoft. It provides the benefits of Direct Routing without having to manage SBCs.

Steps to set up Operator Connect:

• Choose a provider from within the Teams admin center
  
• Work with the provider to assign numbers to users.
  
• Configure emergency calling and location info
  
• Monitor call quality using the standard Teams tool.s

Operator Connect is ideal for organizations that want control but prefer not to manage infrastructure.

Configuring Voice Routing and Dial Plans

Admins must configure how calls are routed from Teams users to the PSTN. This includes:

• Voice Routing Policies: Define which routes and PSTN usages are available to a user.
  
• PSTN Usage Records: Logical groupings of voice routes.
  
• Voice Routes: Define number patterns and corresponding SBCs or carriers.

Additionally, Dial Plans help normalize phone numbers dialed by users into the correct E.164 format. This ensures consistent call routing and caller ID behavior.

You can use:

• Tenant dial plans (custom per-tenant)
  
• User-level dial plans
  
• Normalization rules for number formats

Test dial plans with the Test-CsEffectiveTenantDialPlan cmdlet.

Configuring Emergency Calling

Emergency services compliance is a critical part of Teams Phone configuration. Features include:

• Dynamic Emergency Calling: Detects user location via the Teams client and sends location data during emergency calls.
  
• Emergency Address Assignment: Required for Calling Plan and Operator Connect users.
  
• Emergency Call Routing Policies: Configure what numbers are used and what call handling options are triggered.
  
• Notification Groups: Alert security teams or admins when a 911/112/999 call is made.

Admins must maintain accurate location information in the admin center and test emergency calling regularly.

Managing Calling Features

Admins configure and support a variety of calling features to optimize the user experience:

• Call forwarding and simultaneous ring
  
• Voicemail policies and transcription
  
• Delegation and shared line appearance
  
• Call queues and auto attendants
  
• Call park and group call pickup
  
• Caller ID policies

These features support both end-user needs and front-line communication workflows. Use the Teams admin center or PowerShell for deployment.

Monitoring and Troubleshooting Teams Phone

Use built-in tools to monitor call quality and troubleshoot Teams Phone issues:

• Call Analytics: Investigate specific users or calls
  
• Call Quality Dashboard (CQD): Monitor trends, device types, and locations.
  
• PSTN Usage Reports: See call duration, charges, and call records
  
• PowerShell: Use Get-CsUser, Get-CsOnlineVoiceUser, and related cmdlets to validate configuration

Encourage end users to report quality issues, and implement proactive alerting for SBC or network failures.

Supporting Teams Devices for Calling

Certified Teams Phone devices include:

• Desk phones
  
• Teams displays
  
• Common area phones

Each device type must be assigned a resource account and licensed properly (usually with a Common Area Phone license).

Admins should:

• Configure SIP settings and policies
  
• Push firmware updates
  
• Monitor device health
  
• Restrict access using Conditional Access or Intune.

Also, ensure proper onboarding and end-user training for device usage.

In this series, you’ve learned how to configure and manage Teams Phone, including the telephony infrastructure and features needed to support enterprise calling.

Covered topics include:

• Licensing and enabling Teams Phone
  
• Microsoft Calling Plans and alternatives like Direct Routing or Operator Connect
  
• Creating and managing dial plans and voice routing
  
• Emergency calling configurations and compliance
  
• Advanced calling features like auto attendants and call queues
  
• Monitoring call quality and supporting devices

These skills are essential for deploying a reliable and secure Microsoft Teams telephony solution.

Introduction to Teams Rooms and Devices

Microsoft Teams Rooms (MTR) provides optimized meeting experiences in conference rooms by integrating certified hardware and Teams software. Supporting these devices ensures seamless collaboration, video conferencing, and hybrid work functionality.

Collaboration Communications Systems Engineers must plan, configure, and manage MTRs and Teams-certified devices, ensuring consistent performance and integration.

Understanding Microsoft Teams Rooms

Teams Rooms systems consist of:

• A compute unit (Windows or Android-based)
  
• Peripherals (camera, microphone, speaker, touch console)
  
• External displays (TVs or projectors)

Two main platforms are supported:

• Teams Rooms on Windows
  
• Teams Rooms on Android (MTRoA)

Admins must ensure the correct hardware, licensing, and network configuration for reliable operation.

Teams Rooms Licensing Requirements

Teams Rooms require specific licenses based on deployment needs:

• Teams Rooms Basic: Free, for up to 25 meeting rooms per tenant; supports core meeting features.
  
• Teams Rooms Pro: Paid license with advanced features like:
  
  • Room monitoring and management
    
  • AI-powered audio/video enhancements
    
  • Front row layout
    
  • Multi-camera support
    
  • Microsoft Defender for Endpoint for Windows devices

Each physical room device needs its license, assigned to a resource account.

Setting Up a Teams Room Device

Steps to configure a Teams Room:

1. Create a resource account in Microsoft 365
   
   • Use the format roomname@domain.com
     
   • Assign it a mailbox and an appropriate Teams Room license.
     
2. Assign the resource account to the device.e
   
   • Use the Teams Admin Center or configure manually on the console.e
     
3. Configure meeting join settings.
   
   • Auto-join options
     
   • Dual screen
     
   • Layout preferences (e.g., Front row)
     
4. Network and time zone configuration
   
   • Ensure connectivity to the required Microsoft services..
     
   • Set the correct region and language

Managing Teams Rooms Devices

Admins manage MTR devices using:

• Teams Admin Center
  
  • View device status
    
  • Push firmware updates
    
  • Restart or sign out devices.
    
  • Tag and organize rooms by location or purpose.e
    
• Teams Rooms Pro Management Portal
  
  • Advanced monitoring and insights (available with Pro license)
    
• PowerShell
  
  • For batch configuration and querying device status

Ensure firmware and Teams app versions are up to date, and troubleshoot failed updates or offline status promptly.

Tea,  MS Panels, and Room Booking

Teams Panels are small touchscreen displays mounted outside rooms. They show:

• Meeting schedules
  
• Room availability (via color LED indicators)
  
• Real-time check-in options

To configure a Teams Panel:

• Create a resource account (same as MTR or separate)
  
• Assign appropriate license (Teams Shared Device license)
  
• Configure in the Teams Admin Center

Admins can enable Proximity Join, Check-in, and Room Capacity Alerts through panel settings.

Managing Teams Devices (Phones, Displays, Peripherals)

Beyond MTRs, Teams supports various certified devices:

• Teams Phones
  
• Teams Displays (personal devices with ambient info)
  
• USB peripherals (cameras, headsets, speakerphones)

Management tasks include:

• Assigning policies
  
  • Device Configuration Profiles
    
  • Device Update Policies
    
• Using Teams Admin Center
  
  • Monitor registration and sign-in status.
    
  • Push software updates
    
  • Check health status and last check-in time

Properly tag and categorize devices for easy reporting.

Configuring Device Settings and Policies

Admins can create and assign device configuration profiles to standardize settings across devices. These may include:

• Time zone
  
• Wallpaper or company branding
  
• Remote sign-out
  
• Custom app settings

For phones and displays, Calling Policies, Voice Routing, and Feature Policies can be used to control available features.

Ensure compliance with company standards and optimize for user experience.

Troubleshooting Teams Rooms and Devices

Common issues include:

• Devices offline
  
  • Check power, network, and sign-in status.
    
  • Restart from the Teams Admin Center
    
• Update failures
  
  • Firmware compatibility or network access issues
    
• Sign-in errors
  
  • Validate resource account licensing and MFA status.
    
  • Teams Rooms does not support MFA.
    
• Meeting join failures
  
  • Check proxy, firewall, and DNS configurations

Use Device logs, Admin Center diagnostics, and Pro Management Portal (for Pro users) to resolve issues.

Monitoring and Reporting

Monitoring helps maintain performance and uptime:

• Device usage reports
  
  • Available in Teams Admin Center
    
  • Shows usage trends, failures, and join rates
    
• Alerts and notifications
  
  • Set up alert policies for device health and failures
    
• Call Quality Dashboard
  
  • Monitor meeting quality for rooms with insight into jitter, packet loss, and latency.y

Regularly audit devices to identify underutilization or chronic issues.

This section covered the configuration and management of Microsoft Teams Rooms and certified Teams devices. Key concepts include:

• Licensing and provisioning Teams Rooms
  
• Setting up and managing resource accounts
  
• Using the Teams Admin Center and Pro Management Portal
  
• Managing Teams, Panels, phones, and displays
  
• Troubleshooting common device issues
  
• Monitoring device usage and performance

An effective deployment ensures seamless meeting experiences and boosts collaboration across hybrid teams.

Final Thoughts

The Microsoft MS-721: Collaboration Communications Systems Engineer certification exam validates your ability to plan, configure, deploy, manage, and troubleshoot Microsoft Teams solutions for enterprise environments. Success in this exam requires both technical depth and real-world experience with Microsoft Teams, including telephony, meetings, Rooms, devices, compliance, and collaboration architecture.

Here are some key final thoughts as you complete your preparation:

Don’t just memorize features—focus on how Teams integrates with the broader Microsoft 365 ecosystem:

• Exchange Online, SharePoint, and OneDrive for content storage
  
• Azure AD for identity and authentication
  
• Power Platform for automation and workflows
  
• Security & Compliance Center for policies, DLP, retention, and legal holds

The MS-721 exam is practical. Set up a lab (using trial Microsoft 365 tenants) to:

• Configure Teams Phone with Direct Routing or Operator Connect
  
• Set up Auto Attendants and Call Queues
  
• Deploy and manage Teams Rooms and devices.
  
• Create and assign policies, test meeting behaviors, and simulate call flows

Microsoft Learn has free, up-to-date modules aligned with exam topics. Focus on:

• Teams administration
  
• Voice and telephony planning
  
• Devices and Teams Rooms setup
  
• Governance and compliance

These modules often match the language and scenarios used in the actual exam.

Expect scenario-based questions that test your ability to:

• Interpret logs or error messages
  
• Diagnose call quality issues (via CQD or TAC)
  
• Resolve configuration errors (e.g., licensing, policies, routing)

Understanding how to think like an engineer is just as important as knowing the features.

Even after passing the exam, staying current ensures continued success in the field.

Before exam day:

• Review the Skills Measured document
  
• Take a practice test (if available)
  
• Ensure your testing environment meets the online proctoring requirements (if testing remotely)