Get Notified When Your Number Ranges Reach Usage Alert Thresholds

Never run out of phone numbers again. Get notified when your number ranges reach your usage threshold alert. 

Have you ever gone to assign a user a phone number in Microsoft Teams, only to discover you haven’t got any spare? 

What’s your next step? 

• See which existing numbers you can free up: You might start by looking at the current numbers in use and identifying any that could potentially be reassigned. This could involve checking if there are any inactive users or devices that no longer need their numbers. While this can be a temporary fix, it’s time-consuming and not always reliable. 

• Ask if this new user really needs a phone number: This option is far from ideal. In most cases, having a dedicated phone number is crucial for the new user’s role, and denying them this resource could hamper their productivity and ability to communicate effectively. 

• Buy some numbers from your provider; waiting the associated lead time: Purchasing more numbers from your telecom provider is a straightforward solution, but it often comes with lead times. Waiting for new numbers to be provisioned can delay onboarding processes and disrupt operations. 

None of these are the optimal solution. The only optimal solution is to know when you’re getting low. 

That’s why we created an alert threshold in our number management solution for Teams. 

You can now set a global threshold for all your ranges or set a custom one per range. 

The Solution: Usage Alert Thresholds 

To address this issue, we’ve developed a feature within our number management solution for Microsoft Teams that allows you to set usage alert thresholds.  

This feature ensures that you are always informed when your phone number resources are running low, giving you ample time to take proactive measures before it becomes a crisis. 

How It Works: 

1. Set a Global Threshold: You can configure a global threshold for all your phone number ranges. This means that regardless of how many different number ranges you manage, you can set a single alert threshold that applies to all of them. For example, if you set the threshold at 80%, you will receive a notification when 80% of your numbers are assigned and only 20% remain available. 

2. Set Custom Thresholds per Range: Alternatively, you can set custom thresholds for each specific number range. This is particularly useful if some ranges are more critical than others or if they are used for different purposes. Custom thresholds allow for greater flexibility and control over your number management. 

Once the number of assigned numbers reaches your defined threshold, a warning notification gets sent to you.  

This notification serves as an early warning system, allowing you to take proactive action such as ordering new numbers or reassigning existing ones before you run out entirely. 

Benefits of Using Usage Alert Thresholds: 

• Proactive Management: By receiving alerts before your numbers are depleted, you can take action in a timely manner, preventing any disruption to your business operations. 

• Time Saving: Automating the monitoring process saves time and reduces the administrative burden on your IT team, allowing them to focus on more strategic tasks. 

• Enhanced Planning: With visibility into your number usage trends, you can make more informed decisions about future number allocations and purchasing, ensuring you always have enough resources to meet demand. 

• Increased Reliability: Ensuring that new users always have access to the phone numbers they need helps maintain seamless communication and productivity within your organization. 

Implementation and Use 

Setting up usage alert thresholds is straightforward and can be done through the number management section of Orto – our automated provisioning solution for Microsoft Teams 

Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you get started: 

• Step 1: Go to Admin > Configuration   

Then toggle on the range threshold.

• Step 2: Set your default threshold limit to apply to all ranges. 

• Step 3 (optional): Set custom thresholds on individual ranges if they need to be different to the default. 

Simple, isn’t it! 

Conclusion 

Managing phone number resources efficiently is crucial for maintaining uninterrupted communication within your organization.  

By setting usage alert thresholds, you can stay ahead of the game and ensure that you never run out of phone numbers again.  

This proactive approach not only saves time and reduces stress but also enhances your overall business operations. 

For a visual demonstration of how to set up and use this feature, book a call with one of our Teams experts today.