How to set a Caller ID?

Description: The purpose of this article is to guide you through the process of setting a Caller ID for your MS Teams account.  

Caller ID is a service that displays the caller's phone number and name on the recipient's phone or device before the call is answered. It enables the recipient to identify the caller and decide whether or not to answer the call.

There are two ways of setting a Caller ID:

• using the Microsoft Teams admin center.
• using the Ooma Enterprise admin portal.

How to a Caller ID via the MS Teams Admin Center

To assign a custom Caller ID to a user, the initial step is to create the corresponding Caller ID policy. To do so, go to Microsoft Teams admin center.

Locate and select the "Voice" option in the left-hand menu of the page to expand it.

Once the content is displayed, choose the "Caller ID Policies" option.

Once you have selected this option from the menu, it will open the "Caler ID Policies" page. On this page, you will see the table of existing caller ID policies. 

To create a new caller ID policy, simply press the "Add" button.

Upon clicking this button, you will be redirected to a new page where you configure configure the caller ID policy you are creating.

There are six parameters on this form that need to be configured:

• Name: here, you can set a name for the newly created caller ID policy.
• Description: withing this optional field, you are able to add some description of the newly created caller ID policy.
• Block incoming caller ID: this setting blocks a user from receiving caller ID on any incoming PSTN (public switched telephone network) calls.
• Override the caller ID policy: this setting allows users to override the settings in the policy that decide whether or not they display their number to the callee. By turning on this setting, users can choose whether to display their caller ID.
• Calling Party Name: here, you can set the CNAM for outbound PSTN calls.

The CNAM (Caller Name Presentation) information for the call may or may not be routed with the call because as this information depends on how the country/region has implemented CNAM (if at all). The reliability of CNAM delivery alongside the call differs based on the country/region and the carriers involved in call handling, whether they serve as intermediaries or terminating carriers.

• Replace the caller ID with: this setting lets you block the outgoing caller ID from being sent on a user's outgoing PSTN calls. Turning on this setting blocks the outgoing caller's phone number from being displayed on the phone of a person being called and that call is displayed as coming from "Anonymous." If the outbound caller ID is set to "Anonymous," override the caller ID policy will have no effect, and the caller ID will still show as "Anonymous."

After pressing the "Save" button, the newly created caller ID policy will appear in the table of existing caller ID policies.

Then, you will need to assign the users you wish to grant access to the caller ID feature to the recently created policy. Unfortunately, you cannot do it within the "Caller ID policies" page, so to assign users, navigate to the "Users" option in the left-hand menu of the page to expand it.

Once the content is displayed, choose the "Manage Users" option.

Once you have selected this option from the menu, it will open the "Manage Users" page. On this page, you will see the table of existing users. 

To assign users to the recently created caller ID policy, select one one more users in the table and press the "Edit settings" button.

Once you pressed this button, a new pop-up form will appear on the right side of the window, providing you with a list of policies that you can apply to the selected users.

Locate the Caller ID policy in this list. 

Click on the field and select the recently created caller ID policy from the drop-down menu that becomes visible upon clicking the field.

To complete the assignment, click the "Apply" button. Once you click the button, a pop-up message will appear indicating that the assignment will require some time to take effect.

The policies you have assigned to a user are not visible within the table of existing users. If you want to confirm whether a certain policy is assigned to a user, simply click on that user’s name within the table. Upon doing so, you will be redirected to the user account page where you should click on the Policies tab.

When the tab is opened, you will get access to the table of assigned policies. Locate the Caller ID policy within this table.

The name listed in the second column of the table should match the name of the caller ID policy that you created recently.

How to set a Caller ID via the Ooma Enterprise Admin Portal

Alternatively, you can directly assign a custom Caller ID to a user via the OE Admin Portal without the requirement to create a specific Caller ID policy. To do so, log in to the OE Admin Portal by using this link. You will need to use the Phone System App, which serves as the default app upon primary access to the portal.

There are two options for setting a Caller ID: 

• On the account level
• On the user level 

The key distinction between these methods is that setting Caller IDs on the account level is a global setting, it applies these Caller IDs to all users who have not configured custom Caller IDs. However, if you assign a custom Caller ID to a specific user, it overrides the Caller IDs set at the account level.

Additionally, there is an option to set a Caller IDs (unique or not) for a bulk of users of any size simultaneously through the Bulk Manager App. To learn more about this method, read the official Ooma article available via this link.

Let's examine each given method separately.

How to set a Caller ID on the Account Level

Locate and select the "Account" option in the left-hand menu of the portal to get access to the corresponding section of the app.

Next, find and choose the "Caller ID" subtab on the "Settings" tab, which is automatically opened when you access the app.

Upon accessing this subtab, you will find a list of parameters organized into three sections.

The sections and their respective parameters are:

• In-House Calls: by filling out these fields, you can specify a personalized Caller ID Name and Number for your account's in-house calls.

• Outbound Calls: in this section, you can personalize the Caller ID Name and Number for your account's outbound calls.

• Emergency Calls: within this section, you can set up the Caller ID Name and Number for emergency calls and activate the "Pass realm in INVITE" feature.

In the context of setting up Caller ID, the term "Pass realm in INVITE" refers to functionality that allows the caller's Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) realm to be included in the SIP INVITE message. 

The SIP INVITE message is used to initiate a communication session between multiple parties. By adding the caller's SIP realm in the INVITE message, the recipient can validate that the call is coming from a legitimate source.

When the “Pass realm in INVITE” feature is enabled, the caller’s SIP realm is included in the INVITE message as a parameter. This allows the receiver to verify the authenticity of the call and helps to prevent fraudulent or spoofed calls. Enabling the "Pass realm in INVITE" feature can be done by clicking your mouse on the checkbox.

Once you have inputted data into the fields, do not forget to click on the "SAVE" button to apply the changes. 

As previously mentioned, configuring Caller IDs on the account level applies them to all users managed by that account. To assign unique Caller IDs for specific users or each user individually, follow the instructions below on how to set a custom Caller ID on the user level.

How to set a Caller ID on the User Level

Locate and select the "Seats" option in the left-hand menu of the portal to get access to the corresponding section of the app.

Upon clicking on this option, you will be redirected to a new page where you configure the Seats that you can manage. 

Within the context of this user guide, the terms "Users" and "Seats" will be used interchangeably since they represent indivisible concepts. 

To gain a better understanding of Seats and Seat types used in the Ooma Enterprise system, you can refer to the corresponding article accessible through this link.

On this page, you will see the table of existing seats. Within this table, you will be able to locate the specific user’s seat to which you can assign a custom Caller ID.

To do so, find the specific seat in the table and click on the Pencil badge located on the right side of the seat's entry in the table.

Upon clicking it, you will access the Seat's parameters Editing mode, allowing you to modify a comprehensive list of Seat parameters, including its Caller IDs.

To do so, navigate to the Caller ID section within the left-hand menu of the Editing mode's Seat Tab.

Upon clicking on this section, you will be redirected to a new page where you set a list of Caller IDs for the selected Seat. 

The parameters in this section are categorized into four groups:

• Presence ID: this parameter refers to the extension number that is transmitted by the system as a BLF update signal. 

BLF stands for Busy Lamp Field. It is a feature commonly used in phone systems that allows a user to see the real-time status of another user's extension. The status can include whether the extension is in use, ringing, or idle. The feature is usually indicated by a light or icon on the phone, hence the name "lamp". This feature is particularly useful in office settings where multiple users share the same phone system and need to know the availability of their colleagues before transferring a call.

If the "Create Caller ID Name (If Absent)" checkbox is selected, the system will use the username (extension set in the Basics Section) in place of the Caller ID Name fields below, but only if they are left empty.

• In-House Calls: by filling out these fields, you can specify a personalized Caller ID Name and Caller ID Number for your Seat's in-house calls.

• Outbound Calls: in this section, you can personalize the Caller ID Name and Caller ID Number for your Seat's outbound calls.

• Emergency Calls: within this section, you can set up the Caller ID Name and Caller ID Number for emergency calls.

Once you have inputted data into the fields, do not forget to click the "SAVE" button to apply the changes.