This page provides instructions for configuring Microsoft Teams Connector to use UnitedCloud as an SMS carrier and to start receiving SMS messages for specific UnitedCloud Domains.
Obtain UnitedCloud API Credentials
The UnitedCloud API credentials used for SMS Carrier can be the same as those used for PBX Configuration. However, in the Microsoft Teams Connector Portal, you must store the PBX and SMS Carrier credentials separately, as they are considered independent services.
Request an API client_id and client_secret from your UnitedCloud Admin. It is recommended that a client_id and client_secret be dedicated exclusively to Microsoft Teams Connector. It is not advisable to share a client_id and client_secret across multiple applications. Each application should have its own dedicated credentials to ensure better management and security. If a client_id and client_secret are compromised, having dedicated credentials for each application reduces the potential impact of a malicious attack.
Request an API username and password from your UnitedCloud Admin.
If allowing all Resellers to use the credentials.
The API user must have Super User scope. This is the broadest scope and, therefore, the least advisable option.
If configuring at the Reseller level to be used by a single domain
The API user must be created under that domain and given an Office Manager scope. This is the narrowest and most restrictive scope, making it tedious to manage.
If a specific Reseller is to use the credential and for multiple domains under the Reseller.
The API user must be created under that Reseller’s domain and given a Resellerscope. This is the “middle ground” option.
Save these 4 elements (client_id, client_secret, username, password) as these will be stored in Microsoft Teams Connector Portal as discussed in the following section.
Configure the SMS Carrier in Microsoft Teams Connector Portal
The steps presented are geared towards the "middle ground" option for a user with a Reseller scope.
Repeat these steps for each reseller that uses UnitedCloud for SMS messaging and uses API credentials dedicated to each of their reseller accounts.
Configuring SMS Carrier at iplogin Support Level
Log in to the Microsoft Teams Connector Service Portal.
From iplogin support level, click on Configure SMS menu.
Click Add Carrier.
On the Add Carrier Credentials page, enter values for the following fields:
Carrier Name - Select UnitedCloud v1
Carrier Profile—Enter a descriptive Carrier Profile name, such as “UnitedCloud Profile for Reseller ABC.” If credentials are for use by a specific Reseller, it is advisable to reflect the Reseller identifier in the carrier profile name.
API URL - Enter the API URL of your UnitedCloud instance. For example, https://api.iplogin.ca/ns-api/
Client ID - Enter the client_id as gathered in the section above
Client Secret - Enter the corresponding client_secret
Username - Enter the username with the “Reseller” scope
Password - Enter the corresponding password
Click on the Verify Credentials button to check if the API URL accepts the API credentials. Keep editing to provide the right value until the verification of credentials gives a success message.
In the Select Resellers to Assign the Profile, select the Reseller allowed to use the sms carrier profile.
Click the Save button.
Configuring SMS Carrier at the Reseller Level
As discussed in the following section, the Reseller may proceed to configure SMS for the UnitedCloud domain.
Alternatively, the Reseller may override a UnitedCloud Carrier Profile to provide its own UnitedCloud API Credentials.
From the Reseller level, click on the Configure SMS menu.
From the Manage Carriers table, click Edit under the Actions column corresponding to the particular Carrier Profile to override.
On the Edit Carrier Credentials page, change one or several of the fields that you wish to override:
API URL - Enter the API URL of your UnitedCloud instance. For example, https://api.iplogin.ca/ns-api/ Client ID - Enter the client_id as gathered in the section above Client Secret - Enter the corresponding client_secret Username - Enter the username with the “Reseller” scope Password - Enter the corresponding password
Click on the Verify Credentials button to check if the API URL accepts the API credentials. Keep editing to provide the right value until the credentials verification gives a success message.
Click the Update button.
Set up SMS service for the UnitedCloud Domain corresponding to an Enterprise
From the Reseller level, click on the Enterprises menu item.
Click on your selected Enterprise to manage.
Go to Enterprise > SMS > SMS Domains
Click on the Add Domain button.
In the Add Domain screen, supply values for the following:
Carrier Profile - Select the carrier profile (the UnitedCloud API Credentials) that would access the SMS messages in UnitedCloud for the domain. Domain—Select the UnitedCloud domain to be configured for SMS service. The domains listed in this drop-down box are all domains for which the API credentials have access rights, except those already configured for SMS.
Once added (connected) successfully, the domain is listed in the table. The columns in the table contain: Domain - The UnitedCloud Domain name
Carrier Profile - The descriptive name given to the Carrier Profile representing the UnitedCloud API credentials.
Subscription ID - The identifier given by UnitedCloud to the Microsoft Teams Connector listener webhook. UnitedCloud will deliver all incoming SMS messages to the registered Microsoft Teams Connector webhook. This is shown here in case there will be a need to escalate issues with UnitedCloud for messages not received.
Date Subscribe - The date the Domain was set up for SMS and connection with UnitedCloud was established.
Expiry - The expiry date of the connection with UnitedCloud.
Ready!
Once SMS Domains are added, proceed to configure phone numbers to use the configured SMS Carrier Profile. See this page for more info - Managing Phone Numbers Capabilities.
Delete Domain
If the customer Enterprise no longer wishes to use the SMS service, click on the Delete Domain action to disconnect the domain from UnitedCloud. This delete step lessens the unnecessary load on your UnitedCloud and Microsoft Teams Connector systems.
Troubleshooting
Problem: I am receiving SMS messages in my UnitedCloud Portal, but they are not appearing in Microsoft Teams.
Solution:
Ensure the user's UnitedCloud domain has been added to the SMS > SMS Domains screen. For detailed instructions, see 'Set up SMS service for the UnitedCloud Domain corresponding to an Enterprise.'
If the domain is already registered, try deleting it and adding it back.
Problem: I can send outbound SMS messages from my UnitedCloud Portal, but I cannot send outbound SMS messages from my SMS app in Teams.
Solution: Make sure the phone number is assigned to the right SMS Carrier Profile. To learn more about managing phone numbers, see the Centralized DID Management guide.
Then, click the "Verify Credentials" button to ensure the SMS Carrier Profile works. For detailed instructions, see 'Configuring SMS Carrier at Reseller Level.'
SMS App Enterprise Configuration.
Once an SMS carrier is configured and assigned to the reseller, the enterprises underneath a reseller can be configured for SMS service. This page provides instructions on configuring and deploying the SMS Application for an enterprise.
Prerequisite:
Ensure Chat and Chat with groups are enabled in the Microsoft Teams Admin Center to allow users to seamlessly open and add the SMS app.
Building the Application Template
The reseller needs to create an app template for the Teams Application that houses the SMS interface. Note that the reseller defines this template. Further customization can be done for a specific reseller.
Do the following steps:
From the Reseller dashboard, click App Templates. The App Template Management screen displays.
From the App Template Management screen, click the SMS App tab.
The following fields in the form allow the resellers to apply their own branding details for the app. Fill out the form with the following information:
Version: This is the version number of the SMS app to be deployed in Teams.
Dev Name: This displays the name of the app's publisher in the app store.
Short Name: Used in the app store and as a header.
Full Name: This field is used to enter the application's full name. The same information as the Short Name may be populated.
Short Description: This is used in the app store to help users recognize that they have found the correct app when they do a search.
Full Description: This will appear as the body of the content on the About tab in the app.
Application Branding Icon: These icons are associated with the Application in Teams. The default is either the Microsoft Teams Connector swirl or a graphic chosen by the reseller. This can be changed to anything (for example, your logo, the Enterprise logo, a telephone graphic, and others) following Microsoft graphical sizing parameters (192 by 192 pixels and 32 by 32 pixels in transparent PNG format).
Portal Single Sign-On Tab Name: Label this with something descriptive so the end users can easily identify it. The sample format is [Reseller's Brand Name] SMS Portal.
Website URL: Enter the URL of the Reseller's website.
Privacy URL: Enter the Reseller's Privacy URL link. By default, this will connect to the Microsoft Teams Connector Privacy URL. You may want to copy and customize the privacy policy and make it available on your own company domain.
Terms of Use URL: The rules are the same as those for the Privacy URL above. You may see the Microsoft Teams Connector Terms of Use if you want to customize and host on your own company domain.
Select Accent Color for Logo: This colour will be displayed in areas where the logo has transparent parts.
Configurable Tabs: Drag the tabs to the box on the right in the order you want them to appear in the app. If you choose not to make the Single Sign-On tab visible, leave this tab out by not dragging it to the right. The chat and about tabs are mandatory per Microsoft's guidelines.
Click Save SMS Application Template.
Result: The changes will appear similar to the following screenshot:
Customizing the Application Template for an Enterprise
To customize the application for the enterprise, do the following:
From Enterprise, click App Management.
The same settings configured at the Reseller's app template are fed down to the Enterprise level. Some Resellers prefer to customize the app with their own branding, and some prefer to customize it with the Enterprise's branding. Here, you can make individual changes, when desired, per enterprise.
Make the relevant customizations.
Click Save SMS Settings for Deployment.
Note: To deploy the app to the organization's Teams, the enterprise's Microsoft Global Admin must proceed to the dashboard and click the Sync SMS App button.
Alternatively, the sync app steps maybe done later after assigning SMS phone numbers to member Teams users. This is discussed in a later section below.
Adding SMS Phone Numbers for Enterprise
The SMS DID page is no longer available and replaced by the Phone Numbers page. See the following sections inCentralized DID Management:
Uploading Phone Numbers
Assigning a Phone Number
Configuring SMS Users Individually
To individually configure SMS users, do the following:
From the Enterprise > Users page, go to the Manage Users pane and click Manage SMS.
Mark the Enable SMS Service checkbox.
Set the User Type drop-down list to Basic User.
Select the phone numbers to assign to the user and move them from Unassigned DIDs to Assigned DIDs.
Click Submit.
Note: When users were added by anyone other than the Microsoft Global Admin, the admin must log in and click the Sync SMS App button from the Dashboard page to finalize all changes.
This creates a team in MS Teams named with the phone number assigned to the SMS user.
Configuring SMS Users in Bulk
From the EnterpriseDashboard, click Bulk Upload.
On the Bulk Upload Users screen, set the User Type drop-down to SMS, click Browse and locate the CSV file to upload.
TeamsUserID: The Microsoft Office 365 email address of the user.
User Type: BU - Basic User
Country Code
SMS DID
Click Upload. Users are extracted from the CSV file displayed on the screen.
Click Validate. This analyzes the file and ensures no obvious data entry failures, such as invalid email addresses, a DID already in use, or an attempt to configure a user who is not properly licensed. Hovering over the error will give guidance about what specific error is preventing configuration.
In the example shown below, the top user can successfully be added, while the second user's DID cannot be assigned to the enterprise.
When there are no detectable errors, the blue Validate button changes to say Submit:
When the file is successfully uploaded, a confirmation message displays.
When users were added by anyone other than the Microsoft Global Admin, have the admin log in and click the Sync SMS App button from the dashboard page to finalize all changes.
When the sync is complete, a confirmation message displays in the activity feed.
Users would be displayed on the Enterprise Admin Dashboard.
As the user starts sending and receiving SMS messages, channels would be created inside this team for each external phone number that is contacted.
These channel names may also be renamed by the user in Teams.
