A Subset of the Microsoft Teams BETA Calling API, Now Known as "Communications API" in Microsoft Graph Are Now v1

A subset of the Microsoft Teams BETA/Preview Calling & Meeting API, now apparently known as "Communications API" in Microsoft Graph Are Now version 1.

The question for many has been, "When will the Teams Calling API's be GA?", but a more complete question would be "When will the features (or, all the features needed for a particular application) of the Preview/BETA Calling API's be GA?" as the roll out of the Communications API is not a single "BETA/Preview" to "GA" but more of a process to release, first all the features in the current Preview/BETA, and then additionally all the typical features needed for voice communication solutions.

What are some of the key features in Preview/BETA not released to version 1? Very significantly the ability to escalate a call to a multiparty call. This is a key component for vendors creating native Microsoft Teams Contact Center functionality like our own Landis Contact Center for Microsoft Teams.

What are some key features not yet in the Preview/BETA that are very typically needed for voice solutions? The ability to:

• cancel inviting a participant to a multiparty call
• eject a participant from a multiparty call
• outbound dialing
• more

As I noticed and called out on Dec 6, it appears that Microsoft will be referring to these APIs as the "Communications API", based on the documentation on the Microsoft Graph website as shown on the screenshote below.

Do this mean "ISVs have the calling APIs, so they can do everything they need?" No.

There is considerable confusion about what the Teams "communications API" can now do among users, Microsoft Partners and Microsoft employees.

A good way to think about Microsoft Teams related calling APIs based on current Graph API naming conventions:

• communications API = Server/Application perspective
• Skype for Business = UCMA
• Formerly known as/Also known as: Calling & Meeting API
• me = Client/User Perspective
• In Skype for Business world = UCWA/Skype for Business Client SDK
• Also known as/referred to as: Embedded API/ Client API

Note that Microsoft has made no announcements about the Me/Client/User perspective Calling API at this time. There is no ETA from Microsoft on call control from a client/user perspective.

Conclusion

The release of some of the communication API is a great start and will enable some applications such as IVR-like services & transfer to another solution via Direct Routing.

All the features for properly creating native call queuing inside the Microsoft Teams service has not been released to version 1 yet.

It is not a client calling API, so it does not unblock the ability to create a specialized Microsoft Teams calling client like an Attendant Console.

The communication API team at Microsoft has been working hard on this so congratulations on releasing version 1 of the communication API!

Read More Here:
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/graph/api/resources/communications-api-overview?view=graph-rest-1.0