WarmTransfer
migration · published

UC licensing models compared

Verified 2026-09-25 · 60 sources · tier 2–3

WarmTransfer's reading of the sources is that unified communications platforms split phone system software licences, public switched telephone network access, and shared device capabilities across distinct tiers 2. WarmTransfer's reading of the sources is that across Microsoft Teams, Webex Calling, Zoom Phone, and RingCentral, licensing models determine whether capabilities such as voicemail, device assignments, and outbound calling minutes bundle together or require separate subscriptions 2​1.

Microsoft Teams

In Microsoft Teams, every user who needs their own telephone number to make and receive calls must hold licensing that includes both the Microsoft Teams application and the Microsoft 365 Phone System application 25. Microsoft 365 E5 licences (including Microsoft 365 E5 no Teams) include the Microsoft 365 Phone System application, which means an E5 user does not require a standalone Teams Phone Standard licence 16.

From 1 April 2024, new Microsoft enterprise customers must buy an E1, E3, or E5 suite without Teams alongside a standalone Teams Enterprise or Teams EEA licence; this unbundling took effect in the EEA and Switzerland on 1 October 2023, while existing subscribers with Teams-inclusive suites may keep renewing them 40. For suites without Phone System, Microsoft Teams Phone Standard is an add-on requiring a prerequisite licence such as Microsoft 365 Business Basic, Business Standard, Business Premium, F1, F3, E3, or A3, Microsoft Teams Enterprise, Microsoft Teams EEA, Teams Essentials (AAD Identity), or Office 365 F3, E1, E3, A1, or A3 24. Microsoft Teams Phone Standard for Frontline Workers is a separate variant requiring Microsoft 365 F1 or F3, or Office 365 F3 22. Teams Audio Conferencing is an add-on separate from Teams Phone that does not require a Teams Phone licence; it is included in E5 but must be purchased separately with E1 or E3 10.

Teams PSTN and Calling Plans

In Microsoft Teams, a PSTN solution covering numbers, domestic, international, and emergency calling is separate from the Teams Phone licence, which only entitles the user to the Phone System application and access to the PSTN solution 28. Every Teams PSTN connectivity option—including Operator Connect, Teams Phone Mobile, Direct Routing, and Shared Calling—requires a Teams Phone licence 23. If Microsoft provides the PSTN access and numbers, each Teams Phone user also needs a Microsoft Calling Plan licence; if a non-Microsoft PSTN operator is used, Microsoft requires no further licensing because PSTN costs come from that operator 12. For India PSTN requirements, Microsoft requires a separate India-specific Microsoft Teams Phone licence obtained from a licensed telecom operator in India via Operator Connect for India 18.

To purchase a Teams Calling Plan separately, an administrator first buys a Teams Phone add-on licence and then the Calling Plan add-on, or alternatively buys the Teams Phone with Domestic or International Calling Plan bundle 11. Microsoft offers 3 Calling Plan options 39:

  • Domestic Calling Plan: includes domestic calls and included minutes 39.
  • International Calling Plan: includes domestic and international minutes 39.
  • Pay-As-You-Go Calling Plan: covers domestic and international calling, charged by usage 39.

All 3 Calling Plan types include unlimited incoming minutes, while Pay-As-You-Go includes no outgoing minutes 27. A Pay-As-You-Go Calling Plan must be funded before users can make outgoing calls, either through post-usage billing when bought under a Microsoft Customer Agreement or through Communication Credits when bought under a Microsoft Online Subscription Agreement 20. Communication Credits is an add-on providing a monthly pool of PSTN minutes, used when Calling Plan minutes run out or to support toll-free numbers for Audio Conferencing, auto attendants, or call queues 15. Pay-As-You-Go plans come in Zone 1 (United States and Puerto Rico, United Kingdom, Canada), Zone 2 (a listed set of European and Asia-Pacific countries plus South Africa), and a Mexico variant that US and Puerto Rico customers cannot buy 21.

Outbound minutes are pooled among users in the same country holding the identical Calling Plan (for instance, 100 US Domestic users at 3,000 minutes each share 300,000 minutes), with calls beyond the pool billed per minute 19. The country governing the Calling Plan minutes is the location on the user's licence rather than the organisation billing address 26.

With Teams Shared Calling, end users need only a Teams Phone licence without a dedicated number or Calling Plan; if the shared resource account uses a Microsoft service number, that resource account needs a Microsoft Pay-As-You-Go Calling Plan licence 33.

Teams Shared Spaces and Voice Applications

Microsoft renamed the Microsoft Teams Shared Devices licence to Microsoft Teams Shared Space in April 2026 37. Each Microsoft Teams Shared Space licence enables 1 device, such as a common area Teams phone, a Teams panel, a desk dock, or a shared Android mobile phone 35. The Shared Space licence and the Microsoft Teams Rooms Pro licence each include the Microsoft 365 Phone System application 34. Specifically, the Microsoft Teams Shared Space licence includes Teams Phone, Microsoft Intune P1, Exchange Online Plan 2 (cloud voicemail only, without email or calendar), Specialty devices, and Managed Space service plans 36. However, the Microsoft Teams Shared Space - Single Space licence used for bookable desks and BYOD rooms excludes Teams Phone while retaining the other Shared Space service plans 38.

A common area phone account requires no separate Phone System licence beyond the Shared Space licence, and a Calling Plan is added only when Microsoft is the PSTN provider rather than Direct Routing or Operator Connect 13. The Teams IP Phone policy can be modified for a phone only if its account holds a licence other than Teams Shared Devices, such as Microsoft 365 E3 or E5, or Office 365 E1, E3, or E5 14.

A Microsoft Teams Enterprise licence is not required when licensing Teams Phone for shared devices or for voice applications such as auto attendants and call queues 17. Every Teams resource account used by an auto attendant or call queue must be assigned a Microsoft Teams Phone Resource Account licence, regardless of whether it receives a telephone number 30. These resource account licences carry no cost, but an administrator must complete a purchase of the zero-cost licence through the subscription's Teams Phone channel 31. Microsoft states not to assign a Teams Phone Standard licence to a resource account; when converting an account to a Teams Phone Resource Account licence, the old licence must be removed and the new one added in the same licence activity to prevent the auto attendant or call queue from failing 32. A Calling Plan is not required on a resource account unless it needs to dial out 29.

Webex Calling and Flex 3.0

Webex Calling provides 4 calling licence types: Professional (user), Professional (workspace), Standard (user only), and Workspace for shared-use and common-area locations 48. Entitlements for devices are specified across these licence types 42:

Licence Type Device Entitlement
Professional (user) 5 devices 42
Professional (workspace) 5 devices 42
Standard (user only) 1 device or soft client (not both) 42
Workspace 1 device 42

A Webex Calling Workspace licence excludes voicemail, soft clients, shared lines, and virtual lines 53. A Webex Calling Standard licence includes voicemail and call recording but excludes shared lines and virtual lines 49. Virtual lines in Webex Calling are entitled at a 1:1 ratio for every Professional licence without requiring an extra licence, user ID, or email 52. However, Webex Calling virtual lines cannot be used for Executive-Assistant and are not supported on ATAs, conferencing stations, Room devices, or generic SIP devices 51. Webex Calling hot desk only devices consume no workspace licence and receive a no-cost hot desk only licence, but signing-in users must hold their own Webex Calling licence, and the device in host mode can only place emergency calls 47.

Licence transitions carry administrative constraints: once a Webex Calling workspace is upgraded to a Professional workspace licence, it cannot be downgraded to a common area workspace licence, and subsequent subscription switches keep it on Professional 54. Downgrading Webex Calling users from Professional to Standard loses all provisioning and configuration information for the affected users 50.

Commercial purchasing under Cisco Collaboration Flex Plan 3.0 offers an Enterprise Agreement model covering all knowledge workers (requiring a minimum of 250 with a 15 percent growth allowance) and a Named User model (minimum 5 users, without a growth allowance) 43. Flex 3.0 lists on-premises calling licence tiers of Professional (multi-device), Enhanced (single device), Access (entry-level single device), and Common Area, alongside the cloud tiers Professional, Standard, and Workspace 45. Webex Calling PSTN options on Flex 3.0 comprise Cisco Calling Plans, Cloud Connected PSTN providers, and Local Gateway deployments using CUBE 46. To use Cisco Calling Plans, the customer must purchase at least 1 committed Outbound Calling Plan licence 41.

Zoom Phone

Zoom describes Zoom Phone Pro as a user-level software licence providing cloud PBX functionality, separate from calling plans that supply numbers and minutes 59. Every number configured in Zoom Phone requires a licence, either as a standalone phone number (DID) licence or bundled within a calling plan 57.

Zoom Phone calling plans are offered as Metered (number plus metered minutes) and Unlimited (number plus unlimited minutes), with pay-as-you-go charging applied when a user has no calling plan and holds a standalone number licence 58. Regional calling plans exist for the US and Canada, the UK and Ireland, Australia and New Zealand, and Japan, alongside a Global Select option for other countries 60. Zoom also sells an International Calling add-on providing unlimited international calls to 15 or more countries and regions 56.

RingCentral

In RingCentral, a DigitalLine connects a phone number to an extension; a user extension requires a DigitalLine to place and receive calls on a desk phone or the RingCentral app 3. RingCentral markets RingEX plans as including unlimited calling within the US and Canada, handling international calling via separate plans or rates 9.

For non-user locations, a RingCentral Limited Extension is a lower-priced extension with a limited feature set that is not tied to a specific user, designed for common areas like conference rooms, lobbies, and break rooms 8. A Limited Extension does not support a softphone, a voicemail box, fax, analytics reporting, or call queue membership 7. Unanswered calls on a Limited Extension ring for 20 seconds before playing an announcement and disconnecting 7. Both Limited Extensions and DigitalLine extensions count toward the account's total extension limit 5.

Architectural Comparisons

WarmTransfer's reading of the sources is that the 4 platforms split PBX licensing from PSTN access differently: Teams and Webex Calling license the PBX user separately from the PSTN source (whether vendor calling plans, operators, or customer gateways), while RingCentral attaches a number and domestic calling to each DigitalLine, and Zoom offers both a PBX-only Pro licence and bundled number-plus-minutes plans 2.

WarmTransfer's reading of the sources is that among common-area options, Teams Shared Space includes cloud voicemail while the Webex Calling Workspace licence and RingCentral Limited Extension do not, meaning that migrating lobby devices between these platforms gains or loses voicemail functionality depending on the migration direction 1.

Applicability

Applies to: UC licensing, Microsoft Teams Phone, Microsoft Teams, Microsoft Teams Calling Plans, Microsoft Teams Shared Space, Cisco Webex Calling, Cisco Collaboration Flex Plan 3.0, Zoom Phone, and RingCentral RingEX. Deployments: on-premises and multi-tenant. Sources checked 2026-09-25. The enterprise unbundling rules took effect on 1 October 2023 for the EEA and Switzerland, and 1 April 2024 for the rest of the world 40. Teams Shared Devices was renamed to Shared Space from April 2026 onward 37. Operator Connect for India applies specifically to India PSTN requirements 18. RingCentral DigitalLine, Limited Extension, and RingEX plan details apply to the US region 3​8​7​5​9. Cisco buying tiers and deployment models reflect Cisco Collaboration Flex Plan 3.0 43​45.

What remains uncertain

Whether Zoom Phone provides common-area device licences separate from user Pro licences is not covered by the sources below. Whether RingCentral DigitalLine extensions support multi-device ringing natively across multiple physical desk phones is not covered by the sources below. The specific included country destinations in the Zoom International Calling add-on are not covered by the sources below. The exact per-minute overage rates for Microsoft Teams Calling Plans are not covered by the sources below.

See also

Related to

Referenced by

  • Business texting and 10DLC registration — Business texting is sold as an add-on license in some UC platforms (for example the Webex Business Texting add-on) and registration fees are passed through on UC invoices

Sources

  1. 1
    Among the common-area licences examined, Teams Shared Space includes cloud voicemail while the Webex Calling Workspace licence and the RingCentral Limited Extension do not, so a like-for-like migration of lobby phones can gain or lose voicemail depending on direction.inferred
    Microsoft Teams Shared Space licensing · synthesis of the service plan list in this source with the Webex and RingCentral exclusion claims · Checked 2026-09-25
  2. 2
    The four platforms split PBX licensing from PSTN access differently: Teams and Webex Calling license the PBX user separately from the PSTN source (vendor calling plan, operator or own gateway), while RingCentral attaches a number and domestic calling to each DigitalLine and Zoom sells both a PBX-only Pro licence and number-plus-minutes calling plans.inferred
    Teams Phone licensing · synthesis across 'Licensing Teams Phone - adding PSTN' and the Webex, Zoom and RingCentral claims in this packet · Checked 2026-09-25
  3. 3
    A RingCentral DigitalLine connects a phone number to an extension, and a RingCentral user extension needs a DigitalLine to make and receive calls on a desk phone or the RingCentral app.
    Phone Numbers DigitalLine Overview · opening definition and user extension paragraph · Checked 2026-09-25
  4. 4
    RingCentral DigitalLines can be assigned to extra desk phones or apps for a user, BYOD phones, fax extensions, call queues, shared lines, message-only and announcement-only extensions, and Limited Extensions.
    Phone Numbers DigitalLine Overview · assignment options list · Checked 2026-09-25
  5. 5
    RingCentral Limited Extensions and DigitalLine extensions both count toward the account's total extension limit.
    RingCentral Limited Extension overview · section 'Limited Extension FAQs' · Checked 2026-09-25
  6. 6
    RingCentral sources disagree on whether a Limited Extension can carry a DigitalLine: the Limited Extension overview lists RingCentral DigitalLine as unsupported and says a user's DigitalLine cannot be assigned to it, while the DigitalLine overview lists Limited Extensions among DigitalLine assignment targets.disputed
    RingCentral Limited Extension overview · section 'Limited Extension limitations' versus ringcentral-support-digitalline-overview assignment list · Checked 2026-09-25
  7. 7
    A RingCentral Limited Extension does not support a softphone, a voicemail box, fax, analytics reporting or call queue membership, and unanswered calls ring for 20 seconds before going to an announcement and disconnecting.
    RingCentral Limited Extension overview · section 'Limited Extension limitations' and call handling paragraph · Checked 2026-09-25
  8. 8
    A RingCentral Limited Extension is a lower-priced extension with a limited feature set that is not tied to a specific user, intended for phones in common areas such as conference rooms, lobbies and break rooms.
    RingCentral Limited Extension overview · overview paragraph and 'Limited Extension key features' · Checked 2026-09-25
  9. 9
    RingCentral markets RingEX plans as including unlimited calling within the US and Canada, with international calling handled through separate plans or rates.
    RingCentral AI Communications Platform Plans & Pricing · plan feature copy on the pricing page · Checked 2026-09-25
  10. 10
    Teams Audio Conferencing is an add-on separate from Teams Phone that does not require a Teams Phone licence; it is included in E5 but must be bought separately with E1 or E3.
    Microsoft Teams add-on licenses · section 'Overview of all add-on licenses' row 'Audio Conferencing'; section 'Audio Conferencing licenses', paragraph on E1/E3/E5 · Checked 2026-09-25
  11. 11
    To buy a Teams Calling Plan separately, an admin first buys a Teams Phone add-on licence and then the Calling Plan add-on; alternatively they can buy the Teams Phone with Domestic or International Calling Plan bundle.
    Microsoft Teams Calling Plans · section 'How to buy Calling Plans', steps 1 to 3 · Checked 2026-09-25
  12. 12
    If Microsoft provides the PSTN access and numbers, each Teams Phone user also needs a Microsoft Calling Plan licence; if a non-Microsoft PSTN operator is used, Microsoft requires no further licensing because PSTN costs come from that operator.
    Teams Phone licensing · section 'Licensing Teams Phone - adding PSTN', paragraphs after the Note · Checked 2026-09-25
  13. 13
    A Teams common area phone account needs no separate Phone System licence beyond the Shared Space licence, and a Calling Plan is added only when Microsoft is the PSTN provider rather than Direct Routing or Operator Connect.
    Set up the common area phones for Microsoft Teams · section 'Step 2 - Create a new common area phone resource account and assign licenses', Note under 'Using the Microsoft 365 admin center' · Checked 2026-09-25
  14. 14
    The Teams IP Phone policy can be modified for a phone only if its account holds a licence other than Teams Shared Devices, such as Microsoft 365 E3 or E5 or Office 365 E1, E3 or E5.
    Set up the common area phones for Microsoft Teams · section 'Step 3 - Set policies for common area phones', subsection 'IP phone policies', first paragraph · Checked 2026-09-25
  15. 15
    Microsoft Communication Credits is an add-on that provides a monthly pool of PSTN minutes, used for example when Calling Plan minutes run out or to support toll-free numbers for Audio Conferencing, auto attendants or call queues.
    Microsoft Teams add-on licenses · section 'Overview of all add-on licenses', row 'Communication Credits' · Checked 2026-09-25
  16. 16
    Microsoft 365 E5 licences (including Microsoft 365 E5 no Teams) include the Microsoft 365 Phone System application, so a user with any Microsoft 365 E5 licence does not also need a standalone Teams Phone Standard licence.
    Teams Phone licensing · section 'Licensing Teams Phone - for end users', example list and the sentence following it · Checked 2026-09-25
  17. 17
    A Microsoft Teams Enterprise licence is not required when licensing Teams Phone for shared devices or for voice applications such as auto attendants and call queues.
    Teams Phone licensing · section 'Considerations', first sentence · Checked 2026-09-25
  18. 18
    For India PSTN requirements, Microsoft requires a separate India-specific Microsoft Teams Phone licence obtained from a licensed telecom operator in India (Operator Connect for India).
    Teams Phone licensing · section 'Licensing Teams Phone - adding PSTN', India paragraph · Checked 2026-09-25
  19. 19
    Teams Calling Plan outbound minutes are pooled among users in the same country holding the identical Calling Plan (Microsoft's example: 100 US Domestic users at 3,000 minutes each share 300,000 minutes), and calls beyond the pool are billed per minute.
    Microsoft Teams Calling Plans · section 'Calling Plan options', paragraph after the decision questions · Checked 2026-09-25
  20. 20
    A Teams Pay-As-You-Go Calling Plan must be funded before users can make outgoing calls, either through post-usage billing when bought under a Microsoft Customer Agreement or through Communication Credits when bought under a Microsoft Online Subscription Agreement.
    Microsoft Teams Calling Plans · section 'How to fund a Pay-As-You-Go Calling Plan' · Checked 2026-09-25
  21. 21
    Teams Pay-As-You-Go Calling Plans come in Zone 1 (United States and Puerto Rico, United Kingdom, Canada), Zone 2 (a listed set of European and Asia-Pacific countries plus South Africa), and a Mexico variant that US and Puerto Rico customers cannot buy.
    Microsoft Teams Calling Plans · subsection 'Pay-As-You-Go Calling Plan', options list and Note · Checked 2026-09-25
  22. 22
    Microsoft Teams Phone Standard for Frontline Workers is a separate variant whose prerequisite is Microsoft 365 F1 or F3 or Office 365 F3.
    Teams Phone licensing · section 'Licensing Teams Phone - for end users', License/Prerequisite License(s) table, row 'Microsoft Teams Phone Standard for Frontline Workers' · Checked 2026-09-25
  23. 23
    Every Teams PSTN connectivity option (Operator Connect, Teams Phone Mobile, Direct Routing and Shared Calling) requires a Teams Phone licence.
    Microsoft Teams add-on licenses · section 'Teams Phone with PSTN connectivity licenses', subsection 'Teams Phone with a separate PSTN connectivity option' · Checked 2026-09-25
  24. 24
    Microsoft Teams Phone Standard is an add-on that requires a prerequisite licence such as Microsoft 365 Business Basic, Business Standard, Business Premium, F1, F3, E3 or A3, Microsoft Teams Enterprise, Microsoft Teams EEA, Teams Essentials (AAD Identity), or Office 365 F3, E1, E3, A1 or A3.
    Teams Phone licensing · section 'Licensing Teams Phone - for end users', License/Prerequisite License(s) table, row 'Microsoft Teams Phone Standard' · Checked 2026-09-25
  25. 25
    In Microsoft Teams, every user who needs their own telephone number to make and receive calls must hold licensing that includes both the Microsoft Teams application and the Microsoft 365 Phone System application.
    Teams Phone licensing · section 'Licensing Teams Phone - for end users', first paragraph · Checked 2026-09-25
  26. 26
    The country that governs a Teams Calling Plan's minutes is the location on the user's licence, not the organisation billing address.
    Microsoft Teams Calling Plans · section 'Calling Plan options', Note under the pooling paragraph · Checked 2026-09-25
  27. 27
    All three Teams Calling Plan types (Domestic, International, Pay-As-You-Go) include unlimited incoming minutes; Pay-As-You-Go includes no outgoing minutes.
    Microsoft Teams Calling Plans · subsections 'Domestic Calling Plan', 'International Calling Plan', 'Pay-As-You-Go Calling Plan' · Checked 2026-09-25
  28. 28
    In Microsoft Teams, a PSTN solution (numbers plus domestic, international and emergency calling) is separate from the Teams Phone licence, which only entitles the user to the Phone System application and access to the PSTN solution.
    Teams Phone licensing · section 'Licensing Teams Phone - adding PSTN', Note · Checked 2026-09-25
  29. 29
    A Microsoft Calling Plan is not required on a Teams resource account unless that resource account needs to dial out.
    Microsoft Teams Phone Resource Account licenses · second paragraph of the article body · Checked 2026-09-25
  30. 30
    Every Teams resource account used by an auto attendant or call queue must be assigned a Microsoft Teams Phone Resource Account licence, whether or not it will be given a telephone number.
    Microsoft Teams Phone Resource Account licenses · opening paragraph and second Note · Checked 2026-09-25
  31. 31
    Microsoft Teams Phone Resource Account licences no longer carry any cost, but an admin must still complete a purchase (Buy) of the zero-cost licence through the same channel used for the subscription containing Teams Phone.
    Microsoft Teams Phone Resource Account licenses · top Note; section 'How to obtain Microsoft Teams Phone Resource Account licenses', step 9 Note · Checked 2026-09-25
  32. 32
    Microsoft says not to assign a Teams Phone Standard licence to a resource account, and when converting one to a Teams Phone Resource Account licence the old licence must be removed and the new one added in the same licence activity or the auto attendant or call queue may stop working.
    Microsoft Teams Phone Resource Account licenses · section 'Change an existing resource account to use a Microsoft Teams Phone Resource Account license', Warning · Checked 2026-09-25
  33. 33
    With Teams Shared Calling, end users need only a Teams Phone licence (no dedicated number or Calling Plan), and if the shared resource account uses a Microsoft service number it needs a Microsoft Pay-As-You-Go Calling Plan licence.
    Teams Phone licensing · section 'Licensing Teams Phone - for Shared Calling' · Checked 2026-09-25
  34. 34
    The Microsoft Teams Shared Device (now Shared Space) licence for common area phones and the Microsoft Teams Rooms Pro licence each include the Microsoft 365 Phone System application.
    Teams Phone licensing · section 'Licensing Teams Phone - for shared devices', final sentence · Checked 2026-09-25
  35. 35
    Each Microsoft Teams Shared Space licence enables one device, such as a common area Teams phone, a Teams panel, a desk dock or a shared Android mobile phone.
    Microsoft Teams Shared Space licensing · section 'Use for Teams devices', device list and 'Note that each license enables one device' · Checked 2026-09-25
  36. 36
    The Microsoft Teams Shared Space licence includes the Teams Phone, Microsoft Intune P1, Exchange Online Plan 2 (cloud voicemail only, no email or calendar), Specialty devices and Managed Space service plans.
    Microsoft Teams Shared Space licensing · section 'Use for Teams devices', service plan list and following Note · Checked 2026-09-25
  37. 37
    Microsoft renamed the Microsoft Teams Shared Devices licence to Microsoft Teams Shared Space in April 2026.
    Microsoft Teams Shared Space licensing · opening paragraph, final sentence · Checked 2026-09-25
  38. 38
    The Microsoft Teams Shared Space - Single Space licence (used for bookable desks and BYOD rooms) does not include Teams Phone, although it includes the other Shared Space service plans.
    Microsoft Teams Shared Space licensing · section 'Use for Teams devices', asterisked footnote under the service plan list · Checked 2026-09-25
  39. 39
    Microsoft offers three Teams Calling Plan options: Domestic (domestic calls only, included minutes), International (domestic and international included minutes), and Pay-As-You-Go (domestic and international, charged by usage).
    Microsoft Teams Calling Plans · section 'Calling Plan options', options table · Checked 2026-09-25
  40. 40
    From 1 April 2024, new Microsoft enterprise customers must buy an E1, E3 or E5 suite without Teams plus a standalone Teams Enterprise or Teams EEA licence; in the EEA and Switzerland this took effect on 1 October 2023, and existing subscribers with Teams-inclusive suites may keep renewing them.
    Microsoft Teams add-on licenses · section 'Overview of all add-on licenses', Important callout after the table · Checked 2026-09-25
  41. 41
    To use Cisco Calling Plans as the Webex Calling PSTN provider, the customer must buy at least one committed Outbound Calling Plan licence.
    Get Started with the Cisco Calling Plans · section 'Set up your Cisco Calling Plan', prerequisites · Checked 2026-09-25
  42. 42
    Webex Calling device entitlements are 5 devices for Professional (user), 5 for Professional (workspace), 1 device or soft client (not both) for Standard, and 1 device for Workspace.
    Features available by license type for Webex Calling · feature table, row for device count entitlement · Checked 2026-09-25
  43. 43
    Cisco Collaboration Flex Plan 3.0 offers an Enterprise Agreement model covering all knowledge workers (minimum 250, with a 15 percent growth allowance) and a Named User model (minimum 5 users, no growth allowance).
    Cisco Collaboration Flex Plan 3.0 and Webex Suite Data Sheet · buying models section of the data sheet · Checked 2026-09-25
  44. 44
    In the Cisco Flex 3.0 Enterprise Agreement for Webex Suite, workspace (common area) calling licences are included at 50 percent of the knowledge-worker count.
    Cisco Collaboration Flex Plan 3.0 and Webex Suite Data Sheet · Webex Suite calling components table, Enterprise Agreement column · Checked 2026-09-25
  45. 45
    Cisco Flex 3.0 lists on-premises calling licence tiers of Professional (multi-device), Enhanced (single device), Access (entry-level single device) and Common Area, alongside the cloud tiers Professional, Standard and Workspace.
    Cisco Collaboration Flex Plan 3.0 and Webex Suite Data Sheet · calling licence types section · Checked 2026-09-25
  46. 46
    The Flex 3.0 data sheet lists the Webex Calling PSTN options as Cisco Calling Plans, a Cloud Connected PSTN provider, and a Local Gateway using CUBE.
    Cisco Collaboration Flex Plan 3.0 and Webex Suite Data Sheet · PSTN section of the data sheet · Checked 2026-09-25
  47. 47
    Webex Calling hot desk only devices consume no workspace licence (they get a no-cost hot desk only licence), but users who sign in to them must hold their own Webex Calling licence, and in host mode the device can only place emergency calls.
    Add and manage hot desk only devices · sections 'License Usage' and 'Device Support for Emergency Calling' · Checked 2026-09-25
  48. 48
    Webex Calling has four calling licence types: Professional (user), Professional (workspace), Standard (user only), and Workspace, which is intended for shared-use and common-area locations.
    Features available by license type for Webex Calling · licence type descriptions above the feature table · Checked 2026-09-25
  49. 49
    A Webex Calling Standard licence includes voicemail and call recording but excludes shared lines and virtual lines.
    Features available by license type for Webex Calling · feature table, Standard column, rows Voicemail, Call Recording, Shared Lines, Virtual Line · Checked 2026-09-25
  50. 50
    Downgrading Webex Calling users from Professional to Standard loses all provisioning and configuration information for the affected users.
    Upgrade a Webex Calling license for a workspace and user · section 'Upgrade a user's Webex Calling license', caution · Checked 2026-09-25
  51. 51
    Webex Calling virtual lines cannot be used for Executive-Assistant and are not supported on ATAs, conferencing stations, Room devices or generic SIP devices.
    Multi line support in Webex Calling using virtual lines · section 'Limitations' · Checked 2026-09-25
  52. 52
    Webex Calling virtual lines are entitled at a 1:1 ratio for every Professional licence and need no additional licence, user ID or email to create.
    Multi line support in Webex Calling using virtual lines · Overview section, licensing paragraph · Checked 2026-09-25
  53. 53
    A Webex Calling Workspace (common area) licence excludes voicemail, soft clients, shared lines and virtual lines.
    Features available by license type for Webex Calling · feature table, Workspace column, rows Voicemail, Soft Clients, Shared Lines, Virtual Line · Checked 2026-09-25
  54. 54
    Once a Webex Calling workspace is upgraded to the Professional workspace licence it cannot be downgraded to a common area workspace licence, and a later subscription switch keeps it on Professional.
    Upgrade a Webex Calling license for a workspace and user · section 'Upgrade a workspace's Webex Calling license', notes · Checked 2026-09-25
  55. 55
    A Zoom Phone common area needs a Common Area licence (one per phone), which gives minimal features, while using auto receptionist or call queue with it requires a Zoom Phone Pro or higher licence.
    Managing Common Areas (New Common Area Experience) · section 'Requirements for managing Common Areas' · Checked 2026-09-25
  56. 56
    Zoom sells an International Calling add-on that provides unlimited international calling to 15 or more countries and regions.
    Purchasing and assigning Zoom Phone licenses · add-on products list · Checked 2026-09-25
  57. 57
    Every number configured in Zoom Phone needs a licence, either a standalone phone number (DID) licence or a calling plan that bundles the number.
    Purchasing and assigning Zoom Phone licenses · number licence explanation in the article body · Checked 2026-09-25
  58. 58
    Zoom Phone calling plans include Metered (number plus metered minutes) and Unlimited (number plus unlimited minutes) types, with pay-as-you-go charging applying when a user has no calling plan and holds a standalone number licence.
    Purchasing and assigning Zoom Phone licenses · calling plan descriptions in the article body · Checked 2026-09-25
  59. 59
    Zoom describes Zoom Phone Pro as a user-level software licence that provides cloud PBX functionality, separate from the calling plans that add numbers and minutes.
    Purchasing and assigning Zoom Phone licenses · licence type overview near the top of the article · Checked 2026-09-25
  60. 60
    Zoom Phone regional calling plans are offered for US and Canada, UK and Ireland, Australia and New Zealand, and Japan, with Global Select as a further option for other countries.
    Purchasing and assigning Zoom Phone licenses · regional plan options list · Checked 2026-09-25

Documents

tier 2 current vendor documentation

Add and manage hot desk only devices

Cisco Systems · 2025-05-21 · accessed 2026-09-05

tier 2 current vendor documentation

Cisco Collaboration Flex Plan 3.0 and Webex Suite Data Sheet

Cisco Systems · 2026-06-18 · accessed 2026-09-05

tier 2 current vendor documentation

Features available by license type for Webex Calling

Cisco Systems · 2026-07-07 · accessed 2026-09-16

tier 2 current vendor documentation

Get Started with the Cisco Calling Plans

Cisco Systems, Inc. (Webex Help Center) · 2026-08-05 · accessed 2026-09-15

tier 2 current vendor documentation

Managing Common Areas (New Common Area Experience)

Zoom Communications · accessed 2026-09-25

tier 2 current vendor documentation

Microsoft Teams add-on licenses

Microsoft · 2026-03-26 · accessed 2026-09-25

tier 2 current vendor documentation

Microsoft Teams Calling Plans

Microsoft Learn · 2026-07-30 · accessed 2026-09-24

tier 2 current vendor documentation

Microsoft Teams Phone Resource Account licenses

Microsoft · 2026-04-26 · accessed 2026-09-24

tier 2 current vendor documentation

Microsoft Teams Shared Space licensing

Microsoft · 2026-07-08 · accessed 2026-09-25

tier 2 current vendor documentation

Multi line support in Webex Calling using virtual lines

Cisco Systems · 2026-07-23 · accessed 2026-09-05

tier 2 current vendor documentation

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Cite this page

APA

WarmTransfer. (2026, September 25). UC licensing models compared. WarmTransfer. https://warmtransfer.net/knowledge/uc-licensing-models

BibTeX

@misc{warmtransfer-uc-licensing-models,
  title  = {UC licensing models compared},
  author = {{WarmTransfer}},
  year   = {2026},
  url    = {https://warmtransfer.net/knowledge/uc-licensing-models},
  note   = {Verified 2026-09-25}
}