Comparing Microsoft Teams Rooms Basic vs. Pro licenses
Microsoft is moving away from its legacy licensing framework for Teams Rooms. The new options, Basic and Pro, offer some compelling options, with larger groups likely going with Pro.
Today's business environment stretches across the world, spanning headquarters, branch offices and work-from-home professionals. Collaboration tools are essential, and Microsoft offers a compelling option: Microsoft Teams Rooms. The software and associated devices enable easy, efficient and optimized communication for modern meetings.
Although Teams Rooms licensing is straightforward, it's important to understand which license is best for your environment. Microsoft is sunsetting the original Standard and Premium licenses in favor of Basic and Pro choices.
Let's examine Teams Rooms Basic vs. Pro and their associated licensing requirements. This helps you determine the most responsive and cost-effective option for your organization's needs.
Microsoft Teams Rooms Basic vs. Pro license: What's the difference?
The primary differences between Basic and Pro Teams Rooms licenses are scale and advanced features -- a standard attribute of most licensing schemes. Basic licenses support up to 25 Teams Rooms devices; you need the Pro license to expand beyond that. Assign the licenses to a resource account that represents the device. The Basic license supports signing in to one Teams Rooms device per resource account. Advanced licenses allow multiple sign-ins in different rooms.
The following sections detail Teams Rooms Basic vs. Pro licenses to help you determine the best fit for your company.
Microsoft Teams Rooms Basic explained
A Basic license is included with the purchase of a certified Teams Rooms device, enabling you to get started right away. For many organizations, the Basic license is enough. It has a feature list that covers a broad array of use cases, among them:
Meeting scheduling and management.
Joining meetings.
Content sharing.
Whiteboard sharing and collaboration.
You must assign these licenses to a resource account associated with the device. Microsoft limits you to up to 25 Basic licenses, and only one resource account can sign in to a Teams Rooms device at a time. The device does not function without an assigned resource account and license.
Features
Teams Rooms Basic
Teams Rooms Pro
Cost
Included in device purchase
$40 per room per month
Device limit
Up to 25 devices
Unlimited
Meeting features
One-touch and proximity join, content sharing, audio conferencing, whiteboard
All Basic features, plus meeting chat, front row, AI features and dual-screen support
Security
System-level security
System-level security, end-to-end call encryption
Management and support
Teams admin center, automatic software updates
Basic support features, plus remote configuration, peripheral health management and device analytics
Microsoft Teams Rooms Pro explained
Larger organizations may need more than 25 rooms, necessitating Pro licenses. Some environments may also want to take advantage of advanced features that aren't available with Basic licenses. The Pro license enables all of the features of the Basic license, plus the following additional capabilities:
Front row view.
Dual-screen support.
Device management, including remote management, conditional access and analytics.
The Pro license also includes AI-enhanced video and audio features designed to deliver a smooth, professional and useful experience for participants.
You can also log in to multiple Teams Rooms devices using a single resource account. Pro licenses are $40 per month per room, paid annually.
Migrating from Teams Rooms Standard and Premium licenses
Teams Rooms legacy Standard and Premium licenses are no longer supported. Migrating is not automatic; allocate sufficient time to handle this manual task. Existing Standard and Premium licenses will function until their expiration date or your next enterprise agreement renewal date.
Purchase Basic or Pro licenses before this expiration to avoid service interruption. You may purchase Basic licenses for existing devices or receive a Basic license when you buy an authorized device. Don't forget to remove legacy Standard and Premium licenses from the Microsoft 365 admin center to avoid confusion.
Managing Teams Rooms devices and licenses
Enabling a Teams Rooms device mainly consists of managing a resource account and associating a Teams Rooms license with it.
Resource accounts are Exchange email mailboxes that represent a meeting room. Create the resource account in the Microsoft 365 admin center. Associate a license with the account before proceeding.
Use the Microsoft 365 admin center to purchase and manage licenses. Navigate to the Billing > Purchase services option to select the license type, quantity and other settings. The Teams Rooms device includes a Basic license, but you must still register it with your account.
Devices without a valid Basic or Pro license cannot sign in to Teams services or participate in meetings.
Sign in to the Teams Rooms device using the resource account credentials. Remember, the device is nonfunctional until you log in with a licensed resource account.
Devices without a valid Basic or Pro license cannot sign in to Teams services or participate in meetings. A clear error message indicates a license was not found. Restore full functionality by assigning a license in the Teams admin center. Teams Rooms devices do not recognize any other type of Microsoft license.
The Microsoft 365 Teams admin center provides administration for Teams Rooms devices, including metrics, activity and any available management options. Devices using a Pro license provide more extensive analytics and remote management options.
Microsoft Teams Rooms offers a variety of features designed to enable communication and collaboration. License management is straightforward, with the Basic tier offering features that are practical for nearly any size business. When assessing Teams Rooms Basic vs. Pro, the Pro tier provides additional services that specialized or larger organizations might require.
Damon Garn owns Cogspinner Coaction and provides freelance IT writing and editing services. He has written multiple CompTIA study guides, including the Linux+, Cloud Essentials+ and Server+ guides, and contributes extensively to Informa TechTarget Editorial, The New Stack and CompTIA Blogs.
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