So, you’re using Microsoft Teams, and it’s helping your business stay connected. That’s great! But, have you ever wondered if you should be recording those calls? It’s one of those things that seems like an afterthought—until it becomes absolutely necessary.
Here’s a reality check: conversations disappear, details get lost, and compliance officers don’t accept “we forgot to write that down” as an excuse. This is where Teams Call Recording comes in.
Think of call recording on Teams as your business’s safety net. Whether you’re trying to meet compliance requirements, improve customer service, or train your employees, recording calls on Microsoft Teams provides a layer of protection and accountability.
And we’ll show you how. In this blog, we’ll cover why call recording for compliance is so important (especially on Teams), why the built-in Teams recording features aren’t enough, and how TeamMate can help.
Why Call Recording on Teams is So Important
Let’s be clear: you might think that if you’re not part of a heavily regulated industry, call recording might be unnecessary. But think again. Here are just a few advantages Teams call recording can give businesses of all shapes and sizes:
1. Compliance and Legal Protection
For businesses in regulated industries like finance, healthcare, and legal services, recording calls isn’t just a best practice—it’s a requirement. Regulations like GDPR, HIPAA, MiFID II, and PCI DSS mandate that certain calls be recorded and securely stored. Not having a robust call recording system in place can expose your business to severe penalties, lawsuits, and reputational damage. Proper call recording provides:
Legally mandated records for audits and legal disputes
Protection from liability claims
Secure storage that meets stringent industry regulations
2. Quality Assurance and Training
Ever wondered how well your team is really handling customer calls? Call recordings offer an excellent opportunity to monitor quality, train employees, and improve your customer service. Recorded calls can help you:
Train new employees with real-world examples
Identify gaps in communication or processes
Improve customer interactions through targeted feedback
3. Security and Risk Management
Call recordings aren’t just for compliance—they’re vital for data security too. Sensitive conversations, whether discussing financial transactions or personal information, need to be stored securely. A good call recording solution ensures:
Encrypted storage to protect sensitive data
Controlled access to prevent unauthorized retrieval
Tamper-proof records to maintain the integrity of conversations
In today’s cybersecurity climate, protecting your business from data breaches or fraud is more important than ever. Without secure recording and storage, your company is at risk of non-compliance and potential legal consequences.
4. Dispute Resolution and Accountability
When misunderstandings or disputes arise, having a recorded call can help provide clarity and prevent escalation. Whether it’s a customer disagreement, employee misconduct, or a legal dispute, recorded calls serve as a neutral record of what was said, reducing the risk of liability. This not only guarantees transparency but also builds trust with clients and partners, knowing that conversations are secure and available when needed.
5. Business Insights and Performance Monitoring
Beyond compliance and security, call recordings are a goldmine of insights. Analyzing these recordings allows you to:
Track team performance and identify top performers
Refine sales strategies by understanding what makes a call successful
Gain valuable insights into how conversations unfold, helping you adjust strategies on the fly
By using recorded calls as training tools, companies can make data-driven decisions that lead to improved sales, customer satisfaction, and better overall performance.
Who Needs Call Recording on Teams the Most?
Lots of people should be using this feature. But, there are a few industries that absolutely need–or really stand to benefit the most from–VoIP call recording. And they are:
Financial Services (MiFID II, SEC, Dodd-Frank): Banks, investment firms, and brokers must record and store financial transactions to prevent fraud and ensure accountability. Without automated VoIP call recording, missing a single transaction-related conversation could mean fines and regulatory action.
Healthcare (HIPAA, HITECH Act): Doctors, hospitals, and insurance companies handle highly sensitive patient information. HIPAA regulations require that calls discussing patient data be recorded and securely stored to prevent unauthorized access.
Retail and E-commerce (PCI DSS Compliance): If your business takes credit card payments over the phone, PCI DSS regulations apply. Storing credit card details improperly can lead to major penalties.
Legal and Government (FOIA, SEC, State Compliance Laws): Legal firms and government agencies must retain certain calls for legal proceedings and public record requirements. Losing a recorded conversation could mean jeopardizing a case or violating public transparency laws.
MSPs and CSPs That Serve These Industries: If you’ve got customers in finance, healthcare, and other regulated industries, offering a call recording compliance solution should be a no-brainer. It will not only meet your clients’ needs but also add serious value to your offerings. It’s a win-win for you and your customers!
And that’s just the shortlist.
Why Teams’ Basic Call Recording Offering Isn’t Enough
You’re probably thinking, “Doesn’t Teams already let me record calls and meetings?” Well, sort of. Let’s break it down. First, let’s talk about what Teams can do:
Record Meetings – Teams allows you to record scheduled meetings with a simple “Start Recording” button, ensuring that conversations are captured for later reference.
Store Recordings in OneDrive or SharePoint – Every recorded meeting is automatically saved to OneDrive (for personal meetings) or SharePoint (for channel meetings), making it easy to access and share.
Transcriptions (If Enabled) – When enabled by a Teams admin, the platform can generate real-time transcriptions that convert spoken words into searchable text, improving accessibility and record-keeping.
Provide Real-Time Captions – Teams also provides live captions during meetings, helping participants follow along and ensuring better inclusivity.
But sadly, as useful as these features are, they don’t make Teams a compliance recording solution. And here’s why:
No Automatic Recording for Calls – Calls made between Teams users (Teams-to-Teams) can be recorded. But, unlike dedicated call recording solutions, Teams doesn’t automatically record VoIP or PSTN calls. If you want a record of those conversations, you’ll need to do it manually by clicking a button during the call or meeting (and hope no one forgets). That’s not exactly reliable—especially in industries where compliance rules require all calls to be logged.
Limited Compliance Controls – Many industries—such as finance, healthcare, and legal services—have strict regulations requiring secure, tamper-proof call recordings with audit trails. And comply with all necessary call recording laws. Unfortunately, Teams’ built-in recording lacks advanced encryption, retention policies, and compliance-grade storage that regulated businesses require.
Lack of Centralized Management – Since Teams recordings are scattered across OneDrive and SharePoint, there’s no single place to search, manage, or archive all recordings efficiently. Imagine trying to retrieve a client call from six months ago—it could be buried in someone’s personal OneDrive, or worse, deleted if the employee leaves.
No Role-Based Access for Recordings – In many organizations, only certain employees (like compliance officers or managers) should be able to view or manage call recordings. Teams doesn’t have built-in role-based access controls for recordings, which means anyone with access to the storage location could potentially delete or download sensitive recordings.
So, in summary, Microsoft Teams offers a solid starting point for recording calls and meetings. But, if you need a compliance recording solution that captures everything, you’re going to need something more.
Even Microsoft knows that and encourages users to seek out third-party providers if they need a compliance recording. And the best one? Well, that would be TeamMate.
What Sets TeamMate’s Call Recording Solution Apart
TeamMate isn’t just another compliance recording solution. It’s the go-to addition you’ve been looking for! Here are just a few benefits you can enjoy when you integrate with us:
1. A Fully Integrated Solution
TeamMate’s call recording solution isn’t just an add-on to Microsoft Teams–it’s built into the Teams interface. This means that, unlike Microsoft’s native offering, you won’t need to switch between tools or dashboards to manage your recordings. Everything happens right inside Teams, which means easier access, better organization, and zero headaches for your IT team.
2. Complete Coverage for All Teams Calls
Unlike Microsoft’s native recording, TeamMate’s solution records all calls—yes, even the ones you’d normally miss—not just Teams meetings. Whether it’s PSTN phone calls, Teams-to-Teams calls, external meetings, or Federation calls (calls between two organizations using Teams), our solution covers everything.
3. Call Recording Compliance, Security, and Customization All In One
When it comes to compliance, TeamMate takes security seriously. Whether you’re dealing with sensitive financial data, health records, or any other regulated information, TeamMate ensures that all your calls are captured and stored according to industry standards. With role-based restrictions, you get full control over who can view or manage sensitive data.
Plus, you also have the flexibility to choose where your recordings are stored—either in your customer’s SharePoint or TeamMate’s secure cloud storage. And since it’s all protected with military-grade encryption, you can be confident that your data is always protected, compliant, and tamper-proof.
4. Easily Pause and Resume Call Recording
One of the standout features of TeamMate’s solution is the ability to pause and resume recordings during sensitive conversations. For instance, if you’re discussing personal data or financial details, you can easily pause the Teams call recording to stay legally compliant with regulations like PCI DSS or HIPAA.
5. Simple, Centralized Access and Search
TeamMate’s call recording solution comes with an easy-to-use web interface that allows approved users to search and review your recordings with just a few clicks. You can filter by name, date, or even specific users, and there’s a handy playback speed control so you can listen to recordings at a faster pace (because who has time to sit through long-winded conversations, right?).
6. No Hidden Costs
One of the best parts about TeamMate’s Teams call recording software is its flexibility. You’re not locked into a long-term contract, and there are no surprise fees. You can scale up or down as needed, which makes it perfect for businesses of any size. Whether you have a small team or an enterprise-level operation, TeamMate can easily grow with you. Growing internationally? Don’t worry! Our call recording solution is compliant with international laws, too!
7. Consistent Compliance Updates and Support
Compliance recording policies and recording laws vary by state and country. It can be tough for you to keep up with all the latest changes and tweaks that the government makes. Thankfully, TeamMate keeps up for you so you never fall behind.
And That’s Just the Start…
While TeamMate’s cloud call recording solution already offers all the basics–like recording phone calls, storing them securely, and offering easy access–the future is even brighter. TeamMate plans to roll out new recording features, including video recording, chat recording, and even AI-powered call summaries and sentiment analysis.
These new and improved features will help businesses track what was said and understand how conversations unfolded. That’s some next-level insight for your business!
You Can Achieve Regulatory Compliance (for Free) for 90 Days
We’re offering a free trial of TeamMate’s Microsoft Teams compliance recording solution so you can see the difference for yourself. No pressure, no gimmicks—just a chance to try it out and experience the benefits firsthand.
Get started with your free trial today, and take your business communication to the next level with TeamMate’s Microsoft Teams compliance recording solution.
