In short: BT Cloud Voice feature packs are per-user licences. Basic covers core calling for shared or simple phones. Connect adds voicemail to email, Call Director, shared call appearance, conferencing and the app. Collaborate adds meeting scheduling with call-in audio and personal meeting rooms. Packs can be mixed across your team.
What a user feature pack is
Each person (or shared phone) on BT Cloud Voice needs its own licence, which BT calls a user feature pack. The pack sets that user's features. Site features such as Auto Attendant and Call Centre ACD are added separately for the site, and optional extras are added per user on top of the pack.
BT's product page and help guide list three licence types: Basic, Connect and Collaborate. Each builds on the one below, so Collaborate includes everything in Connect, and Connect includes everything in Basic. BT positions BT Cloud Voice for businesses with five or more users, and its standard licence term is 60 months.
Basic, Connect and Collaborate compared
| Feature | Basic | Connect | Collaborate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Online portal for user settings | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Automatic call routing | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Call forwarding | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Call transfer, including to mobiles | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Membership of hunt groups | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Three-way calling | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Voicemail to email | No | Yes | Yes |
| Call Director | No | Yes | Yes |
| Shared call appearance | No | Up to five devices | Up to 20 devices |
| Voice and video conferencing | No | Yes | Yes |
| BT Cloud Voice desktop and mobile app | No | Yes | Yes |
| Meeting scheduling with call-in audio | No | No | Yes |
| Personal meeting rooms | No | No | Yes |
| Premium add-on for advanced meetings | No | No | Optional |
Features and limits are confirmed at order, as BT updates the service from time to time.
Who each pack suits
Basic is for a general-purpose phone or a phone that several people share: a reception desk, a phone behind a bar, a workshop, a warehouse or a staff room. It makes and takes calls, transfers them and rings as part of a hunt group, but has no voicemail and no app.
Connect is for most office and hybrid workers. Voicemail to email, the app and Call Director mean they can handle business calls on their laptop or mobile, and shared call appearance lets a PA look after several people's lines.
Collaborate is for people who run meetings as well as calls: managers, account teams and anyone who hosts regular calls with customers or colleagues. It adds scheduled meetings with call-in audio and a personal meeting room. The Premium add-on, available only with Collaborate, extends the meeting features further for people who run larger or more formal online meetings.
If you are unsure, start each person on the pack that matches their day-to-day work. We can review usage with you later.
Optional extras and which pack they attach to
| Optional extra | Basic | Connect | Collaborate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Receptionist console | No | Optional | Optional |
| Receptionist small business | No | Optional | Optional |
| Busy lamp field | No | Optional | Optional |
| CRM Integrator, CRM Lite and Go TAPI | No | Optional | Optional |
| Call recording | No | Optional | Optional |
| Fax messaging | No | Optional | Optional |
| Hot desking (host or guest) | Not listed | Optional | Optional |
| Call Analytics | Optional | Optional | Optional |
This is why the pack matters beyond its own features: a receptionist who needs a console and busy lamp field must be on Connect or Collaborate, even if they never use the app. BT's busy lamp field guide is explicit that it will not work with a Basic licence, and its hot desking guide lists host and guest licences as add-ons for Connect and Collaborate.
Mixing packs and changing them later
Packs are chosen per user, so a typical business mixes them. A small office might put its two shared phones on Basic, most staff on Connect and the directors on Collaborate. Each pack is a licence that runs for the licence term, and BT's published terms include a fixed price rise on each licence every 1 April. We explain how that applies to your order on the pricing page and in your quote.
Moving a user to a higher pack, or adding an extra, is ordered through us and then shows in the User licensing tile on that user's profile in the BT Cloud Voice Business Portal, where your administrator can also see how many licences are in use. Before you commit, we check that each person's devices and add-ons match their pack.
How we help you choose
Forever Communications Limited, a BT Business Partner, starts with a short review of how each team uses the phone today: who answers the main number, who works away from the office, who needs recording or reporting. We then propose a pack and any extras per user, so you are not paying for features nobody uses.
Contact us with your user list and we will send back a recommended mix and a quote.
Why buy BT Cloud Voice from Forever Communications Limited
Forever Communications Limited is part of Forever Group and a BT Business Partner. We supply, set up and support BT Cloud Voice for UK businesses, schools, charities and public sector organisations, from a handful of users to multi-site teams.
- A named partner who plans your numbers, call flows, user feature packs and handsets with you
- Number porting managed for you, timed to avoid downtime
- Connectivity checked first, so call quality is right from day one, with BT business broadband and BTnet available if you need it
- Help with the digital switchover, including alarms, lifts, card terminals and other analogue lines
- Training and ongoing support for the apps, Microsoft Teams integration, moves, adds, changes and faults
BT Cloud Voice is a business service. We do not sell consumer or home phone products.
Want a BT Cloud Voice quote for your business?
Tell Forever Communications what you need and we will come back to you by email with options, not a hard sell.
Contact usFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between BT Cloud Voice Connect and Collaborate?
Connect gives a user voicemail to email, Call Director, shared call appearance, voice and video conferencing and the BT Cloud Voice app. Collaborate includes all of that and adds meeting scheduling with call-in audio and a personal meeting room, with the option of the Premium add-on for advanced meetings.
Does BT Cloud Voice Basic include voicemail?
No. Voicemail, including voicemail to email, starts with the Connect pack. Basic is designed for shared or simple phones where calls are usually answered or passed on.
Can I mix BT Cloud Voice feature packs?
Yes. Each user has their own pack, so you can put shared phones on Basic and give Connect or Collaborate to the people who need more.
Is the BT Cloud Voice app included in every pack?
No. The desktop and mobile app comes with Connect and Collaborate licences.
How many users do I need for BT Cloud Voice?
BT positions BT Cloud Voice for businesses with five or more users. For smaller sites, see BT Cloud Voice Express or our BT Cloud Voice vs BT Cloud Phone comparison.