The Benefits of Working with Microsoft Teams Direct Routing Partners

With over 300 million users, Microsoft Teams is the most popular business communication platform in the world. Its native integration with Word, PowerPoint, and Microsoft 365 makes Teams a natural choice for internal communications and collaboration.

Now that Microsoft offers Teams SIP calling, with Microsoft Teams Phone, organizations can use Teams for their office phone system needs. With direct routing, employees can place and receive internal and external calls using the PBX voice calling experience they’re accustomed to while minimizing hardware dependency and associated costs. Some hardware may still be required depending on the specific implementation, but overall, the need for extensive on-premises equipment is significantly reduced. 

While Microsoft Teams Phone is a great business tool, many companies find that the options are limited and migration is complex. To overcome challenges and manage a comprehensive Teams-based communication system, organizations turn to Microsoft-approved operators to effectively navigate integration and enhance their capabilities.

Businesses working with Microsoft Teams direct routing partners are able to seamlessly integrate their existing phone systems with Teams to achieve a unified communications solution that delivers reliable connectivity. They retain all the features needed for successful business communication while gaining even more benefits.

Exploring the Role of Microsoft Teams Direct Routing Partners

Microsoft Teams serves as a platform for all business communications needs, including calling. However, achieving unified communications is not quite as simple as turning on Teams. Successful voice integration requires PSTN connectivity, which can be achieved through Microsoft’s Calling Plans, Operator Connect or Direct Routing. In most cases, Direct Routing requires the help of a partner to handle the migration. 

Direct routing uses Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology to connect Teams to the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) through a telecom provider, allowing users to make and receive calls from the platform. Direct routing partners work with businesses to create a customizable communication solution with Microsoft Teams at the heart. This unified system integrates with existing apps, adding more robust features to meet complex calling requirements.

When you choose a Microsoft Teams direct routing partner to manage your communication system, you can get the same PBX voice calling experience without hardware dependency and associated costs. Your Microsoft-approved operator assists with design, migration, deployment, capacity management, analytics, and support for a seamless transition and intuitive use.

7 Benefits of Working with Microsoft Teams Direct Routing Partners

When you work with a direct routing partner, you get the benefits of robust features while experts deal with all the complexities of migration and management of your communication environment.

Outsourcing the heavy lifting to an experienced partner allows you to focus on your business operatives and prepare employees for seamless phone communications featuring a multitude of benefits over traditional PBX systems. Take a closer look at the benefits of working with Microsoft Teams direct routing partners to improve cost efficiency, achieve seamless internal and external communications, and boost productivity in organizational workflows.

Benefit 1: Cost Savings

Microsoft Teams direct routing enables you to cut costs by reducing hardware requirements and gaining more control over your provider and calling options. Bringing your existing PBX phone system to the cloud eliminates the need to invest in new infrastructure. When you work with an experienced provider, you can cut hardware maintenance costs because an internet-based phone system requires minimal physical hardware and equipment.

Since direct routing allows you to choose your own provider, you can potentially cut costs on calling charges. Your direct routing partner can collaborate with your team to assess your needs and help you find the most cost-effective plan that fits your business needs. 

Benefit 2: Improved Call Quality

Connecting your phone system to Teams provides your organization with basic calling functionality supported by Microsoft. While this enables you to make calls through the Teams platform, it doesn’t necessarily provide access to your phone system’s existing technology.

Direct routing uses SIP trunking to make connections for voice, video, and data transfers over the internet. Microsoft SIP integration allows businesses to use any telephony provider and have more control over their PSTN infrastructure, allowing for some useful customizations. Standard phone features from Microsoft often fall short of those you can get using a high-quality direct routing service to support your communication system. A direct routing partner can help you deploy a customized phone system with features that include:

• Call recording
• Call quality reports
• SIP integrations
• Call forwarding
• Porting automation
• Failover routing
• Document and number management
• Collaboration tools

Benefit 3: Enhanced Flexibility and Scalability

Microsoft Teams integration connects your phone system and business tools to create a unified experience. As a result, employees can make and receive calls from anywhere on any device with secure internet access. Users can keep their existing phone numbers, choose a provider that meets business needs, and develop a customized plan. Your direct routing partner provides managed services that handle porting existing numbers and integration with existing technology, ensuring seamless migration.

As your business expands, your provider can help scale your communication system with your organizational growth. Whether you need more features or lines, your Microsoft Teams direct routing partner can help you adapt your system to business changes. 

Choosing a preferred phone carrier enables companies to work with fewer restrictions and find comprehensive services that meet business needs. Managed service providers can handle diverse communication requirements across multiple locations to accommodate multinational communications and a remote or hybrid workforce. 

Many direct routing partners work with organizations to develop and deploy a customized system to deliver consistent access to their business phone system while working from any location. As a result, businesses can benefit from a unified communication system with consistent accessibility for all users, improving collaboration, productivity, and customer satisfaction.

Benefit 4: Better Integration with Existing Systems

Direct routing provides a broader range of device compatibility along with greater customization and control by allowing you to work with the provider of your choice. When you find a partner who can integrate and consolidate features like call centers, call recording, and other call-based applications into your communications environment, you can maintain all the tools you need for optimized internal and external communications. 

With a clear understanding of your voice requirements, your Microsoft Teams direct routing partner can design, build, and test your solution, configuring your Microsoft 365 tenant for necessary voice services.

Benefit 5: Increased Security

As organizations integrate phone systems with other business tools, security is a vital concern. Direct routing enables secure data transfer using encryption algorithms routed through the cloud. When used in conjunction with multi-factor authentication (MFA), risks associated with potential security breaches are substantially reduced. Working with a Microsoft Teams direct routing partner will enable you to optimize security practices to meet industry needs and regulations, helping you maintain compliance and better serve customers.

Benefit 6: Extended Global Reach

The first step to choosing a Microsoft Teams calling plan is determining which plans are available in your area. Availability may be limited or non-existent in some regions. You’ll also choose between a domestic and international calling plan. If calling plans aren’t available in every country where you operate, you won’t be able to put all users on a globally consistent platform to achieve unified communications. 

When you work with a direct routing partner, however, you can choose a provider with extended global reach across all the countries in which your business operates. They can also provide advice about compliance with local regulatory requirements. As a result, you can achieve unified communications across all users and devices and rely on consistent service.

Benefit 7: Simplified Management

Complexity is often the biggest hurdle for organizations choosing direct routing over Microsoft Calling Plans or Operator Connect. When you choose a direct routing partner, you can let a team of experts take care of migration and the day-to-day management of your system. 

An experienced Microsoft Teams direct routing partner will walk you through every step of the process, from assessing your needs and network readiness to deployment and 24/7 system monitoring. Your partner will help you design, deploy, and test your system prior to integration. They continue to monitor everything when it goes live and are available for ongoing support and troubleshooting.

Take Microsoft Teams to the Next Level by Partnering with Experts

Microsoft Teams is an indispensable tool for organizations collaborating in the modern workplace. By using Teams at the heart of your cloud phone system, you can maximize the platform’s capabilities and gain robust features. Many organizations turn to direct routing as a way to get optimal results from Microsoft Teams calling. The right Microsoft Teams direct routing partner can streamline your experience with simplified migration, customized solutions for your business, and ongoing support.

BCM One takes the Teams collaboration platform and transforms it into a highly customized, unified communication system with enterprise-grade voice capabilities. With a range of features and end-to-end support, you get a customized phone system to meet your business needs. Contact us to learn how BCM One can optimize Microsoft Teams to meet all your current and future collaboration and communications needs.