The Evolution of Communication in the Workplace
In recent years, workplace communication has undergone a radical transformation. With the rise of distributed teams, hybrid work models, and digital-first operations, businesses are seeking tools that unify their collaboration efforts without compromising productivity. Microsoft Teams has emerged as a cornerstone of this shift, offering a centralized platform for chat, meetings, document sharing, and task management. However, one area still ripe for optimization is telephony.
Voice services remain essential, whether for internal collaboration or external client interactions. Integrating these capabilities into Microsoft Teams can eliminate fragmentation and improve workflow efficiency. This is where voice migration for Microsoft Teams enters the picture—a strategic move that enables enterprises to fully consolidate communication systems under one secure, scalable umbrella.
What once required multiple applications and complex integrations can now be managed within a single platform. This unification is convenient, but its real benefits come from transforming how teams connect, collaborate, and operate in a digital-first era. Organizations that embrace this shift can unlock faster response times, improved client communication, and a more agile workforce prepared for what’s next.
Understanding Voice Migration for Microsoft Teams
Voice migration refers to the process of transferring an organization’s traditional voice communication system, such as PBX or legacy VoIP platforms, into the Microsoft Teams environment. By integrating a calling plan or direct routing into Teams, employees can make and receive phone calls directly through the application, just as they would with a conventional phone system.
The result? A unified communications platform that supports chat, video conferencing, file sharing, and now, enterprise-grade voice calling.
Key Components of Voice Migration
SIP Trunking or Direct Routing:
These methods connect your on-premise or hosted telephony systems to Microsoft Teams. SIP trunking uses Internet Protocol to transmit voice, enabling flexible and cost-efficient voice services. Direct Routing allows you to use your existing telecom provider with Teams, giving you more control over carrier selection, features, and pricing.
Session Border Controllers (SBCs):
These devices, or cloud-based equivalents, act as secure gateways between Microsoft Teams and your voice provider. They manage voice traffic, handle call routing, and protect your network from threats such as toll fraud or denial-of-service attacks. SBCs are essential for ensuring quality and security in a voice migration.
Carrier Services:
A reliable voice carrier ensures consistent uptime, geographic coverage, and high voice quality for your migrated phone system. Choosing a telecom partner that specializes in enterprise-grade voice ensures robust support for domestic and international calling needs.
Voice migration is a strategic investment in your organization’s agility, communication, and customer experience. And with cloud-first infrastructures becoming the norm, the time to migrate is now.
Why Voice-Enable Microsoft Teams?
As your organization considers voice migration, it’s important to understand the tangible benefits of bringing all communication tools under one digital roof.
Unified Communication Platform
The biggest draw of integrating voice with Microsoft Teams is centralization. Instead of toggling between apps for calls, messages, or meetings, employees can handle all communication within Teams. This not only improves efficiency but also reduces the cognitive load on users, freeing them to focus on higher-value tasks.
Additionally, administrators gain a single pane of glass for managing user permissions, call routing, and analytics, making IT oversight significantly easier.
Cost Savings and Operational Efficiency
Traditional PBX systems often require significant investment in hardware, software licenses, and maintenance. These costs can escalate quickly, especially for growing organizations with multi-site operations. According to Microsoft’s documentation, organizations can reduce telephony costs by up to 30% by migrating to Teams.
Migrating to a cloud-based voice platform reduces or eliminates:
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Hardware and on-premise infrastructure costs
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Maintenance and upgrade expenses
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Support and troubleshooting overhead
In many cases, companies see a lower total cost of ownership (TCO) by adopting voice-enabled Teams.
Increased Flexibility for Hybrid Work
With voice functionality built into Teams, employees can make and receive calls from anywhere—using their laptops, mobile phones, or desktop softphones. This flexibility is crucial for hybrid and remote work models, where employees expect seamless communication regardless of location.
Mobile accessibility also enables frontline workers and on-the-go staff to stay connected to their teams and clients, ensuring no opportunity is missed.
Built-In Scalability
As your organization grows, so does your need for communication channels. Traditional telephony systems often require lengthy installations or upgrades to accommodate more users.
By contrast, cloud-based voice systems integrated with Teams offer effortless scalability. New users can be added in minutes, and expansion to new office locations requires minimal setup, making voice migration an ideal solution for fast-growing businesses.
For more insights on scaling your business phone system, refer to Scaling Your Business Phone System with Microsoft Teams Voice.
Choosing the Right Migration Path: Calling Plan, Direct Routing, or Operator Connect
Once your organization is ready to embrace voice integration, the next decision involves selecting the right migration method. Microsoft offers three primary pathways:
Microsoft Calling Plans
This is the simplest option, where Microsoft acts as your telecom provider. You get phone numbers and calling services directly from Microsoft. It’s easy to deploy but may not offer the flexibility needed for more complex or regulated environments.
Direct Routing
Direct Routing allows organizations to connect their own Session Border Controller (SBC) and use existing telecom providers. This approach offers maximum flexibility and is ideal for enterprises that:
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Operate in multiple geographic regions
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Have strict compliance or security requirements
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Want to leverage existing voice contracts or infrastructure
Operator Connect
Operator Connect is the middle ground, allowing businesses to connect Teams with certified telecom partners through Microsoft’s managed interface. It’s simpler to manage than Direct Routing but more flexible than Calling Plans. This is a great choice for organizations looking to balance ease of use with carrier-level reliability.
Each option has its advantages, and the choice depends on specific organizational needs and existing infrastructure. For a comprehensive understanding, explore Microsoft Teams Managed Services: Optimizing Enterprise Voice and Collaboration.
Preparing for Voice Migration: Challenges to Address
As with any digital transformation initiative, preparation is key to a successful voice migration. Companies should anticipate and plan for several potential challenges:
Network Readiness
Before migrating to cloud voice, your network infrastructure must be evaluated for voice readiness. Issues like latency, jitter, and insufficient bandwidth can drastically affect call quality. Network assessments and Quality of Service (QoS) configurations are essential to avoid disruptions.
Change Management & Training
Introducing a new system often requires a cultural shift. Teams accustomed to traditional phone setups may need training on how to use calling features in Teams. Investing in user onboarding and internal communications can accelerate adoption and reduce friction.
Regulatory & Compliance Considerations
Different countries and regions have varying rules regarding telecom services, emergency dialing, and data retention. It’s important to ensure your voice migration strategy complies with relevant laws and industry regulations, especially in sectors like finance, healthcare, or education.
To navigate these challenges effectively, consider reading Enhancing Enterprise Voice with Microsoft Teams: A Winning Combination.
Transitioning with Confidence: Choosing the Best Voice-Enabled Teams Solution Provider
With so many variables at play, choosing the right partner for your migration journey is critical. The best voice-enabled Teams solution providers will offer a specialized solution that streamlines the voice migration process, ensuring reliability, compliance, and continuity from day one.
What to look for in a provider:
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Tailored Strategies: The provider should work closely with your organization to develop a custom migration roadmap that aligns with your IT environment, business objectives, and user needs.
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Full Lifecycle Support: Ensure the provider supports every stage of the migration journey, from discovery to design, implementation to post-launch optimization.
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Voice Expertise at Scale: Make sure the provider has extensive telecom experience and deep knowledge of both Microsoft Teams and voice integration technologies.
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Carrier-Grade Quality: Check that their voice backbone is built for enterprise-level performance, with guaranteed uptime and crystal-clear call quality.
Whether you’re new to Teams or looking to upgrade your existing setup, the best voice-enabled Teams provider’s number one focus should be to ensure a smooth, low-risk transition to a voice-enabled Teams environment.
Next Steps: Is Voice Migration Right for You?
Deciding whether your organization is ready for voice migration involves evaluating your current communications setup and identifying areas for improvement. Start by assessing the limitations of your existing voice infrastructure—are you facing high costs, downtime, or a lack of integration with other collaboration tools? Do your teams juggle multiple platforms for calls, meetings, and messaging?
If the answer is yes, it’s time to consider whether a unified communication strategy can address these issues.
To get started, consider conducting a formal readiness assessment. This includes:
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Network Performance Audit: Evaluate your network’s ability to handle VoIP traffic and ensure minimal disruptions post-migration.
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Current Telephony Inventory: Document all existing voice systems, users, hardware, and vendors.
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Stakeholder Interviews: Gather input from IT, end users, and leadership to understand current pain points and goals.
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Compliance & Security Review: Identify any regulatory requirements or data protection concerns that could impact your migration plan.
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Cost-Benefit Analysis: Compare your current voice spend with potential savings from a Teams-integrated solution.
Once you understand these factors, you’ll be in a strong position to design a migration roadmap, select the right Microsoft Teams voice integration method (Calling Plan, Direct Routing, or Operator Connect), and partner with a provider who can execute it seamlessly.
Partner with BCM One for Your Voice Migration
Whether you’re looking to reduce IT overhead, enhance user experience, or enable seamless remote work, BCM One can help you transition with confidence. As a leader in secure, scalable communication solutions, BCM One is your trusted partner for voice migration for Microsoft Teams.
Ready to modernize your communications? Contact BCM One today to learn how we can help you unify your voice and collaboration systems under one powerful platform.
