Microsoft Teams Direct Routing

Understand direct routing with 8x8 Voice for Microsoft Teams

Microsoft Teams Direct Routing

Understand direct routing with 8x8 Voice for Microsoft Teams

Microsoft Teams Direct Routing

Understand direct routing with 8x8 Voice for Microsoft Teams

Microsoft Teams Direct Routing

Understand direct routing with 8x8 Voice for Microsoft Teams

Microsoft Teams is a business collaboration tool that allows teams to communicate and collaborate through workspace messaging, video conferencing, file sharing, and app integrations. Businesses typically use MS Teams for their internal communications and invest in a separate telephony solution for their external communications. But that's not always efficient - which is why 8x8 Voice for Microsoft Teams is such a critical integration.

8x8 Voice for Microsoft Teams has direct routing capabilities, which offers organizations a way to unify their Microsoft-based internal communications and their external business communications. If your business loves using MS Teams, then direct routing could be exactly what you're looking for.

But what is direct routing and what does it do? How does it enhance your business communications?

We're discussing that and more. Read the full piece, or use the jump links to skip to sections you're most interested in.

What is direct routing?

The benefits of phone system direct routing

How direct routing works

What is Microsoft Teams Direct Routing?

What license do I need to get Microsoft-based Teams Direct Routing?

How do I set up third party-based Direct Routing for Teams?

What is direct routing?

Direct routing generally refers to a process in which digital information - translated into packets - is sent from its "home" machine to its "destination" machine without passing through any other machines that would serve as intermediaries.

But what does a direct routing solution do in the context of 8x8 Voice for MS Teams? Simply put, it allows businesses to add PBX functionality, access a wider range of countries by bypassing public telephony, and (by extension) offers greater affordability, flexibility, and convenience. And you can do all this without ever needing to toggle away from the Teams environment.

That's not the only thing it can do, though. There are more advantages to using direct routing through 8x8 Voice for Teams.

The benefits of phone system direct routing

As you might imagine, implementing direct routing to your Microsoft Teams account through a third-party telephony provider like 8x8 comes with tremendous benefits. Some of these advantages are:

1. Unified Communications

Direct routing turns Microsoft Teams into a unified business communications system (similar to a true UCaaS platform). You’ll be able to combine your organization’s internal and external communications processes (including incoming calls) under one system.

By consolidating all of your communications in one cloud-based platform, you won't have to waste money on maintaining a piecemeal infrastructure that gets finicky every time you add a new feature (or even a new user).

Direct routing with the 8x8 eXperience Communications Platform means you’ll be able to combine your Teams communications with expanded calling, meetings, chat, and API functionalities for an altogether better user experience and call quality.

2. Reliable business communications

Another benefit of direct routing to a third-party provider is voice network reliability. When you run all of your business-critical communications on Teams alone, you run the risk of significant downtime whenever there's a service outage.

When you direct route your MS Teams through a third-party provider such as 8x8 Voice, you enjoy additional full-service assurance that guarantees uninterrupted business resilience supported by state-of-the-art data centers.

3. PBX & calling capabilities

Direct routing allows you to add business-class PBX to Microsoft Teams. That means you’ll be able to use traditional call features like call transfers, call queues, call holding, call routing, voicemail, and auto attendants. You’ll be able to connect with contacts on their desk phones and mobile phones - they don't need to be on MS Teams for you to communicate with them.

4. Integrations with business apps

Direct routing with a third-party provider means you’ll be able use even more integrations with your favorite business apps and CRM systems that work with them. You’ll be able to enhance your MS Teams functionality and connect seamlessly with tools that are compatible with the voice service provider's technology.

CTI_integration_with_CRM_benefits_your_overall_customer_experience_and_the_quality_of_customer_service_including_improved_agent_performance_and_efficiency..jpg

5. Supports remote working

For businesses that prefer remote and hybrid working models for their teams, direct routing is a real efficiency booster.

By turning your MS Teams tool into a fully-fledged PBX, you’ll be able to make and take calls directly from Teams, using whatever device you prefer, no matter where you are. This makes it easier for employees and their external business partners to collaborate and communicate seamlessly, even from widely-dispersed geographical locations.

6. Saves time and money

Direct routing is cost-effective and can save businesses a lot of money in the long term. If outbound calling is essential to your business, Microsoft Calling Plans can get pretty expensive. Its cost-per-call rates a steeper than the rates offered by third-party business phone service providers like 8x8. This is especially true when it comes to international calling - so if you serve clients outside of a particular country, you may want to skip the MS calling option for your business telephony.

How direct routing works

So how does direct routing work? It works by connecting a Microsoft Teams account directly to the PSTN (public switched telephone network - think landlines and old school desk phones) through a session border controller, SIP trunking, and a media bypass. Let’s take a closer look at these.

Session border controller (SBC)

Session border controllers (SBCs) ensure that data is transferred properly between networks while offering additional security protection against data breaches. Most of today’s certified SBCs are cloud-hosted, making them cheaper to maintain and much more flexible than traditional, on-premises session border controllers.

_{What is SBC in MS Teams?}

_{As mentioned, SBCs transfer data between public and private networks. In the case of direct routing, that means you can course data from a Microsoft phone system or Microsoft-compatible PBX to the PSTN and vice versa. When you deploy direct routing, SBCs are connected to your phone system and calling is enabled. Each system is configured to route calls to the specific SBC.}

Abstract representation of Session Border Controllers

SIP trunks

SIP (session initiation protocol) is a type of signaling protocol. SIP trunking (or SIP signaling) is an automated process that lets you make phone calls via a data connection. Your SIP trunk provider will connect your IP phone, business phone systems (PBX, etc.), PSTN, and the internet to each other.

Media bypass

Media bypass is a voice routing function that makes the path of media traffic shorter. Using protocols in the Microsoft Teams client and SBC, media bypassing helps direct routing find the most straightforward media path.

What is Microsoft Teams Direct Routing?

Microsoft Teams Direct Routing is a process where your Microsoft Teams calls can be routed directly to your chosen phone carrier for PSTN connectivity in real time.

With direct routing, MS Teams goes beyond being just an internal communications tool and can, instead, be used as a fully-functioning business phone system.

There are two ways to route calls from Microsoft directly. You can:

use a Microsoft Calling Plan
get calls directly routed to a phone provider

Using Microsoft Calling Plans

A Microsoft Calling Plan turns Microsoft Teams into a hosted, light-touch, PBX that integrates with MS Teams. While Microsoft Calling Plans are an attractive, straightforward, option for small businesses and teams, it can get really expensive for larger teams.

Additionally, Microsoft Calling Plans are only available in 16 countries, meaning global organizations can find it limiting. Because of this, many businesses opt for the second option (direct routing).

Getting calls directly routed to a telephony provider

Instead of using a Microsoft Calling Plan, you can connect your Teams account to a third-party telephony provider (like 8x8) via direct routing. This translates to cheaper call rates, increased support, and flexibility.

8x8 Voice for Microsoft Teams, for example, acts as a complete VoIP telephony add-on for MS Teams across 42 countries. Organizations can pick from a range of different calling plans to meet their individual needs. Plus, global teams can expand their call range to over 120 countries with an 8x8 voice gateway.

What license do I need for Microsoft-based Teams Direct Routing?

You’ll need to make sure that you have the right licensing in place, according to Microsoft routing policies, before using Microsoft Calling's direct routing for Microsoft Teams. There are three main licensing types for this.

These are:

A Microsoft Phone System License
A Microsoft Teams and Skype for Business License
Microsoft Audio Conference Licenses

License type	Description	What’s included?
Microsoft Phone System License	The Microsoft Phone System License is an add-on license needed for basic PSTN connectivity. Microsoft’s Business Voice license covers phone systems, audio conferencing, and domestic calling plans.	Voicemail, caller ID, call forwarding, call park, call queues, and auto attendants.
Microsoft Teams and Skype for Business (Teams’ old name) License	If you’ve been using Microsoft Teams but want to mobilize extra features and call controllers, then you’ll need one of these add-on licenses.	The add-on license covers features such as audio conferencing, toll free numbers, hosted PBX, calling plans, and Microsoft Teams Rooms.
Microsoft Audio Conferencing Licenses	Once you configure your dial-in phone numbers and dialing pad, it’s time to enable your Microsoft Audio Conferencing License. You can purchase audio conferencing as a Microsoft Teams add-on license (or as part of your phone system or Microsoft Teams/Skype for Business license, as listed above).	Allows up to 1000 participants to use their phones to dial in.

As you can see, these Microsoft-only licenses have their appeal - but they can be pretty self-contained and (as a result) a little bit limiting. That's why you may want to use third party add-ons instead.

How do I set up Teams Direct Routing with a third-party solution?

The first thing you’ll need to do to set up third-party direct routing for Microsoft Teams is choose a phone provider. Cloud voice solutions like 8x8 Voice for Microsoft Teams offers full SIP trunk and SBC capabilities and can be deployed simply and easily.

All you have to do to get started is to authorize 8x8 to connect to your Microsoft Phone System environment and connect 8x8 PBX to your Microsoft Domain. Typically, this process takes no more than an hour to complete - so you’ll be ready to go in no time at all.

Once the process is complete, all of your Microsoft Teams users will be able to make and receive PSTN calls directly from their MS Teams account, or via their desktop, tablet, or smartphone. There’s absolutely no need to retrain your teams. Users can continue using MS Teams as they usually do, and 8x8 will make sure they have reliable phone service.

Transform Teams into a fully-fledged business phone solution

With Microsoft phone system direct routing, you can transform your Microsoft Teams experience into a unified communications solution for total interoperability.

Instead of spending money on completely separate solutions for your internal and external business communications, direct routing allows you to work from one application seamlessly and effectively. So don't get a different vendor with a completely independent system - choose a solution that really works with Microsoft Teams.

Discover direct routing with 8x8 Voice for MS Teams by contacting our sales team today!