Operator Connect vs. Direct Routing: Which Is Better for You?

1. Teams as a fully-fledged telephone system

With around 270 million active monthly users, Microsoft Teams is the leading solution for companies switching to hybrid working. It has become the most important tool for collaboration, chat, video and voice calls. However, to reap all the benefits of Teams, you need the right phone solution. Fortunately, there are several ways to connect Teams with a phone solution. Two of these solutions are Direct Routing and Operator Connect. Both help turn Teams into a business phone system.

2. What is Direct Routing?

Direct Routing is a solution that allows users to make and receive calls in Microsoft Teams by connecting Teams to a telephone network (PSTN). This allows you to call anyone, regardless of whether they are on a Teams-enabled device. Direct Routing gives companies the flexibility to integrate existing phone systems with SBCs (Session Border Controllers) and even incorporate additional features such as call center technology.

What are the advantages of Direct Routing?

Below are some of the benefits of choosing Direct Routing as a solution for integrating telephone services into Microsoft Teams.

• Preferred providers: You can customize your Teams experience by choosing from a wide range of Microsoft Cloud Solution Providers (CSPs) to meet your operational needs.
• Improved user experience: With Direct Routing via Teams, your team can call, message, collaborate and share files all in one place. Your chosen provider also helps ensure the user experience meets your organization’s communication needs.
• Flexibility of the system: Calls can be forwarded to different systems and platforms.
• Better control over phone numbers: Direct forwarding allows you to retain control over your phone numbers instead of porting them directly to Microsoft. This enables a faster migration to the Microsoft Teams phone system.
• Optimize costs: Optimize your IT spend and pay less in carrier fees. Retaining an existing telephone provider can be a good way to benefit from existing offers and retain the benefits of being a loyal customer.

3. What is Operator Connect?

Operator Connect is a feature of Microsoft Teams and enables external calls to be made via MS Teams. This enables you to activate the PSTN call functionality in Teams. The whole thing is managed via the Teams Administration Center.

What are the advantages of Operator Connect?

Below are some of the benefits of Operator Connect as a solution for adding phone services to Microsoft Teams.

• Leverage your provider relationship: Maintain relationships with your current provider if they are an approved Microsoft Operator Connect partner, while providing users with a modern and optimized Teams call experience.
• Simpler setup and administration: Reduce deployment time and administrative resource requirements with a simplified Teams Admin Center experience.
• Reduce costs: Save on infrastructure and administration costs by reducing the need to purchase, maintain and manage devices.

4. Direct Routing vs. Operator Connect compared

At first glance, both Direct Routing and Operator Connect appear to be similar solutions. Both allow you to add Teams phone features and offer the flexibility to choose your own PSTN provider. However, there are a few subtle differences.

Operator Connect goes beyond just connectivity and allows you to select an operator, manage services via the Teams administration portal and manage phone numbers quickly and easily. It is an easy to use solution. Direct Routing, on the other hand, gives you more flexibility, you can implement additional features and integrate other platforms or solutions as needed.

5. Which solution is better?

Compared to Operator Connect, Direct Routing offers more flexibility and is therefore a good choice for companies with complex communication requirements. Direct Routing is often seen as the ideal solution if you are looking for flexibility, advanced features, global coverage and more integrations outside of Microsoft.

Operator Connect, on the other hand, offers the benefits of direct routing while reducing setup complexity and costs. It is also ideal if you want to manage your entire communications stack from a single portal. Ultimately, Operator Connect is the ideal solution for businesses that want to choose a Microsoft-approved, trusted provider, customize voice services, save on hardware costs and reduce technical support overhead.

Regardless of which option you choose, SAVECALL will be happy to help you get started. Contact us today to find out more.