What is direct routing and why do you need it for Microsoft TEAMS?

The forced shift to working from home due to COVID-19 has led to a massive increase in the use of Microsoft Teams, Cisco Webex, Zoom and other Unified Communication and Collaboration (UC&C) tools. However, even these innovative tools can have their limitations if not implemented correctly and many users are confused as to when to use which tool and why often only a subset of features are available. Direct routing in Microsoft TEAMS turns your TEAMS into a powerful telephone system and central communication platform for your company. TEAMS offers you more call and communication options than you previously thought.

The COVID-19 constraint

During the lockdown, the use of Microsoft Teams increased by 894%. The use of Zoom increased by 677%. Workers increased their use of video calling, instant messaging and other UC&C solutions to stay productive and in touch with their colleagues. In recent months, the use of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) calls and traditional voice calls has risen sharply. Companies are now merging their old telephone systems with their collaboration solutions, such as TEAMS. The result is simpler communication and greater user-friendliness.

Why has there been such an increase in voice calls?

One of the main reasons is that while Microsoft Teams and other UC&C solutions are great tools to help workers stay productive and in touch with their colleagues, they were not originally intended for remote use. The solution would be to connect Microsoft Teams to the traditional public switched telephone network (PSTN) so that your employees can be just as productive from home as they are from the office.

What is direct routing?

You may never have heard of Direct Routing for Microsoft TEAMS, but if you are a Microsoft Teams user, you certainly will in the near future. Direct routing connects your Microsoft Teams and Office 365 software to the public telephone network. It allows your employees to make and receive external calls, from any location, on any device running the Teams application: fixed or mobile. Normal IP phone or softphone. Direct routing completes the user experience of your Microsoft Teams users and gives them access to all the features you would expect from a traditional telephone system. You get an integrated solution that helps you improve your remote working offering and provide your employees with a home working experience that is more similar to working in the office (SBC).

What are the business benefits?

Direct Routing improves your business communication. By integrating Direct Routing into your Microsoft Teams environment, home workers can work much more like they do in the office and Teams becomes a true cloud phone system. By connecting Teams to the public telephone network, your customers, suppliers and partners can call you directly in Teams from their own landlines or cell phones. You can also call them directly from Teams on their landlines and cell phones.

Who is direct routing suitable for?

Every company. Any industry, public or private sector. Remote working is now common in almost every industry worldwide. By implementing direct routing in Microsoft Teams, you can enjoy the freedom to communicate and collaborate as flexibly as possible. All your communication is mapped in TEAMS. Whether collaboration, document sharing and video conferencing or classic telephony. All in one place. Quite simply.

What comes next?

As it looks like a hybrid working model will prevail, companies must continue to provide their employees with home office functions. According to Gartner, 74% of organizations plan to make a permanent shift to more remote work after COVID-19. Direct Routing can become a valuable tool for equipping these home offices. By integrating Direct Routing with Microsoft Teams, you get a single, converged platform for voice and collaboration. You can extend your voice platform across your global wide area network (WAN) or the internet and have centralized control over it from your Office 365 dashboard. And your employees don’t even need expensive desk phones on their desks.

If you would like to discuss the issues raised in this article or would like more information about direct routing, please get in touch.