Why choose Microsoft Teams as a telephony solution as well?

Microsoft Teams is one of the most popular tools for effective collaboration. It helps your employees improve teamwork and productivity. You can easily chat, share files and data, conduct online meetings, and many more just with a click.

To achieve smooth and coherent communication, Microsoft developed phone capabilities in the Teams app. Companies were able to benefit those by subscribing to Microsoft Calling plans – an option with different limitations that could be a costly solution as well. The main one is that the service is available mainly for the US and Canadian markets. Hence if you are running a European-based company and this service is not available in your country you should look for another solution.

EU countries where Microsoft Calling Plans are available for purchase:
Belgium, The Netherlands, France, Germany, Ireland, Spain

To check global availability you can visit the official Microsoft page.

An alternative for EU businesses to leverage the Microsoft Teams phone system is to set up Communication credits either for your Calling plan (if available) or for Audio Conferencing options. However, there are several issues to consider. You should constantly monitor your credit amount not to run out of credits and therefore not be able to use the service. Also, you can enable the auto-recharge option, which is tricky as it can lead to an unplanned rise in communication costs. Last but not least desk phones of your team should be compatible with the Teams application. If not you need to make new investments in equipment.

It was obvious that another more accessible solution is much needed. And in 2018 Direct Routing came into the spotlight. With Direct Routing you have a cost-effective way to use Microsoft Teams platform as a full-featured business phone system and connect your business to the world. The best part – you can keep your existing telecom provider, business phone numbers, and calling plans and still make and receive calls right in the Teams app.

Direct Routing definition

Microsoft System Direct Routing enables you to connect your on-premises or cloud-based telephony infrastructure to Microsoft Teams. Furthermore, Direct Routing allows users to bring their own telecom services and calling rates and to take advantage of greater flexibility when using the Teams platform.

How to enable the full phone capabilities of Microsoft Teams with the Direct Routing system?

To use Microsoft Teams as a business phone system with the help of Direct Routing you need the following components:

• Office 365 enterprise subscription ( with licenses E1, E2, or E5)
• Microsoft Phone System Add-On (with E1, E3)
• Session Border Controllers (SBCs) from the approved vendors’ list
• SIP trunks from your telecom or voice service provider

SIP Trunks Definition

Shortly put SIP Trunks are the virtual version of the analog lines. With the help of SIP Trunks, a connection is built between your business phone system, the Internet, and the traditional phone network (PSTN).

Reveal full phone system capabilities of Microsoft Teams with Direct Routing

Direct Routing allows you to make high-quality local and international calls by integrating your phone system (be it in the cloud or on-premises) with Microsoft Teams. With the help of the SIP Trunks, Direct routing provides excellent voice service in Teams accessible from anywhere and at any device. Keeping in touch and staying connected is a top priority for many businesses, regardless of their size. Employers are searching for ways to create a secure working environment with flexible and interconnected communications. Thanks to Direct routing and with the help of the SIP Trunks (systems) your employees have now access to a powerful collaboration and communication solution in the face of Microsoft Teams.

Why choose Direct Routing as your voice solution?

Before the development of Direct Routing, the only option for companies for external calling in Teams was with Microsoft Calling plans. This, however, had its limitations, which did not allow companies to enable the full potential of Teams and Office 365 as a business phone system. One of the biggest issues related to Microsoft Calling Plans was that external calling was available only to a few countries. With Direct Routing this problem is solved as you can bring your telecom carrier and have access to any country/destination that is included in your business calling plan/package.

Using SIP Trunks by providers like Mixvoip allows you to route your calls through the Internet. Being a fully managed end-to-end cloud service Direct routing ensures employees can make and receive external calls in the Teams app without requiring on-premises equipment or a special license for Microsoft Calling plans. It is a scalable, cost-effective, and flexible solution. Often companies choose to adopt a phased approach by migrating users individually or in groups and thus optimize their costs and investment furthermore.

Number Porting is another great benefit that comes along with Direct Routing for any globally presented company. A feature that is very important for any business, regardless of its size. If you change your location or telecom provider maintaining your phone service continuity is crucial. Without Direct Routing, you’ll need to apply and change your business numbers. This may require some extra time but more importantly, you should communicate the new numbers to all customers and partners. It can be inconvenient and may lead to lost connections or delayed projects. So if you choose Direct Routing to bring your existing number to Teams you can enjoy hassle-free number portability and global number coverage.

MIXvoip helps your company connect to the world by integrating Microsoft Teams with your existing phone system.

Lower costs and global coverage are among the main reasons why companies choose Direct Routing for integrating voice functionalities in Teams. Consolidating costs and services is a top priority for today’s business leaders. So they are looking for ways to combine Teams’ experience as a collaboration hub and as a business-level voice solution as well. It is no surprise that the voice solution in Teams is so popular as many companies have already integrated the Windows Infrastructure in place including Office 365 and Outlook. Direct Routing ensures that you maximize the use of the Microsoft Teams platform for your business communication too.

Contact Mixvoip to learn how you use Microsoft Teams as an advanced business phone system as well.

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