Skip to main content

Microsoft Teams Operator Connect

Announced in 2021, Microsoft announced Operator Connect as the newest way to bring external calling capabilities to Microsoft Teams. 

Operator Connect allows organizations to connect Microsoft Teams to the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) for voice, emergency, and messaging services. Operator Connect and Direct Routing both deliver the same end result, but with different deployment models. 

There are four core benefits to this Bring Your Own Carrier (BYOC) solution: 

  1. Ease of use: Microsoft’s Operator Connect program is an off-the-shelf version of Direct Routing, designed to provide ease of use and flexibility to organizations that want to work directly with voice providers. 
  2. Pure cloud: Your carrier fully owns and manages your PSTN connectivity and Session Border Controllers (SBCs), allowing you to lower hardware purchases, maintenance, and management.
  3. Faster deployment: You can quickly select and connect to your carrier, then assign phone numbers to users from the Microsoft Teams Admin Center. Unlike Direct Routing, there’s no need for PowerShell coding or DevOps knowledge.
  4. Enhanced support and reliability: Operators provide technical support and shared service level agreements (SLAs) to improve support. Backed by direct peering powered by Azure, you’ll receive a one-to-one network connection for the network resiliency you need. 

Operator Connect: Next steps

Moving to the cloud brings the opportunity to consolidate, streamline, and modernize. Learn more about moving to and around the communications cloud.