Cloud Communications 10 Things to Consider When Choosing Direct Routing for Microsoft Teams March 9, 2021July 6, 2022 The Microsoft Teams application is being embraced as the go-to phone system for many businesses because it’s already incorporated into their services and provides an excellent, all-in-one solution for business operations in the cloud. That, and it’s features to unify different types of communications all in one like video conferencing, chat, file sharing, and now a business’ voice telephone system. By connecting with a Session Initiated Protocol (SIP) Trunk provider using Direct Routing for Microsoft Teams to provide the telephony services, businesses can leverage a more cost-effective approach by avoiding costly call plans directly from Microsoft. Is Direct Routing an option your business is looking at? Here are 10 things that you need to consider when choosing a Direct Routing provider for Microsoft Teams: Planning & Migration Process 1. Does the provider have a migration plan for my business? Planning for a migration is often the largest part of transferring data from one system to another, and requires detailed architectural and network designs, including considerations for: Network readiness Hardware requirements DNS and records Any interconnection links Your provider should have a thoroughly researched and designed migration plan. 2. MS Teams requires a DID for each user – can our current numbers be used? Can extra DIDs be held in reservation? Porting DIDs, either local or toll-free, is an important part of migrating your organization’s systems seamlessly both on the organizational end (internal, work-phone or call-group DIDs) and on the customer-levels (call-in numbers, direct lines). In order to ensure the continuation of your business’ current phone lines, look for a SIP Trunk provider that can port DIDs for your entire team, or reserve numbers for users that still require one. 3. Will my SBC (Session Border Controller) be in the Cloud or on-Prem? What happens to my phone connectivity in case of a disaster? When your business’ voice data is routed through redundant primary and secondary cloud data centres, your provider can ensure high availability of resources when using Distributed Switching & SBC Servers. can easily connect to Microsoft Teams through the cloud while ensuring that data is transferred properly and securely. Post-Migration & Support 4. Will a testing phase or pre-installation Proof of Concept be performed? Testing prior to and during a system migration is important to ensure that the systems are continuing to work as developed and that no issues will arise that can be resolved proactively or avoided. Be sure to ask about: Alpha & Acceptance testing Test Reports UA Checks and Balances 5. Does their Support meet your SLA requirements? When choosing a telecom provider, you need to be sure that your chosen package is fully supported and encompasses all important after-sale services and care. Any communication issues or downtime could have a serious impact on your organization. If your business has requirements for phone service availability outside of normal office hours, and receiving seamless service is important, be sure to find a provider that offers 24/7 maintenance and support. In the best case, your provider should have an experienced, in-house engineering team to fix issues quickly and effectively, reducing your downtime. The best services also offer a dedicated Account Manager who will act as your primary contact to offer advice and answer questions specific to your business and system. Alpha & Acceptance testing Test Reports UA Checks and Balances 6. Do they provide training for all users? During the system migration process, it is important that users from multiple levels of your organization have a good understanding of the new systems being implemented, as the knowledge transfer becomes key to a seamless transition. Finding a provider that offers hands-on live and/or remote training sessions is the best way to ensure that seamlessness. Canadian Privacy & Security Compliance 7. Is this routing provider Canadian? By choosing a Canadian provider for your business’ SIP Trunking and Direct Routing for Microsoft Teams to provide services, you can ensure that your business and related data are compliant with Canadian-specific privacy laws and security requirements, including the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) and Personal Health Protection Acts (PHIPA). 8. What security features do they offer? Your business data is key to running your organization efficiently, and it needs to be accessible to users while remaining compliant to Canadian security requirements and privacy laws. Beyond these standards, you should also ensure that your provider can offer: Network Firewalling End-to-End Encryption Active Monitoring & Fraud Detection DOS & DDOS Protection Anti-Flood and Anti-Brute-forcing Pricing & Reporting 9. What is their pricing structure for SIP Trunking and Calling rates for Microsoft Teams integrations? Of course, as an organization, you also want to ensure that not only is your SIP Trunking and calling package up to par and able to handle the data traffic of your organization, but that the cost is fair for local, long-distance and international calling – plus don’t forget about toll free minutes! Depending on your business needs, be sure to look out for Unlimited CDN and US minutes and low-cost Toll-Free options. Most Canadian providers will offer variable per minute rates for international destinations, so be sure to know where your calls are coming from and going to. If you can find a provider that will offer active monitoring, your SIP sessions can be scaled up or down accordingly. 10. What reporting options are available? Not only does your business create, use and store large amounts of data – your phone and communications systems do as well! Call Reporting generated by your SBC can provide in-depth on usage / call quality, if your trunking provider offers it. Be sure to ask about call and usage reporting at the SIP level, including: Call Quality Dashboard Built-in Call Reports Add-on reporting applications By integrating your current phone system with MS Teams through Direct Routing from Telecom Metric, your business’ communications can truly be unified in a reliable way. Providing a 100% Canadian, secure and redundant certified SIP Trunking and Cloud infrastructure for federal and provincial privacy & security compliance, Telecom Metric takes secure networking and communications to the next level, including features such as: Custom-tailored migration plans and solutions that meet business needs through highly scalable and secure communications, including a full range of voice, data, and managed service options. Porting and reservation of DIDs on behalf of your organization based on your business needs. 9 fail-over points fully backed up & redundant environment across the country, ensuring your data is always safe, secure, accessible, and compliant to Canadian standards. End-to-end encryption, system health monitoring and fraud protection software, Telecom Metric provides an additional layer of security with solutions needed to optimize your voice network’s cybersecurity. 24/7 Support service availability for quick issue resolution, and dedicated Account management. Best rates for local, long distance, international and toll free minutes (Canada / US free with variable international rates and give 1000 toll free minutes with overages starting at at $0.02). Built-in and customizable call reporting from the SIP level for tracking calls and usage. Other Related Topics: Microsoft Teams – Direct Routing Secure SIP Trunking Blog: Microsoft Teams – Direct Routing for Canadian Businesses Blog: Integrate Microsoft Teams with Your Current Phone System
