What Is Direct Routing? Microsoft Teams Calling Over The Cloud Explained

The pandemic accelerated the modernization of the workplace with the widespread introduction of remote work, and the development of mediums, or technology, which make this possible.  The general desire to permanently establish workplace flexibility has remained prominent. Through direct routing, Microsoft Teams calling over the cloud can satisfy this demand.

Statistics Canada reported that out of all the workers who possess the option to work remotely, 80% indicated they would like to work at least half of their hours away from the office, with 24% wanting to never work in the office. In order for businesses to enable their employees to work remotely, unified communications as a service (UCaaS) must be available. To work remotely, in an equally productive manner as they would the office, all their forms of communication which they use in the office must be accessible virtually. If this is assured, then employees may no longer be confined to the office. In fact, they may actually be more productive. It was found that 90% of Canadians who work from home reported being at least as productive as when they work from their place of employment. The United States mirrors this statistic with a value of 85%. In Canada, 32% of workers claim to accomplish more per hour when working remotely.

Teams is a software created by Microsoft that acts as a communication platform, offering chat, voice, and video conferencing along with file storage. It exists in the Microsoft 365 family of products, among other applications such as Word and Excel. Microsoft Teams aims to act as the UCaaS which enables people to work from whichever location they choose. Their suite of features are designed to make remote work a true alternative to working in the office. The virtual experience is refined to be seamless, so that no productivity is sacrificed. Teams is met with competition, such as Google Workspace and Zoom, who seek to offer similar services, yet the high quality of Microsoft’s solution sets it apart from the rest.

By default, internal calls can be made using Microsoft Teams between users. Therefore, it presents itself as a platform for private branch exchange (PBX). This form of calling over the internet is known as voice over internet protocol (VoIP). However, options do exist to allow for external calls to be made to the public switched telephone network (PSTN). This is beneficial for businesses who believe they will need to make outbound calls or receive calls from the existing PSTN.

Microsoft calling plans and direct routing are the two options which exist to enable external calling. Both options introduce a phone dial pad as an addition to the application to reach external extensions. On the one hand, for businesses, using Microsoft calling plans may be desirable because of their reputation for providing high quality services. However, the rigid pricing structure with these plans can deteriorate the incentive to follow through with this option.

For any business looking to ration their budget, it makes sense to consider alternatives. Furthermore, if businesses are looking for additional security features they are commonly not available. Alongside this, there is no dedicated support to assist with configuration.

The alternative to Microsoft calling plans is direct routing. This is when a telecommunication provider uses a session border controller (SBC) and SIP trunks to route Microsoft Teams to the PSTN. The SBC acts as the “VoIP firewall” controlling the transference of data between different networks, regulating and directing traffic. The SIP trunks act as a bridge between the business phone system, internet, and the PSTN. Both of these tools are required for direct routing. This method is highly versatile, allowing customers to take advantage of cheaper call rates, better support, and additional security features.

Hosted PBX is the successor to on-premise PBX. With hosted PBX, the VoIP provider is responsible for operating, and managing, the PBX system at their location. Updating the hardware, securing the system, and overseeing technical issues is executed strictly by the provider. As opposed to on-premise PBX, this removes the customer’s need for dedicated IT personnel, reducing maintenance costs.

Telecom Metric specializes in direct routing for Microsoft Teams, offering a secure, cloud based, VoIP solution to workplace communication. We provide security features such as end-to-end encryption, active monitoring, regular security assessments, credential protection and automatic updates. Furthermore we have a 24/7 multi-tiered support system available to assist with technical inquiries. Our infrastructure we use to host the VoIP is entirely Canadian owned and operated, meaning we maintain compliance with federal and provincial privacy laws. We have established redundancy between our servers in Canada to ensure automatic failover and backup. Considering our customers work first-hand with us to fulfill their needs, projects are entirely customizable and scalable. If you’re interested in what else separates Telecom Metric from other providers enabling Microsoft Teams calling over the cloud, click here!

Other Related Topics:

• What is Cloud PBX?
• Moving to Microsoft Teams – 10 Common Phone System Questions
• 10 Things to Consider When Choosing Direct Routing for Microsoft Teams