SymQuest Tech Talk

What is Microsoft Teams Direct Routing? (+Benefits)

Written by Frederick Anderson | May 02, 2023

You probably already know Microsoft Teams as the place where your team chats, shares files, and jumps on video calls. 

But did you know you can turn Teams into your business’s full-featured phone system, too? 

That’s where Microsoft Teams Direct Routing comes in.

Direct Routing lets you make and receive regular phone calls—yes, even those old-fashioned PSTN calls—right from Teams. 

Suddenly, your familiar Teams app becomes your all-in-one communication hub, whether you’re at your desk, working remotely, or on the go. It’s a smart, flexible way to achieve unified communications with your business phone system without giving up the tools you already love.

Key Takeaways

  • Microsoft Teams Direct Routing lets you make and receive external phone calls through the Microsoft Teams client, connecting your existing phone system to Teams with a certified SBC and SIP trunks.
  • To enable enterprise calling and dial-in conferencing, users need both a Microsoft Phone System license and a Microsoft Audio Conferencing license.
  • Features like media bypass can improve call quality by allowing voice traffic to flow directly between the Teams client and your SBC, reducing latency and network hops.
  • Direct Routing is a flexible alternative to the Microsoft Calling Plan, letting you keep your current phone numbers and telephony provider while unifying communications in Teams.
  • SymQuest provides expert planning, migration, and ongoing support to ensure a smooth transition to Microsoft Teams Phone and Direct Routing for your organization.

How Microsoft Teams Direct Routing Works

So, how does it all come together? Here’s the gist:

For Microsoft Teams users, this will be a snap.

Microsoft Teams Direct Routing lets your organization make and receive external phone calls—just like with a traditional phone system—right from the Microsoft Teams app. To enable these calling features, users need a Microsoft Phone System license, which unlocks enterprise-grade calling capabilities within Teams. When someone dials your business number, that incoming call is routed through your existing phone provider and a certified Session Border Controller (SBC), which acts as a secure translator and gatekeeper between your telephony provider and Microsoft Teams Phone.

Direct Routing relies on the Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) to set up and manage calls between the SBC and Teams, ensuring seamless connectivity for both incoming and outgoing calls. This means you’re not limited to internal Teams calls; you can connect with customers, partners, and anyone else outside your organization.

If your organization also hosts large meetings or webinars, a Microsoft Audio Conferencing license allows participants to join Teams meetings by dialing in from any phone, expanding your reach and flexibility.

Instead of being tied to a desk phone or a legacy PBX, Direct Routing uses SIP trunks (the digital version of phone lines) to connect Teams to the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), allowing you to keep your existing phone numbers and telephony provider if you wish.

Direct Routing is a flexible alternative to the Microsoft Calling Plan, giving you the freedom to choose your own carrier and maintain existing contracts, while still enjoying the unified experience of Microsoft Teams Phone. Whether you use Teams Phone with Direct Routing or opt for a Microsoft Calling Plan, you get the same seamless experience for both incoming and outgoing calls—all within Teams.

And if managing the technical details sounds overwhelming, you can always work with a provider who offers Direct Routing as a Service (DRaaS) to handle the heavy lifting for you. The best part? Everything integrates smoothly with your Microsoft 365 or Office 365 setup, so calling, meetings, and collaboration all happen in one place.

Key Features and Benefits of Microsoft Phone System

Why are so many businesses making the switch to Microsoft Teams Direct Routing? Let’s break down what makes it such a game-changer:

  • Keep Your Existing Numbers: No need to print new business cards—Direct Routing lets you hang onto your current phone numbers and even your favorite phone provider.
  • Unified Communication: Chat, meet, and call—all from Teams. No more juggling multiple apps or devices.
  • Scalability for Any Size: Whether your team is ten people or ten thousand, Direct Routing grows with you. Adding new users or locations is a breeze.
  • Better Call Quality: With the right setup (think certified SBCs and strong internet), you’ll enjoy clear, reliable calls every time. For organizations looking to optimize call quality and reduce network hops, enabling media bypass is a smart move. With media bypass, the media (voice traffic) flows directly between the Teams client and the Session Border Controller (SBC), instead of detouring through the Microsoft Phone System or cloud servers. This can improve performance and reduce latency, especially when your SBC and Teams users are on the same network.
  • Cost Savings: Skip the expensive hardware upgrades and complicated PBX systems. Direct Routing often means lower monthly costs and less maintenance.
  • Security and Compliance: Calls are protected with end-to-end encryption, and you can take advantage of advanced features like call recording, analytics, and even Dynamic 911 for emergency services.
  • Perfect for Remote Work: Your team can make and receive business calls from anywhere—at home, on the road, or in the office—using their favorite devices.

And the list goes on (for real). 

Teams of all sizes and scales across industries find it more convenient and cost-effective to leverage Microsoft Teams for their phone needs.

Best Use Cases and Deployment Scenarios

Let’s take a look at how different organizations are putting a Microsoft phone system to work:

Keeping Remote Teams Connected

Imagine your team spread out across different cities—or even continents. 

With Direct Routing, everyone can make and receive business calls from wherever they are, using Teams on their laptop or mobile device. No more missed calls or complicated forwarding setups—just seamless communication, no matter where work happens.

Bridging Old and New Technology

Maybe your business relies on some analog devices, like fax machines (but digital fax is so much better) or overhead paging systems. Direct Routing can help you bring those legacy tools into your modern Teams environment, so you don’t have to give up what works just to move forward.

Powering Contact Centers and Customer Service

If your organization runs a contact center or needs advanced call routing, Direct Routing has you covered. Set up auto-attendants, call queues, and even call recording—all managed within Teams. Your customers get the help they need, and your team gets a streamlined workflow.

Built-in Business Continuity

Unexpected outage? No problem. With Direct Routing, calls can automatically reroute through Teams, so your business stays reachable even if your office phones go down. It’s a simple way to add a layer of disaster recovery without extra hassle.

Managing Multiple Locations with Ease

For organizations with several offices or branches, Direct Routing makes it easy to manage your entire phone system from one place. IT teams can add users, adjust call flows, and keep everything running smoothly—all from the Teams admin center.

Best Practices to Implement Direct Routing

Ready to make the leap to Microsoft Teams Direct Routing? A smooth rollout starts with a little planning. 

Great call quality starts with a strong network. Make sure your internet connection can handle voice traffic, and consider implementing Quality of Service (QoS) to prioritize calls.

And remember, not all Session Border Controllers are created equal. Go with a Microsoft-certified SBC—either on-premises or hosted—to ensure security and compatibility. Make sure each user who needs calling capabilities is assigned a Microsoft Phone System license. For organizations that want to enable dial-in access to Teams meetings, don’t forget to assign a Microsoft Audio Conferencing license as well.

If your network setup allows, enabling media bypass can significantly improve call quality. Media bypass shortens the path for audio streams, keeping media traffic between the Teams client and the SBC, rather than routing it through the Microsoft cloud. Just make sure your SBC firmware supports media bypass and your network topology is configured correctly.

You’ll also want to think about how calls should be routed. Do you need auto-attendants, call queues, or special rules for after-hours calls? Mapping this out ahead of time saves headaches later.

Before rolling Direct Routing out to everyone, test with a small group. Work out any kinks and gather feedback from real users. Also, test call flows using different versions of the Microsoft Teams client (desktop, web, and mobile) to ensure a smooth experience for all users.

Teams is user-friendly, but it never hurts to offer a quick training session or share helpful tips. The more comfortable your staff is, the faster they’ll embrace the new system.

If the technical details feel overwhelming, you don’t have to go it alone. A managed phone provider like SymQuest can guide you through setup, migration, and ongoing support.

Migration and Support

Switching phone systems can feel like a big step, but with the right support, it’s a smooth transition. 

Here’s how SymQuest can help:

From the initial planning stages to post-launch troubleshooting, our team is with you every step of the way. We’ll help you assess your current setup, design a migration plan that fits your business, and handle the technical heavy lifting—like configuring SBCs, setting up SIP trunks, and integrating with your Microsoft 365 environment.

Once you’re up and running, SymQuest offers ongoing support and monitoring to keep your communications humming. 

Need to add new users, adjust call routing, or access analytics? We’ve got you covered. Our experts are always on hand to answer questions, solve problems, and make sure your business stays connected—no matter what the future brings.

Deploy Direct Routing In Your Organization 

Microsoft Teams Direct Routing is more than just a phone system upgrade—it’s a smarter way to achieve unified communications for your business, empower your team, and future-proof your organization. 

Whether you’re supporting a remote workforce, looking to streamline your tech stack, or simply want more flexibility and control, Direct Routing puts you in the driver’s seat.

Ready to see how Direct Routing can work for your business? The SymQuest team is here to help you every step of the way—from planning and migration to ongoing support and optimization. Let’s make your communications simpler, more reliable, and ready for whatever comes next.

Contact us today and discover how easy it can be to bring the power of Microsoft Teams Direct Routing to your organization.