Microsoft Teams Direct Routing
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Your Phone System and Microsoft Teams Shouldn't Be Two Separate Problems
Microsoft Teams direct routing lets your phone calls run through Teams, rather than a completely separate system. Labyrinth Technology connects your existing telephony infrastructure directly to Teams, so everything sits in one place and your team can make and receive external phone calls without switching apps.
Microsoft Teams Direct Routing Uses Your Own Telecom Provider
Direct routing lets businesses connect Microsoft Teams to a third-party telecom provider via a certified session border controller, rather than relying solely on Microsoft's own calling plans.
Direct Routing Is Often More Cost-Effective Than Microsoft Calling Plans
Because calls are routed through your chosen carrier rather than Microsoft's network, direct routing typically reduces call costs, particularly for businesses with high call volumes or international calling requirements.
Labyrinth Technology Manages the Full Direct Routing Setup
From configuring the session border controller through to setting routing policies and testing call quality, Labyrinth Technology handles the technical implementation so your team does not need to.
Why Businesses Outgrow Standard Microsoft Calling Plans
Microsoft Teams direct routing starts to make sense the moment you realise how many businesses are running Teams and a separate phone system side by side. Microsoft Teams handles instant messaging, collaboration, and video conferencing well enough, but handling external phone calls through Teams is a different matter.
Microsoft’s own calling plans offer a UK option with 1,200 monthly minutes per user at £12 per user per month, with international calling bundles from £6 per user per month. For smaller teams with predictable volumes, that works. For businesses with more complex requirements, it quickly falls short. Existing contracts with a preferred telecom provider, the need to port existing phone numbers, support for fax machines, or more resilient call routing during outages are all scenarios where standard plans struggle. The result is a fragmented setup where your VoIP system and Teams run as separate tools, and neither handles everything your team actually needs.
How Microsoft Teams Direct Routing Brings It All Together
With Microsoft Teams direct routing, the Microsoft Teams client remains the interface for your users while calls are routed through a third-party provider in the background. A certified session border controller sits between Teams and the public switched telephone network, managing the connection and maintaining call quality. Labyrinth Technology configures the SBC, sets up routing policies in the Microsoft Teams admin centre, and handles number porting so your team keeps their existing phone numbers. Advanced call routing features are fully supported, including call queues with custom greetings and hold music, auto attendants, voicemail, and audio conferencing. Users can make and receive calls from the Teams client, from Outlook, or from a mobile device, and Teams-certified handsets are available for anyone who prefers a physical phone.
For businesses that want to retain their carrier contracts or need stronger business continuity options, with automated call redirection when a user does not pick up or when outages occur, direct routing gives you that control. As part of Labyrinth Technology’s managed IT services, the setup and ongoing management sits with us rather than your internal team, and everything is administered centrally through the Microsoft 365 admin centre. If you need support with your wider Microsoft 365 environment alongside a direct routing rollout, that sits within the same managed service.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about our IT services and solutions
Microsoft Teams direct routing is a method of connecting Microsoft Teams to the public switched telephone network via a certified session border controller and a third-party telecom provider. Rather than using Microsoft's own calling plans, businesses route calls through their chosen carrier. This gives businesses more control over costs and carrier contracts, while still using the Microsoft Teams client for all calls.
Microsoft calling plans are Microsoft's own telephony service, bundled and billed directly through Microsoft. Direct routing connects Teams to a third-party provider instead. In practice, direct routing is generally more cost-effective for higher call volumes, gives you more control over advanced call routing features, and makes it significantly easier to port existing phone numbers. Businesses also benefit from UK-based customer service from their chosen carrier, rather than routing support queries through Microsoft.
A session border controller (SBC) is the hardware or software component that sits between Microsoft Teams and your telecom carrier, handling the connection to the public switched telephone network. It manages SIP trunks, enforces security, and ensures call quality is maintained. For direct routing to work, the SBC must be on Microsoft's list of supported and certified session border controllers. The SBC needs a fully qualified domain name and a public IP address to connect successfully to Microsoft's infrastructure.
A properly configured direct routing solution supports a full range of telephony features. These include call queues with custom greetings and hold music, auto attendants, voicemail, audio conferencing, advanced call routing for complex call flows, the ability to port existing phone numbers, and support for international calls. Users can make and receive external phone calls directly from the Teams client, from Outlook, or from a mobile device. Businesses that need physical handsets can choose from a range of Teams-certified devices.
Yes. Users need a Microsoft Teams licence that includes the Phone System add-on. This is typically available through plans that include Teams Phone or as an add-on to existing licences. You do not need a Microsoft calling plan licence if you are using direct routing, as calls are handled by your own telecom provider rather than Microsoft's network. Labyrinth Technology can review your current Microsoft Teams licence setup and advise on what is needed.
Labyrinth Technology manages the full direct routing setup from start to finish. That covers sourcing and configuring a certified session border controller, connecting it to your chosen telecom provider, setting up routing policies within the Microsoft Teams admin center, porting your existing phone numbers, and testing call quality before go-live. As a managed service, ongoing support sits with Labyrinth Technology rather than being left to your internal team to figure out.
Yes. One of the key advantages of Microsoft Teams direct routing over standard Microsoft calling plans is a smoother number porting process. Labyrinth Technology coordinates the port of your existing phone numbers to the new setup, so there is no disruption to how customers reach you. Numbers are ported to your chosen carrier and connected to your Teams phone system as part of the implementation.
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