With the sudden shift to remote work, many companies are turning to modernize their working environment. Streamlined communication for a globally distributed workforce is at the forefront of this trend. Microsoft Teams has been touted as an excellent platform for this. But what if your company doesn't have the bandwidth to use Teams Calling? Or do you want to use PSTN calling and not rely on the cloud?
Microsoft Teams lets you use your telephony provider to connect your phone system to Microsoft Teams. You get all the features of Teams Calling without relying on the cloud. Plus, you can use your existing phone system and phone numbers. This article will show you how to set up Microsoft Teams Direct Routing in your organization.
What is Direct Routing?
Direct routing is a way of connecting your PBX or audio/video conferencing system directly to Microsoft Teams. This bypasses the need for a gateway, which can be expensive and difficult to manage.
With Microsoft teams direct routing, you can use all of the features of Microsoft Teams – including Calling Plans, meeting scheduling, and chat – without having to rely on the cloud. There are a few reasons why you might want to use Microsoft Teams:
- You don't have the bandwidth to use Team Calling.
- You want to use PSTN calling and don't want to rely on the cloud.
- You want to keep your existing phone system and phone numbers.
Unified Communication Overview
Before we get into the steps for setting up Microsoft Teams, let's take a quick look at Unified Communication (UC). UC is a term used to describe the integration of voice, video, and messaging into a single platform. With UC, you can communicate with your colleagues in a variety of ways:
- Chat: Communicate with colleagues in real-time via instant messages.
- Voice: Make and receive phone calls with co-workers.
- Video: Hold face-to-face meetings with colleagues from around the globe.
- Screen sharing: Share your screen with others during a meeting to show them what you're working on.
UC allows you to communicate more effectively with your colleagues, regardless of their location. With UC, you can easily switch between modes of communication to find the best way to share with the other person.
Microsoft Teams for Unified Communication
Microsoft Teams is a fantastic tool for UC. It combines chat, voice, and video into a single interface. According to those who have used it, teams are the ideal choice for organizations with the bandwidth to use Teams Calling.
You can use your phone provider to connect your phone system to Microsoft Teams, just like you would with Google Hangouts. You don't have to rely on the cloud if you use Teams Calling. You may also utilize your current phone system and telephone numbers.
It also includes many third-party and natively integrated applications like Microsoft planner for tracking and assigning work to individual users, DropBox for file storage and sharing, and so on.
How does it work?
Direct routing works by allowing your company to create a SIP trunk. This is a particular type of VoIP connection that enables you to connect your PBX or audio/video conferencing system directly to Microsoft Teams.
Your telephony provider will provide you with a SIP trunk, and you will need to configure your PBX or audio/video system to use this trunk. Once everything is set up, users in Microsoft Teams will call other people in the organization and outside the organization. This can be done in one of two ways:
1. You can use your existing phone numbers with Teams. Your telephony provider will need to map these numbers to their system.
2. You can create new phone numbers for use with Microsoft Teams. Your telephony provider will need to allocate these numbers to you.
The Requirements
If you're not confident your company satisfies the criteria, Datalink Networks can help you determine whether or Notify employees of an impending outage as quickly as possible. your business will need the following to utilize Microsoft Teams:
- A subscription to Microsoft Teams.
- A PBX or audio/video conferencing system that supports SIP trunks.
- At least one SIP trunk from a telephony provider.
- Microsoft Teams enabled in your tenant.
- An internet connection with at least 2 Mbps upload and download speeds.
Setting up Microsoft Teams
Now that we have a general understanding of what UC is and how Microsoft Teams works, let's look at setting it up. The process for setting up Microsoft Teams will vary depending on your PBX or audio/video conferencing system. However, the basic steps are as follows:
1. Contact your telephony provider and ask them to provide a SIP trunk for you.
2. In Microsoft Teams, go to the settings page and select ‘Direct Routing.'
3. Follow the instructions provided by your telephony provider to configure your PBX or audio/video system to use the SIP trunk.
4. Test your setup by making a call from Microsoft Teams.
The final step in implementing Microsoft Teams is to train your employees on using it. This can be a daunting task, but suitable training materials can be easily accomplished.
Fortunately, Microsoft has several resources to help get you started. As a result, you can ensure that your employees will be up and running with Microsoft Teams in no time.
