Question 1

What is the difference between Direct Routing and Operator Connect?

Accepted Answer

Operator Connect works best for organisations without complex requirements or set-ups. It’s for those looking for a quick transition to cloud calling.

Direct Routing provides more flexibility, allowing organisations to integrate existing telephony solution with Microsoft Teams. It also allows you to integrate other critical functions like SBC (session border control) and call centre technology.

Question 2

Can I keep my existing Teams numbers, or do I need to port them?

Accepted Answer

You can run multiple voice services side by side. If you have a Microsoft Calling plan, Direct Routing or even Operator Connect from another provider you can leave that in place and add our service beside it.

If you have numbers with a different supplier that you want to keep, you can port these across. You will need to allow additional time for the numbers to be released from your outgoing carrier to us.

Question 3

Can I have a mix of number porting and new numbers at the same time?

Accepted Answer

Yes. We generally allocate new numbers first and then port old numbers across. Porting timelines vary depending on the carrier or platform you are moving away from.

Choosing to use new numbers will make the migration process faster and avoid any associated porting charges.

Question 4

What is the minimum number of Operator Connect users I can order?

Accepted Answer

The current minimum order is 20 users, with a minimum of 10 users per site.

Question 5

Which license do I need to unlock Operator Connect?

Accepted Answer

Operator Connect is an option in Microsoft’s cloud calling portfolio for you to migrate your existing telephony to Teams. To make external PSTN calls from within your Teams tenant across our voice network via Operator Connect, each user you want to assign a phone number in Teams will need access to Microsoft Teams and a Teams Phone System license.

All the connectivity and infrastructure is managed by ourselves as a cloud service to you.  But remember, you’ll need Microsoft Teams with an E1, E3, Plus Phone System add-on license or an E5 License which automatically includes the Phone System License.

The bare minimum requirements to use Operator Connect are:

Microsoft Teams (Included in most 365 plans, but not all)

Teams Phone System

Agreement with an Operator Connect provider like us.

Question 6

How quickly can I deploy Operator Connect in my organisation?

Accepted Answer

We can deploy Operator Connect within days, but this does depend on the country and whether you prefer a new set of phone numbers, or to port your existing ones over to us.

We will work with you to get you up and running as soon as possible, but please note deployment is likely to take longer when we need to port phone numbers.

Question 7

Which countries is your Operator Connect service available in?

Accepted Answer

Our service is currently available in 20 countries: Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Luxemburg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.

Question 8

Can I add advanced call recording to my service?

Accepted Answer

Yes, we can offer this value-added service to help customers capture and archive their calls across their unified communications platform of choice. The service will support customers in complying with regulations such as MiFID II, DORA and more. Please speak to your account manager or use the ‘get in touch’ button on this page to find out more.