For the past couple of years, the conversation around Microsoft Teams voice connectivity has increasingly gone along the fairly predictable lines of “Direct Routing is rapidly being replaced by Operator Connect.”
And on the face of it, it’s an understandable conclusion. After all, Operator Connect offers faster onboarding, simplified management and a more “cloud-native” experience. For many organizations, it’s absolutely the right choice. But that doesn’t mean that Direct Routing is on its way out.
In reality, Direct Routing is evolving from a default deployment model into a specialized tool, one that still plays a critical role in specific enterprise scenarios. Increasingly, the challenge for IT leaders is knowing when Direct Routing makes sense and when it doesn’t.
From Default Choice to Strategic Option
In the early days of Teams voice, Direct Routing was often the only viable way to connect telephony. It gave organizations flexibility, control over carriers and the ability to integrate existing voice infrastructure.
Operator Connect changed the equation by removing much of that complexity. Today, many deployments can go live faster with fewer moving parts. However, simplification comes with trade-offs, and that’s where Direct Routing still earns its place at the top table.
When Direct Routing Still Makes Sense
While Operator Connect is a strong fit for many deployments, there are still scenarios where Direct Routing remains the better option. The following use cases highlight where its flexibility, control and architectural freedom continue to add real value.
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Complex or Multi-Country Telephony Requirements
Global organizations often deal with a mix of local regulations, carrier contracts, numbering plans and compliance requirements that don’t map neatly to a single Operator Connect provider. Direct Routing allows enterprises to:
- Maintain local carrier relationships where required
- Control routing behavior across regions
- Support country-specific compliance needs
For multinational environments, that flexibility can be essential.
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Hybrid Voice Environments
Not every organization moves to Teams voice in a single step. Many run hybrid environments for extended periods, supporting legacy PBXs, analog devices or contact centers alongside Teams.
Direct Routing provides a controlled bridge between old and new, enabling phased migrations without disrupting business-critical services.
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Survivability and Business Continuity Requirements
Cloud voice services are resilient, especially with Operator Connect’s SLA backed by Microsoft, but site-level outages still happen. Some organizations require local call continuity at branches or critical locations if connectivity to the cloud is lost.
With Direct Routing, enterprises can design local survivability architectures that keep essential calling services available during outages, keeping your organizations running even when the lights go out.
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Advanced Call Routing and Integration Needs
Some environments require more than standard inbound and outbound calling. Examples include:
- Integration with existing contact centers
- Complex IVR or call distribution logic
- Integration with recording, analytics or compliance platforms
Direct Routing offers greater control over call flows and interoperability, making it better suited for advanced or non-standard use cases.
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Security and Policy Control
While Teams provides built-in security, some organizations need deeper visibility and control over voice traffic. Direct Routing enables:
- Granular session policies
- Fraud detection and prevention
- Monitoring and analytics across voice environments
For regulated industries or security-conscious enterprises, this level of control can be a deciding factor.
How AudioCodes Can Get You Connected with Direct Routing
Whether you choose Operator Connect or Direct Routing for Microsoft Teams PSTN connectivity, or indeed a combination of the two in a hybrid scenario, AudioCodes is certified for both methods and has you more than covered.
As a certified Operator Connect Partner, AudioCodes can offer PSTN connectivity via AudioCodes Live. However, for organizations choosing to go down the Direct Routing path, AudioCodes Live offers a reliable and flexible way to connect Microsoft Teams to the PSTN using our Microsoft-certified Direct Routing SBC technology. It delivers Direct Routing as a managed or self-service solution, streamlining integration with SIP trunks and legacy voice systems while maintaining high-quality voice and robust security
With AudioCodes Live, service providers and enterprises benefit from automated onboarding, lifecycle management, analytics and reporting and rapid Teams voice deployments, all backed by more than 30 years of field-proven telecommunications expertise and global support network.
And if that wasn't enough, AudioCodes Live also includes a wide range of AI-powered services such as contact centers, meeting intelligence for cloud or on-prem customers, interaction recording and compliance, voice bots and real-time translation.
A Final Thought
Direct Routing isn’t dead. It’s becoming purpose-built. The most successful Teams voice deployments aren’t about choosing sides. They’re about choosing the right model for each scenario and designing voice architecture with the future in mind.
