6 Benefits of Microsoft Teams Direct Routing

Microsoft Teams is a great cloud integration platform, and one that your business may already be using.

But did you know that you can add a new level of functionality to Teams, as well as improve communications within your business, through direct routing?

In this article we’ll be answering the question ‘what is direct routing with Microsoft Teams?’ and exploring 6 benefits it can bring to your business.

Let’s get started.

What is Direct Routing with Microsoft Teams?

In a nutshell, Microsoft Teams direct routing allows you to connect external phone lines to your Microsoft Teams system. This grants users the ability to make both internal and external calls through Teams using any device.

What are the Benefits?

1. External Phone Calls

Direct routing allows your employees to make external phone calls from any device using teams. Whilst internal communication is easy by default through Teams, direct routing can open up your business’s communication lines to the rest of the world through efficient cloud integration.

Clients and collaborators across the world are now just a phone call away.

2. Convenience at a Click

One of the greatest advantages of direct routing is the convenience it offers – if your employees are already familiar with how to use Teams, then you can extend that experience to your entire communication network.

In other words, employees can communicate with the outside world in exactly the same way they would with different departments of your business – with a simple click. Direct routing allows you to make your communications more convenient by centralising the whole calling process through Teams.

3. Freedom of Choice

Microsoft Teams has an inbuilt system for activating and using phone lines – Calling Plans. However, this system has its limitations. Coverage is limited, and it is not available in all territories. Your business may have communication needs in a region where Calling Plans are unavailable.

With direct routing, it is possible to access global communication networks, but also to create bespoke communication packages that work for your specific business needs.

4. Lower Cost

Direct routing tends to be cheaper as a communication solution than Microsoft’s Calling Plans. When you connect Microsoft Teams to a third-party telephony provider, like Gamma, you can not only open up more options for worldwide communication, but also reduce the amount of money you spend by centralising the whole call-making system.

5. Flexible Plans

Direct routing allows you to choose the telephony solution that meets the unique demands of your business. For example, you can choose between paying per minute for phone calls, or pay for unlimited calls within a specific region, or even worldwide.

These options also mean that your communication network can grow alongside your business. You may begin with unlimited calls within one country, but later switch to a worldwide package as need dictates.

6. Communication Solution

Your business’s entire communication system can be simplified through direct routing. Your employees probably already use Microsoft Teams as a cloud integration platform, giving them easy access to the resources they need throughout the day. When you add telephony to this system, you extend the functionality of the integration platform, seamlessly blending different elements of your business and streamlining them through one interface.