Key Capabilities of Direct Routinglink to this section
Direct Routing gives organizations full control over telephony architecture while keeping users inside the Teams interface:
- Global PSTN Connectivity: Connects local phone numbers and calling plans in regions where Microsoft Calling Plans are unavailable or cost-prohibitive.
- Enterprise PBX Features: Delivers advanced calling capabilities, such as multi-level auto-attendants, call queues, call recording, barge/monitor, and shared line appearances directly within Teams.
- Legacy PBX and Hardware Integration: Bridges existing analog devices, door entry systems, overhead pagers, and legacy PBX infrastructure into modern cloud workflows.
- Cost Optimization: Leverages competitive calling bundles, pooled minute plans, and predictable per-user licensing instead of consumption-heavy carrier fees.
- Contact Center and CRM Integration: Unifies front-office Teams users with certified contact center agents and back-end business apps like Salesforce, Zendesk, and ServiceNow.
Direct Routing vs. Microsoft Calling Plans vs. Operator Connectlink to this section
Enterprises evaluating Teams telephony generally compare three deployment models:
| Feature | Microsoft Calling Plans | Operator Connect | Direct Routing |
|---|---|---|---|
| PSTN Provider | Microsoft directly | Participating telecom operators | Any certified carrier / cloud provider (e.g., 8x8) |
| Global Coverage | Limited geographic availability | Broad, but region-dependent | Worldwide reach across 55+ countries with full local PSTN |
| PBX Capabilities | Basic Microsoft Phone System | Basic to intermediate features | Full enterprise-grade PBX and call handling |
| Legacy Integration | None (pure cloud only) | Minimal analog/hardware support | Extensive support for analog lines, pagers, and legacy PBXs |
| Contact Center | Not natively integrated | Operator-dependent | Seamless integration with certified omnichannel contact centers |
| Cost Flexibility | High per-user cost; limited pooling | Standard operator pricing | Highly competitive, flexible international minute bundles |
Why Businesses Choose Direct Routing with 8x8link to this section
While native Microsoft Phone System features cover standard calling, organizations with complex operational needs leverage 8x8 Voice for Microsoft Teams to eliminate gaps in functionality:
- Global Call Quality & Uptime: 8x8 provides a financially backed 99.999% uptime SLA across geographically redundant data centers, bypassing single-carrier vulnerabilities.
- Native User Experience: Employees make and receive calls directly inside the native Teams desktop and mobile apps without needing secondary third-party dialers or browser tabs.
- Certified Contact Center Pairing: Connects frontline Teams knowledge workers directly to 8x8 Contact Center agents with shared presence, directory sync, and warm transfers.
- Zero On-Premises Footprint: 8x8 provides a fully cloud-hosted, managed SBC architecture, eliminating the need to purchase, configure, or maintain physical hardware.
- Cross-Platform Analytics: Delivers unified analytics, call detail records (CDRs), speech analytics, and quality management across both Teams and non-Teams users from a single administrative portal.
How it Works: The 8x8 Architecturelink to this section
8x8 Voice for Microsoft Teams uses cloud-to-cloud Direct Routing to establish a secure, reliable bridge between platforms:
- User Placement: A user initiates an external phone call using the native dial pad inside Microsoft Teams.
- SIP Signaling to 8x8: Microsoft Phone System routes the SIP signaling over secure TLS/SRTP to 8x8's certified, cloud-hosted Session Border Controllers (SBCs).
- Carrier Routing: 8x8 authenticates the call, applies enterprise calling policies (such as STIR/SHAKEN Level A attestation and emergency location routing), and sends the traffic to the PSTN.
- Call Termination: The destination phone rings, displaying the user's verified business caller ID.
- Inbound & Extension Routing: Incoming calls ring across the user's Teams endpoints, desk phones, or 8x8 Work apps simultaneously, preserving call history and unified voicemail.
