Operator Connect for Microsoft Teams. Telephony in Teams, as simple as it gets.
Microsoft Teams is already the central platform for collaboration and communication in many organisations. With Operator Connect, telephony is added to that, without your own SBC infrastructure, without local hardware and without PowerShell configuration. weSystems is integrated as a certified operator directly in the Microsoft Teams Admin Center. You select us as your provider, we supply phone numbers, port existing numbers and take over ongoing operations. For organisations that want to turn Microsoft Teams into a complete phone system quickly and without complexity.
How Operator Connect works for Microsoft Teams.
With Operator Connect, weSystems connects as a certified Microsoft carrier directly to your Teams tenant via the Microsoft Azure Peering Service. You do not need your own Session Border Controller or any local infrastructure. The entire connection between Teams and the public telephone network runs via weSystems’ Microsoft-certified carrier infrastructure.
Setup happens entirely through the Microsoft Teams Admin Center. You select weSystems as your operator, we supply phone numbers or port existing ones, and your users can start making calls through Teams immediately. New users, new numbers or new locations can be added at any time through the Admin Center, without technical overhead and without coordinating with an SBC operator.
The key difference from Direct Routing is that with Operator Connect, weSystems is responsible not just as a carrier but also for connection quality and operational reliability towards Microsoft. That means clearer accountability, defined SLAs and direct integration into Microsoft’s quality assurance systems including the Call Quality Dashboard.
What you gain when Teams becomes your phone system.
No own SBC infrastructure required
With Operator Connect there is no need to operate your own Session Border Controllers. No hardware overhead, no SBC licences, no monitoring of your own carrier infrastructure. That saves costs and significantly reduces IT complexity.
Setup directly in the Teams Admin Center
Request phone numbers, assign users, manage locations. Everything runs through the familiar Microsoft interface. IT administrators need no deep telephony knowledge and no separate carrier platform.
Port numbers and assign them worldwide
Existing phone numbers are retained. We handle the porting and supply local numbers in Germany, the EU and many international regions. Toll-free numbers and service numbers are also available.
Clear accountability and defined SLAs
As a certified Microsoft operator, weSystems takes responsibility for connection quality and operational reliability towards Microsoft. Defined SLAs, transparent reporting and a direct point of contact for incidents.
Full Teams Phone functionality
Call queues, auto attendants, voicemail, call forwarding and conferencing. Operator Connect supports the full feature set of Microsoft Teams Phone, without any limitations compared to Direct Routing.
GDPR-compliant, European infrastructure
weSystems' carrier infrastructure runs in Europe. Encrypted transmission, complete logging and operations to ISO 27001 standards. No voice data outside the EU.
Operator Connect or Direct Routing?
A direct comparison.
Both options bring telephony into Microsoft Teams. What distinguishes them is the technical approach, the effort involved and the flexibility. We help you make the right choice.
| Operator Connect | Direct Routing | |
|---|---|---|
|
Program Type |
Programmatic approach for operator-provided calls |
Not a program. Core functionality |
|
Interconnection |
Microsoft Azure Peering Service for Voice |
TLS/SRTP over Internet or MAPS |
|
Number provisioning |
Provisioning through APIs to facilitate automation |
“Limited” (through Powershell only) |
|
Provider Integration |
Operator presence in Teams Admin Center |
None |
|
Customer experience |
Number visualized in the portal for provisioning and management |
IT admin or operator needs to assign number and policies through PowerShell |
|
Data sharing |
Call-detail record (CDR) and call quality dashboard (CQD) data provided to operators through APIs |
CDR/CQD data can be retrieved tenant by tenant using delegated access |
|
Total cost of ownership |
“As a service” model delivered by the operator |
SBC owned and operated by the customer or hosted and managed by weSystems |
Operator Connect is the right choice when...
Microsoft Teams is already your central collaboration platform and you want to add telephony without additional technical complexity.
You do not want to operate your own SBC infrastructure and value a streamlined solution managed directly in the Teams Admin Center.
Your organisation is geographically distributed and you want to manage phone numbers for different locations and countries centrally through one platform.
You want to get started quickly. Operator Connect can be set up significantly faster than Direct Routing and requires no SBC rollout.
Your IT team does not have deep telephony expertise and you want to rely on a certified partner who takes over operations completely.
You want maximum flexibility in carrier choice and do not want to be tied to Microsoft as your sole provider.
Certified by Microsoft. Operated by people who know you.
weSystems is certified as an operator in the Microsoft Teams Operator Connect programme. That means our infrastructure has been verified by Microsoft and can be integrated directly into your organisation’s Teams Admin Center.
In practice that means you have a single point of contact for your Teams telephony who carries both technical and commercial responsibility. No service provider pointing to Microsoft and no Microsoft support pointing to the carrier. With us, both sides land in one place.
And because we offer Operator Connect, Direct Routing and Global SIP Trunking, we advise you honestly on which approach fits your specific situation best. Sometimes Operator Connect is the simpler and faster solution. Sometimes you need the flexibility of Direct Routing. We tell you what genuinely makes sense.
Related Services
Direct Routing for Teams
You need more flexibility around carrier, routing and SBC configuration? Direct Routing gives you full control over your Teams telephony, including SBC infrastructure operated by weSystems.
Global SIP Trunking
For organisations with multiple international locations and complex carrier requirements, Global SIP Trunking provides a central voice platform with own SBC infrastructure in EMEA, USA and APAC.
Voice Migration
You want to migrate from a classic PBX to Microsoft Teams Phone? We accompany the entire process from analysis through porting to go-live with Operator Connect or Direct Routing.
Frequently asked questions
What is Operator Connect for Microsoft Teams?
Operator Connect is an official Microsoft solution through which certified carriers like weSystems can be integrated directly in the Microsoft Teams Admin Center. Organisations can use Microsoft Teams as a complete phone system without operating their own SBC infrastructure.
What is the difference between Operator Connect and Direct Routing?
With Operator Connect, weSystems connects as a certified Microsoft carrier directly via the Azure Peering Service to your Teams tenant. You do not need your own SBC. With Direct Routing, you or weSystems operate an SBC that offers more flexibility in routing and carrier choice but also requires more technical effort. We advise you honestly on which approach fits your situation.
Is weSystems a certified Microsoft Operator Connect provider?
Yes. weSystems is certified as an operator in the Microsoft Teams Operator Connect programme and can be integrated directly in your organisation's Teams Admin Center.
Can I keep my existing phone numbers with Operator Connect?
Yes. Existing phone numbers can be ported without any issue. We handle the porting coordination and make sure your numbers are seamlessly available in Microsoft Teams.
Which Microsoft 365 licence do I need for Operator Connect?
You need a Microsoft 365 licence with the Teams Phone add-on (formerly Telephone System add-on). Call charges and phone numbers are billed through weSystems as your operator, not through Microsoft.
In which countries does weSystems offer Operator Connect?
We currently offer Operator Connect in Germany, the EU and many other international regions. This makes the solution suitable for organisations with global locations as well.
How long does Operator Connect setup take?
In many cases the basic configuration can be completed within a few business days. For number portings we plan a structured process together with you so that the cutover happens in a controlled way without disrupting operations.
Is Operator Connect GDPR-compliant?
Yes. weSystems' carrier infrastructure runs in Europe. All voice connections are encrypted and operated to ISO 27001 standards. weSystems is itself certified to ISO 27001:2022.
Does Operator Connect support call queues and auto attendants?
Yes. Operator Connect supports the full feature set of Microsoft Teams Phone, including call queues, auto attendants, hunt groups, voicemail and call forwarding.
What does Operator Connect with weSystems cost?
Costs consist of monthly call charges and number rental. We are happy to put together a transparent, individual proposal for you without hidden charges.