Microsoft Teams has become an integral part of the communications stack in many organisations, providing seamless collaboration, all in one app. But calling outside your organisation can still present a challenge if your business is using outdated telephony infrastructure. Cloud-based call centre solutions such as Operator Connect provide the solution.
With Teams Operator Connect, you can maximise your Microsoft Teams environment by enabling PSTN calling for Teams users. This means they can make and receive external calls within Microsoft Teams, while you manage and assign all numbers and users directly inside the Microsoft Teams Admin Centre.
Microsoft Teams Operator Connect is suitable for a wide variety of organisations and business goals. Whether your location doesn’t enable access to a Microsoft Calling Plan, or you’re simply seeking a new operator to enable calling in Teams.
The key benefit of the Microsoft Operator Connect program is flexibility in operator choice. If your current operator is a participant in the Microsoft Operator Connect Program, they can manage the service for you, providing a more seamless integration and less change to manage. You also have the option to choose a new operator that better supports your business needs.
Key features
Quick deployment
Operator Connect can be set up quickly if you already have Microsoft Teams.
Customisation
Custom-build your network with robust features while taking advantage of your existing setup.
Disaster recovery
We can ensure you still receive inbound calls if Microsoft Teams goes down.
Phased migration
Phase your migration by department, office or DDI range to minimise disruptions.
Leverage existing infrastructure
Enable calling features for Microsoft Teams users without sacrificing your existing telephony infrastructure investment.
Local PSTN survivability
Future-proof your existing infrastructure and prepare for the PSTN switch-off.
Third-Party Hosted SBCs
Secure and resilient voice communications with no upfront hardware costs.
Managed infrastructure
We’ll take care of the day-to-day maintenance so you can focus on the important stuff.
ISDN/PTSN switch off
The Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN)is now outdated, and BT Openreach has made the decision to ‘end of life’ the network, which means businesses need to be prepared.
ISDN/PSTN will be phased out in favour of new solutions, with the switch-off taking place by 2027.
The switch-off has already begun and businesses will no longer be able to purchase ISDN lines.
Microsoft Operator Connect with Nasstar will future-proof your existing telephony infrastructure and help you prepare for the PSTN switch-off.
Rada Sookramanien
Voice Product Manager (Connectivity) at Nasstar
"At Nasstar, we understand the problems that can arise with outdated or insufficient telephony infrastructure. Operator Connect has been designed to simplify these challenges, delivering an optimal combination of collaboration and calling features. With this solution, we can help our customers bridge the gap between telephony and improved customer experiences, all from within their existing Teams environment."
Related Services/Solutions
Operator Connect for Microsoft Teams offers a future-proof telephony solution that integrates with and complements other solutions. Specifically, it works well with other tools in the Microsoft stack you might already be using, offering a more seamless user experience.
Our Expertise
With a 10+ year relationship with Microsoft, we’re uniquely positioned to help businesses find Microsoft-based solutions to complex employee experience problems, including telephony challenges. We take the time to understand your needs and develop strategies and solutions that support you in meeting them.
Utilising Teams Operator Connect with us means we can deliver the collaboration capabilities of a traditional office to your company’s mobiles, desktops, and browsers. This level of connection is vital for businesses seeking a future-proof telephony solution, especially with the PSTN switch off looming ever closer.
By partnering with us to implement Operator Connect, you can enable calling features for Teams without spending more money on telephony infrastructure. This delivers better value, increased flexibility, and enhanced functionality. Plus, our teams have extensive experience in providing Teams deployments, alongside Operator Connect, ensuring your business is in safe hands.
Why Choose Nasstar?
While Microsoft Teams may have already transformed the way your teams work, Operator Connect for Teams can take this one step further. By enabling this telephony solution within Teams, you can deliver endless collaboration and productivity for your business, while futureproofing your communications stack.
At Nasstar, we’ll support you from the very beginning of your deployment through to maintenance. Our teams will consistently work to make sure your Teams environment, including Operator Connect, is performing at the highest level and supporting your communication goals.
years Microsoft Partner
Experience in hundreds of Teams integrations
proactive management
Modern Work, Business Applications & Security Certifications
Microsoft Partner of the Year awards
strong team of experts in our dedicated Microsoft Practice
FAQs
Operator Connect offers a way for organisations to provide access to the PSTN network from Microsoft Teams. It ensures users can make and receive external phone calls from any device using Microsoft Teams.
While similar in many aspects, Direct Routing and Operator Connect do have some differences which are important to understand before you decide which option you’re going to use. Teams operator Connect uses the Teams admin centre to assign phone numbers and features, while direct routing requires specialist hardware and software to configure them, which often calls for IT support and more of a managed service.
Both offer advantages for businesses, and at Nasstar, we can support you with both options depending on your business goals and requirements.
Teams Operator Connect leverages your existing Microsoft Teams infrastructure to enable PSTN calling. Your chosen carrier, from the approved list, will have access to direct peering between the SIP trunking infrastructure and Teams, which enables calling features.
If there is an issue with Microsoft Teams, it’s still possible for you to receive inbound calls. We can create a number of pre-defined plans in our Teams Operator Connect Portal that can be activated to redirect your inbound calls in the event of an issue with Microsoft Teams.
As part of our onboarding process, we will work with you to understand your business needs to ensure the platform is adapted for your requirements. At Nasstar, we have the capabilities required to deliver you the solution that meets your needs; whether that's with Operator Connect or a more bespoke integration.
