What Licensing Is Needed for Microsoft Teams Direct Routing?

Microsoft Teams Direct Routing

If you’re reading this blog, you’re probably thinking of implementing Microsoft Teams Direct Routing on your own. That’s great! Choosing Direct Routing is a big step towards gaining more control over your telephony setup in Teams. 

Before you dive into DIY Direct Routing, it’s essential to know precisely what you’re signing up for. Because setting up Direct Routing correctly, and well, requires a little more than just getting the right licenses. 

But don’t worry—we’ll walk you through it in our blog below, starting, of course, with what licenses you need for Microsoft Teams Direct Routing. 

Want a refresher on Direct Routing? Check out our blog! 

What Licensing You Need for Microsoft Teams Direct Routing 

There are three licenses your users need within your Microsoft 365 environment to enable Direct Routing for Microsoft Teams

  • Microsoft Teams License: This may seem obvious, but every user needs to be able to access the platform’s core features to benefit from Direct Routing. 
  • Teams Phone License: This transforms Teams into a complete telephony solution, allowing users to make and take calls directly from the platform. 
  • Audio Conferencing License: Though not always required, this allows your team to dial into Teams meetings using landlines and mobile phones. If you want external participants to be able to join this way, you’ll need to purchase this license. 

But that’s just the beginning. 

What Else You’ll Need for Microsoft Teams Direct Routing 

Now that you’ve got the appropriate licenses for your users, it’s time to talk nuts and bolts. Or hardware and software in our case. Here are a few other things you’ll need to DIY Direct Routing:  

  • Session Border Controller (SBC): An SBC is essential for connecting your telephony infrastructure to Microsoft Teams. It acts as a gateway, managing the connection and ensuring smooth and secure communication. But not just any SBC will do – it must be Teams certified. To work correctly, you’ll need to set up the following: 
  • A public IP address for your SBC 
  • A public DNS entry 
  • A Fully Qualified Domain Name (FQDN) 
  • An SSL certificate from a Certificate Authority (CA) Microsoft trusts 
  • Telephony Trunks: These connect your SBC to your phone system and/or the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN). Whether it’s SIP trunks or another connectivity option, they should be appropriately configured and connected to your SBC. They allow the SBC to handle incoming and outgoing calls efficiently. 
  • Custom Domains: You need one or more custom domains added to your Microsoft 365 organization. Why? Because the default one (*.onmicrosoft.com) doesn’t support SBC configurations. Once your domain is established, you can link your FQDN to it. 

Each piece of hardware and software has its configuration requirements, bringing us to our next section. 

The Challenges of DIY Direct Routing 

With all these new licenses and tools come a lot of new complexities you may not have planned for, like: 

  • Finding the Right Technical Expertise: Deploying and managing SBCs, configuring network routing, and troubleshooting connectivity issues require deep technical knowledge you and your team may not possess yet. 
  • Keeping Up with Infrastructure Management: Whether you choose to host SBCs in your office or in the cloud, managing them well demands a lot of manpower. Chose on-prem? You need to consider the space you have, maintain physical hardware, and pay for ongoing maintenance. In the cloud? Now you must manage who has access to the cloud and make sure your network’s online 24/7/365. 
  • Staying In Line with Telecommunication Compliance and Regulations: Navigating local regulations for PSTN connectivity, negotiating with telecom carriers for SIP trunks, and complying with emergency service requirements are critical to any Direct Routing. Without expert guidance, they can be daunting. 

Thankfully, there is another way to enjoy the benefits of Microsoft Teams Direct Routing without having to go through the hassle of building it from scratch. 

It’s called Direct Routing as a Service (DRaaS)

Discover How to Enjoy Hassle-Free Direct Routing in Our DRaaS eBook 

Because at TeamMate, we’re always here to help. Our eBook unpacks what DRaaS is, how to deploy it, and which option is the most cost-effective and stress-free for you and your team. Download it today to unlock all the benefits of DRaaS for yourself! 

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