Every provider has heard the same request from customers: “Can we just make calls from Teams already?”
The answer used to involve a sigh, a long explanation of Direct Routing, and a reminder that Microsoft Teams wasn’t built as a phone system. Yes, you could connect it to the PSTN. . .but only after a veritable maze of SBCs, SIP trunks, PowerShell scripts, and enough testing cycles to make your engineers question their career choices.
Thankfully, Microsoft Teams Operator Connect came in to save the day. Sort of, and that’s what we’re going to be talking about today.
This post breaks down what makes Operator Connect different from Direct Routing, why it matters for MSPs and telecom providers, and how TeamMate’s Operator Connect Express makes it simple to get started.
The Traditional PSTN Integration Model: Why It’s Been So Complex
Before Operator Connect, the standard method for getting PSTN connectivity into Microsoft Teams was Microsoft Teams Direct Routing. It was flexible, powerful, and widely adopted, but no one was calling it “easy.”
Here’s why:
- You needed Microsoft-certified Session Border Controllers (SBCs)
- SIP trunk configuration wasn’t just required; it was intricate
- Everything depended on PowerShell scripts, dial plans, and backend tinkering
- Admins had to toggle between Microsoft’s portals and their own provisioning systems
On top of that, Direct Routing often requires global admin access to customer tenants. That meant security concerns, slower approvals, and a lot of explaining things to IT teams already buried in other projects.
The result? Many providers offered it only when a customer insisted. Others offered it with a long list of disclaimers and a longer implementation timeline.
No shade to Direct Routing, it served a purpose. However, as Teams adoption surged, Microsoft realized it was time to modernize the PSTN integration model.
How Microsoft Teams Addressed the Challenges with Operator Connect
Enter Teams Operator Connect. Instead of pushing providers to manage the heavy lifting of infrastructure and routing, Microsoft flipped the model:
- Voice service providers deliver numbers through Microsoft’s APIs
- Those numbers appear directly in the Teams Admin Center
- IT admins can assign, monitor, and manage calling, right alongside everything else in Teams
Suddenly, provisioning a phone number inside Teams didn’t feel like a side quest. It felt like part of the platform.
The key improvements:
- Built-in provisioning: Admins can assign numbers in minutes, no PowerShell needed
- Centralized management: All settings live in the Teams Admin Center
- Cleaner user experience: No more “Teams + a separate app + an outside portal” confusion
- Fewer technical fires: Less to break, easier to support
From a customer perspective, this is exactly what Teams calling should be. From a provider’s perspective, it’s cleaner, more scalable, and easier to support.
So what’s the catch?
The Problem Providers Still Run Into: Microsoft Certification
As great as Operator Connect is, it’s not available to just anyone. Microsoft only allows certified carriers to deliver Operator Connect services, and the certification process is. . .thorough.
To become a Microsoft Operator Connect partner, you have to:
- Peer directly with Microsoft through Azure
- Use Microsoft-certified SBCs
- Integrate with Microsoft’s provisioning and billing APIs
- Employ staff with Teams Voice certifications
- Pass regulatory, technical, and operational audits
- Complete a third-party verification process
Translation: unless you’ve got the time, team, infrastructure, and resources to commit to a months-long process, you’re likely locked out, no matter how ready you are to offer Microsoft Teams calling.
This creates a frustrating scenario: Your customers want Operator Connect. You want to offer it. Instead, Microsoft’s certification requirements are standing in the way because they built the Teams Operator Connect program was built with large telecom operators in mind.
TeamMate’s Operator Connect Express bridges that gap, giving every provider, regardless of size, a way to offer Microsoft Teams phone calls without sacrificing control or jumping through regulatory hoops.
Here’s where we’re going to show you how.
How TeamMate’s Operator Connect Express Enables PSTN Calling Services Within Teams
Operator Connect Express (OCE) from TeamMate makes Microsoft Teams voice more accessible for both providers and their customers, without the certification grind or any sketchy workarounds.
Here’s how OCE works:
- You log into the TeamMate portal and upload a list of available phone numbers using a basic CSV file.
- You assign those numbers to the customer’s Microsoft tenant through the same portal.
- Once assigned, the numbers show up inside the customer’s Teams Admin Center as available resources.
- Their IT admin can then assign those numbers to individual users just like any other Teams-native feature, with no need for PowerShell or complicated access permissions.
It’s a true, permission-free path to Teams telephony that keeps things simple for your customers and scalable for your team.
For more details on OCE, check out our in-depth blog on the subject →
Why This Makes Life Easier for Providers
You stay in control of your carrier services
Operator Connect Express works with the SIP trunks and DIDs you already manage. You decide how to price, route, and deliver voice, which keeps your margins healthy and your business model intact.
You save engineering time
PowerShell scripts and complex routing used to slow everything down. With OCE, you upload numbers, assign them, and your customer sees them in Teams. Less setup means less troubleshooting and more time for growth.
You deliver the experience customers expect
Customers don’t want to think about trunks or dial plans. They just want calling in Teams that feels natural. With OCE, admins assign numbers in the Teams Admin Center and employees pick up Teams to make calls. It feels seamless because it is.
You launch faster and bundle smarter
Deployments happen in days instead of months. That speed gives you an edge over competitors, and you can easily bundle OCE with existing services like UCaaS, DRaaS, or SIP trunks to create a more attractive package for your customers.
Most importantly? You can say “yes” (and actually mean it) when a customer asks, “Can you get us PSTN calling in Teams?”
TL;DR: Operator Connect Express is a faster, more flexible way to give customers exactly what they want: a Teams-native calling experience, delivered by a provider they already trust. What’s not to love?
Offer PSTN Connect for Microsoft Teams in Minutes by Partnering with TeamMate
If you’re an MSP, CSP, or regional voice provider that’s ready to deliver what your customers are already asking for, you don’t have to wait anymore.
With TeamMate’s Operator Connect Express, getting Teams calling up and running is actually easy. You bring the numbers. We handle the rest. Your customers get the clean, native experience they’ve been asking for, and you get the credit.
If you want to see how fast this really is, schedule a demo. We’ll show you how it works, answer your questions, and probably impress you just a touch.
