Microsoft Teams has become a popular communication platform for businesses of all sizes. With its powerful collaboration features, it’s no wonder that many companies are using it to streamline their communications. However, some businesses may want to use Teams with their existing phone system, and that’s where Direct Routing comes in.
Direct Routing allows businesses to connect their existing phone system to Microsoft Teams, so they can use Teams for all their communication needs. This means that employees can make and receive calls using the same interface they use for messaging and collaboration. It also means that businesses can keep their existing phone numbers, so there’s no need to change them.
To use Direct Routing with Teams, businesses need a session border controller (SBC). An SBC is a device that connects the Teams environment to the public switched telephone network (PSTN). This allows businesses to make and receive calls to and from external phone numbers.
Direct Routing also offers a number of other benefits. For example, it can help businesses save money on their communication costs. Because they’re using their existing phone system, there’s no need to invest in new hardware or software. Direct Routing also allows businesses to keep their existing phone numbers, which can be important for customer recognition and branding.
Microsoft Teams Direct Routing offers a powerful solution for businesses that want to use Teams with their existing phone system. By connecting an SBC to Teams, businesses can make and receive calls using the same interface they use for messaging and collaboration. Direct Routing also offers cost savings and the ability to keep existing phone numbers.
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About Microsoft Teams on Telecoms-Channel
For the full Microsoft Teams portfolio, company background, and South African reseller resources, visit the Microsoft Teams vendor page on Telecoms-Channel.
What This Means for SA Resellers
Microsoft Teams Direct Routing is one of the most commercially significant capabilities for South African resellers building a Microsoft 365 practice. Direct Routing allows Teams to connect to the PSTN via a SIP trunk provider — meaning SA businesses can make and receive calls from South African phone numbers through Teams, using local SIP trunks from providers like Euphoria Telecom, Vox, or CallCentric rather than Microsoft’s own Calling Plans (which are not available in South Africa at the time of writing).
For SA resellers, this creates a clear service bundle: Microsoft 365 licences (which the reseller may already be reselling as a Microsoft CSP partner) + Teams Direct Routing configuration (professional services) + a local SIP trunk (recurring monthly revenue from the trunk provider’s commission structure). This is a complete, high-value offering that positions the reseller as a strategic Microsoft communications partner rather than a commodity licence reseller.
The technical implementation of Teams Direct Routing requires a certified Session Border Controller (SBC) — either an on-premise appliance or a cloud-hosted SBC. Vendors with strong South African presence include AudioCodes, Ribbon Communications, and Oracle Communications. Resellers who invest in SBC expertise and Direct Routing certification create a defensible technical capability that differentiates them from resellers who only sell Microsoft licences without professional services depth. Building a reference deployment and getting Microsoft’s recognised Teams Direct Routing partner status should be on every serious Microsoft UC reseller’s roadmap in South Africa.
About the Author
Mechelle Gindra
Mechelle Gindra is the managing editor and lead content strategist at Telecoms-Channel, South Africa's dedicated intelligence platform for telecoms resellers, ICT distributors, and channel partners. She oversees the editorial team's AI-assisted content production pipeline, ensuring vendor news, market analysis, and regulatory updates are accurate, timely, and actionable for the SA telecoms channel community. With deep expertise in the South African telecoms reseller ecosystem, Mechelle directs coverage of vendor partner programmes, ICASA regulatory developments, wholesale market dynamics, and channel business strategy. She is responsible for maintaining Telecoms-Channel's editorial standards, fact-checking processes, and corrections policy.
