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microsof teams icon Microsoft Operator connect

Bring business calling into Microsoft Teams.

Give customers PSTN calling directly within Microsoft Teams through Microsoft’s Operator Connect programme – delivered over Evolve IP’s voice infrastructure and built for a simpler Teams calling experience.

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  • Microsoft-backed
  • Teams-native
  • Simplified provisioning
  • Evolve IP voice
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TEAMS + BUSINESS CALLING

Teams becomes the business phone.

Teams already gives customers meetings, messaging and collaboration. Operator Connect adds PSTN calling through an approved operator, so users make and receive external business calls in the familiar Teams environment.

Before

microsoft_teams_icon_trimmedMicrosoft Teams
MeetingsChatCollaboration
+A separate business phone system

With Operator Connect

microsof teams iconMicrosoft Teams
MeetingsChatCollaborationBusiness calling

One app for how people meet, message – and make and receive external calls.

HOW IT WORKS

Microsoft Teams. Evolve IP voice. Connected.

Operator Connect lets approved operators such as Evolve IP connect their voice networks directly into Microsoft Teams – so customers get PSTN calling in Teams without building and managing the infrastructure a traditional Direct Routing deployment needs.
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Microsoft Teams

The user experience

Microsoft Operator Connect

Microsoft’s approved operator framework

Evolve IP

Voice infrastructure

PSTN

External business calling

WHY OPERATOR CONNECT

A simpler route to Teams Voice.

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Teams-native experience

Users make and receive business calls in the Microsoft Teams environment they already know.

CHOOSE THE RIGHT ROUTE

Operator Connect Operator Connect or Direct Routing?

Both deliver high-quality Microsoft Teams telephony. Different customer requirements. Different routes into Teams Voice.

Operator Connect may suit customers who:

  • Want a Microsoft-backed deployment model
  • Want simplified Teams Voice provisioning
  • Primarily need Microsoft Teams PBX capability
  • Prefer less infrastructure complexity
  • Want an approved operator relationship
  • Have no requirement for BroadWorks features

Direct Routing may suit customers who:

  • Need numbers outside the tenant geography
  • Have more complex telephony or advanced calling requirements
  • Need greater multi-country flexibility
  • Need third-party call control or specific integrations
  • Want greater control over their Teams voice architecture
  • Rely on BroadWorks features
Feature Microsoft Operator Connect Direct Routing
Microsoft-backed framework Yes No
Official SLA support Yes No
Provisioning in Teams Admin Centre Yes No – yes with Evolve IP
Multi-country number flexibility Limited by tenant geography Greater flexibility
Third-party call control Not available Available

The quick qualifier

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UK tenant + UK numbers

+44

=

Operator Connect

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UK tenant + Netherlands numbers

+31 – numbers outside the tenant geography

=

Direct Routing

“ How we position it

Both Direct Routing and Operator Connect deliver excellent Teams Voice. Operator Connect benefits from Microsoft’s direct backing, simplified deployment and official SLA alignment. If the customer has specific multi-country or third-party feature requirements, Direct Routing may be more suitable.

WHY EVOLVE IP

Operator Connect is the framework. The operator still matters.

Microsoft provides the Operator Connect framework. Evolve IP provides the voice service – and the Partner relationship around it.
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Voice expertise

Carrier-grade voice services and deep experience delivering business cloud communications.
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Resilient infrastructure

Enterprise-grade voice through the Evolve IP platform, with direct Microsoft peering for fewer network hops.
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Partner support

Technical and commercial expertise throughout the customer lifecycle.
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Broader portfolio

Start with Operator Connect and add capabilities as customer requirements evolve.
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International capability

Where supported, address customers with broader geographic requirements.

BUILT FOR BUSINESS

Voice customers can rely on.

Carrier-grade voice services integrated securely into Microsoft Teams.

Resilience and monitoring

Enterprise-grade resilience with real-time monitoring.

Voice quality

Enterprise-grade quality of service and performance monitoring.

Regulatory requirements

Consistent voice quality and regulatory compliance.

Secure connectivity

TLS 1.3 encrypted infrastructure and secure SIP authentication.

Business continuity

Voice delivered through resilient Evolve IP infrastructure.

BUILD ON THE FOUNDATION

Operator Connect gets Teams calling. Then you can do more.

Microsoft Operator Connect with Evolve IP gives the customer the calling foundation. Then add capabilities according to what that customer actually needs – none of them are a mandatory bundle.

CX Analytics

See what’s happening across calls, queues, demand and customer experience.
Explore CX Analytics

Admin for Teams

Make everyday Teams Phone management simpler for Partners and customers.
Explore Admin for Teams

Anywhere Mobile

Extend the Cisco Webex business identity onto mobile with native calling.
Explore Anywhere Mobile

Call Capture

Capture, search and understand business conversations.
Explore Call Capture

1 · Start here

Microsoft Operator Connect with evolve-logo

The Teams calling foundation

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From Teams Voice to customer experience

Need a full customer contact centre?

For customers whose requirements go beyond employee calling, Talkdesk connects contact centre agents with the wider Microsoft Teams environment. A separate solution – not included with Operator Connect.

Explore Cloud Contact Centre

Start with Operator Connect. Add what the customer needs.

See everything Evolve IP adds to Microsoft Teams

OPERATOR CONNECT RESOURCES

Go deeper on Operator Connect.

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Evolve Exchange

Hear the Evolve IP team talk through Operator Connect.
Watch
resource-from-the-blog

From the blog

Insights on Microsoft Teams calling and Teams Voice.
Read

Built for the channel

Turn a Teams requirement into a bigger customer conversation.

What partners hear
What you can offer

Tap a statement to see where it leads

  • microsoft-teams-with-operator-connect-on-a-laptop-and-mobile
    Unified Communications

    Operator Connect

    PSTN calling inside Teams, so the separate phone system can go.

    • Microsoft-backed framework
    • Numbers managed in Teams Admin Centre

    Works with Microsoft Teams

    Explore Operator Connect
microsoft-teams-with-operator-connect-on-a-laptop-and-mobile
Unified Communications

Operator Connect

PSTN calling inside Teams, so the separate phone system can go.

  • Microsoft-backed framework
  • Numbers managed in Teams Admin Centre

Works with Microsoft Teams

Explore Operator Connect

FAQS

Operator Connect questions, answered

What is Microsoft Operator Connect?

Microsoft’s programme that lets approved operators deliver PSTN calling directly inside Microsoft Teams.

Is Evolve IP an approved operator?

Yes. Evolve IP is certified to deliver Operator Connect within Microsoft’s programme.

How is it different from Direct Routing?

Operator Connect is Microsoft-backed with simplified provisioning. Direct Routing offers more flexibility for complex, multi-country or third-party requirements.

Which should a customer choose?

Operator Connect usually suits customers whose numbers match their tenant geography. Multi-country, BroadWorks or third-party call control needs may suit Direct Routing.

Where are numbers and users managed?

Through the Microsoft Teams Admin Centre.

Do users need to change how they work?

No. They make and receive calls in the Teams environment they already know.

Is anything else included with Operator Connect?

Operator Connect is the calling foundation. Capabilities such as CX Analytics, Admin for Teams and Anywhere Mobile are optional additions.

Can Teams users connect to a contact centre?

Yes – Cloud Contact Centre, powered by Talkdesk, integrates with Teams. It’s a separate solution, not part of Operator Connect.
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OPERATOR CONNECT “We already use Teams. Why do we still have a separate phone system?”
CX ANALYTICS “We don’t know how many customer calls we’re missing.”
ADMIN FOR TEAMS “Teams is becoming difficult for our IT team to manage.”

TALK TO EVOLVE IP

Make Teams your customer’s business phone.

Bring PSTN calling into Microsoft Teams through Microsoft Operator Connect with Evolve IP – then build around it with the additional communications capabilities your customers need.
Request a call back
Request a demo

Awards and recognition

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