Operator Connect vs. Direct Routing: What's the difference?

Operator Connect and Direct Routing both connect Microsoft Teams to a PSTN carrier, but they differ in who manages the SBC infrastructure. Operator Connect is fully carrier-managed with no on-premises hardware. Direct Routing requires SBCs to connect to the Microsoft Phone System—but those SBCs can be deployed and managed by the organization itself or by its provider. With Atlantech Online's Direct Routing, for example, Atlantech provides and manages the SBC, so the organization gets the flexibility of Direct Routing without taking on the hardware burden.

Direct Routing offers more control over call routing, PBX integration, and hybrid deployments, which makes it the better fit for organizations with complex telephony needs or GCC High environments. Operator Connect is not available in GCC High; Direct Routing is the only option there. Direct Routing also supports business continuity routing that can redirect calls even if Microsoft's cloud service goes down, something standard Operator Connect does not offer. On the other hand, Operator Connect typically deploys faster (as little as one business day). For organizations in commercial Microsoft 365 environments that want the simplest possible telephony stack, Operator Connect reduces IT overhead—though a provider-managed Direct Routing arrangement removes much of that same overhead while preserving Direct Routing's added control. The two models can coexist in the same tenant for organizations that need both.