What call routing limitations come with Operator Connect?

Operator Connect handles call routing through the Teams Admin Center's built-in tools, which cover call queues, auto attendants, call groups, and standard call forwarding rules. It does not support the deeply customized routing logic, PBX integration, or multi-carrier failover configurations that Direct Routing enables through direct SBC control.

Organizations that need to route calls through on-premises PBX systems, build complex failover chains across multiple carriers, or create highly customized Interactive Voice Response (IVR) flows beyond what Teams auto attendants provide will find Operator Connect limiting. The Teams Admin Center gives administrators control over user-level call policies, call queue distribution methods, and auto attendant menu trees, but it does not expose the SBC-level routing tables that Direct Routing administrators can configure. Business continuity routing (redirecting calls to an alternate destination if Microsoft's cloud service goes down) is another gap because standard Operator Connect depends on the Microsoft platform being available. For most mid-market organizations with standard call routing needs, the Teams-native tools are sufficient, but organizations with contact center-grade routing requirements should evaluate whether the built-in capabilities match their call flow complexity.