What internal IT time does Operator Connect require to manage?

Operator Connect requires minimal ongoing IT time because the carrier manages the voice infrastructure, SBCs, and PSTN network, while day-to-day telephony tasks happen inside the Teams Admin Center that IT already uses. Most routine operations (assigning numbers, updating call queues, changing user policies) take minutes per task, not hours.

The biggest time savings compared to Direct Routing is the elimination of SBC management. With Direct Routing, IT teams must maintain SBC firmware, TLS certificates, monitor SBC health, and troubleshoot voice gateway issues. Operator Connect removes all of that. Compared to legacy hosted PBX systems, the savings come from eliminating separate telephony portals, change-order processes, and multi-vendor coordination. The only recurring IT tasks are user lifecycle management (adding or removing users, reassigning numbers when employees change roles) and periodic call policy reviews. Emergency address updates for Dynamic E911 compliance also require attention when office locations change or new sites open, because the Location Information Service (LIS) must map network identifiers to civic addresses. These are infrequent tasks rather than daily operations.