Microsoft’s Operator Connect, first announced in March 2021, is designed to let companies bring their preferred communications providers into a Microsoft Teams ecosystem. At the same time, it leaves the technical management in the hands of the operators, while giving users control of their ecosystem, all within a simple admin portal.
At the same time, Microsoft also announced Operator Connect Conferencing, which takes the convenience and flexibility of Operator Connect and goes a step further, bringing it into business conferencing.
So, what does Operator Connect Conferencing do, and how does it work?
Operator Connect Conferencing Defined
Operator Connect Conferencing is, as the name suggests, a conferencing solution similar to Operator Connect. Just like how Operator Connect allows companies to make Teams calls from their preferred calling provider, Operator Connect Conferencing lets businesses hold Teams conference calls through a select partner.
However, summarizing Operator Connect Conferencing as “Operator Connect, but for conference calls” doesn’t fully describe it.
Operator Connect Conferencing lets businesses add dial-in numbers to their Teams ecosystem using the Microsoft Audio Conferencing bridge. Users can choose their conferencing provider from a selection of partners (or “operators,” as they’re called), so they can continue using conferencing and calling services from their preferred providers while using Microsoft Teams.
From there, users can:
- Create and join conferences with their Microsoft Teams account, while the call is routed through their operator.
- Use Microsoft Teams features like call recording and screen sharing, regardless of what service they’re connecting with.
- Manage their settings from admin controls.
- Dial in to team meetings and use group calling to keep everyone in a remote or hybrid workforce connected.
- Access a high-quality conferencing experience worldwide.
- Unlock a broader range of calling and conferencing functionality options than one would get from just Operator Connect.
For businesses with multinational calling needs, this also helps expand their geographic dial-in coverage while still benefiting from their operator’s technical support and SLAs.
Keep in mind that this is not the same as Direct Routing, although they do share similarities. While Direct Routing (like Operator Connect and Operator Connect Conferencing) lets users connect Teams to their PSTN network, it takes more time to set up and requires businesses to work together with their SBC vendor and communications provider. Operator Connect and Conferencing, on the other hand, are essentially already set up, as they use pre-approved Microsoft-certified telecommunications providers.
The Benefits of Operator Connect Conferencing
What is it that Microsoft Operator Connect Conferencing can bring to businesses? One of the main benefits is the fast, efficient, and flexible communications it enables, as it allows users to benefit from all the features of Microsoft Teams while still using their preferred providers.
Using Operator Connect Conferencing provides many benefits to businesses and users, including:
- Single operator system: Users can access all their calling, conferencing, and Teams communications from a single provider, which helps simplify expenses and management.
- Seamless Teams integration: Operator Connect Conferencing is built into the Teams landscape for ease of use while allowing users to access all the Teams features they need and use.
- Simplified management: Users can manage everything from a single admin portal (and without needing PowerShell).
- Reliability: Microsoft Teams Operator Connect Conferencing partners use shared service level agreements (SLAs) that promise high reliability so users know what they can expect.
- Expanded geographic coverage: Operator Connect Conferencing opens a wide range of dial-in locations, in order to better support an expanding business’ needs.
However, it’s important to note that Operator Connect Conferencing only works for selected operators, and while that list is constantly growing, there’s always the chance that someone’s preferred provider won’t be on it.
Available Conferencing Partners
Microsoft Operator Connect Conferencing operators have integrated their solutions into the Microsoft Teams platform to help provide a reliable and easy to manage service. While this started with only a handful of operators, it’s continued to expand since its introduction, and Microsoft continues to look for new partnerships.
Keep in mind that, in order to use the Operator Connect Conferencing service, users will need a Microsoft Audio Conferencing subscription as part of their Teams or Office package or an Operator Connect Conferencing license.
Currently, Microsoft Operator Connect Conferencing partners consist of:
- AT&T Business
- BT
- Deutsche Telekom
- Fusion Connect
- NTT
- Orange Business Services
- Swisscom
- Tata Communications
- Telenor
Businesses whose preferred service providers aren’t on this list will not be able to access Operator Connect Conferencing through their PSTN, but may still be able to use services like Direct Routing instead.
While Microsoft Operator Connect Conferencing is only available through a few partners, it remains a powerful communications tool for users whose operators are on the list. It helps businesses bring the benefits of Operator Connect into a conferencing environment so that they can keep using their preferred providers and make Teams conference calls from anywhere more easily. This makes it particularly helpful for businesses with wider geographical needs, and those who are enjoying the reliability, support, and consistency of their current providers.
As Microsoft adds more partners to Operator Connect Conferencing, more businesses and users will be able to benefit from its accessibility, ease of use, and simplified management, allowing them to make more Teams conference calls without leaving their networks.
