Direct Routing Solutions for
Microsoft Teams

Use Teams to make and receive business calls

Microsoft Teams is a powerful alternative to traditional office phone systems, making it easy for employees tomake and receive business phone calls from anywhere. Ribbon has a portfolio of Microsoft certified Session Border
Controllers (SBCs) that enable organizations to securely connect Teams to a telecom provider.
Ribbon SBCs secure the telecom connection, assure interoperability with hundreds of providers, and help integrate
legacy equipment. Rapidly deploy Ribbon solutions from the cloud (AWS or Azure), in a data center or in the office.

•••••
••

Solutions for a single location or a global, multi-site,
enterprise
Integrate with existing PBXs, phones, and analog devices
Deployment in the cloud or as software or hardware
Buy the solution or acquire as a service
Local survivability options (Microsoft SBA support)
Emergency calling (911/999) integration
More than a decade of experience enabling Microsoftsolutions

Use Ribbon solutions to securely connect external phone lines to Microsoft Phone System. Use Microsoft
Teams to replace legacy office phone systems.

Microsoft Certified forDirect RoutingSolution Brief

Connect with Existing
Carriers and PBXs

Cloud, Software orHardware Options

Local SurvivabilityOptions

Direct Routing Solutions for Microsoft Teams

Getting Connected
Using Teams to make phone calls – 4 key requirements:
1.

Microsoft Phone System license in Microsoft 365 (typically included in the E5 package
and an add-on for E3 & E1 – check your contract for details).

2.

A telecom provider that offers IP phone lines (SIP Trunks) for Microsoft Direct Routing.
Retain your existing telecom provider or seek out a new one.

3.

A Microsoft-certified Session Border Controller instance to terminate the SIP Trunks.
The SBC acts as a voice firewall and can mitigate interoperability issues.

4.

A trained staff member or an IT professional that can assist with set-up of the solution.

Use a Ribbon SBC to simplify amigration to Teams•SIP Trunks for Direct Routing•

Redundant SIP Trunks for failover•

Analog/Digital trunks (FXO)•

Analog stations (FXS)•Legacy PBX integration•

Contact center integration•

Simultaneous ringing (SIP forking)•SIP phone/device support

What is the SBC’s Role in Direct Routing?
Microsoft requires a certified SBC to act as bridge between Teams and the telephone network. Ribbon’s session
border controllers provide multiple functions:•Security – it acts as a voice-aware firewall and encrypts traffic to protect the voice traffic itself
and to prevent bad actors from entering the data network via the voice network•Interoperability – not every SIP Trunking provider is identical, Ribbon’s SBCs can adjust key
parameters to make set-up easy and trouble-free•

Legacy Connectivity – many organizations still have analog phones, elevator phones, doorphones and fax machines. Ribbon’s hardware–based SBCs have analog ports (FXS) to keepthese assets working for years to come•Migration – often organizations want to slowly migrate to Teams, keeping their legacy PBX inplace for weeks or even months or years. Ribbon SBCs can provide simultaneous ringing so thatboth Teams and the old PBX share connectivity.

•Resiliency or Fail over – Ribbon SBCs have multiple options including WAN connection failoverand Micsrosoft Survivable Branch Appliance (SBA) support to manage disruptions in service.
These tools can keep your organization connected even if the unexpected happens.

2 Solution Brief

Direct Routing Solutions for Microsoft Teams

Getting Connected

PSTN ServiceProvider

PBX – Contact
Center - Analog
Devices

Teams

Teams Client

Premises-based SBC Software or Hardware

Hardware

PSTN Service
ProviderVirtualized Software

Teams

Teams Client

Cloud-based SBC including “as a Service” options

Cloud Instance• CapEx• Hardware, software
support & maintenance• CapEx• Software support &maintenance• CapEx or OpEx
• Software support &maintenance

Benefits• Legacy migration tools• FXO, FXS T1/E1 ports• Local PSTN connectivity• Local survivability• PSTN• WAN• Microsoft SBA (SBC 1000 &2000)• Enterprise-wide
deployment options (SBC5400 & 7000)

Benefits• Ideal for local PSTN
connectivity• Easily deployed onstandard hardware or in a
datacenter• Highly scalable with highavailability options

Benefits• Ideal for cloud PSTN
deployments• AWS and Azure cloud
options• Rapid deployment• Low touch support• Highly scalable with highavailability options

Ribbon Solutions• SBC 1000
• SBC 2000
• EdgeMarc Portfolio• SBC 5400
• SBC 7000

Ribbon Solutions• SBC SWe
• SBC SWe Edge

Ribbon Solutions• SBC SWe
• SBC SWe Edge
• SBC CNe Edge

As a Service• OpEx
• Fully managed cloudservice with portal (nohardware or software)• Includes Teams user
configuration
Benefits• Automated deployment• Includes Teams & PBX
integration to SIP trunks• Ideal for cloud PSTN
deployments• Instant deployment

Ribbon Solutions• Ribbon Connect for
Microsoft Teams Direct
Routing

Ribbon is the only Microsoft certified SBC provider that can deliver security solutions for any sizeorganization, across multiple deployment models. From a small retail shop to a global enterprise
Ribbon’s Direct Routing solutions are more secure and more resilient than our competition.

3 Solution Brief

Direct Routing Solutions for Microsoft Teams

Ideal for Enterprise-wide Deployments

PSTN
Teams
Ribbon PSX Centralized
Routing andSession Control

New Teams users with Teams
Phone System Services

EXISTING Branch
PBXs – Contact
Centers - Analog
Devices

Ribbon can integrate thousands of existing sites and tens of thousands ofTeams users into a cohesive communications network

Multiple Survivability and Resiliency Options
As organizations move exclusively to cloud-based communications, the reliability of cloud access becomes even more important.
Ribbon has multiple options to provide survivability in case a WAN link fails, or the Microsoft 365 cloud is unreachable.
Options include:•Support for Microsoft’s Survivable Branch Appliance (SBA)•

Support for resilient WAN links with rapid or seamless fail-over•High availability software architectures (with multi-route resiliency)•Redundant hardware options

Ribbon’s heritage supporting some of the world’s largest carrier networks means that we know how to build communication networks
that support 99.999% uptime. Our experts can help develop the most effective solution for your deployment requirements.

The Ribbon Difference
Ribbon has a longstanding relationship with Microsoft, so it is no surprise that we have the largest portfolio of Microsoft-certified
session border controllers. We’ve created more choices because Ribbon understands that every organization has unique communications and security requirements depending on the markets they serve, business processes, organization size/scope and their existing
communications environment.
Many of the world’s largest communication service providers use Ribbon SBCs to protect their networks and deliver the SIP Trunks
they provide for Direct Routing. There’s a good chance your Ribbon SBC will be connecting to its peer in the service provider’s cloud.

Contact us to learn more about Ribbon solutions.
Copyright ©️ 2023, Ribbon Communications Operating Company, Inc. (“Ribbon”). All Rights Reserved. v0223

4 Solution Brief