In an age of hybrid and remote working, business leaders strive to provide their employees with a comprehensive “work hub” for digital productivity. Teams need a landscape where they can seamlessly share files and ideas with colleagues, track user presence, and access knowledgebase content from anywhere with an internet connection.
Collaboration suites offered by leading brands like Microsoft Teams and Zoom are fantastic for building these unified experiences. They allow staff to connect via voice, video and messaging while accessing various integrated tools and services. And more brands are now integrating voice calling into these platforms to transform a collaboration tool into a true work hub.
That’s where solutions like Zoom Phone Provider Exchange and Teams Operator Connect come into play. While Microsoft and Zoom have their own “native” phone systems to offer business leaders, their BYOC (Bring Your Own Carrier) services provide businesses with the freedom to connect their existing telephony services with their collaboration apps.
So, how do Zoom Phone Provider Exchange and Teams Operator Connect Compare from a BYOC perspective?
What is Zoom Phone Provider Exchange?
Zoom Phone Provider Exchange is a cloud-based “BYOC” solution offered by Zoom, allowing companies to connect their external PTSN or SIP calling providers into the Zoom Phone platform. The service sits alongside Zoom Phone Plans and the traditional Zoom BYOC program to give customers various options for aligning their communication and collaboration tools.
Zoom’s BYOC program is similar to the “Direct Routing” service from Microsoft Teams, which allows businesses to select their preferred SIP carrier, who would provider external connectivity by connecting their network with the customers tenant or on-prem SBC (Session Border Controller). Zoom Phone Provider Exchange takes this opportunity for brands to access their preferred provider’s services to the next level.
With Zoom Phone Provider Exchange, users can find and connect with their preferred carrier directly within the Zoom interface. This creates a more streamlined approach to BYOC communications without additional hardware and complexity. Consumers can provision numbers within the Zoom environment using the Provider Exchange too.
The Benefits of Zoom Phone Provider Exchange
The Zoom Phone Provider Exchange essentially works as a simplified, cloud-hosted version of Zoom’s BYOC program. Companies can still retain the flexibility they need when managing and optimising their communication stack. However, they don’t have to invest as much as they would with specialist assistance and hardware.
With Zoom Phone Provider exchange, organisations benefit from the following:
- Reduced infrastructure costs: While the existing Zoom BYOC solution may require on-site equipment and additional hardware, this isn’t the case with Zoom Provider Exchange. Companies can move more of their technology into the cloud and reduce expenditure.
- Cost savings: Zoom Phone Provider Exchange gives companies the broadest level of access to all kinds of phone providers. This means companies can look for the most cost-effective option and even choose pay-what-you-use purchasing models.
- Flexibility: Zoom’s Marketplace app makes it quick and convenient to discover and choose the right providers for different needs. What’s more, organisations can rapidly provision numbers and tools from a single, unified interface.
- Geographic reach: While Zoom Phones does have native service in 45 countries, the Phone Provider Exchange service ensures companies can access the support they need for enterprise-level communications anywhere.
What is Teams Operator Connect?
Operator Connect from Microsoft Teams is a similar solution to Zoom’s Phone Provider Exchange. The solution builds on the existing Direct Routing capabilities offered by Microsoft Teams, which allows users to add their preferred telephony carrier into the Teams ecosystem using SIP technology, SBCs, and the PowerShell ecosystem.
With Direct Routing, customers using Teams can create flexible, complex communication ecosystems with advanced configurations based on their specific needs. With the assistance of a Direct Routing provider, organisations can access everything from high-level voice to compliant call recording within Teams. Plus, it’s possible to sidestep any Microsoft Calling Plan service’s geographical restrictions and functionality limitations normally at a more cost-effective price point.
Operator Connect also allows companies to bring their own carrier into the Teams landscape. However, brands can choose a provider and manage their telephony requirements within the Teams environment instead of working with complex PowerShell algorithms. Though advanced features still need to be configured with a third-party vendor, Operator Connect simplifies the route to BYOC communications for most brands.
The Benefits of Teams Operator Connect
Operator Connect is an excellent option for companies looking to bridge the gap between the simplicity of Microsoft Teams Phone Calling Plans and the flexibility of Direct Routing. Brands can manage and implement essential voice services through Microsoft, choose the carrier they want to keep, and leverage advanced features with extra support.
The benefits of Operator Connect include the following:
- Coverage: Operator Connect allows companies to access geographical services and support they may not be able to access with Microsoft Calling Plans alone. It’s even possible to mix and match Direct Routing and Operator Connect elements for more coverage.
- Cost savings: Like with Zoom Phone Provider Exchange, customers can use Operator Connect to ensure they access the most cost-effective communication and collaboration package for their needs. They can compare various providers to ensure they pick the exemplary service and maintain relationships with existing vendors.
- Convenience: There’s no need to manage numbers with Microsoft PowerShell using Operator Connect. Instead, companies can conveniently provision and manage numbers using the Microsoft Teams interface. This removes the need for extra professional support.
- Security: Because Operator Connect uses trusted cross-connect networks or private links between private carriers and Microsoft, they ensure better reliability and call quality. This can open the door to better privacy, compliance, and safety.
Choosing The Right BYOC Provider
Zoom Phone Provider Exchange and Microsoft Teams Operator Connect offer companies an excellent and straightforward way to bring their own carrier into their collaboration stack. These tools sidestep the complexities of other BYOC solutions while allowing for flexibility and agility. The right choice for any brand will depend on its existing collaboration tools and communication vendors.
Notably, the key to getting the most from BYOC with these services is having the support of the right partner. Only a handful of providers, including Pure IP, meet the requirements for both Zoom Phone Provider Exchange and Operator Connect, so it’s worth researching which brand can deliver the best range of technical support, managed services, and advanced features.
Ian Guest, Pure IP’s Marketing Director said “As an agnostic voice provider, our expertise spans a variety of platforms, with both Microsoft Teams and Zoom becoming crucial for our customers. We’ve been partnered with both from the beginning, and have watched these platforms grow and evolve their capabilities, including expanding their opportunities to add telephony for a fully unified communications system. Both Operator Connect for Teams and Phone Provider Exchange for Zoom have streamlined the process for adding cloud telephony, making it more accessible to businesses around the world than ever before.”
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