Operator Connect for Microsoft Teams

Operator Connect for Microsoft Teams from BT lets your business use Microsoft Teams as your phone system. In addition to video conferencing, Operator Connect allows you to make phone calls and audio conference through Teams on your desktop, laptop, or mobile phone.

Operator Connect offers a simple and secure way of calling in Teams using BT’s global voice network. Backed with assured end-to-end service controls for high quality, low latency voice conversations. It’s an entirely new way for multinational organisations operating in different countries to choose and enable their voice services and it doesn’t matter if you’re an existing BT customer or not.

It’s easy to set up, with plans to suit your business needs.

To order or for more information, get in touch online.

Direct Routing provides you with the flexibility to integrate your existing telephony solution with Microsoft Teams. It also allows for integrating various other critical communication functions, like SBC technology and call centre technology.

Compared to Operator Connect, Direct Routing offers a little more flexibility, making it an excellent choice for 3rd party integrations, voice network customisation, or complex and regulated environments.

Operator Connect simply creates a third option in the selection of calling options when moving to Teams.

Operator Connect allows administrators in the enterprise to simply go into their admin account, choose a service provider and administer phone numbers whenever they choose.

Operator Connect works best for organisations without complex requirements and who can sacrifice the flexibility of Direct Routing in favour of simplicity and ease of use.

We’ve been providing virtualised cloud based and on-premises Teams Direct Routing services for many years.  Where required we’re able to deliver a hybrid mode of working between both Direct Routing and Operator Connect technologies to deliver a simple, comprehensive Microsoft Teams voice solution.

If you are unsure which solution is right for you, or are interested in mixing the two solutions, please contact us via Live chat.

You can run multiple voice services side by side. If you have a Microsoft Calling plan, Direct Routing or even Operator Connect from another provider you can leave that in place and add our service beside it.

If you have numbers with a different supplier that you want to keep, you can port these across, but you’ll need to allow additional time for the numbers to be released from your outgoing carrier to us.

Operator Connect is an option in Microsoft’s calling portfolio for you to migrate your existing telephony to Teams.  To make external PSTN calls from within your Teams tenant across our voice network via Operator Connect,  each user you want to assign a phone number in Teams will need access to Microsoft Teams and a Teams Phone System license. 

All the connectivity and infrastructure is managed by ourselves as a cloud service to you.  But remember,  you'll need Microsoft Teams with an E1, E3, Plus Phone System add-on license or an E5 License which automatically includes the Phone System License.

The bare minimum requirements to use Operator Connect are:

• Microsoft Teams (Included in most 365 plans, but not all)
• Teams Phone System
• Agreement with an Operator Connect provider like us.

Yes, we generally allocate new numbers first and then port numbers. Porting timelines vary depending on the carrier or platform you are moving away from.

You should consider choosing new numbers where possible to make the migration process faster and avoid any associated porting charges.

In the left navigation pane in Teams Admin Center, go to Voice > Operator Connect> select BT from the operators list. At this point you’ll be taken to the consent page where you can select the countries and services that suit your voice needs.

You will be asked to add your contact information and accept Data Privacy Terms and data transfer notice before you can add BT as your operator. Then you’ll need select Add as my operator to save.

Teams Phone Mobile (previously Operator connect Mobile) is a logical evolution of Operator Connect. It will simplify and streamline voice collaboration, delivering a mobile-first experience for customers looking to get the best from a hybrid, digital workplace.

It combines reliable, trusted communications powered by our leading EE mobile network — including 5G — with the power of Microsoft Teams.

Teams Phone Mobile will allow you to move between devices, add video, share content, record, and transcribe conversations and enjoy true integration across your mobile device and Teams.

Find out more about Teams Phone Mobile.

Using Operator Connect Conferencing, you can implement dial-in numbers into your Teams ecosystem using the Microsoft Audio Conferencing bridge.

With Operator Connect Conferencing, users can:

• Dial-in to Teams Meetings - you can use group calling options and make sure your hybrid workforce has a clear audio connection for their meetings
• Connect employees - you can give the same high-quality calling experience for all your users worldwide
• Expand on calling functionality – you can unlock a broader range of functionality options in your Teams environment.

The current minimum order is 10 users, with a minimum of 5 users per site.

For any sites with less than 10 users an additional one-time charge of £250 will occur.

You can sign up to a minimum contract of 12 months, up to a maximum of 3 years.

Trial 10-users free for 30 days* (*T&Cs apply).

If you’re happy with the trial and want to deploy Operator Connect, there will be a minimum order of 10 users required, with a minimum of 5 users per site. For any sites with less than 10 users an additional one-time charge of £250 will occur.

All you need to do is give consent to BT within your Teams Admin Center (TAC) portal, along with your emergency contacts. We’ll create your order and start the trial.

You can cut the trial short at any time.

We can deploy Operator Connect within days, but this does depend on the country and whether you prefer new set of phone numbers, or to port your existing ones over to us.

We will work with you to get you up and running as soon as possible, but please note deployment is likely to take longer when we need to port phone numbers.

Yes, we can accommodate each country having a different package. We’ll get that information when you speak to one of our Operator Connect team.

Yes, you can, but early termination fees will apply. Any changes will be based on the number of subscribed users and the remaining length of the subscription.

We offer three call packages (Basic, Standard and Pro) to suit your business needs – starting from only £3.55 per user per month.

To see a full price list, go to the ‘Choose your package’ section of this page.

Our pricing is available in three currencies: Euro, Pound Sterling, and Dollar.

Our service is currently available in 21 countries, including: Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Luxemburg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, and United States.

International calls to fixed lines and mobiles to eligible 24 countries are included. All other calls will be charged based on a rate card.

Our call packages include calls to: Geographic, fixed to mobile, fixed IDD, and mobile IDD.

All other call types are chargeable.

Our worldwide support teams are available 24/7, to help with any technical problems and keep you and your teams connected.

A helpdesk-to-helpdesk support model is in place to support your IT department.

It’s easy to get in touch by phone or email:

US toll and toll-free numbers:
+1 917 421 7183
888 922 9919

UK toll and toll-free numbers:
+44 203 684 9053
0800 085 6472

Hong Kong toll number
+852 3019 4135

Singapore toll number
+65 6670 9767

Email: digitalworkplaceservicedesk@bt.com

• 10 user free trial (no rental, no usage charges)
• All free trial users must be within the same site
• New numbers only 
• Trial numbers will be ceased at the end of the trial period.  New numbers provisioned for Production service. 
• Standard Operator Connect service support model
• Standard calling package included - Domestic calls only. International calls not permitted for trials.