7 Reasons Why Our Direct Routing is Better!

• Porting Phone Numbers is Easier with YCG

  Microsoft’s inbound PSTN call traffic is supplied by a third party. That provider also processes all porting and number purchases for the Teams platform in the UK. They don’t currently have porting agreements in place with every other UK communications provider, so it can be hit and miss as to how long porting takes (or even if it succeeds at all). Also, customers frequently have to get more involved in the porting process than they would like. Porting numbers away from Teams can be even more tricky - but if you want to move them over to our platform, we can assist in making that process as pain-free as possible!

• MiFiD II & PCI Compliant Call Recording

  Teams alone has no PCI or MIFID II compliant call recording solution natively. It’s native solution only records Teams internal calls, i.e. recording calls to PSTN numbers from Teams users is not currently possible. Third party call recording solutions can be integrated (and we even supply a really good one), but that is an additional cost that should be considered before Teams deployment. 

  Alternatively, Your Comms Group provide MiFiD II and PCI compliant Microsoft Teams Direct Routing phone systems that will allow you to follow requirements. Find out more here. 

   

• Efficient Call Routing

  Notably, Teams is not a mature telephony platform yet. Here's one example of many to illustrate the point:

  Calls that get answered in Teams often have a significant delay between answering the call and audio being received at either end. A feature called Conference Mode, when enabled, can reduce this delay. However, if compliant call recording is enabled, then Conference Mode and “Attendant” call routing (i.e. ringing all users simultaneously like a normal ring group might do on every other phone system) won't work together in a call queue. So you can either ring all the phones (but wait a few extra seconds for the audio to come through once you answer), or you are forced to use a different ring strategy for inbound calls to the one most companies are familiar with.

  However, if you choose Microsoft Teams Direct Routing with Your Comms Group, we provide a highly sophisticated call management platform that allows for streamlined call queuing, a voice platform that works in real time and a range of call features.

• Providing the Futureproof Solution

  There are a limited range of Teams physical handsets and they have had mixed reviews as far as features and reliability are concerned. Teams-specific firmware can be flaky, and manufacturer update schedules may lag behind the platform, causing interoperability issues. As Teams resource requirements inevitably increase, Teams handsets appear to become outdated quicker than those on traditional VOIP platforms, causing performance issues.

  However, when you choose Direct Routing from Your Comms Group, you are also choosing futureproof, functional solutions, with a selection of PBX features for ultimate performance that cannot be accessed through Microsoft alone.

• Integrate your Analogue Devices

  Unfortunately, there are no native Analogue Terminal Adaptors (ATAs) for Teams. You cannot simply plug in any analogue devices that might need integration with your phones (e.g. loudspeakers, bells, fax, PDQs etc) and expect them to work.

  When you choose Your Comms Group Direct Routing, however, you can be assured that our platform offers support for a range of external integrations.

• A Reliable Support Network

  Teams is a groupware product originally designed for internal communication -  and it shows. Randomly-appearing bugs and issues in basic features pop up often, and fixing them can often take a long time for Microsoft to get around to doing.

  When it comes to tech support, traditional VOIP platforms are staffed by people who specialise in it and are familiar with the subject when support queries come in. If you have a problem with our Direct Routing Service, we will provide support from a trained telecoms professional every time.

• Straightforward Migration and Deployment

  Moving from using an old platform to a new one can be difficult, and it can be hard to find trained professionals who can make the process of drifting away from legacy voice systems to the cloud a straightforward procedure. 

  Luckily, Your Comms Group are a certified Microsoft Gold partner. Our specialists are here to provide unlimited guidance from our 24/7 UK support desk and delivery experts.