In short
Microsoft Teams Direct Routing providers run the certified Session Border Controller and carrier connection for you, a model Microsoft calls Direct Routing as a Service. Forever Systems provides it in the UK as our Teams calling service: existing numbers kept, itemised call billing and Teams Phone licences supplied, with pricing by quote.
Get a quote for Microsoft Teams Direct Routing
Tell us roughly how many users or sites you have and we will come back to you with options and a quote.
What a Direct Routing provider does
Microsoft's connectivity guidance (opens in a new tab) says the certified Session Border Controller (SBC) behind Direct Routing can be procured, installed and managed by you, by your integrator or by a Direct-Routing-as-a-Service provider. A provider takes on the parts that otherwise fall to an IT team:
- The certified SBC, kept on a firmware version Microsoft supports
- The SBC's certificate, DNS name and firewall rules
- The connection to a carrier, and the phone numbers
- Call routing between Teams and the phone network
The organisation keeps its own Microsoft 365 tenant, users and Teams Phone licences.
What we provide
We provide Direct Routing in the UK as our Teams calling service, run for you as a managed service:
- Numbers kept: your existing numbers ported, or new numbers supplied
- No equipment on site: the SBC runs in the cloud
- Itemised call billing, with a minutes bundle available on request
- Optional call recording
- Teams Phone licences supplied, billed monthly with terms confirmed at quote
- Set-up: users, auto attendants and call queues built and tested with you
Contact us for a Direct Routing quote.
What stays with you
| Item | Who holds it |
|---|---|
| Microsoft 365 tenant and user accounts | You |
| Plans that include Teams | You |
| Teams Phone licences | In your tenant; we can supply them |
| SBC, certificate and carrier connection | The provider |
| Numbers | Ported to the service and assigned to your users, auto attendants and call queues |
Teams Direct Routing requirements shows the full list of what Microsoft asks for and which side covers each item.
Want Direct Routing run for you? Ask us
Tell us your users and numbers and we will set out how our service would work for your organisation, with a quote.
What to check with a Direct Routing provider
- Numbers. Which of your numbers can be ported, and how the port date is planned
- Resilience. How the platform handles the loss of a data centre or a carrier route
- Emergency calls. How site addresses are recorded for emergency calls
- Billing. Whether calls are itemised or bundled, and how licences are billed
- Recording. Whether call recording is available and where recordings are held
- Other systems. Whether an existing phone system or analogue lines can be connected
Microsoft supports Direct Routing only with certified SBCs, so it is also fair to ask a provider which certified SBC its service uses. Teams Direct Routing SBC explains why that matters.
What drives the cost of Direct Routing
Direct Routing as a service has no single price. The figure depends on:
- The number of users with a number
- Call usage, or the minutes bundle chosen
- The numbers needed, including service numbers for auto attendants and call queues
- Options such as call recording
- The Teams Phone licences to add
No Microsoft Calling Plan licence is needed with Direct Routing, so the Microsoft side is the plan that includes Teams and the Teams Phone licence. Ask us for a quote with your user and number counts.
Sources (checked 11 November 2026): Microsoft Learn, "PSTN connectivity options" and "Plan Direct Routing".
How Forever Systems helps with Teams Phone
Forever Systems can quote and set up Microsoft Teams Phone for your organisation and connect it to the phone network.
- Licence and calling check: we look at the Microsoft 365 plan you hold and recommend the Teams Phone licences and calling option that fit
- Numbers kept: we plan and manage the porting of your existing numbers
- Call flows set up: auto attendants, call queues and opening hours built and tested with you
- Works with what you use: the Teams apps on desktop and mobile
- Licensing in one place: licences can be billed monthly, with terms confirmed at quote
We work with businesses, schools, charities and public sector organisations. Pricing depends on users, licences and calling, so ask us for a quote.
Frequently asked questions
What is Direct Routing as a service?
It is Direct Routing where a provider runs the certified Session Border Controller and carrier connection in its own cloud. Microsoft names it as one of three ways the controller can be managed, alongside running it yourself or through an integrator.
Who provides Microsoft Teams Direct Routing in the UK?
Forever Systems provides Direct Routing in the UK as our Teams calling service, with existing numbers kept, itemised call billing and Teams Phone licences supplied.
Do I need a Microsoft Calling Plan with a Direct Routing provider?
No. Microsoft requires Microsoft Teams and Teams Phone licences for Direct Routing users. The calls are carried by the provider's carrier connection, so no Calling Plan is needed.
How much does Teams Direct Routing cost?
It depends on the number of users, call usage, the numbers you need, options such as call recording and the Teams Phone licences to add. Ask us for a quote.
Can I keep my numbers with a Direct Routing provider?
Usually, yes. With our Teams calling service your existing numbers are ported to the service and assigned to users, auto attendants and call queues in Teams.
Still have a question about Microsoft Teams Direct Routing?
Ask us and a member of our team will get back to you.