Direct routing to Microsoft Teams: What is it and what can it do for your business?

The COVID-19 pandemic showed how a crisis can suddenly emerge and prevent your staff from working at the office. Thus, it’s crucial that you adopt solutions that ensure greater workspace flexibility. One of these solutions is Microsoft Teams, which facilitates communication and collaboration through features like chat messaging, video conferencing, project management, and a cloud-based telephony system known as Direct Routing.

What is cloud-based telephony?

Traditional landline telephones are connected to one another by copper wires through the public switched telephone network (PSTN), which refers to all the telephone networks used around the globe. Cloud-based telephones, on the other hand, route voice calls through the internet.

There are several ways to make cloud calls. Besides using physical phones, you can also use software that functions like a telephone, called a virtual phone. With a virtual phone, you can make calls using any device that can run the program. These devices include smartphones, desktop computers, and laptops.

The Teams Phone feature adds Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) capabilities to MS Teams, allowing the program to function as a virtual phone. Unfortunately, because Teams Phone doesn’t connect to the PSTN, it can only be used to communicate with other users in your company, or with users of other communication apps, such as Slack. If you want Teams to be able to communicate with landline phones, you need Direct Routing.

What is Direct Routing on Teams?

Direct Routing allows your Teams client to connect to the PSTN using session border controllers (SBCs). SBCs are hardware or software that function as firewalls for VoIP systems, ensuring the proper transmission of data and preventing unauthorized parties from eavesdropping on calls. You can find different SBCs on the market, but you’ll need Microsoft-certified ones if you want to use Direct Routing.

SBCs are a complex technology and leaving their setup to inexperienced technicians can lead to risky misconfigurations and cybersecurity vulnerabilities. For this reason, setting up Direct Routing is best entrusted to the skilled IT professionals at [company_short].

Why should you use Direct Routing?

With Direct Routing, you no longer have to set up a separate phone line for your remote employees as they can make and receive calls using smartphones or laptops. More than this, Direct Routing lets your business enjoy the following benefits:

Greater control

Direct Routing essentially centralizes your telephony system through Teams. By implementing Direct Routing, your IT department will have an easier time implementing crucial security policies, monitoring usage rates, and enforcing usage limits when needed. It’s also easier to identify and resolve issues in a centralized telephony system because your IT personnel no longer have to deal with multiple, disparate devices.

Decreased costs

Microsoft offers other ways besides Direct Routing to connect your Teams client to the PSTN. These alternatives are Microsoft’s calling plans. The main difference between calling plans and Direct Routing is that the latter allows you to work with third-party service providers. This gives you more options and opportunities for your business to save money.

Additionally, you don’t need to use expensive telephony systems for Direct Routing. You can simply use devices that are already available to you and your employees.

More consistency

With traditional landline telephones, you may have to operate using different lines and devices, which can become quite confusing for your employees and customers. Centralizing your telephony system through Direct Routing streamlines your communication channels and promotes a better experience for everyone.

Direct Routing makes it easier and more convenient to communicate for everyone in your business. Let the IT experts at [company_short] set it up for you. Contact us today to get started.

6 Reasons to implement zero trust security in your business

Similar to how castles are protected with moats, networks are traditionally secured using tools and measures, such as firewalls, to create a barrier between the organization and potential threats. Users within the network are considered trustworthy and free to access any resource they please.

However, the castle moat analogy no longer works in today’s interconnected world, where users often access sensitive data from outside the network using their personal devices. To effectively protect your business’s data, you need a more stringent security strategy that doesn’t rely on network perimeter defenses. This is where zero trust security comes in.

What is zero trust?

Zero trust is a security model that treats all users and devices — even those already within the network — as potential threats. Users are given access to just the resources they need to do their tasks and must go through strict authentication and authorization processes. Zero trust usually employs advanced measures like encryption and multifactor authentication to safeguard data.

Why should you implement zero trust security?

There are many reasons to implement zero trust security in your business.

Enhanced security posture

Sophisticated cyberthreats are usually adept at breaching conventional network perimeter defenses. Zero trust acknowledges that breaches have become inevitable in today’s digital landscape and focuses on identifying malicious activity and preventing it from spreading throughout the network. It prevents unauthorized parties from accessing sensitive data, even if they have managed to penetrate the network perimeter.

Greater resistance to insider threats

An insider threat comes from within your organization, such as a current or former employee, contractor, or business partner. These threats can have malicious intent, like when a disgruntled ex-employee purposely leaks sensitive company data. In other cases, an insider threat could be accidental in nature, such as when an employee unwittingly falls for a phishing scam.

Zero trust security can help mitigate insider threats by strictly limiting access to resources, preventing insiders from taking sensitive data they’re not supposed to have access to. In this manner, zero trust also deters hackers who may have stolen your employees’ credentials and are trying to access your network.

More visibility into activity within your network

With zero trust, you can see who is accessing which resources and when. This can help you quickly identify malicious or unauthorized activity, so you can take corrective action before any damage is done. This also helps you develop more effective cybersecurity policies for future use.

Cost savings

Zero trust security can help you save on costs associated with conventional cybersecurity strategies. For example, since zero trust security doesn’t rely on network parameters for user segmentation, a virtual private network becomes optional. What’s more, zero trust can help you avoid the costs associated with data breaches, such as fines, reputation damage, and loss of customer trust.

Improved compliance

Businesses in highly regulated industries like healthcare and finance are required to go beyond basic cybersecurity measures to protect their customers’ data. The extra layer of security zero trust offers can help your business meet stringent industry compliance requirements imposed by frameworks like PCI DSS, HIPAA, and GDPR.

Increased productivity

A zero trust security strategy doesn’t rely on network parameters to segment users and devices, so employees can work from anywhere without sacrificing security. This increases productivity, as employees don’t need to be on site to access the resources they need. They can work even in situations when they can’t make it to the office for some reason. This also allows them to work wherever is most comfortable and conducive for them.

Given the rate at which cyberthreats evolve, you need to adopt more advanced cybersecurity strategies like zero trust to effectively defend your business and its data. At [company_short], our IT experts can help you develop policies and identify the tools you need to implement such a strategy. Contact us today.