What's new with Direct Routing Teams?

Updated calculation of network efficiency ratio (NER)

Since November 11, 2024, Microsoft has adjusted the formula used to calculate the NER to provide greater visibility into potential issues affecting the reliability of the Direct Routing. Administrators can now more accurately identify the causes of call failures by analyzing specific response codes. 

New version of the Survivable Branch Appliance (SBA)

Since September 23, 2024, a new version of the SBA for the Direct Routing is available, offering the following features:

• Making and receiving calls PSTN via the SBA/SBC local network with the media stream passing through the SBC.
• Putting Calls on Hold and Resuming Them PSTN.
• Blind transfer.
• Forward calls to a specific phone number or user Teams .
• Redirect incoming calls to a call queue or automatic switchboard to a local agent or another queue.
• Failover VoIP : If a call VoIP cannot be initiated and the recipient has an PSTN number, a PSTN call is attempted.
• Calls VoIP between local users registered behind the same SBA.

Testing EKU Extensions in Certificates SBC

On March 5, 2024, Microsoft conducted a 24-hour test requiring that the certificates of SBC include both client and server authentication in their Extended Key Usage (EKU) extensions. It is essential to ensure that certificates SBC meet these requirements to avoid any service degradation. The permanent transition to this configuration took place on March 19, 2024. 

Change the certification authority for SIP certificates

Microsoft 365 has updated its services to use TLS certificates from a different set of root certificate authorities. Microsoft's SIP endpoints Direct Routing Teams used for PSTN traffic in Office 365 Government – GCC High (GCCH) and DoD deployments are affected. The transition to certificates issued by the new certificate authority began in May 2024. It is crucial to update your SBC to include the new certificate authority “DigiCert Global Root G2” in order to avoid any impact on the service. Those SBC that do not have this new certificate authority in their list will receive certificate validation errors, which may affect the availability or operation of the service. 

Optimize your Microsoft Teams telephony with Lambert Consulting

To take full advantage of these developments and ensure seamless integration of the Direct Routing into your infrastructure, it is essential to work with an experienced partner. At Lambert Consulting, we are recognized for our expertise in Microsoft telephony Teams. With over 17 years of experience in Microsoft telephony solutions such as MS-Teams Phone, Skype for Business Entreprise Voice, Lync, and Office Communications Server. We are certified as a Microsoft Gold Communications Partner and hold Microsoft Partner Advanced Specializations. Our team of versatile engineers provides high-quality service, exemplary responsiveness, and exceptional customer care, both in Switzerland and internationally. We also offer hybrid telephony solutions and cloud, as well as migration de PBX to VoIP and UC/UCC. To learn more about our services and see our recent projects, feel free to contact us or visit our official website.