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Deployment approaches for voice channel in Dynamics 365 Contact Center

This article provides guidance on the different deployment options available for the voice channel.

Traditional contact center deployment

Traditional contact centers require complex infrastructure across telephony, media, networking, and compute, often involving multiple vendors and environments. This leads to challenges with compatibility, maintenance, and scalability.

Microsoft Dynamics 365 Contact Center offers a simplified cloud-native solution with minimal infrastructure overhead. It supports rapid deployment, centralized voice and chat integration, and advanced capabilities like IVR/ACD flows, web-based softphones, and AI tools (ASR, TTS, NLP) via Microsoft Copilot Studio.

A diagram of traditional deployment of voice.

Inbound calling deployment approaches

Bring your own telephony: Azure Communication Services-based direct routing or Teams direct routing

Connect SIP trunks via Azure Communication Services or Microsoft Teams direct routing.

Benefits of the approach

  • Reuse existing carriers and numbers

  • Control call flows, branding

  • Preserves SIP context (caller ID, intent, auth tokens)

Microsoft SLA

Microsoft responsibility starts after call enters Azure Communication Services or Teams. If the call is transferred back to your Session Border Controller (SBC), SIP context, and call quality become your responsibility.

Best for

  • SIP context-dependent workflows (blind transfers, callback workflows, or handoffs to non-Microsoft systems—where losing SIP context can break continuity and degrade customer experience).

  • Organizations with existing telephony investments.

A diagram of Azure Communication Services-based direct routing or Teams direct routing.

Microsoft calling plan numbers with Azure Communication Services direct offer or Teams calling plan

Use Microsoft-managed PSTN numbers via Azure Communication Services direct offer or Teams.

Benefits of the approach

  • Simplified provisioning, billing, and compliance

  • Global reach with SLA-backed reliability

  • Integrated with Dynamics 365 features (routing, analytics, transcription)

Consideration

SIP context (caller ID, intent, authentication tokens) might be stripped by PSTN carriers outside Microsoft network.

Best for

  • Cloud-first businesses

  • Use cases not requiring full SIP metadata

A diagram of Microsoft calling plan with Azure direct offer or Teams calling plan.

Outbound contact center deployment

Bring your own telephony for outbound voice

Route outbound calls using existing telephony via Azure Communication Services or Teams.

Benefits of the approach

  • Customizable campaign routing

  • SIP metadata preservation (caller ID, context)

  • Integration with existing monitoring and compliance tools

Microsoft SLA

Microsoft doesn't have an SLA. You manage call quality outside Microsoft boundary.

A diagram of bring your own telephony for outbound voice.

Microsoft calling plan numbers for outbound voice

Use Microsoft-provided numbers for agent or automated outbound calls.

Benefits of the approach

  • Easy provisioning, global scale

  • Enterprise reliability

  • D365 integration for campaign automation

Consideration

SIP context might be lost when calls are handed off through PSTN networks to non-Microsoft platforms.

A diagram of Microsoft calling plan numbers for outbound voice.

Introduction to the voice channel
Manage phone numbers in Dynamics 365 Contact Center

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