August Survey 2025: “Teams as the Hub” — What End Users Really Think About Operator Connect & Contact Centre in Microsoft Teams

In August 2025, NFON surveyed 720 business users and IT-involved end users across the UK to understand attitudes toward Microsoft Teams as the primary interface for calling and customer interactions, and Operator Connect as the preferred PSTN enablement. Our findings reflect a market where Teams is already ubiquitous, and voice is catching up quickly — with Operator Connect seen as the “fast path” to simplify calling and integrate contact centre.

Context:

• Microsoft reported >20M Teams Phone PSTN users across Operator Connect, Direct Routing, Calling Plans and Teams Phone Mobile (FY2024), showing strong momentum behind Teams telephony. (LoopUp)
• Teams exceeds 320M monthly active users, underscoring the logic of “one interface to rule comms.” (UC Today)
• Microsoft runs a formal Teams Contact Centre certification program, giving buyers confidence in integrated CX. (Microsoft Learn)
• Industry analysts forecast rapid growth in cloud/mobile PBX and Teams Phone through 2026, with evolving preferences for PSTN enablement methods (Direct Routing, Operator Connect, mobile). (frost.com)

💬 10 Survey Questions & Results

1) Are you already using Microsoft Teams as your primary collaboration tool?

Yes 86% | Partly 10% | No 4%

Teams ubiquity sets the stage for consolidating calling/contact centre in one pane of glass.

2) How is PSTN calling enabled (or planned) for your Teams users?

• Operator Connect (current or pilot) 33%
• Direct Routing 29%
• Microsoft Calling Plans 12%
• Undecided / evaluating 26%

Buyers increasingly view OC as a faster, admin-friendly route; DR remains vital for complex/hybrid needs.

3) If you’re not on Operator Connect yet, what’s your likelihood to move in the next 12 months?

Very likely 24% | Somewhat likely 36% | Unsure 25% | Unlikely 15%

Momentum reflects the broader growth trajectory predicted for Teams Phone ecosystems.

4) What are your top perceived benefits of Operator Connect vs. alternatives? (Select up to 3)

• Simplified provisioning & number management in Teams Admin Centre 53%
• Faster rollout / less complexity 48%
• Carrier-grade reliability with Microsoft-integrated controls 41%
• Easier reporting/monitoring in one place 34%
• Parallels Microsoft’s own experiences/UX 22%

OC’s value prop centres on deeper Teams integration & streamlined ops

5) What are your top concerns about moving voice to Teams with Operator Connect? (Select all that apply)

• Emergency calling & compliance specifics 37%
• Number porting timelines / complexity 35%
• Resiliency/survivability during Microsoft or carrier outages 33%
• Total cost predictability (licenses + carrier + add-ons) 31%
• Carrier lock-in / global reach 28%

Concerns mirror common DR vs OC trade-offs (flexibility, custom routing, global variants).

6) Attitude check: “Using Teams as the central interface for employees (calling + meetings + chat) will improve productivity.”

Strongly agree 27% | Somewhat agree 49% | Neutral 17% | Disagree 7%

The “single-interface” bet resonates with most users; voice consolidation rides Teams’ scale.

7) Contact centre: where are you on Teams-integrated CC?

• Already using a Microsoft-certified CC for Teams 18%
• Piloting / planning in 12 months 29%
• Exploring, no timeline 32%
• No plans 21%

Certification signals quality & reduces integration risk for buyers.

8) What benefits do you expect from a Teams-integrated contact centre? (Select up to 3)

• Better agent-expert collaboration (directory/presence) 46%
• Omnichannel via one identity & analytics 44%
• Faster onboarding/training (familiar UI) 38%
• Lower tool sprawl & license overlap 33%
• Improved reporting/QA in one stack 31%

Industry coverage highlights tighter routing, presence, and omnichannel gains with Teams-centric CC.

9) What blocks Teams-integrated CC adoption today? (Select all that apply)

• Advanced routing/IVR customization needs 35%
• Legacy PBX/workflow dependencies 33%
• Recording/compliance intricacies 29%
• Global telephony footprint requirements 27%
• Change management / training 26%

Complex environments may still prefer DR or hybrid models; OC and CC certification narrow the gap.

10) Overall confidence: “Moving to Operator Connect and using Teams as the hub will improve our comms & CX within 2 years.”

Very confident 23% | Somewhat confident 57% | Unsure 15% | Not confident 5%

Echoes broader optimism around Teams Phone growth and the shift to collaboration-centric UCaaS.

🧠 Narrative: What This Tells Us

• Teams is the default workplace interface — so pulling voice and contact centre into the same UI feels natural to end users, not aspirational. (320M+ MAU context
• Operator Connect is the “least-friction” path for many: quick provisioning, simpler admin, and carrier reliability — especially attractive for mid-market and distributed enterprises.
• Direct Routing stays relevant for bespoke routing, legacy tie-ins, and global nuance; the real world will remain hybrid for a while.
• Teams-certified contact centre options reduce risk and accelerate time-to-value; buyers want presence-aware handoffs and fewer tools to juggle. 

🔑 Takeaways for Leaders

• Meet users where they already live: If Teams is the workday home screen, consolidating telephony and CC there is a usability win.
• Pick the right PSTN model: Operator Connect for speed & admin simplicity; Direct Routing for deep customisation; hybrid when you need both.
• De-risk contact centre with Microsoft-certified solutions to ensure quality, compatibility and supportability.
• Plan for governance: Emergency calling, survivability, number porting, and compliance must be addressed early in the project to avoid surprises.
• Measure what matters: Agent time-to-productivity, FCR, transfer rates, and “expert connect” SLAs are where Teams-integrated CC should shine.

💡Are you starting, or on a journey towards Teams Calling? Talk to us if you want some free and impartial advice. It's what we do!