EmpireUC Teams Connect
Teams Direct Routing, $4.99 a user
Your phone numbers inside Microsoft Teams, for less than Microsoft’s calling plan. Calls forward if Teams goes down, texting included, setup free.
What Direct Routing is
Real phone calls inside Teams, on your carrier.
Teams needs a phone carrier to call outside numbers. Microsoft sells its own calling plan; Direct Routing lets you use another carrier instead. With EmpireUC Teams Connect, that carrier is us.
Your staff make and take calls in the Teams app they already use, on your existing numbers. Nothing changes for them except the bill.
$4.99 a user, a month
Less than Microsoft’s calling plan, with no hardware and no setup fee.
Calls forward if Teams is down
Your numbers live on EmpireUC, so calls go to mobiles or another number until Teams is back.
Business texting
Send and receive texts on your company numbers.
Answered 24/7
One U.S. support line for calling, numbers and Teams setup.
What it costs
Teams calling, every way to buy it.
The same Teams app either way. Only the price changes.
| How Teams connects to the phone network | Per user, per month | What else you pay |
|---|---|---|
| EmpireUC Teams Connect | $4.99 | Nothing else. Setup is free, numbers move free, support is 24/7. |
| Microsoft Calling Plan | $7 more | Teams Phone with Calling Plan is $17 a user, against $10 for the Teams Phone license alone. |
| Microsoft Pay-As-You-Go | $3 more | $13 a user with the license, and every outbound minute billed on top. |
| Operator Connect carrier | $8 to $15 | Typical carrier price per user, before setup. |
| Direct Routing you run yourself | $3,000+ | A session border controller costs $3,000 to $15,000 plus upkeep, and setup typically starts at $1,500. |
Every option needs Microsoft’s Teams Phone license ($10 a user, or included in Microsoft 365 E5). Microsoft list prices, U.S., October 2026. EmpireUC is plus taxes and fees.
Included
Everything Teams calling needs.
Keep your numbers
We move your main line, direct lines and toll-free numbers, and schedule the switch so calls keep coming in.
Calls forward if Teams is down
An outage at Microsoft does not stop your phones. Calls go where you choose until Teams is back.
Business texting
Texts on your company numbers.
Desk phones too
Desk phones, door phones and fax lines on EmpireUC dial Teams users by extension.
Menus and queues
Teams auto attendants and call queues work on your EmpireUC numbers.
Voicemail to email
Messages arrive in the inbox as audio.
Set up for you, free
We connect your Microsoft 365 tenant, assign numbers and test every line.
How it works
Live in days, not months.
- A short call about your users, numbers and how calls should flow.
- Your Microsoft 365 admin signs in once so we can connect Teams to EmpireUC. We do the rest.
- We move your numbers and assign one to each Teams user.
- Calls ring in Teams. We stay on the line for go-live and support you after.
No hardware
No session border controller to buy or maintain. It runs on EmpireUC.
Every location
All your offices on one account and one bill.
Mix and match
Teams users, desk phones and EmpireUC users on the same system.
Questions
What IT teams ask us.
What is Microsoft Teams Direct Routing?
It is how Teams connects to a phone carrier other than Microsoft. With EmpireUC Teams Connect, EmpireUC is the carrier: your staff call and get called on your normal numbers inside Teams.
How much does it cost?
$4.99 per user per month, plus taxes and fees. Setup and number moves are free.
Do we still need a Microsoft license?
Yes. Each person who makes calls needs Microsoft’s Teams Phone license, which is included in Microsoft 365 E5. EmpireUC replaces Microsoft’s calling plan, not the license.
What happens if Teams goes down?
Your numbers live on EmpireUC, so calls do not stop. They forward to mobiles or another number you choose until Teams is back.
Can we text from our numbers?
Yes. Business texting is included on your EmpireUC numbers.
Do we need a session border controller?
No. It runs on EmpireUC, so there is no hardware to buy, host or patch.
Can some staff keep desk phones?
Yes. Desk phones, door phones and fax lines can sit on EmpireUC and dial Teams users by extension.
How long does it take?
A small office is usually live within days. Number moves set the date, and we plan them with you.
Get Teams calling for $4.99 a user.
Tell us a little about your Teams setup and we will come back with a quote and a go-live date.