AudioCodes has officially joined Microsoft’s Operator Connect Partner (OCP) club, unlocking a streamlined path to Teams Phone deployments and a new opportunity for IT teams navigating the evolving voice landscape.
The certification positions AudioCodes as a fully integrated PSTN service provider within the Microsoft Teams ecosystem, with the service currently live in the US and Europe.
For IT leaders, this means a faster, cleaner alternative to Direct Routing, with none of the infrastructure complexity or lengthy nomination processes that typically bog down deployments.
“AudioCodes’ OCP certification is a game-changer for our channel ecosystem,” said Benny Matityahu, VP Unified Communications at AudioCodes.
Partners can now offer Operator Connect services with the backing of AudioCodes’ robust infrastructure and Microsoft’s endorsement eliminating the barriers that have traditionally limited access to this programme.
“It’s a major step forward in simplifying Teams Phone deployments, especially for SME and SMB customers.”
Simplifying Teams Voice, End-to-End
With Operator Connect, Microsoft essentially hands over the voice provisioning reins to certified carriers, enabling direct integration into Teams via secure, managed APIs. AudioCodes now offers this capability, backed by its cloud-native AudioCodes Live Platform.
For IT teams, the impact is twofold:
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Reduced deployment friction. No need to manage SBCs, configure Direct Routing, or negotiate SIP trunks.
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Operational efficiency. AudioCodes automates the entire lifecycle, including number assignment, user onboarding, policy enforcement, and even full PBX-to-Teams migrations.
Enterprise Voice Without the Overhead
It opens the door for channel partners (MSPs, VARs, and SIs) to enter the Operator Connect space without going through Microsoft’s nomination process. For IT buyers, that translates into more competitive offerings, faster deployments, and simplified vendor management.
AudioCodes is also an Operator Connect Accelerator (OCA) partner, meaning it helps other providers get certified too. This dual role strengthens its influence in the Teams voice ecosystem.
As well as being notable news for channel partners, the move provides a clear path to scalable Teams voice for enterprises and mid-market organisations, minus the CapEx.
AudioCodes essentially acts as the backbone, allowing IT departments to offer enterprise-grade voice through a partner without having to build, host, or manage their own stack.
The Bottom Line for IT leaders
If you’re responsible for UC strategy, this news matters. AudioCodes’ Operator Connect certification brings:
- Faster time-to-voice for Teams
- Lower deployment and maintenance overhead
- More agility in hybrid work enablement
- An enterprise-ready, partner-backed alternative to Direct Routing
As Teams continues to dominate the UC space, the ability to spin up voice quickly, securely, and at scale is becoming mission-critical. With certification, AudioCodes could have just made this a whole lot easier.
