Telstra connects direct to Microsoft Azure and Operator Connect for Microsoft Teams

Telstra has been announced as a selected carrier for Microsoft Azure Peering Service and Operator Connect for Microsoft Teams.

The move builds on the longstanding relationship between the Australia-based global telecoms and tech company and Microsoft to enhance connectivity to Microsoft’s Azure cloud services and provide an integrated calling experience via Teams. 

Microsoft Azure Peering Service is designed to provide reliable and optimised internet connectivity to Microsoft cloud services such as Microsoft 365, Dynamics 365 and Azure. Customers can register for the offering in the Azure portal, and Telstra and Microsoft will work to provide enterprise customers with what they say will be end-to-end, high-performing public connectivity with optimal routing in their selected region. 

The offering is integrated with Telstra Global Internet Direct to ensure connectivity service and secure access through a single network. Customers are also promised high levels of availability of service and lower-latency connections. Telstra is now offering Azure Peering Service to customers in Asia, and plans to expand availability to Europe and the US next year. 

Claiming to be building on the momentum from the launch of Telstra Calling for Microsoft Teams in August last year, Telstra says it has streamlined calling for users by providing a simplified and unified collaboration experience for organisations through Operator Connect for Microsoft Teams. This is intended to enable organisations to speed up and simplify the provision of telephony services and reduce deployment time by using advanced automation that integrates architecture components between Telstra and Microsoft.

Also, Telstra claims business users will experience enhanced voice call quality through the use of private network infrastructure and administrators will be able to provision and manage telephone numbers via the Microsoft Teams Admin Centre.

Sanjay Nayak, executive of fixed connectivity products at Telstra, said that as organisations accelerate their digital transformation journey, underlying technologies such as cloud and network connectivity need to work smoothly with reduced complexity. 

“Microsoft Azure Peering Service provides direct access between Telstra and Microsoft’s networks – providing users with a robust connectivity service at a location nearest to them, thereby reducing latency when accessing Microsoft’s workplace services,” he said. “By leveraging Telstra’s connectivity and professional services capabilities and Microsoft’s focus on intelligent cloud services, we aim to help organisations across the region and globally enable a modern work experience.”

Taimoor Husain, modern workplace strategy and GTM lead for Microsoft, added: “Telstra has been a longstanding partner for Microsoft since 2008. With internet traffic growing at an exponential rate, coverage has become critical for effective virtual collaboration. We look forward to tapping the breadth of Telstra’s network to build the modern workplace and enable more seamless collaboration for organisations.”