Products · AudioCodes
AudioCodes SBC
AudioCodes Mediant is an SBC (Session Border Controller) that connects Microsoft Teams to your operator, your PBX and your analogue devices, and protects calls along the way. We design, install, upgrade and manage it, so that your calls get through.
About AudioCodes SBC
Border control for your calls
An SBC (Session Border Controller) sits where your network meets the outside world. It only lets in the calls that should come in, translates between systems that speak different dialects of SIP and makes sure calls are encrypted. Microsoft only supports Direct Routing with SBCs certified for Teams, so the SBC is the foundation of Teams Phone with Direct Routing.
AudioCodes sells its SBCs under the Mediant name. There are hardware appliances for everything from branches to large data centres, software for virtual environments and Azure (Mediant VE) and a version built for the cloud (Mediant CE). All of them run the same software, so management is the same whatever the model.
Last updated 14 October 2026.
At a glance
- Certified for Microsoft Teams Direct Routing
- From small branches to large organisations
- As an appliance, virtual (VE) or in the cloud (CE)
- Analogue devices and ISDN on some models
- Survivable branch mode when the link to Microsoft goes down
- Monitoring with AudioCodes OVOC
How we help you
What we do with AudioCodes SBC
Design
Model and size, placement in your data centre or in Azure, redundancy and survivable branch mode.
Installation
Domain names, certificates, DNS and firewall, and the connection to Microsoft’s connection points.
Routing
Voice routes and policies in Teams, number translation in the SBC towards the operator and the PBX, and a dedicated route for emergency calls.
Upgrades
The software is kept within the versions Microsoft has certified, and certificates are renewed in time.
Troubleshooting
We are first line for the SBC and take the case to AudioCodes, who escalate it to Microsoft when needed.
Hosted as a private cloud
The SBC can sit on your premises or be run by us as a private cloud hosted in Sweden.
Monitoring and lifecycle management
Call quality, changes, numbers and documentation, so that the solution holds up over time.
Use cases
How AudioCodes SBC is used
Teams Direct Routing
Teams is connected to your operator via the SBC, and you keep your numbers and your contract.
Teams and the PBX side by side
The SBC connects Teams to your PBX, for example MX-ONE or OpenScape, so that you can move group by group.
Analogue devices
Alarms, door entry phones and fax machines can be connected via the SBC or an analogue adapter when the PBX is decommissioned.
A branch that keeps working during outages
With survivable branch mode, Teams clients can keep making calls via the local SBC when the link to Microsoft goes down.
Contact centre and Dynamics 365
The same SBC can connect contact centres and the voice channel in Dynamics 365 Contact Center.
Secure SIP trunk to the PBX
An existing PBX gets the operator’s phone lines and numbers over the internet (SIP trunk), with encryption and protection against intrusion and toll fraud.
Works with
- Microsoft Teams Phone with Direct Routing
- Dynamics 365 Contact Center
- Mitel PBXs: MX-ONE, OpenScape 4000 and OpenScape Voice
- Operators’ SIP trunks
- VMware, Hyper-V, KVM, Azure, AWS and Google Cloud (Mediant VE)
- Analogue devices and ISDN (some models)
What we review first
- Number of concurrent calls at peak, not number of users
- Need for transcoding between audio codecs, and for encryption
- Where the SBC will sit: your data centre, Azure or a branch
- Domain, certificates and firewall rules
- Operator and SIP trunk
- Analogue devices, and branches that must keep working during outages
How we work
From the first conversation to day-to-day operations
01
Discovery
We review how you work today, which systems you have and what you want to achieve.
02
Proposal
You receive a concrete proposal covering technology, timeline and cost, and we explain our choices.
03
Implementation
We install, integrate and test, and we train your users and administrators.
04
Operations and support
After go-live, we stay with you for support, updates and further development.
Common questions
Frequently asked questions about AudioCodes SBC
Do we need an SBC if we choose Operator Connect?
No. With Operator Connect, the operator handles the connection and you do not need your own SBC. If Teams also needs to connect to an existing PBX or to analogue devices, you need Direct Routing and an SBC for that part, which is a common setup. We describe the differences in the guide Direct Routing or Operator Connect?
Physical or virtual SBC?
A virtual SBC suits you if you have a server environment or Azure, and it grows with the licence. Something physical on site is needed to connect analogue devices or ISDN. Survivable branch mode for Teams comes both built into physical SBCs and as a virtual appliance, but it must be located in the branch, so that Teams clients can reach it when the link to Microsoft is down. Many choose a central virtual SBC and small physical SBCs in the branches that have analogue devices.
What happens if the internet or Microsoft is down?
With an SBC in survivable branch mode (Survivable Branch Appliance) at the branch, Teams on Windows and macOS and Teams phones can keep making and receiving external calls via the local SBC.
There are limitations: web clients and virtual desktops are not supported, and emergency calls made in survivable branch mode carry no location information. That is why we review the backup routes in every project.
Can we keep our operator and numbers?
Yes. With Direct Routing, you keep your contract with the operator for your numbers, and the numbers are set up in Teams and assigned to users.
How often does the SBC need updating?
The software must stay within the versions Microsoft has certified, and certificates must be renewed more and more often. Since March 2026, public certificates can be valid for at most 200 days, and from March 2027 for at most 100 days. Expect maintenance a few times a year.
How large an SBC do we need?
The size depends on how many calls are in progress at the same time at peak, not on the number of users, and on whether calls need transcoding. We start from the measured load on your PBX today, with a margin.
Further reading
Guide
Direct Routing or Operator Connect?
Four ways to connect Teams to the phone network, and which one suits you.
Guide
Teams and your existing PBX: coexistence and gradual migration
How to let Teams and your PBX work together while you move at your own pace.
Solution
Teams Phone
Make and receive calls directly in Microsoft Teams, with Direct Routing via AudioCodes and a connection to your PBX.
Solution
Telephony for Dynamics 365
The voice channel in Dynamics 365 Contact Center, with Direct Routing and an SBC from AudioCodes.
Solution
Teams Phone in multiple countries
Teams Phone and numbers in several countries, with an architecture that follows local rules.
Let’s talk about your communications
Tell us where you stand today with your PBX, Teams or contact centre, and we will come back to you with a proposal. It costs nothing to ask.