«Thanks to Microsoft Teams Direct Routing, we can easily make changes ourselves and pay even less.»
Virtual phone systems are increasingly replacing their physical counterparts. One popular solution is Microsoft Teams Direct Routing, for which peoplefone serves as the provider. The example of the Swiss Automotive Trade Association illustrates the benefits of this modern telephony solution. In an interview with ICT project manager Anil Özay, we also learn how easy it is to implement Microsoft Teams Direct Routing with the right partners.
About the Swiss Automotive Trade Association
The Swiss Automotive Trade Association (AGVS ¦ UPSA) is the industry and professional association for the Swiss automotive trade. As an umbrella organization, it supports its members with a wide range of services, promotes training and continuing education, and advocates for the interests of the Swiss automotive trade in the political, business, and public spheres.
Why did you need a new telephony solution for the Swiss Automotive Trade Association?
Anil Özay: For about ten years, our telephony solution consisted of a large physical PBX that we shared with other companies in the building. Gradually, our neighbors switched to more modern systems, so that at some point the existing solution was no longer cost-effective for us. Ultimately, switching to a virtual phone system in the summer of 2025 was the logical step for us.
What specific telephony requirements does your association have?
For our association, the phone system is the linchpin of both external and internal communication. With the new Microsoft Teams Direct Routing telephony solution, we can easily assign call groups to our departments, such as Marketing, Continuing Education, Gas Station Inspection, Legal Services, etc.
What benefits does the new data and voice solution with Microsoft Teams Direct Routing offer you, and what does it look like in detail?
Basically, we needed a more modern and cost-effective solution that would allow us to implement changes ourselves more quickly and easily. That is certainly the biggest advantage for us. If our reception desk is unstaffed, we can activate an automated system that allows callers to navigate through the menu on their own. With the new solution, we can quickly and easily make adjustments ourselves—such as special business hours, the availability of different departments, or even the routing sequence for call transfers. With the previous solution, all of that was much more cumbersome.
What were the main reasons for choosing the new provider, peoplefone?
peoplefone was recommended to us by our IT provider, Axians Somnitec AG. The two companies have been working together for quite some time and offer a straightforward service at an attractive price. In that regard, this solution was the simplest for us and has proven to be the best choice.
How did the transition go in June 2025?
The transition went absolutely smoothly. The number porting was completed very quickly and took place in the early morning hours. Axians Somnitec also worked as quickly and efficiently as usual. Of course, some preparation was necessary, but in the end, we completed the implementation of the new telephony solution in a single workday without any noticeable disruptions.
Were your employees already using the Microsoft Teams app before the introduction of Direct Routing, or was this a new feature for them?
We’ve been using Microsoft Teams for several years now, so our employees are very familiar with it. A brief guide with a few screenshots was all it took to explain the additional features of Direct Routing.
How does support and collaboration with Axians Somnitec AG and peoplefone work in general?
Support and collaboration with both companies work very well. I’ve dealt directly with peoplefone once so far, when we needed reports for our executive management—that was handled very smoothly and quickly. Our collaboration with Axians Somnitec is also consistently reliable, straightforward, and solution-oriented.
What do you particularly appreciate about these two partners, and is there anything specific you’d still like to see from them?
What I particularly appreciate about both partners is their quick response time, straightforward support, and relatively low costs. I’d be happy if everything stayed the way it is. My only request concerns Microsoft Teams, where there’s always a delay at the start of a call, so the audio doesn’t come through until a few seconds later. Colleagues of mine from other companies also report this issue from time to time.
Interview with Anil Özay, ICT Project Manager at the Swiss Automotive Trade Association (AGVS ¦ UPSA)
(Translated from German into English)