Gamma unveils global Teams voice service for partners

Gamma has launched International Operator Connect, a service that lets UK channel partners sell Microsoft Teams Phone across eight European countries, with on-demand expansion to 25 markets.

Aimed at partners supporting customers with multi-country operations, it bundles Teams voice services with a delivery model that shifts regulatory and compliance duties away from the channel while keeping the commercial relationship with the partner.

International voice deployments often require local numbering, in-country regulatory steps, and separate supplier arrangements. These requirements can slow projects and add operational overhead for resellers used to delivering Teams voice in the UK through a single set of processes.

International Operator Connect is designed to remove the need for partners to manage local regulation, number provisioning, and fragmented suppliers when customers want Teams voice services outside the UK.

Tri-party structure

The service uses a tri-party agreement between Gamma, the channel partner, and the end customer. Gamma takes responsibility for regulatory and compliance requirements, while the partner retains billing ownership and the customer relationship.

This division is aimed at managed service providers and resellers looking to extend existing customer estates into new geographies without changing how they contract and charge for services.

Gamma positions the service as a way for partners to scale beyond domestic markets using Microsoft Teams, noting that many find Teams voice straightforward to deploy in the UK but difficult to expand internationally.

The service runs on Gamma's global voice infrastructure alongside Microsoft's collaboration platform, offering a consistent approach to international communications while partners keep commercial control.

Commercial model

International Operator Connect also introduces an alternative pricing approach, with inclusive minutes rather than per-minute billing.

The model is intended to reduce cost volatility for organisations with distributed operations where call volumes can shift between sites and countries. It also cuts billing administration for partners reconciling usage across multiple markets.

Gamma says partners can sell Microsoft Teams voice across multiple European markets through one provider, while retaining the customer contract and service relationship, with Gamma handling regulatory and local compliance obligations.

Operational assurances include global voice infrastructure and 24/7 service levels, described as "Carrier grade infrastructure and 24*7 service levels partners are used to".

Channel focus

The launch builds on Gamma's indirect routes to market in the UK. It sells to SMEs through a network of more than 1,500 channel partners under the Gamma Business brand, and sells directly to larger businesses and public sector organisations through Gamma Enterprise.

International Operator Connect is positioned as a channel-led offer for partners extending customer deployments across multiple countries, using the Teams interface and operational model customers already use.

Gamma operates across Europe, with core markets in the UK and Germany, plus a presence in Spain and the Benelux region. It has more than 2,200 employees and is listed on the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange.

In Germany, Gamma operates through a mix of a partner network and a self-service digital platform. It has expanded there through acquisitions and positions itself as one of the country's leading cloud communications providers.

Paul Wakefield, Head of Commercial and Strategy Product Management at Gamma, linked the announcement to the challenge of meeting voice regulation requirements as customers expand internationally.

"Teams is a global communications platform, and partners increasingly support customers whose operations span multiple countries, but voice has historically been the hardest part of that expansion due to the complex regulatory landscape. International Operator Connect removes the operational and regulatory obstacles with Gamma bearing the compliance exposure so partners can take Teams global, grow revenue, and strengthen customer relationships without adding complexity to their business," said Paul Wakefield, Head of Commercial and Strategy Product Management, Gamma.

On-demand expansion is available across 25 markets beyond the initial eight European countries. Gamma says the service is aimed at partners pursuing multinational customer accounts and cross-border expansion within existing Teams deployments.