Search for "supported SBC Direct Routing" and you'll find fragmented, outdated vendor lists. This article is the definitive current-state answer: which SBC vendors and models are certified for Microsoft Teams Direct Routing, how to verify certification for a specific model and firmware, and how to match an SBC to your deployment.
One thing to understand up front: Teams Direct Routing only supports certified SBCs. Microsoft explicitly does not support connections from non-certified SBCs, and their SIP proxy may reject signaling from them. If your SBC isn't on the certified list, your Direct Routing deployment is unsupported — and unsupportable.
What SBC Certification Actually Means
Certification is not a marketing badge. Microsoft interoperability-tests each SBC model against the Teams SIP proxy for:
- SIP signaling over TLS — handshake behavior, certificate handling, SIP OPTIONS keepalives, and REFER/Replaces handling for transfers
- Media — SRTP, codec negotiation, and media bypass (a notoriously hard corner of Direct Routing)
- High availability — failover between paired SBCs, DNS-based load distribution, and graceful SIP proxy rerouting
- Emergency calling — PIDF-LO location delivery for E911
Certification is granted per model and firmware version. A certified SBC running non-certified firmware is out of compliance — and Microsoft support will ask about your firmware version first when things break.
The Certified SBC Vendor List (2026)
These are the vendors you will actually encounter in enterprise Teams Direct Routing deployments:
AudioCodes — Mediant VE (virtual), Mediant 8000/9000 (appliance), Mediant 3000 (enterprise). The most widely deployed SBC family for Teams Direct Routing. Strong analog device support through the MP-1xx ATA line, an intuitive management interface, and deep Microsoft integration. Best for: mid-to-large enterprises, deployments with analog devices.
Ribbon (formerly Sonus) — SWe Lite (virtual, small), SWe Standard (virtual, mid), SBC 1000/2000 (appliance). Excellent SIP normalization capabilities, strong HA architecture, widely deployed in enterprise Teams environments. Best for: complex normalization requirements, enterprises with existing Ribbon estates.
Oracle (Acme Packet) — Session Border Controller 1100/3900/4600. Enterprise-grade and powerful, more common in large carrier environments than enterprise Teams deployments. Best for: organizations already invested in Oracle communications infrastructure.
TE-Systems (anynode) — software-based SBC running on Windows Server. Flexible and cost-effective, particularly good for smaller deployments. Best for: budget-conscious deployments comfortable with software-only infrastructure.
Microsoft adds and revises certified vendors over time, and firmware versions change. Before you commit, verify your exact model and firmware on Microsoft's official certified SBC documentation — it is the single source of truth.
Virtual SBC vs. Appliance
Every certified vendor offers both form factors, and the choice matters more than the brand:
- Virtual SBC (AudioCodes Mediant VE, Ribbon SWe, anynode) — runs on your hypervisor or in Azure. Lower cost ($5,000–$15,000 one-time licensing, typical), faster to deploy, easier to scale by adding instances. The default choice for most enterprises.
- Appliance SBC (Mediant 8000/9000, Ribbon 1000/2000, Oracle 4600) — dedicated hardware with certified throughput and hardware acceleration. Higher cost, but predictable capacity. Best for very large deployments or regulated environments that prefer physical infrastructure.
Which Supported SBC Fits Your Deployment
- Under 500 users, budget-conscious — TE-Systems anynode or Ribbon SWe Lite. Software-only, low license cost, certified for media bypass on current firmware.
- 500–5,000 users, typical enterprise — AudioCodes Mediant VE or Ribbon SWe Standard. The workhorses of Direct Routing; most integration knowledge in the wild is on these two.
- 5,000+ users or multi-region HA — Mediant 3000 / Mediant 9000 or Oracle 4600. High session capacity, active-active architectures across regions.
- Heavy analog infrastructure (elevators, paging, fax) — AudioCodes, paired with MP-1xx ATAs. The most mature analog integration story.
Cost Reality Check
Certification does not mean uniform pricing. Expect one-time virtual SBC licensing in the $5,000–$15,000 range (appliances higher), plus annual vendor support and maintenance — typically 15–20% of license cost. Amortized over three years, a certified SBC usually costs less per user per month than a single month of per-user Calling Plan overhead. For the full cost model, see our Direct Routing pricing breakdown.
The Verification Checklist Before You Buy
- The exact model is on Microsoft's certified list — not just the vendor
- The firmware version you will deploy is the certified version
- The SBC supports media bypass, if you plan to use it (most enterprises should)
- Your team can operate it — management tooling differs substantially between vendors
- Session capacity is sized for peak concurrent calls, not registered users
Already have an SBC and want to know if it's correctly deployed for Teams? Get a free SBC trust-store audit or talk to us about your Direct Routing deployment.