Introduction
Businesses using Dynamics 365 Contact Center depend on reliable communication channels to manage customer calls, send messages, resolve service requests, and deliver consistent customer experiences. However, changes to the underlying communications platform can require organizations to review their existing configurations and plan for future migration.
In September 2026, Microsoft announced the retirement of certain Azure Communication Services (ACS) capabilities, with September 30, 2028, set as the retirement date for the affected services. Some Dynamics 365 Contact Center configurations use these capabilities for voice telephony, SMS, and WhatsApp communications.
This change does not mean every Dynamics 365 Contact Center customer must immediately replace their communication setup. The impact depends on the services currently in use, how phone numbers are managed, and which communication providers support the organization’s requirements.
For affected businesses, the priority is to understand the changes, identify dependencies, evaluate replacement options, and test the migration before the retirement deadline.
In this guide, we explain the Azure Communication Services retirement, how it affects Dynamics 365 Contact Center, the migration options for voice and messaging, and the practical steps businesses can take to prepare.
What Is Azure Communication Services?
Azure Communication Services is a cloud-based communications platform that provides APIs and services for voice, video, chat, SMS, and other communication scenarios. Organizations and software providers can use these capabilities to integrate communications into applications and customer experiences.
Within Dynamics 365 Contact Center, communication services support interactions between customers and service representatives. Depending on the configuration, businesses may use voice telephony, SMS messaging, or WhatsApp to connect with customers.
For example, a customer might call a support number to report a problem, receive an SMS notification about a service request, or contact a business through WhatsApp. These interactions may connect to contact center workflows that help representatives access customer information and manage conversations.
The retirement announcement affects specific ACS services and configurations, rather than every capability in Dynamics 365 Contact Center.
Businesses should distinguish between the retirement of standalone ACS services and supported integrations with Microsoft Teams Phone or other communication providers. These are different configurations with different migration requirements.
What Is Changing in the Azure Communication Services Retirement?
The retirement date for the affected ACS services is September 30, 2028. For Dynamics 365 Contact Center, three configurations are particularly important to review:
- Voice telephony using Azure Communication Services Direct Offer or Direct Routing
- SMS messaging through Azure Communication Services
- WhatsApp messaging through Azure Communication Services
Affected configurations remain supported during the transition period, subject to the applicable product terms and service-specific changes. Organizations should plan migration well before the deadline rather than waiting until the final months.
The impact varies according to the current communication setup.
| Current configuration | Expected impact | Migration direction |
|---|---|---|
| Voice through ACS Direct Offer | Affected | Microsoft Teams Phone extensibility and an eligible Teams Phone calling option |
| Voice through ACS Direct Routing | Affected | Evaluate supported Teams Phone connectivity and routing options |
| SMS through ACS | Affected | SMS through a supported provider such as Twilio or Infobip |
| WhatsApp through ACS | Affected | Evaluate Meta Direct or WhatsApp through Twilio |
| Voice already using Teams Phone extensibility | Not affected by this specific retirement | Review the current configuration and applicable service guidance |
| SMS through Twilio or Infobip | Not affected by this specific ACS retirement | Continue to review the provider’s terms and configuration |
| WhatsApp through Twilio | Not affected by this specific ACS retirement | Continue to review the provider’s terms and configuration |
The table provides general migration direction. Availability, supported functionality, licensing, and number-porting requirements must be validated for each business and region.
How Does the Retirement Affect Dynamics 365 Contact Center?
The most important question is whether your organization currently uses an affected ACS configuration.
A business using Dynamics 365 Contact Center with Teams Phone extensibility for voice may not need to change that voice setup because of this retirement. However, if the same business uses ACS for SMS or WhatsApp, those messaging channels still need to be assessed separately.
Similarly, an organization using ACS Direct Offer for customer calls should review the available Teams Phone migration paths and determine whether its existing phone numbers, routing, and regional requirements can be supported.
Businesses should also review custom integrations. A communication service may connect to CRM records, workflows, customer identity systems, reporting tools, or third-party applications. Replacing the underlying provider can require changes beyond the contact center configuration itself.
The objective is to preserve customer communications, maintain operational continuity, and avoid unexpected disruptions during migration.
Voice Migration: Moving to Microsoft Teams Phone Extensibility
For affected Dynamics 365 Contact Center voice configurations, Microsoft Teams Phone extensibility is the strategic migration direction.
Teams Phone extensibility allows supported contact center solutions to integrate with Teams Phone capabilities and telephony infrastructure. The appropriate implementation depends on the current ACS configuration, the desired calling model, and regional availability.
Option 1: Teams Calling Plan
A Teams Calling Plan may be suitable for organizations that want a Microsoft-managed public switched telephone network (PSTN) calling service and do not require a separate carrier relationship or customer-managed session border controller infrastructure.
Businesses migrating from ACS Direct Offer should assess number eligibility, licensing, supported countries, and the process for moving numbers to the destination service.
This option may simplify some aspects of telephony management, but it should not be selected without confirming that the required locations and calling scenarios are supported.
Option 2: Teams Direct Routing
Teams Direct Routing can be appropriate for organizations that need greater control over telephony connectivity or want to continue working with an existing carrier and session border controller (SBC) infrastructure.
It can be relevant for businesses with complex call routing, specific carrier requirements, or established telephony investments.
However, Direct Routing introduces configuration and operational considerations. Organizations should review SBC compatibility, call routing, number management, failover, and support responsibilities before choosing this path.
Option 3: Operator Connect
Operator Connect may be worth evaluating for organizations that prefer to work with a participating telecom operator to provide PSTN connectivity through Teams Phone.
Availability and supported capabilities depend on the operator, country, and service arrangement. The business should confirm that the option meets its contact center requirements before committing to a migration plan.
The right voice migration path depends on the existing environment. A structured assessment can help determine which option offers the best fit for the organization’s technical, operational, and commercial needs.
SMS Migration: What Should Businesses Do?
Organizations using Azure Communication Services for SMS in Dynamics 365 Contact Center should evaluate supported alternatives before the retirement deadline.
Twilio and Infobip are among the messaging providers that can be considered for SMS integrations. The correct choice depends on regional coverage, number availability, registration requirements, message volume, delivery reporting, and integration capabilities.
A migration assessment should cover:
- Current SMS phone numbers and ownership
- Supported countries and destinations
- Sender registration and regulatory requirements
- Customer consent and opt-out management
- Message templates and delivery status handling
- Integration with Dynamics 365 Contact Center
- Reporting, monitoring, and error handling
- Pricing, support, and service-level expectations
Businesses should not assume that moving to another provider automatically transfers every configuration. Sender registrations, consent settings, messaging workflows, and number arrangements may need to be configured or verified separately.
Before changing the production environment, test inbound and outbound messages, delivery notifications, error scenarios, and the interaction between messaging workflows and customer records.
WhatsApp Migration: Available Options
WhatsApp is another important area for organizations using ACS-based messaging in Dynamics 365 Contact Center.
Businesses should evaluate supported alternatives such as Meta Direct or WhatsApp through Twilio, based on the available product guidance and the organization’s requirements.
The migration should include more than connecting a new messaging provider. Organizations may need to review their WhatsApp Business account setup, phone number arrangements, message templates, customer consent, conversation routing, and reporting.
Key questions to consider include:
- Can the existing WhatsApp number be used with the selected destination?
- What account, registration, and verification steps are required?
- How will inbound messages reach the correct contact center queue?
- Will agents retain access to the required customer context?
- How will approved templates and outbound notifications work?
- Which reports and conversation records must be retained?
- What changes are required to integrations and operational procedures?
The answers depend on the chosen provider and the current implementation. Businesses should validate the target configuration and complete end-to-end testing before moving customer traffic.
Important Phone Number and Onboarding Considerations
Phone numbers are often one of the most sensitive parts of a contact center migration. Businesses may use established numbers across websites, marketing campaigns, customer records, and printed materials. Changing a number without proper planning can confuse customers and disrupt service.
Organizations should create an inventory of every phone number used by their contact center. Record its current provider, purpose, region, associated channel, and dependencies.
The migration team should then confirm whether each number can be ported or needs an alternative arrangement. Number portability depends on the destination service, carrier requirements, geographic availability, and local regulations.
There is also an important onboarding consideration for new customers. Microsoft announced restrictions affecting new customers’ ability to acquire or port phone numbers into affected ACS configurations during the transition. The precise restrictions depend on the service and the customer’s existing resources.
Businesses planning a new contact center should therefore evaluate supported destination services before building a new implementation around an affected ACS capability.
Step-by-Step Azure Communication Services Migration Checklist
A structured migration plan can help reduce risk and avoid last-minute changes.
Step 1: Audit the Current Environment
Identify all ACS resources, phone numbers, voice configurations, SMS channels, WhatsApp channels, integrations, and workflows used by Dynamics 365 Contact Center.
Document which services are affected and which already use supported configurations.
Step 2: Identify Business-Critical Dependencies
Determine how communications connect with customer records, routing rules, service queues, notifications, reporting, and external applications.
Identify dependencies that could break if the communication provider or phone number changes.
Step 3: Choose the Target Architecture
Select a suitable voice and messaging migration path based on technical requirements, regional support, licensing, security, and operational needs.
Do not assume that one provider or architecture will be appropriate for every channel.
Step 4: Review Licensing and Costs
Estimate the costs of Teams Phone, the selected messaging provider, implementation, number management, and ongoing operations.
Compare the full operating model rather than considering only the price per call or message.
Step 5: Plan Number Migration
Confirm portability requirements, carrier approvals, registration steps, and the expected migration process. Establish a schedule that leaves sufficient time for testing and issue resolution.
Step 6: Configure a Test Environment
Implement the proposed configuration in a suitable non-production environment where possible. Validate routing, inbound and outbound communications, CRM context, permissions, and failure handling.
Step 7: Run End-to-End Tests
Test representative customer journeys, including missed calls, message failures, escalations, transfers, and reporting. Confirm that customer records and contact center workflows behave as expected.
Step 8: Prepare the Cutover Plan
Define the migration window, responsibilities, communications plan, monitoring arrangements, and escalation contacts. Document rollback or recovery procedures where feasible.
Step 9: Migrate in Phases
Where the architecture permits, migrate a controlled group of numbers, queues, or workflows first. Review the results before expanding to the remaining environment.
Step 10: Monitor and Optimize
After migration, monitor call quality, message delivery, agent experience, customer impact, and integration errors. Address issues promptly and update operational documentation.
Common Migration Challenges to Avoid
Even a technically successful migration can create business problems if important dependencies are overlooked.
Number portability delays: Carrier approvals and regional requirements may take time. Begin number planning early and maintain a clear inventory.
Integration failures: A new communication provider may require changes to APIs, authentication, routing, or event handling.
Missing customer context: Agents must be able to access the relevant customer information and conversation history required for their workflows.
Regulatory and consent issues: Messaging registration, customer consent, opt-out handling, and regional rules must be reviewed for the target provider.
Unexpected costs: Licensing, provider fees, integration development, and ongoing administration can affect the total cost of ownership.
Insufficient testing: Testing only successful calls or messages may overlook routing failures, disconnected sessions, delivery errors, or escalation problems.
Late migration planning: Waiting until the retirement date approaches leaves less time to resolve number, licensing, and integration issues.
A disciplined migration approach helps organizations identify these risks early and protect the customer experience.
How Magnifia IT Solutions Can Help with Dynamics 365 Contact Center Migration
Moving from an affected Azure Communication Services configuration requires careful planning across telephony, messaging, customer data, integrations, and operational workflows. Businesses need to understand their existing architecture before selecting a replacement.
Magnifia IT Solutions helps businesses plan, implement, integrate, customize, and support Microsoft Dynamics 365 solutions aligned with their operational goals.
Our services include Dynamics 365 consulting and implementation, data migration, system integration, customization and development, training, and ongoing support.
If your organization uses Dynamics 365 Contact Center with ACS-based voice, SMS, or WhatsApp, Magnifia can help you assess the current environment, identify affected components, document dependencies, and develop a practical migration roadmap.
We can help your team plan integration changes, evaluate the impact on customer workflows, coordinate testing requirements, and prepare a phased transition strategy. Our goal is to help your organization maintain reliable customer communications while minimizing avoidable operational disruption.
Whether you are modernizing your contact center, reviewing telephony architecture, or preparing to migrate messaging channels, a structured assessment can help you make informed decisions.
Prepare your Dynamics 365 Contact Center for the ACS retirement deadline.
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Conclusion
The Azure Communication Services retirement scheduled for September 30, 2028, is an important planning consideration for businesses using affected Dynamics 365 Contact Center configurations.
Organizations using ACS-based voice, SMS, or WhatsApp should identify the specific services affected and evaluate the appropriate migration path. Teams Phone extensibility and eligible Teams Phone calling options are important considerations for voice, while supported providers such as Twilio and Infobip can be evaluated for SMS and WhatsApp alternatives.
The transition involves more than replacing a communications service. Businesses must review phone numbers, licensing, integrations, security, customer consent, reporting, and operational workflows. Testing and phased migration can help reduce risk and protect the customer experience.
Businesses should verify current service availability, licensing, and migration requirements before making implementation decisions. Starting early provides more time to evaluate alternatives and resolve technical dependencies before the deadline.
Partner with Magnifia IT Solutions to assess your Dynamics 365 Contact Center environment, plan your migration, and build a reliable path toward supported communication services.
