The U.S. Department of Defense can now have more-secure Microsoft Teams calls
A newly certified session border controller will help the U.S. Department of Defense make more secure calls.
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What you need to know
Microsoft Teams deployments across U.S Department of Defense (DoD) agencies and DoD communication networks can now use Ribbon’s Session Border Controller (SBC) 5400. SBCs help secure communication by separating internal networks from external networks. They provide an extra layer of security for communication such as video calls through Microsoft Teams. TheU.S. DoD announceda planned rollout of Microsoft Teams environments to up to four million people last year.
Session Border Controller 5400 earned a U.S. DoD Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) Joint Interoperability Test Command (JITC) certification, which means that Session Border Controller 5400 will now appear on the DISAApproved Products List.
To earn the JITC certification from DISA, a product needs to go through testing for quality, security, interoperability, and reliability. Ribbon’s Session Border Controller 5400 is the only SBC that’s earned a JITC certification with Microsoft.
Having a JITC certification means that Teams deployments can deliver secure communication for the DoD. Jason Payne, the chief technology officer for Microsoft Federal, said, “collaborating with Ribbon for its SBCs is another example of how we work closely with our ecosystem partners to extend the reach of Teams to the world’s most security-conscious environments.”
Ribbon’s websitebreaks down some of the items that its SBC 5400 provides:
“We are delighted to continue our longstanding relationship with Microsoft and are very proud to be the Session Border Controller solution that enables Microsoft Teams to deliver secure voice calling within the Teams platform across the DoD and its agencies,” said Steven Bruny, Ribbon’s executive vice president of sales for the Americas region. “DoD employees can now leverage all of the rich collaboration features the Teams platform offers including secure in-app voice calling powered by our market-proven Session Border Controller.”
Session Border Controller 5400 can be scaled to up to 75,000 concurrent sessions through a licensing model. A different product from Ribbon, its SBC 5000 Series, was approved as part of a Microsoft Skype for Business JITC-certified solution.
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Sean Endicott is a tech journalist at Windows Central, specializing in Windows, Microsoft software, AI, and PCs. He’s covered major launches, from Windows 10 and 11 to the rise of AI tools like ChatGPT. Sean’s journey began with the Lumia 740, leading to strong ties with app developers. Outside writing, he coaches American football, utilizing Microsoft services to manage his team. He studied broadcast journalism at Nottingham Trent University and is active on X @SeanEndicott_ and Threads @sean_endicott_.
