Being in business means that you will probably have to talk to specific people within different companies from time to time. However, in many cases, you won’t be able to reach them directly – instead, you’ll have to contact the receptionist, who then will direct your call to the right person.
While it might be fine the first couple of times, at some point you might start getting frustrated and wondering why it is the way it is. The same happens with customers, who have to wait in long lines to get assistance. If you don’t want to make your customers feel neglected as it can happen when they can’t get the help they need within a reasonable time frame, you should consider investing in a Direct Inward Dialing service.
Below, you can find all the necessary information about Direct Inward Dialing, including what it is, how it works, and why your company needs it.
What Is Direct Inward Dialing (DID)?
Direct Inward Dialing (DID) is a service usually offered by a local phone company or a local exchange carrier that allows companies to set up several virtual numbers, all connected to the already existing phone lines. Thanks to a Direct Inward Dialing service, a company can assign multiple numbers to the same employee without the need to have a digital or physical line for each of them.
How Does Direct Inward Dialing Work
DID can work in one of two ways – through a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) or a VoIP system.
Direct Inward Dialing and PSTN
In the first case, which is through PSTN, Direct Inward Dialing works by using the company’s Private Branch Exchange (PBX).
When using PBX, the Direct Inward Dialing provider allocates trunk lines to the customer’s PBX system. Then, they allocate several telephone numbers to those trunk lines. The numbers are assigned to customers and act as their direct-dial numbers. When people make inbound calls, the dialing number is transmitted and PBX routes it to the right phone number and therefore the right person.
Many companies that use this method, combine DID with Direct Outward Dialing (DOD), which works in a very similar way, the main difference being that it concerns the outbound calls.
Some telephone companies these days offer Direct Inward Dialing through PRI circuits. And while it is a nice solution, it has one major disadvantage – you have to have enough trunk lines. If you don’t, and all the trunk lines you have have active inbound calls, the next person that calls will hear a busy signal and will have to wait until one line becomes available.
Direct Inward Dialing and VoIP
When it comes to DID and VoIP users, it is even easier to use and manage, mainly due to the SIP trunking. The trunk lines connections are not actual physical lines – instead, they are virtual, and the phone numbers are linked to all the extensions your business uses via software.
This solution is a lot more convenient than using PSTN, as you don’t have to rely on a telephone company to take care of the hardware installation.
How to Configure DID in Yeastar PBX System
Configure inbound routes on Yeastar PBX System to route inbound calls based on DID numbers is easy and you won’t pay extra for this feature, whether you opt for the cloud, hardware, or software solution with Yeastar! Check out the video and links below for a step-by-step guide.
Why Your Company Needs DID

Direct Inward Dialing - FAQ
What types of DID numbers there are?
There are several different types of DID numbers, such as local, international, or toll-free numbers. Which ones will be the one for you depends on your business needs.
Can you add and remove DID numbers?
Yes, that's one of the reasons why so many businesses decide to make use of the Direct Inward Dialing - it allows you to add and remove numbers as you please.
Can you have multiple DID numbers?
Yes, of course. Each employee can have their own number, the same goes for different departments if you prefer it that way.
What is the difference between DID number and a traditional telephone number?
The main difference between the DID phone numbers and the traditional phone numbers is that the virtual ones are not tied to a specific phone or other devices. They are also a lot more convenient as each customer can get their own custom DID number that they can use to contact a specific employee.
Flexible Deployment Options: Cloud-based or On-premises
Available in the Appliance, Software, and Cloud Edition, Yeastar provides
flexible deployment options,
allowing you to have your PBX system sited on-premises or in the
cloud.
Appliance Edition
If you prefer a plug-and-play system deployed within your company to ensure complete control, the Appliance Edition is the perfect fit.
See SpecificationsCloud Edition
Want to eliminate the workload of hardware installation while having your phone system up & running immediately? This is the option for you.
Learn MoreSoftware Edition
You make the call whether to install the PBX system on a hardware server, a virtual machine, or even in the cloud.
Learn More