The Telecom Modernization project is an initiative to replace the university’s telephone system. The current system will not be supported by the vendor effective June 2024.
In the fall of 2021, the university engaged consultants to assist with an assessment of the current telephone system and its use including a review of how other universities are using communication systems, a scan of the telecommunication market, identification of trends, and a report on the university’s future needs. The university community provided feedback through a telecommunications survey and a project team consisting of faculty, staff, and consultants was formed to guide the review and selection process.
A Microsoft Teams based phone solution has been selected. Major considerations included overall cost of ownership, functionality requirements, alignment with the future state of unified communications, and the current use of collaboration software within higher education.
The new system will be a full-featured communication tool based on the familiar MS Teams platform. Benefits will include enhanced mobility, advanced calling features, voicemail to email, and additional system flexibility. It will be capable of supporting both traditional (desktop handsets) and software-based phones (calling using your laptop or mobile device).
The project team is currently planning for the migration of the university to MS Teams telephone. The project team will be working closely with early adopters, a group of approximately fifty users who will be migrated to MS Teams phone near the end of July. Remaining users are expected to be upgraded starting in late September.
Stay tuned for more project updates and visit our FAQ regularly to learn more about the new services and features.