A New Phone System for W&M - Teams Calls
Summary
W&M's phone service will be moving to Microsoft Teams Calls, bringing you an easy-to-use system with more flexibility and reduced phone costs!
Full Description
ACCESS TEAMS (O365)
Campus telephones are moving to Microsoft Teams! The phone service through Teams (named "Teams Calls") provides a modern telephone experience that offers enhanced usability, robust accessibility, and device flexibility. It has the added benefit of reduced telecommunications costs and leverages the Teams platform, which has already emerged as a central hub for collaboration at William & Mary.
Calling through Teams means your phone service will now be going through your computer, removing the need for a separate desk phone. Your phone number will remain the same and all calls will be routed into the Microsoft Teams software.
Benefits to You:
- Reliable phone service from anywhere internet service exists
- Web, mobile, and desktop applications offer device flexibility
- Transcribed voicemail accessible from Teams
- Ability to call faculty and staff by name (instead of phone numbers)
- Quickly set and manage your availability status and out-of-office notices
- Easily access calling functions like transferring calls, conferencing calls, blocking calls, etc.
- Self-service settings provide you with more control
Benefits to the University:
- Reduced telecommunication costs
- Streamlined billing processes
- Reduced physical phone equipment and support needs
- Leveraging Microsoft licensing
BILLING & CHARGES EQUIPMENTMigration Station
Why change now?
Our current ShoreTel/Mitel campus telephone infrastructure will soon be reaching its "end-of-life". Hardware and phones across campus would need to be replaced, which would be a very costly endeavor.
The pandemic also brought to light the need for a more modern phone system. Virtual work relied heavily on emergent and flexible communication technologies - like computer-based softphones. The need for physical handset phones reduced dramatically as a result of the pandemic.
Microsoft Teams is already widely used at William & Mary as a collaboration hub. Many people have already used the calling feature to have phone and video conversations with other W&M faculty and staff. Teams Calls expands that functionality by providing phone service to off-campus as well, with the added benefit that Teams is already included in our technology portfolio.
Project Timing
The transition from ShoreTel/Mitel to Teams Calls will be in phases. Although the exact timing and phases are still TBD, it will likely look something like this:
2021-2022 Academic Year - Pilot Groups
The following groups have been migrated to Teams Calls as part of our pilot program (listed in migration order):
- IT Teams Calls Project Team
- Studio for Teaching & Learning Innovation
- University Web & Design
- Procurement
- Accounts Payable
- Swem Library
- Facilities Management - Operations Team
- Anthropology
Summer 2022 - Fall 2022
- Individual office phones in administrative and academic buildings. We will coordinate timing with your department's phone coordinator.
- Residence Halls
- Classrooms
- "Walk-up phones" in shared or public spaces, such as hall phones, conference room phones, service desks and public areas.
- Any remaining offices and departments
Please note: Analog phone lines, like those used for fax machines and the "blue light" emergency phones, will not be transitioned to Teams Calls at this time.
Introduction to Teams Calls
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Questions? Contact the Technology Support Center (TSC)
757-221-4357 (HELP) | [[support]] | Jones 201, Monday - Friday, 8:00 am - 5:00 pm
