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´ó·¢ Transitions to Teams Phone System

To move your individual phone extension to Teams, please complete the form below.

Prior to Covid, IITS was in the process of replacing the obsolete 1,600 phone system with VoIP (voice over internet) desk phones. In one of the more fortuitous events of virtual work, Microsoft Teams has become a widely adopted platform accross the campus community, and along with that came a highly sophisticated telephone system native to Teams that offers substantial benefits. Given the need for mobility and flexibility, Teams is now able to serve as the Unified Communications platform that ´ó·¢ was looking for back in 2018. 

At present, IITS is in the process of transitioning tenure faculty and staff to the Teams phone service that will add a campus extensions to any device with the Teams app. Teams phones will allow tenure track faculty and staff to carry their extensions with them on any device at or away from campus.

See Options for Telephone Service below for more details and to submit your request to move to a Teams phone.

Microsoft Teams Offers Mobility, Flexibility, Access

When faculty and staff shifted to virtual in March 2020, many quickly saw the shortfalls of having our telephones tethered to our campus offices rather than telephones accessible from any location, be that an office, at home, or even at a conference.

In response to this need for flexibility and ease of access, campus phone extensions are moving to the Microsoft Teams platform, giving faculty and staff their campus phone on any device that's running Teams. With Teams you can call any phone number using your campus extension from any location! 

How Does a Teams Phone Benefit Me:

• Mobility - Your existing university extension will be mobile – you can make and answer calls on any mobile device or computer running the Microsoft Teams App. Your phone number is no longer tied to your desk/physical location.
• Access - Teams phones will enable ´ó·¢ to offer every lecturer on campus their own phone extension for the first time. 
• Privacy - Your Teams phone will allow you to call anyone, including students, from any location without ever having to use your personal phone number, in that way protecting your personal information. You will also see who is calling you and be able to easily block any caller. 
• Ease of Use - With Teams and Teams phones, you can use a single app to communicate in a variety of ways, from phone calls to text chat to video and audio meetings (even to collaboratively edit files), all in what we call a Unified Communications Client. 
• Voicemail Transcription - Teams will automatically create transcripts of any voicemail messages. You can view the transcripts and recordings right in your Teams app as well as in your email inbox.
• Call Flexibility - Using the Teams App,  you can have a conversation that includes both Zoom-like video participants and participants you call using your phone extension.
• Managing Your Extension - With Microsoft teams you can delegate others to make and receive calls on your behalf and/or easily forward calls to other individuals or groups.

 

If you are ready to move your individual extension to Teams, please complete the form below.

If you want to request to move a shared/main line to Teams, please complete the form below.

Whether you have already been moved to Teams or it is coming up in the next few months, you can go ahead and get on the list for equipment. There are quite a large number of people to deploy to so the sooner we get your information the better.

´ó·¢ Technical Guide & Videos

While Microsoft Teams is easy to use, IITS has created a campus guide and a  few short videos to help you get started using some of the key features.

• ´ó·¢ Teams Calling - Quick Reference Guide
•  (immediate transfer)
• (speak to transferring party prior to transfer)

FAQs

• What is a Teams phone?
  A Teams phone will allow you to make and receive calls from any device with Microsoft Teams installed.  Even from your personal smartphone, a key benefit is that you can place calls that will route through the campus phone system and display the campus information versus your private number.   You can receive calls and even have voice callers join Teams calls in progress simply by entering in the phone number.
• When are Teams phones being deployed?

  IITS is working with various groups to deploy Teams softphones during the Spring and Summer terms of 2021.  If your division, college, or unit have not been contacted, please email cio@csusm.edu to begin the transition process.

• How do I move over to Teams phones?

  IITS will advise you of the date and time when your extension will move.  At that time the old phone set will no longer work and a new Calls button will appear in Teams.  You can dial a number by tapping on the Calls button or by typing in a phone number into any contact search box.  

  IITS will be removing your old phone from your office at some future date and will advise regarding scheduling.

   

• Do I need a headset or earbuds to use Teams Phones?

  Similar to Zoom and Microsoft Teams video calls, these virtual platforms use your phone or system speakers and mic to communicate.  However you currently connect to your video conferencing platforms will work for Teams Phones. 

  Other options - Often the built-in device audio quality is considered less than optimal.  IITS is in the process of making recommendations for headsets and earbuds.  It has not yet been decided if this is a unit or IITS expense.

• Can I make calls to any phone number from my Teams Phone?
  All voice calls made through Microsoft Teams will route through the campus phone system and charges are applied to the ´ó·¢ campus phone bill.  General Fund units are no longer being charged for individual calls, but excessive use/charges may incur chargeback to your budgetary unit.
• How do I get trained on Teams Phones?
  The Teams Phone has a very straightforward and easy to use experience.  IITS will also be providing onboarding sessions.  More information will follow on this page.
• Why can't I just keep my old phone?

  The Pointspan system has been out of support since 2019, and for financial and operational reasons, the system needs to be shut down during the 2021 calendar year.  The system utilizes an obsolete phone platform and was a serious deficiency during the transition to virtual instruction in March 2020.  Our obsolete phone system, tied to physical locations, made answering calls from home offices difficult in those early days of our transition.

  Regardless of the option selected above, the telephone in your office will need to be removed or replaced as its old digital technology is not compatible with any of the platforms ´ó·¢ will be using at the completion of this project.