What is Microsoft Teams Phone?
Traditional telephone handsets on a desk are no longer the best solution for a hybrid workplace. The University is enabling telephony in Microsoft Teams, its chosen and supported collaboration platform.
How to switch to Teams Phone
If you have a Cisco CallManager phone from the University Telephone System (UTS), we encourage you to switch to using Teams Phone if it meets your needs:
- Contact your local Telephone Liaison Officer (TLO) (Who's my TLO?)
- Give them your CRSid and telephone extension number
- Your TLO will contact UIS and ask for your extension to be migrated.
Once UIS has received the request, this usually takes around a day. - Give your old Cisco desk phone to your TLO, who will return it to UIS for recycling.
About your Teams Phone
- You'll enjoy several benefits compared to your old desk phone.
- Your Teams Phone is not a physical device like your old desk phone or mobile – it is a 'soft client' (software) integrated into the Teams app.
- Calls to your Teams Phone can be answered within the Teams app on your desktop PC, laptop, tablet or mobile phone, as long as you are connected to the internet.
- You can switch between your devices, even during a call.
- It’s also a great way to keep your work and private life separate.
Things to be aware of
- Your phone number can't have both a CallManager handset and be a Teams Phone.
- Teams can't support multiple lines.
- Pickup groups can't include a mix of users on both Cisco CallManager and Teams Phone systems. In either system, all members of a pickup group must be using the same system.
- Call Groups on Teams only support a single level of agent (CallManager supports 3).
- Don't use your Teams Phone (or any soft client phone) for 999/emergency calls.
(Because it's internet-based, its geolocation is not as accurate as a mobile or desk phone, which could prevent emergency services getting to you. Always use a mobile or desk phone for emergencies.)
Get started
- First things to know about calls in Teams – Microsoft guide
- Microsoft Teams Telephony User Guide – Cambridge user guides
- Get to know the new calling experience in Teams – Microsoft user guide
Don't have Calls in your Teams app?
If you don't have Calls tile in the left menu in your Teams app:
- Staff in the central University's Microsoft tenancy: email the UIS Service Desk (Am I in the University's tenancy?)
- Staff in an institution's own Microsoft tenancy: contact your local IT support.