Since Microsoft Teams was introduced at UCT, you’ve always had the choice of using both Teams and Skype for Business to collaborate with external and internal colleagues. One of the main differences is that you haven’t been able to make and receive external calls via Microsoft Teams.

For most UCT staff, this is set to change soon: your Microsoft 365 account will be allocated a licence that enables you to make and receive external calls using the Teams dialling pad, as per your dialling plan.

We’ll be enabling the call functionality, in a phased approach – per department.

 

What about Skype for Business?

Once your account has been migrated, you will no longer have access to Skype for Business. However, all your conversations will still be accessible in Outlook in the Conversation History folder.

 

When will the migration take place?

You will receive a notification in advance alerting you to when your department will migrate to Microsoft Teams. Depending on your current telephony setup, you may be required to take action prior to and after the migration. However, for most staff, the transition will be quick and easy.

Should you experience any issues, please log a call with the IT Helpdesk using one of the following methods:              

 

Who will not be migrated?

All staff members that are currently working on a Unified Contact Centre (i.e., a call centre or helpdesk) will remain on Skype for Business for the foreseeable future.

View our detailed web article for more information about the upcoming migration as well as to see when your department will be migrated.

 

What do I need to do prior to the migration?

If you already have a headset, then there is nothing that you need to do prior to the migration, as you will be able to continue using Microsoft Teams without any issues.

If you currently have a handset, you can swop it for a headset at no cost. Headsets offer much more functionality than a handset as they can be used for participating in video calls. They are also better for hearing and your voice will be projected more clearly. Most headsets include noise cancellation, which is handy if you’re in an open space and is ideal for remote working as you can take it wherever you go. By opting for a headset, you’re also assisting the university in ensuring that all staff are on a unified communication platform, which reduces the complexity of UCT’s phone system. Log a call with the IT Helpdesk and an ICTS representative will deliver the headset to you on campus and collect your handset.

If you still prefer using your handset it is important to note that your device will need to be configured to use Microsoft Teams prior to the migration taking place. These devices are also approaching end of life, which means that when the time comes, ICTS will no longer be able to support these devices. It is therefore important to note that there will be a future cost incurred to get a new handset. If you would still like to keep your handset now, then log a call with the IT Helpdesk to have your device configured. This request will also need to be approved by your HOD before ICTS can provide assistance.

 

What happens after the migration?

The day after the migration:

  1. Sign out of Microsoft Teams.
  2. Restart the application.
  3. Click Calls in the left panel. A dialling pad should appear.

You can now use this dialling pad to make external calls. This functionality is similar to what was available in Skype for Business.

     

    Schedule

    The migration has been put on hold until further notice. A notification will be sent to departments when the process kicks off again.