UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — As part of the University’s continuous efforts to optimize operations, Penn State employees currently using Cisco phone services will transition to Microsoft Teams Phone or Microsoft Teams-to-Teams Calling by December 2024. 

This transition will boost efficiencies and reduce duplicative telephony systems. Effective March 1, if employees require a phone number or handset for their role, the standard phone service offered will be Teams Phone. 

Since 2023, the Telephony Transformation project has been transitioning employees to Teams Phone and Teams-to-Teams Calling. This change helps modernize communication tools and leverages solutions already included in Penn State's Microsoft licensing agreement. To learn more, read Penn State transitions to Microsoft Teams for phone and calling. 

“As we modernize technology, I appreciate that each initiative adds to the changes we are facing. But modernizing now builds a more resilient future so we can keep driving affordability, opportunity and excellence at Penn State,” said Provost Justin Schwartz. “We appreciate your patience and support as we transition our phone system to Microsoft Teams telephony for a more unified communication platform across the University.”

Sara Thorndike, senior vice president for Finance & Business/treasurer, added, “Penn State is in a period of transition as we take steps to ensure our long-term sustainability. Transitioning to modern tools like Microsoft Teams will provide faculty and staff access to the latest technology while allowing us to streamline costs by retiring legacy systems.”

Please note this is a University-wide transition that involves a variety of different use cases. The Telephony Transformation project team will continue to work with local IT staff to schedule migrations for their specific areas. 

“We are still in the early stages of transitioning the entire campus, but we have already witnessed cost savings,” said Jim Serafin, director of IT at Penn State Behrend. “Migrated users have embraced the familiar Teams interface and expressed that they don't miss their old phones and handsets.” 

Some benefits of Teams Phone and Teams-to-Teams Calling include: 

• Having more flexibility in how calls are made and received.

• Using one interface to call, chat and share messages in real time.

• Being able to utilize Microsoft Teams on multiple devices.

• Not requiring the installation of MyE911 to call emergency services.

• Seamlessly integrating with other Microsoft 365 tools and offerings.

Employees who have questions about the project are encouraged to contact their local IT team for assistance. Questions also can be emailed to telephony@psu.edu.  

For more information, visit the Telephony Transformation Project website. To access training resources and frequently asked questions, visit office365.psu.edu/teams.