MS Teams Telephony in North Campus

14 Jul 2022

The project has 2 distinct goals.

1. To deploy and test MS Teams as the platform for UCC's telephone infrastructure and support the Hybrid working model.
2. To collect feedback from staff on the deployment and use of the MS teams telecom platform.

Deployment of MS Teams Telecom Platform in the North Mall FAQ 

What is the objective of the project?

The project has 2 distinct goals.
Goal 1: To deploy and test MS Teams as the platform for UCC's telephone infrastructure and support the Hybrid working model.
Goal 2: To collect feedback from staff on the deployment and use of the MS teams telecom platform.

Why was the North Mall campus selected for the pilot?

There were two main reasons for selecting the North Mall campus for the pilot. Firstly, the existing telecom platform at the North Mall dates to the early 1990's, is the oldest telecom infrastructure in the University and parts / supports are no longer readily available for the platform. Should the existing equipment fail, the telecom platform for the North Mall could be offline for a prolonged period while parts are sourced, or an alternative platform installed.
Secondly, the North Mall telecom platform hosts around 200 telephone extensions which is around 5% of UCC's overall telecom estate. Given the physical layout of UCC's telecoms infrastructure the North Mall campus lends itself to be upgraded to MS teams without the need to upgrade the entire UCC telecom platform.

What does the deployment of MS Teams telecom mean for staff?

Staff will keep their existing telephone number and will be able to make / receive telephone calls from their desktop, laptop, mobile or any web enabled device to a local / mobile / national and international phone number. Calls made will be displayed as the staff members existing number.
Staff will also be able to set up voicemail function, receive voicemail notification / recordings to their email and have the ability to forward / transfer calls. The existing telephone handset on the desk will no longer work once the MS telecom platform is deployed.

Will I have an office desk phone?

No, Users will be able to use their PC / Laptop / O365 account to make / take calls. In shared offices the use of headphones are recommended. Users can also use the mobile app for Teams to make / take calls. Handsets are available at an additional cost.

How do I make a call?

Calls can be made by clicking on the call icon and typing in the full number you wish to call ,ie. 021 prefix needs to be included if calling a local number. Watch a 2 min video guide on how to make a call.

Will I keep my existing number?

Yes.

What numbers can I call?

Your existing call settings profile will automatically transfer over to your MS teams profile, i.e.. Ability and permissions to make local calls, calls to mobiles, international calls etc. Premium call numbers will be not be supported, i.e. directory enquiries, competition lines etc.

What will the call cost structure be?

Users / extensions will still be charged for calls made, as per existing billing arrangements.

Can I use the service when abroad?

Yes, calls made from abroad will be treated as a call originating from UCC, i.e. calling a local number relative to UCC will be treated as local number. A call to a local number in the country you are in will be treated as an international call.

How do I set up my voicemail?

If you just want to configure your voicemail settings in Teams, you can click you profile picture and select Settings > Calls. In the Voicemail section, click Configure voicemail. Then you can change the settings including Call answer rules, Greeting language and other. Watch a video guide to setting up your voicemail

How do I transfer a call via PC ?

Read a guide on how to transfer a call via PC

How do I transfer a call via App?

Read a guide on how to transfer a call via the App

Do I need to have the Teams application open to allow me receive calls?

No, the application will run in the background as long as you are signed into Office 365 but you do not need to have MS teams application open. 

Do I need to have the Teams application running on my mobile to allow me receive calls?

No - The app is automatically set up to have MS teams it needs to be running in the background. 

Will my desktop and mobile app ring when someone is calling?

Yes - this is the default setting. You can set the mobile app up to either ring or not ring when you are active on the desktop application. In the mobile app - go to Settings > Notifications. From here you can set block notifications during quiet time, when active on the desktop and when in meetings

Can I turn off the call feature on my mobile?

Yes - Calls to your mobile device can be turned on / off by opening the app, go to Notifications > General activity and toggle on / off calls as desired.

How do I stop calls coming in when I am in a MS teams meeting?

The system automatically detects that you are in a meeting and will not put through calls during a meeting. The person calling will get a 'busy' tone.  Missed calls during the meeting will be displayed on your activity log.

Do I have to be on the UCC network?

No but when offsite you will need to be signed into the Microsoft application ( similar to receiving emails.)

Can I create a schedule for receiving calls?

Yes, under Notifications go to Block notifications > During quiet time and create a preferred schedule for receiving notifications.

Do I need a special headset? 

No, standard headsets will suffice. MS teams certified headsets can provide additional features such as mute/ accept / reject call without any compatibility issues.

How do I disconnect? 

The easiest means of disconnecting is to sign out of the Teams / Office application. Alternatively users can set toggle on / off calls  or set up quiet times as described earlier.

I job share with another person and we use one contact number. How will we be affected? 

MS teams doesn't lend itself to sharing of numbers. Individual numbers will need to be assigned to individuals. How can we cater for this?

We share the existing number in our office.

Handsets in common areas such as labs and PG offices will remain in place and will be converted from analogue to digital via the use of gateway at the system back end. 

GETTING STARTED WITH TEAMS

• Below are links to getting started using Teams and how to use the software.
• Microsoft_Teams_Quickstart
• Intro to Microsoft Teams
• Setup and Customize your Team
• Collaborate in Teams and Channels
• Work with Posts and Messages
• Start Chats and Calls
• Manage Meetings 
• Manage Notifications in Teams
• Set up and attend Live Events
• Explore Apps and Tools
• Manage your Activity Feed
• Teams on the Go