Plans Advancing to Migrate to Microsoft Teams Voice Telephone Service   

Northwestern IT is moving forward with plans to adopt Microsoft Teams Voice as the University’s future telephony platform. A comprehensive analysis of our current voice environment and requirements concluded that Teams Voice is a viable solution for our future voice system needs and will be a major step in modernizing campus communications.

This shift will ultimately consolidate calling, chat, meetings, and voicemail into a single, integrated application, simplifying how faculty and staff communicate and collaborate across the University. Planning is now underway for a phased transition expected to begin in the summer of 2026 and conclude in 2027.

A Natural Evolution in How We Communicate

While the move represents a significant change in infrastructure, for many users it reflects an existing shift in how voice services are used across campus, with increased adoption of telephone/collaboration apps on computers and mobile devices. As a result, traditional desk phone usage has declined dramatically.

In parallel with the Teams Voice migration, Northwestern IT will also collect unused desk phones across our campuses, with efforts already identifying thousands of physical phones that have gone unused for over a year.

Rethinking the Desktop Phone

The move to Microsoft Teams Voice will introduce important changes in how telephone services are delivered:

• Default digital phone experience: Users will no longer automatically receive a desk phone. The Microsoft Teams Voice app will be the primary calling platform.
• Targeted hardware deployment: Desk phones will be provided only where a clear business need is identified. Guidance is currently being developed to define and standardize those use cases.