University Telephone Service Transitioning to Microsoft Teams Voice

Northwestern IT is modernizing the University's telephone service by transitioning from Cisco to Microsoft Teams Voice. This change will provide a more integrated communications experience by consolidating telephone calls, voicemail, meetings, and direct messaging together in a single platform, Microsoft Teams. The change will be rolled out in partnership with local technology leaders, in a phased process, across all buildings on the Evanston and Chicago campuses between January of 2027 and June of 2028. This change will eliminate more than 7,500 unused phones, deliver more relevant service, and result in significant cost savings for the University.

As part of this transition, Northwestern IT is replacing the existing Cisco telephony services and devices. All telephone numbers and extensions will be retained, and Teams Voice will provide equivalent calling features and introduce a modern communications platform designed to support how people work today. The new service will offer calling options across computers, mobile devices, and Teams-certified phones. All existing Cisco telephones will be collected and removed after the transition process is complete and new devices are in place where applicable. While core calling capabilities will remain available, some features and workflows will work differently from the current Cisco environment.

Changes to Come in Phased Rollout By Department 

Local technology teams across Northwestern are collaborating to support this transition, and department contacts have been designated as liaisons between department members and technology teams. Information about each phase of the change will be distributed directly by department contacts to areas once it's time for their transition, and details will also be available on the Northwestern IT website to help individuals prepare for the move to Microsoft Teams Voice. 

The transition will occur in phases over 18 months, with advance notice provided for each change. Northwestern IT anticipates that no departments will begin implementing changes before mid to late January 2027. Department liaisons will be in touch with community members to prepare for next steps and will share a detailed timeline indicating when this change will directly affect them. Northwestern IT will also continue to share information through several communications channels to support the University community throughout this transition.