The University of Iowa is transitioning campus telephony services from Skype for Business to Microsoft Teams Phone to modernize communications, streamline support, and enhance collaboration. This move brings telephony into the same platform already used for chat and meetings, offering users a unified experience with features like voicemail, call transfer, and integration with Microsoft 365 tools.
What to Expect During the Transition:
- Your existing phone number will be moved to Microsoft Teams.
- Most users will not need to take any action unless contacted by IT staff.
- You’ll receive emails with your migration date, instructions, and training resources.
- Teams Phone offers features such as voicemail, call transfer, and integration with Microsoft 365 apps.
Benefits of Microsoft Teams Phone:
- Unified platform for chat, meetings, and calls.
- Improved reliability and support.
- Enhanced collaboration tools and mobile accessibility.
Training Resources
- Microsoft Teams support site: Find how-to articles and comprehensive resources to help you navigate and use Microsoft Teams effectively.
- Microsoft Teams: An Introduction: This one-hour, introductory instructor-led training course is designed for first-time users of Microsoft Teams and provides a high-level overview of how to utilize it to collaborate and communicate with teams, project groups, or colleagues. Topics covered include chat, creating a team, communicating in a team, meetings, and more.
- Microsoft Teams: Get Started with Teams Phone: This 30-minute instructor-led training course will show you how to place and transfer calls, check your voicemail, set up a voicemail greeting, and more.
- Microsoft Teams Essential Training: This 3-hour and 46-minute LinkedIn Learning course is beginner-friendly and provides a comprehensive overview of using the platform for communication and collaboration. (Sign in with your University of Iowa email)
Project Timeline
Project Kickoff
August 2025Begin campus-wide communication to raise awareness of the transition from Skype for Business to Microsoft Teams Phone. Outreach will include UI campus users, OneIT leadership, and key stakeholders, emphasizing the benefits of the new platform and setting expectations for the migration process.
Early Adopter Migrations
September 2025Initiate migrations for OneIT leadership and identified early adopters within their departments. This phase will be coordinated closely with desktop support staff to ensure a smooth experience and gather feedback to inform broader rollout strategies.
Begin Departmental Migrations
October 2025Start migrating full departments to Microsoft Teams Phone. Migrations will be scheduled in collaboration with OneIT leadership and ETS project teams, ensuring alignment with departmental needs and support capacity.
Standard User Migrations - Phase 1
November 2025Migrated impacted Skype for Business users to Teams Phone to resolve authentication issues and enhance reliability.
Standard User Migrations - Phase 2
November 2025Migrate remaining standard Skype for Business users to Teams Phone, ensuring a consistent and modern communication experience.
Complete Departmental Migrations
March 2026All departmental migrations are expected to be finalized. Focus will shift to validating system performance, confirming user satisfaction, and ensuring all functional and operational requirements are met across campus units.
Project Closeout
April 2026Conduct final cleanup of any residual Skype for Business dependencies. Decommission legacy infrastructure and confirm full operational transition to Microsoft Teams Phone. A post-project review will be completed to document lessons learned and celebrate milestones.