Microsoft Teams has played an instrumental part in our remote work environment for video conferencing, chat, and so much more. This summer, the calling feature will be added to the platform, and UWM faculty and staff will receive new phone numbers through Teams.
The focus of this phase of the project is transitioning individual phone lines (the actual landlines) to Microsoft Teams (online). This will unify all of our communication tools within one platform, Office 365. Please note: The various telephone uses (shared phone lines, landline/desk phones, University-issued cell phones, etc.) are described in more detail on our project webpage.
As Teams has become an essential part of our work life, adding the calling feature is more important than ever. As the project moves forward, here is what you can expect:
- A more detailed project update will be sent in early summer. This message will let you know when the phone numbers will be issued, will provide further instructions on using Teams Calling, and will highlight online learning opportunities to help better acquaint you with the new feature. Please note: Phone numbers will be distributed to faculty and staff on the rollout date. We are unable to issue phone numbers individually prior to that time.
- Although UWM’s current “Centrex” telephone system will be transitioned to Microsoft Teams, UWM faculty and staff may still keep their current (Centrex) telephone numbers if they wish to do so. More information on how to retain phone numbers will be provided when Teams Calling is rolled out.
Getting Ready for Teams Calling
Teams Calling will be a new feature to a platform faculty and staff already have access to. Review the information below to see how you can get more familiar with Teams before the calling feature is rolled-out:
- Haven’t used Teams yet? Get started today! Download the Teams desktop app and try out the different features (chat, video conferencing, document sharing, etc.).
- Already have Teams? Make sure you are using the right version of Teams and that your settings are correct:
- Are you using the desktop version? It is recommended that you use the desktop application of Teams to ensure you have full functionality. Please review our instructions to check what version you’re using.
- Review your settings: Up-to-date settings allow Teams to open and run correctly as well as configuring any devices (such as speakers or microphones) you may be using.
Walk through our interactive Teams checklist to make sure you are properly set up to use all the features of Teams Calling.
If you have any technology questions, please call the UWM Help Desk at 414-229-4040 or visit uwm.edu/helpdesk for more info.