Contact Your Current Phone Provider: Reach out to your current phone provider to ensure they can forward your existing number to a new number of your choice.

Review Call Routing: Determine which users should receive incoming calls. This can include users in other unit offices. Users can opt out of receiving calls through Teams settings until they need to receive them. Additionally, compile a list of recipients for voicemail notifications, or use the same list of staff receiving calls if preferred.

Discuss Faxing Options: Decide whether to retain a fax line, eliminate it, or find a digital alternative like Rightfax. More information about Rightfax can be found here RightFax, Fax Services

Ensure Staff Have Suitable Headsets: Make sure the staff who will be answering calls have headsets they are comfortable with, as they will be using Teams for all calls instead of traditional phone handsets. While Teams handsets exist, they are generally unreliable, and it's preferable to avoid them. However, we understand that there are situations where a handset is unavoidable.

Prepare After-Hours and Holiday Messages: Decide on the messages to be used for business hours, after-hours, and holiday messages. You can provide text for Microsoft text-to-speech, which sounds very human, or you can provide a recording if preferred.

Build Out Teams Setup: Once the above steps are completed, we will work with you and Technology Services to setup the accounts needed.

Test the New Setup: After the Teams accounts are created, a number will be added to the line. We will ask you to test the new setup to ensure everything is functioning correctly.

Forward Your Current Number: Once satisfied with the new setup, have your current phone provider forward your existing number to the new number created in Teams.

Cancel Additional Lines: Cancel any additional lines you are paying for, except for the main line. At this point we can begin the process of porting your current number into the Teams system. 

Complete the Transition: Once the number is ported over, you can cancel all current phone services, and the office phone system will be fully transitioned to Teams.