Over the next 12 months, all employees will transition from Cisco Webex to Microsoft Teams (MS) Voice for their phone service. As part of that change, most of us also will switch from using a physical desk phone to the Voice software on our computer or mobile device, a mode known as softphone. Employees will keep their phone numbers.
This change in phone service is part of the university's ongoing adoption of communication and collaboration options in Microsoft Teams. Iowa State's contract for Webex meetings, webinars and voice will end in June 2026.
"The way Iowa State employees work is changing. From some of the statistics we've seen, more and more use Teams for meetings and chatting," said project manager Kori Spengler, collaboration services team, Information Technology Services (ITS). "We think people who migrate to a softphone will have a positive work experience."
Project website:
Campus phone migration
Includes FAQ, migration schedule and links to how-to articles and Workday Learning course
Everyone will switch to a softphone unless there's a compelling reason not to, she said. For example, her team is investigating solutions for a help desk number not assigned to an individual and used by multiple people, including student employees.
Her team has been using and testing Teams Voice since July. The rest of ITS employees and other early adopters were added from December through last month.
Migration for the rest of campus will occur over time. From this May through April 2026, employee groups will make the switch. The impacted employees will receive an email from ITS as their phase approaches. Spengler said the subsequent training will vary according to an employee's current and future phone mode:
- Desk phone users who will migrate to Teams Voice softphone
- Webex softphone users who will migrate to Teams Voice softphone
- Desk phone users who will receive a different desk phone
Microsoft Teams: Audio vs. Voice
Unlike Teams Audio, in which employees select the name of another person on the same Teams site for a conversation (audio or video), Teams Voice users "dial" on a keypad to make a call. Teams Voice has services like voice messaging and call back. Other benefits:
- Call phone numbers that are on or off campus
- No need to dial "8" prior to dialing an off-campus number
- No need to dial "1" for long distance calls; the system normalizes these calls
- Place and receive phone calls from anywhere you're using MS Teams, such as a campus desktop, laptop at home, or in the MS Teams app on your smartphone
- In the case of a 911 call, ITS has integrated campus physical locations to the Teams Voice software
- For Teams Voice users in softphone-only mode, the cost to your department/unit is lower ($10/month vs $17/month to include a physical phone)
When it's your turn
Phone users will receive an email message from ITS prior to their migration that includes information about the project, timeline and invitation to a learning session, which Spengler's team will host throughout the migration period. In addition, employees may complete a 30-minute course in Workday Learning, Introduction to Microsoft Teams Phone. The project website includes how-to articles for specific functions in Teams Voice, for example, setting up a conference call or setting up an out-of-office message in voicemail.
What to do now
Spengler said leading up to their unit's migration window, employees should complete a few tasks:
1. Clear out voicemails in their Cisco Webex software (whether physical phone or softphone). There is no capacity to carry over voicemails to Teams Voice, so any messages that need to be saved should be moved to another location. A knowledge base article can help with this: How to save your Cisco voicemails.
2. For those who will use a softphone for the first time and who use the phone frequently for their work, investigate and purchase a good headset with a quality microphone. A knowledge base article includes information about Microsoft-certified headsets: What headset is recommended for video conferencing and calling?
Some brands of ear buds could serve the same purpose as a headset. Employees are encouraged to assess variables such as comfort, battery life and microphone quality (for good audio quality) if they plan to use ear buds with their softphone.
