UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Telephony Transformation Project has migrated over 11,700 phones to Microsoft Teams, University-wide, and will now enter its final phase of completion.
While phase one of the project focused on transitioning to Microsoft Teams Phone and Microsoft Teams-to-Teams Calling, phase two will continue to address the remaining use cases that are a part of the University's legacy services.
Since the transition to Teams for phone and calling began in November 2022, more than 100 colleges and administrative units across Penn State have been successfully migrated to Microsoft Teams telephony. The project team, led by Shuchi Nalepa, senior director for Academic IT and executive sponsor of the project, also aided in disconnecting approximately 7,000 additional phone numbers and recycling more than 18,000 physical handsets by sending them to salvage.
"The Telephony Transformation Project reflects the spirit of our broader IT Transformation at Penn State: simplifying services; eliminating duplication; and providing modern, scalable solutions that support the mission of the University," Nalepa said about the initiative's long-term impact. "I’m grateful to all who contributed to making this vision a reality.”
Additionally, Penn State’s treasurer and senior vice president for Finance & Business, Sara Thorndike, touched on the impressive efforts to reduce duplicative telephony systems and optimize IT service offerings.
“This project is a model for how Penn State can transform legacy systems into future-ready solutions,” Thorndike said. “It demonstrates our commitment to fiscal responsibility, operational excellence, and delivering world-class services that strengthen the entire University community.”
As the Telephony Transformation project team continues to work with local IT staff to finalize the needs of niche use cases, the next big change involves moving contact centers to Amazon Connect. Amazon Connect is a cloud contact platform powered by AI, specifically machine learning.
"This milestone in the Telephony Transformation Project reflects remarkable teamwork across more than 100 units and 300 project partners," said David Horton, vice president for Information Technology and chief information officer. "Through the project team's dedication to streamline services and eliminate unnecessary costs, Penn State now has a simpler, more resilient platform that scales with our mission."
To learn more, visit the Telephony Transformation Project website or email the project team at telephony@psu.edu.