University of New Haven Modernizes Communication with Microsoft Teams Phone
Challenge
For years, the university relied on Cisco Call Manager, but the system was showing its age. Keeping it operational meant costly hardware upgrades and specialized expertise—both in short supply. With staff focused on developing Microsoft 365 skills, leadership needed a simpler, scalable solution that fit their existing Microsoft ecosystem—without disrupting day-to-day operations.
- Outdated infrastructure & rising costs: Over $110,000 spent annually on CUCM user licenses alone.
- Paying for two phone systems: A5 licenses already included a phone system, doubling the cost.
- CUCM end-of-life: An expensive upgrade and renewal of 1,000+ user licenses loomed.
- Hardware compatibility: Hundreds of unsupported Cisco desk phones would cost an estimated $250,000+ to replace.
- Limited IT resources: The team lacked the bandwidth to handle the migration alone.
- User resistance: Some faculty and staff were hesitant to give up traditional desk phones.
- Safety & compliance: Emergency and security phone systems had to remain operational throughout.
Approach
ZIRO developed a strategic phased rollout that prioritized stability and ease of adoption—transitioning staff to Teams-based calling in stages while keeping physical desk phones in critical areas like security offices and reception desks.
Solution
Since the university had already moved to Microsoft A5 licenses for security reasons—which included Microsoft Teams Phone—they were able to transition without incurring additional licensing costs. While the university's IT staff focused on the broader migration and engaged their trusted network cabling specialists to resolve emergency system installation delays, ZIRO provided the technical expertise to ensure a smooth transition to Teams Phone.
ZIRO provided end-to-end technical support, ensuring call flows were properly configured and that faculty and staff had the training they needed to feel confident using Teams for calling. The team remained engaged even after implementation, offering ongoing guidance to ensure a smooth adoption process.
Results
What’s next
With the migration complete, the university is now exploring ways to further optimize its Teams environment, including Microsoft Copilot for automation and enhanced call analytics.
Thanks to ZIRO, the University of New Haven has future-proofed its communications—reducing costs, streamlining IT, and ensuring a seamless experience for staff and faculty.
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