VoIP & Microsoft Teams

Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) works in conjunction with Microsoft Teams to send and receive phone calls.  The system works for both traditional phone numbers and other VoIP/Teams users, allowing users to answer any call.

What is VoIP?

• VoIP is an ever-evolving technology that enables users to communicate over internet channels rather than cellular or telephone mediums.  You may have already used VoIP applications in your everyday life.  During the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, the use of Zoom and other video calling software was essential to schools, offices and businesses when stay-at-home orders were issued.  Zoom is a prime example of VoIP software, as is Microsoft's Teams.
• As landline technology begins to fade out, Northwest is committed to updating and upgrading its current equipment to ensure the best communication experience possible for the students, faculty and staff. The current phone system across campus will be upgraded to phones that are linked via the internet and a computer system.
• Starting Summer 2024, the Office of Information Technology is upgrading the phone lines to VoIP allowing users and customers easier access to the many offices on campus.  Through the use of Microsoft Teams and compatible hardware, students, faculty, staff and others, such as parents or prospective students, will be able to contact any office via a landline telephone, cellular device or even a laptop computer with Microsoft Teams installed.

Why is VoIP beneficial?

•  VoIP can be very helpful in remote situations where office phones are not necessarily available.  Faculty and staff working from home will no longer need to worry about missing calls in the office.  With VoIP, calls can be made to and from anywhere, as long as the user has access to Teams and the internet.
• Additionally, the VoIP system will provide offices with a caller queue function.  The maximum hold capacity in a call queue is 5 people per line.  In the past, Northwest phone lines were not able to contain a calling queue. Callers would have to repeatedly call until the phone line became available.  The new calling queue function should enable efficiency across the Northwest phone system.

How do phone numbers work if it is over the internet?

 For making calls within the Northwest network, you will not need a phone number.  Microsoft Teams will be utilized to make phone calls within the organization.  For offices and individuals needing the capability to send and receive phone calls outside of Northwest, a telephone number will have to be assigned to the individual or the office and will be connected to their Northwest Network Account via Microsoft Teams.

Microsoft Teams comes standard on all Northwest computers.  All students, faculty and staff who have an active Northwest account have access to Teams via their Northwest Network Account.  Microsoft Teams can be used through the new phone system or the app on your Northwest computer.  With this system, faculty and staff can directly communicate with students and vice versa.

• Microsoft Teams -- Computer
• Microsoft Teams -- Mobile
• Introduction to Microsoft Teams (video)
• How to Set Up Office Hours (video)
• How to Send a Message using Chat (video)
• How to Set Up Voicemail (video)

Modifying Audio and Visual Notifications for Teams

1. Open up Microsoft Teams.
2. In the top right corner, click on the Settings and more icon (looks like 3 horizontal dots).
3. From the drop-down menu, click Settings.
4. In the Settings panel on the left, click Notifications and activity.
5. In the Notifications and activity panel on the right, modify your settings as desired.

Northwest has transitioned from the old landline phone system to new Yealink phones powered by VoIP and Microsoft Teams.  The new phone system is very different from the previous landline-based system.  The videos and documents below are a great starting point.

• Introduction to the Yealink Phone (video)
• How to Use the Yealink Phone
• Placing a Call on Hold (video)
• Placing a Phone on Do Not Disturb (video)
• Transferring a Call (video)

Locking the Yealink MP54 Telephone

For privacy and security reasons, especially in shared office spaces, the Yealink MP54 telephones can be locked preventing other people from seeing what’s in your telephone like call histories, contact names and phone numbers and calendar entries. Follow the steps below to lock/unlock your telephone:

• Go to the telephone menu by tapping your profile picture or name in the upper left corner.
• Tap Settings.
• Scroll down and tap Device settings.
• Tap Phone Lock.
• Slide the button to the right for Lock Enable.
• Enter your desired six digit PIN and confirm it.
• Set the idle time. Once your phone reaches this idle time, your phone will lock.

Once your phone locks, you will have to enter the PIN to get back in to the phone. Keep your PIN number in a place where you can find it if you forget the number. You also must enter the PIN in order to turn off Phone Lock.

Note: Typing your PIN incorrectly multiple times will lead to the phone requiring your Northwest Network Account password to log in. Once provided, you may then log in normally.