The Augsburg University Information Technology Team is excited to announce the campus-wide transition from our existing landline telephone system to Zoom Phone. Zoom Phone is a cloud-based phone service that can be used to make, receive, and manage calls from multiple devices, using your existing campus phone number.
Key Benefits and Features:
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- Keep Your Campus Number: Office and department phone numbers are moved to Zoom Phone.
- Texting: Text messaging (SMS) is available on your campus phone number.
- Integrated Meetings and Calls: One Zoom application for meetings and phone calls.
- Voicemail Transcription: Zoom Phone provides voicemail transcription which can also be sent to your email.
- Flexibility: Zoom Phone can be used wherever you are logged into Zoom which assists those doing remote or hybrid work.
- Cost Effective: Zoom Phone is less costly than continuing to maintain our legacy phone system.
- Device Options: Zoom Phone is part of the Zoom application on your PC or Mac but calls can also be made on a mobile device, if desired.
- (Optional) Use Zoom mobile app on your smartphone to call, text, or video call
- Why are we moving to Zoom phone:
In addition to the benefits described above, Augsburg’s current telephone system has been discontinued and will no longer be supported by the manufacturer in 2026. Rather than heavily invest in a new traditional phone system that would lack many of the features above, we made the obvious choice to move to a cloud phone system like many of our peer institutions, including the University of Minnesota, Macalester College, St. Mary’s University, and the College of St. Scholastica. After reviewing the various vendors, it made the most sense to go with a platform we are comfortable with in Zoom, and also one that saves Augsburg money.
Project Timeline:
- All administrative departments will be moved to Zoom Phone by the end of June 2025.
- All academic departments will be moved to Zoom Phone by the end of July 2025.
Implementation Steps:
- Your LFC will reach out to you or a representative in your department to begin the process to move your campus phone to Zoom Phone.
- IT will review the current directory to update incorrect numbers and names before the phone number is moved to Zoom Phone.
- Your LFC will, if applicable, make arrangements for shared phones in department offices such as reception areas or student worker lines.
- Two to four days after the phone number is moved, your phone number will be ready to use on Zoom and the phone functionality will be available on your Zoom application.
Additional information:
Zoom Phone Basic Info Slide Deck