It’s Time To Migrate – Skype for Business to Teams IP Phones

Are you still using Skype for Business (3PIP) IP phones? If the answer is yes, then you want to ensure those endpoints will still work seamlessly within a Teams environment. Lucky for you, we work with many authorized Microsoft Teams partners and they have put together some great resources that we would like to share with you. 

By migrating your Skype for Business IP phones with standard SIP firmware, Cisco IP phones with multiplatform SIP firmware, or SIP devices from vendors such as Poly, Yealink, and AudioCodes, you can utilize all of the amazing features you are familiar with, such as Team meetings, call transfers, call queues, and voice apps support. 

But let’s be real, migrating systems can be daunting. That’s why it’s important to do your research and make a plan before diving in. You are going to want to start by getting familiar with the Teams SIP Gateway. In short, SIP Gateways allow you to use any of the devices we mentioned above with Microsoft Teams! 

There are some important requirements to keep in mind that you will need to be aware of before starting this migration process to the Teams SIP Gateways. The most important is that the Teams user must have a phone number with PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network) calling enabled to even use the SIP Gateway. 

If you are using a 3PIP or SIP device, you MUST have a License for Microsoft Teams, Skype for Business Online Plan 2, Microsoft 356 Phone System (Via E5 or standalone licenses), PSTN enablement via a Microsoft Teams Calling Plan, Direct Routing or Operator Connect and lastly a Microsoft Teams Shared Devices license for any common area devices. For an updated list of compatible devices click here! 

Some personal advice from my own migrations: don’t be afraid to lean on your IT team or reach out to Microsoft for support. They’re there to help walk you through the process and ensure a smooth transition. Another tip that I wanted to share with you is to check the manufacturer support pages. They tend to have very helpful information on the best way to upgrade your devices to ensure a smooth transition. To help you locate some of these resources, we have listed a couple of links below!

• AudioCodes Migrating Skype for Business (3PIP) AudioCodes IP Phones to Microsoft Teams SIP Gateway Documentation
• Converting Skype for Business Phones to Teams SIP Gateway
• Latest Poly US Software Releases for Skype for Business Deployments
• How to Upgrade to Yealink SIP Edition from Teams or SFB Edition

Don’t let the fear of change hold you back. With a little bit of planning and support, migrating your Skype for Business devices to the Microsoft Teams SIP Gateway can be a breeze. So, let’s get to it and embrace the future of workplace communication!