Protect existing investment
Retain value from the current Mitel telephone platform while creating a path towards a unified communications future.
Case study • Higher education unified communications
Unified communications for City, University of London
Helping City, University of London integrate Microsoft Teams with Direct Routing into its existing Mitel telephone system, giving staff a secure, flexible and future-ready communications platform.
Higher education
Microsoft Teams
Direct Routing
Hybrid telephony
Overview
Supporting a leading London university with a more flexible communications model.
City, University of London needed a modern unified communications platform that could support students, staff and external engagement while preserving existing investment in its Mitel telephone system.
Programme priorities
From legacy telephony complexity to integrated Microsoft Teams communication.
The project focused on modernising collaboration and calling without creating disruption for staff or forcing an immediate replacement of existing telephony infrastructure.
Enable flexible working
Allow staff to make and receive external calls securely through Microsoft Teams from their chosen device and location.
Improve collaboration
Give teams simpler tools for meetings, communication and engagement across sites and external parties.
Prepare for change
Move away from Skype for Business Online before end-of-life pressures created operational risk.
The challenge
Replacing an underutilised collaboration platform while keeping core telephony stable.
Unified communications was essential to student recruitment, staff support and operational communication across several sites. City needed a more modern solution, but the change had to respect existing systems and avoid unnecessary disruption.
Legacy platform
Skype for Business replacement
City wanted to move away from an underutilised Skype for Business platform as online support approached end of life.
Telephony investment
Protecting the Mitel system
The University needed to preserve existing investment in its Mitel telephone system rather than forcing a disruptive rip-and-replace.
Multiple sites
Communications across campus
Recruitment, support and day-to-day communication relied on dependable unified communications across several University locations.
User flexibility
Work from any device
Staff needed simple, secure communication tools that could support different devices, locations and working patterns.
Operational continuity
No disruption to calling
The transition needed to be controlled so core calling and engagement services remained stable during implementation.
Future readiness
Cloud communications path
City needed a platform that could support future telephony transition when the existing Mitel platform reached end of life.
Altiatech's role
Designing and delivering a hybrid Microsoft Teams Direct Routing solution.
Altiatech integrated Microsoft Teams with City's existing Mitel telephone system, creating a practical hybrid model that improved collaboration, protected telephony investment and gave staff a more flexible calling experience.
Delivery focus
Hybrid integrationBringing cloud collaboration and existing telephony into one workable model.
The project allowed City to benefit from Microsoft Teams calling while continuing to use the Mitel telephony platform until a future transition point, reducing risk and improving return on existing investment.
Direct Routing
Microsoft Teams calling
Altiatech enabled external calling through Microsoft Teams using Direct Routing, creating a more flexible phone system experience.
Hybrid telephony
Mitel integration
The solution connected Teams with the University's existing Mitel telephone platform to protect existing infrastructure value.
User experience
Calls from any location
Staff gained the ability to make and receive external calls securely through Teams from a chosen device and location.
Transition planning
Future single platform
The hybrid approach created a path to move all staff to one unified communications solution when the legacy platform reached end of life.
Implementation
Controlled rollout
The implementation was designed to be smooth, fast and undisruptive for University teams and telecoms stakeholders.
Support
Responsive assistance
Altiatech later supported the Telecom team through Responsive Premium Support Services around the Clearing period.
The approach
A controlled route from existing telephony to Teams-enabled communication.
The approach balanced modernisation with continuity, creating a practical bridge between existing telephony and the University's Microsoft Teams collaboration environment.
Understand the current platform
Review how Skype for Business, Office 365, Mitel telephony and user requirements needed to work together.
Design the hybrid model
Create a solution that connected Microsoft Teams Direct Routing with City's existing Mitel telephone system.
Enable cloud calling
Give staff secure access to make and receive external calls through Microsoft Teams from preferred devices.
Protect existing investment
Continue using the Mitel platform while providing a future transition route towards a single communications solution.
Support remote working
Provide a communications foundation that helped staff work, meet and collaborate effectively from different locations.
Support peak operations
Provide responsive premium support to help the Telecom team deliver a smoother Clearing experience.
Outcomes
A future-ready communications platform that supported continuity during major disruption.
City gained a secure unified communications solution and a more flexible telephony platform that helped staff communicate effectively and respond quickly when remote working became essential.
Futureproofed communications
City established a secure unified communications solution with Microsoft Teams Direct Routing at its core.
Flexible telephony platform
The University gained cloud-enabled calling while continuing to benefit from existing Mitel infrastructure.
Secure staff communication
Staff could share work, progress meetings and communicate with external parties more easily and securely.
Remote working readiness
When COVID-19 restrictions arrived, City was able to respond quickly with Teams as its main collaborative workspace.
Operational continuity
The platform helped staff maintain communication channels and keep University operations moving during lockdown.
Smoother Clearing support
The Telecom team expanded its use of Direct Routing and engaged Altiatech support to help deliver a more manageable Clearing period.
Client feedback
The setup process was described as smooth and undisruptive, with Teams Direct Routing set up quickly.
City's Telecoms Team Leader highlighted Altiatech's professional integration of Microsoft Teams with the Mitel telephone system and the operational benefit during the pandemic.
Connected services
Services connected to this work.
Altiatech helps organisations improve communication, productivity, cloud readiness and managed service support with practical delivery and clear operational ownership.
Productivity
End User & Productivity
Support Microsoft 365, Teams, devices, collaboration, secure working and AI-enabled productivity.
Run
Managed Services
Run and improve IT services with clearer ownership, reporting, monitoring and continual improvement.
Enable
Cloud & AI Enablement
Assess, design and enable cloud and AI foundations with the right architecture and controls.
One connected model: communications modernisation works best when productivity, telephony, cloud foundations and operational support are planned together.
View all services →Next step
Planning a Microsoft Teams, telephony or productivity modernisation project?
Talk to our team about unified communications, Microsoft 365, secure collaboration, managed services and cloud readiness for your organisation.
Email: innovate@altiatech.com
Phone: 0330 332 5842